Once Upon a Time: Secret Garden (7x11)

I think it's the right decision to end this show, honestly. And that's not a total diss on the new season. It's just that for all that they tried, I don't think the new cast can recapture the magic of the original. So, I suppose we're going to have to look at Season Seven as an epilogue of sorts. Honestly, I'm pretty much good with that.

Cons:

I find myself a little muddled on the various plots going on here. There are a couple of reasons for that: one, there's a ton going on; two, it's been several months, and three, I just don't care quite enough to pay super close attention sometimes. And that doesn't exactly bode well, does it? Every time Hook - I mean Killian - I mean Rogers went back to have a talk with Rumple about "Eloise Gardner," I found myself waving my hands at the TV, hoping for things to move along faster. I want things to move forward so we have time to actually see the happy endings that everybody has been promised. When are Hook and Alice going to realize they are father and daughter? Let's get to it!

There was a great deal of focus on Robin and Zelena's mother/daughter relationship, which was great... but I was sort of hoping that an episode about Robin would also tell the story of Robin and Alice's romance. Maybe we'll get there soon?

So... I guess Belfrey/Rapunzel is dead now. She has this pretty weak last-minute redemption where she dies in place of Drizella while Drizella looks on in horror. I'm not opposed to this as an ending for the character, but I sure could have used more buildup for it. I still feel like we've gotten no good explanation for why Belfrey was so cruel to one daughter while being so devoted to the other.

Another moment where I feel like I'm checking my watch is the Henry and Jacinda stuff. We come so close to Henry discovering that he's Lucy's dad in this episode, but it doesn't work out. Can't we just get these things out of the way?

Pros:

That's a lot of griping, but I actually did not dislike this episode at all. The story with Zelena and Hook looking for Mother Gothel was actually quite lovely. I felt for Zelena in a very real way, and it was actually quite satisfying to see her get her magic back, and begin to patch things up with her daughter. I was sensing a bit of romance vibes with Zelena and Hook, which I thought could be interesting. At the very least, their daughters end up being an item, so that should be fun.

Equally fun are the scenes with Zelena and Regina in Hyperion Heights. They make a really good team, and it's so satisfying to see them bonded as sisters. It was hilarious when they were reminiscing over an old sign that used to hang above the bar when they both worked there, and then Zelena just smashes it. Regina is affronted - "I thought we were having a moment!" - but of course Zelena realized that the resurrection amulet was hidden inside.

I've complained in past reviews that we don't get to see enough with Henry and Ella in the past to really understand their love story, but in the present day, I loved all of the scenes in the hospital. It was touching to see the two of them come even closer together. The fact that Henry was willing to get tested to see if he's a match for Lucy, despite the long odds, was really quite sweet. And despite my frustration that they haven't discovered the truth, I am intrigued by the mystery of who stole those files out of the poor doctor's office.

So... yeah. I feel pretty good about this being the last season, but at the same time, Henry is the heart of this show, and he has been from the very beginning. I want to be satisfied with the ending he is given, and that means that Regina and Henry, at the very least, have got to find their way back home to Emma and the others. Can they pull it off? We'll see!

7.5/10