Once Upon a Time: Awake (6x17)

Hmmmm. I'm not entirely sure about this episode. I mean sure, I loved a lot and a lot and a lot about it. But there were a few twists in here that seemed a little silly. Or, sillier than usual? I don't know. Let's just talk it through and see where I land.

Cons:

We learn that at one point during the curse, Mary Margaret found a magic flower and brought it to John Doe (David). This magic flower woke David up and caused him, and then a moment later Snow, to remember their identities. David "wakes up" Rumple by saying Emma's name, and he tells them that the magic flower can also take them to their daughter. But he also tells them that they can't be with her, because it's too soon. Emma needs to be the proper age to become the Savior and wake up the whole town. Snow and David make the heartbreaking decision to drink potions that will cause them to forget again, waiting for Emma to come find them later on.

It's not that this plot thread was bad on its own, but it sort of undercuts the original curse-breaking, doesn't it? Snow and David running across the street towards each other and all that jazz? Now that we know they woke up once before, the whole thing is a little anti-climactic. Also, I don't like the idea that Rumple needed to hear Emma's name to wake up. You'd think if he had that sort of control over the curse, he'd make it so he'd be awake from the beginning. Why not? That's how I've assumed it was this whole time, anyway...

A pacing issue: a lot happens in this episode. Hook and Emma are reunited (yay) and are re-engaged (yay) and Snow and David are awake (also yay). It's not that I didn't want this stuff to happen, but it's all squished in to the last eight or so minutes of the episode. This episode also featured time in Neverland, the whole backstory with Snow and David, hints about Gideon and the Black Fairy's ultimate purpose... it was just a lot. This show always seems to have so much that could be easily cut, and then all of the important stuff is crammed together way too quickly!

Pros:

I did like Snow and David's backstory, though, if only because it reminded me of the good ol' days. Season One of this show really was something special. Ginnifer Goodwin slipped back in to that Mary Margaret role perfectly, and it was a joy to see. Also, Snow and David are just so mushy and sweet, and seeing them fight for each other and say the iconic line "I will always find you" was kind of perfect.

In this moment, Snow and David give up a chance for their family to be together, knowing that Emma will eventually find them and break the curse. Now, however, in the present day, Snow and David decide to make a sacrifice for Emma, giving up the magic of the flower they found that could have woken them up from their curse. Emma is able to use this flower to find and rescue Hook. I just love the fact that even when David and Snow can't speak to each other directly, they're comfortable making joint decisions. David knows that Snow would want to find a way out of the curse, no matter the risks, for the specific purpose of being there for Emma during the final battle. And later, Snow knows that David would want them to give up their chance to break the curse so that Emma could get Hook back. Those two. True Love, I tell ya.

And speaking of True Love, the Hook and Emma stuff is exactly what the doctor ordered. Hook is so desperate to get back to Emma that he doesn't even blink at the thought of fighting through dozens of angry Lost Boys. Tiger Lily was an interesting surprise - I wonder if we'll be getting more of her character. She has some sort of connection to the Black Fairy, and she had a piece of a wand that she says will help the Savior to defeat the evil. Hook's shadow takes this wand bit to Emma, and there's a lot of the shadow caressing Emma's face and all sorts of great stuff like that.

The proposal is pretty great. It's nice to get a second chance to see that, without all of the baggage from the first time around. I love that Hook immediately proposes the second he's back in Storybrooke, after Emma's daring rescue. He says that he needs to get it out before he gets sucked in to yet another portal! It's a sweet moment, and I'm glad they took a moment during all of this chaos to reaffirm their bond.

So then we have the ending, where Regina comes up with a plan to wake up the Charmings. She gathers a bunch of people from the town, including the dwarfs, Granny, and Archie, along with Henry, Emma, and Hook of course. She explains that if they all share in the sleeping curse, it should dilute its power. Everybody drinks from the cup, and Snow and David wake up. Everybody else is asleep, but just temporarily. As they wake, Emma is hugged by her parents, and Hook and David share a moment of reconciliation. This was a great scene, because after everything Regina has done, she really should have been the one to fix the problem. Regina gave Snow the credit, saying that it was her sacrifice and the hope she had inspired in her people that made the whole town willing to take a chance on her and David. What a beautiful moment. And they're finally together again!

I'm still not all that interested in the Black Fairy and Gideon as characters, but I do enjoy the fact that Gideon is fighting against the Black Fairy's control more and more. Some level of redemption for this character would be welcome. Belle has suffered enough as it is!

I think that's all I've got. A bit of a crowded episode, coming towards the end of a weirdly crowded season. But if this does end up being the end of Once Upon a Time, I'm glad we're shining the spotlight on the two couples who deserve a happily ever after.

8/10