The Miller's Daughter

Good news! She's dead!
The Witch of the West is dead!
The wickedest witch there ever was
The enemy of all of us here in Oz
Is dead!

…actually, maybe that’s not the best song for this post, considering that the whole musical is devoted to proving that the “Wicked Witch” really isn’t that evil after all. On the other hand, given certain segments of fandom, it might be the perfect tune.

I didn’t actually get to watch this episode until this morning, since I was riding through a snowstorm Sunday evening. I even dreamt about it—though in my dream, it was Hook(?!) who died, not Cora. 

I am fine with Cora’s death. More than fine, actually. I think she’s the one character that the fandom would label evil—though I don’t hang out in Evil Regal-dom if I can avoid it, so I’m not sure. But the aftermath…ugh, it’s going to be just as I suspected, if not worse. A brief visit to the tags produced plenty of calls for Snow’s death….a few people were defending her actions, but the latter makes me uncomfortable as well. Especially the part where she acted like she was trying to help Regina, because it was so genuine and believable. It almost calls into question all her previous actions, giving the anti-Charming contingent more fuel for their hatred.

I am also a fully converted Rumbelle shipper—his goodbye speech to Belle was absolutely beautiful.

You are a hero who helped your people. You're a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man. Really, really loved me. You find goodness in others. And when it's not there, you create it. You make me want to go back... back to the best version of me. And that never happened before. So when you look in the mirror and you don't know who you are, that's who you are. Thank you... Belle.

After a speech like that, they had to keep him alive for potential fallout next week—plus, I’m confused—didn’t Regina do something odd when raiding Belle’s purse? I thought she had her memories back. Or at least some of them. Anyway, that was heartwarming. All the scenes with Rumple were heartwarming…he may be a scheming, conniving crook, but at least he doesn’t go around planning to murder people, just make them miserable.

And did Snow have to use the candle? Seriously, that’s absolutely horrible…I don’t want Snow to be a murderer. David was absolutely right—it’s not who she is, it’s not part of her character, even in protection of her family. I would have been fine with a sword fight, falling out of the clock tower, even something like a trial by jury…part of it can be summed up in The Song of Fire and Ice line “if you kill a man, you have to look him in the eye.” I wanted that for Snow’s sake, not Cora’s—I feel like that would have been less damaging than the underhanded way she had Regina put the heart back in.

Now everyone feels sorry for Regina, watching her mom die because of something she did. I am glad that Cora’s gone, but with how things played out, it’s like they want us to hate the Charmings. I am this close to giving up on the show and writing an elaborate headcanon for how it turns out.