“Is This Henry Mills?” definitely packed a punch as we head into the series finale of Once Upon A Time After such a lackluster season, it seems the writers have waited until the final episodes to finally bring back the magic that sustained the show for so many years.
Following the failed attempt to wake Henry up, Mother Gothel tells Regina and Lucy that the reason the curse didn’t break when Henry and Jacinda kissed was that he no longer believes. She said that’s what happens when children become adults, the magic is simply gone.
But believer Henry isn’t fully gone because we were given a flashback, but really it was more of an actual look into Storybrooke. Jared Gilmore returns as young Henry and he is preparing for his high school graduation. Honestly, seeing him reprise the role that made Once Upon A Time the magical show it used to be was a true highlight of this episode.
In Storybrooke, young Henry is debating on what he wants to do with his life. He feels as though he can’t stay in Storybrooke forever because he really isn’t from there like the other characters. But on the flip side, no one in the real world would understand the things he’s experienced throughout his childhood.
In Hyperion Heights, Rumple brings the last of the potion he stole from Regina to help Henry get his belief back. Rumple tells Regina he wants to help because he realized he might never get back to Belle. Since that’s the case, he should help the family he still has.
Not only is Rumple helping his family, but also Hook. After Hook escaped from the Coven, he finds Rumple, who tells him that yes, there is magic in this world and everything he witnessed was real. All Hook has to do is believe which was the whole theme of this episode.
After the new potion still didn’t bring Henry’s memories back, she dug up the second Storybook hoping that would break his curse and bring his memories back. When that didn’t work, Regina showed him the adoption papers she found from Storybrooke to try and prove to Henry that she is his mother.
Regina reveals to Henry that Hyperion Heights is actually in the past and that their present selves, younger Henry and Regina, are living their lives in Storybrooke. This means that flashback was not a flashback at all.
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Once he is back at Jacinda’s apartment trying to smooth things over with Lucy, Henry sees a phone number on the adoption papers and calls it. The number goes to Storybrooke where young Henry answers the phone.
In this moment, every single memory comes flooding back to adult Henry. He poses as a friend of Regina’s and gives young Henry some life advice. This is a Twilight Zone moment for Henry as he realizes the advice he has been following his whole life has actually been from himself.
While this is happening, Regina tries to take on Mother Gothel but is knocked out. That’s when Henry runs to her rescue. He tells Regina’s lifeless body he remembers and kisses her on the head breaking the curse.
This was such a fantastic parallel moment from back to season one, when Emma first broke the curse by kissing Henry in the hospital. Now, Henry returns the favor to his other mother.
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Since everyone in Hyperion Heights wakes up and their magic is returned, Alice, Robin, Hook, and Rumple go to finish the job and stop Gothel once and for all. It’s with Alice’s newfound powers that she is able to stop Mother Gothel and return peace, and everyone’s memories, to Hyperion Heights.
While this was the best episode of the final season and a heartwarming episode where everyone remembers, there is still one more beast the heroes have to battle: one of their own. It seemed Dr. Facilier was the final villain, as it was revealed to be Rumple’s evil side, The Dark One.
In the last moments, The Dark One appeared and stabbed Dr. Facilier in the back while confronting Rumple. For Rumple to officially be free of The Dark One, he needs the help of all the heroes that came before on Once Upon A Time.
Once The Dark One is defeated, Rumple and all the heroes can truly live happily ever after.
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