Going Home

"Going Home" is the eleventh episode of Season Three of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It is the fifty-fifth episode of the series overall, and premiered on December 15, 2013.

Synopsis
The race is on to stop Pan from enacting another curse on the residents of Storybrooke, which could kill every living soul in town.

Recap
At the wishing well, Pan, still in Henry's body, begins to dump in the ingredients for the Dark Curse while Felix looks on. Mr. Gold informs everyone that Pan's curse can indeed be undone by Regina since she is the caster of the original curse. Meanwhile, Pan attests that the curse Regina enacted is nothing but "child's play" and what he has in store for them will be much more destructive. Felix is impressed; stating that Peter Pan never fails. Returning to the group discussion, Regina learns that to undo Pan's curse, she must destroy the scroll. However, Mr. Gold, warns this will undo both curses and doing so will have a steep price to pay. Instead of taking the scrolling back by force, Mr. Gold suggests they do a body switch to return Henry and Pan to their respective bodies.

Pan still has one last ingredient to contribute to the Dark Curse, which is the heart of the thing he loves most. Felix believes he intends to procure Mr. Gold's heart, but Pan explains that he never loved his son, and besides, love isn't only romantic or familial; it can entail loyalty or friendship. Felix quickly figures out Pan is talking about him and though he protests, he can ultimately do nothing as his leader rips out his heart and crushes it into the wishing well. Returning to the group discussion, Henry recognizes that if the body switch works, he will have the scroll in his possession. Regina doesn't believe even someone as powerful as Mr. Gold has the magic necessary to perform the switch, but he states that it is possible with the proper tools. At this, Tinker Bell suggests using the Black Fairy's wand. She explains that the Black Fairy was the most powerful fairy skilled in the dark arts, but the Blue Fairy banished her and took her wand. The Shadow, who has overheard all this, follows David, Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell as they go to the convent to find it. At the wishing well, Pan pulverizes Felix's heart into complete ash and watches with satisfaction as a green smoke rapidly rises out to the surface.

In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest prior to the casting of the Dark Curse, Snow White, heavily pregnant, anxiously inquires the Blue Fairy about what will happen to them if the wardrobe doesn't work. Prince Charming stands by and listens in on the conversation exchange. The Blue Fairy states that the curse will transport them to a new land where they will all lose their memories and become slaves to the Queen's darkest desires. This is all the more reason, the Blue Fairy stresses, that they must have faith the savior will save them. Given the circumstances of the curse's effects wiping out of their memories, Snow White wants to know how the savior will understand that she needs to save them. Wistfully, the Blue Fairy knows for certain that one day, when the time is right, the savior will learn their story. Snow White is perplexed by the term "story". Even the Blue Fairy doesn't know exactly what will happen, but is assured that she herself has something they all need right now—hope. She asks Snow White to have faith, and takes her leave out of the castle. Instead of being comforted by these words, Snow White is left more unsure than ever, though Prince Charming thinks they have no other choice but to believe in the Blue Fairy. Snow White looks longingly at the unicorn mobile that would have for their daughter's crib, and now these plans will never come to fruition. Her husband gently assesses that they should listen to the Blue Fairy and have hope of prevailing. She relates her crushed dreams to Prince Charming of them ever being a family and raising their daughter due to the curse. He believes their prospects are still unknown while she can't see how there is anything good in the future. Prince Charming attests that the future isn't always bad, and life is full of twists and turns. He sees the curse as just another turn in life. She is still clinging to the idea of their happy ending, which is to raise their child together as a family, and now it's gone. As an alternative, he helps her to see that though that specific future is gone, it doesn't mean they can't have a different and unexpected one. She decides to choose hope, and believe in it.

In present time in the pawnshop, Mary Margaret uses her hands to toy with the unicorn mobile as she laments that it would have been hanging over Emma's baby crib. Emma says she likes the unicorns, and they both smile at the thought. Mary Margaret remembers it was the hardest thing to part with Emma once the curse hit and even now often wonders what would things be like if it hadn't come to that decision. Emma agrees that she thinks the same with Henry. Mary Margaret knows Emma was giving Henry his best chance in life. Still, Emma knows things would have been very different had she kept him, and they could have had a normal life together in Boston or someplace else. In the end, she recognizes this what-if future was never meant to be. Belle, Henry and Regina walk in to sit down for a bit. Emma asks how Henry is doing, to which he shows eagerness to return to his original body. Behind the counter, Mr. Gold confirms that it won't be much longer. Casually, he flips through a page in a spell book, and then closes the book. He is sure that once they have the wand, everything will go as planned.

The foursome arrive at a church as a service is being held for the late Mother Superior. They ask the nuns for the wand, who react in fear at their reference of the item. Tinker Bell promises that whatever is coming to town is far worse than the wand itself. Suddenly, they are interrupted by the presence of the Shadow speeding around the church from the outside until it begins looming on the stained glass windows. David urges the nuns to flee when the Shadow breaks in while David, Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell take cover behind the pews.

In a flashback on the island of Neverland, Hook and his crew member, Smee, are traversing through the jungle. Hook is more driven than ever to find a way back to the Enchanted Forest since gaining knowledge from Baelfire of the Dark One's Dagger he can use to kill Rumplestiltskin. Smee is knocked out by an unknown assailant. As Hook looks around for the attacker, Tinker Bell surprises him at knife point. Seeing as he looks too old to be a Lost Boy, She demands to know what Hook is doing in the jungle. Hook acquiesces that he's simply looking for magic to return to his old world. He slides out of the threatening position to force her back a few steps while guessing, with accuracy, that Tinker Bell is a fairy. In response, she scoffs that he must be a pirate. Hook asks if she will help him. Tinker Bell points the knife at his neck again, and instead wonders if he should be worried about his throat getting slit by her. Again, Hook forces her to step back as he sets down his lantern and pushes his face close to hers; nearly closing the gap between them. He questions why she, as a fairy, isn't helping him find his "happy ending" or something equally as precious. She briefs him on the fact her wings no longer exist, and as for his "happy ending", he's on his own with that. Hook motions to grab something from his pocket, prompting Tinker Bell to pull out another blade at him, but she lets down her guard once he shows that it is only a rum bottle. He offers it to her, and before Tinker Bell takes a gulp, she asks what is so important to him at home. Hook sadly recalls the Dark One murdering the woman he loved. Tinker Bell realizes he wants revenge, but doing so might cause him to lose his own life in the process. Hook affirms that he would only risk his life for two things; love and revenge. While his love is already lost, dying while exacting vengeance will be enough satisfaction for him.

Hook volunteers himself to distract the Shadow, causing Tinker Bell to remember him only ever taking deadly risks for two things; love or revenge. The pirate cites a third thing, which is his his own life. He dodges a hit by the Shadow, but is then violently thrown off his feet by another blow, injuring him before David can drag him to safety. Neal is not able to use the coconut lantern because the Shadow is too high out of reach and says Tinker Bell and her vial of pixie dust is their only hope. With their encouragement, she steps out into the open and concentrates hard, managing to believe in herself enough to make the dust glow. Focusing on the wick of the coconut, she lights a flame and uses the dust's power to rise into the air so she can suck the Shadow into the lantern. She then destroys the creature by throwing the coconut into an open fire. As everyone congratulates her, she confronts Hook, saying she now recognizes that he did not put himself at risk for his own benefit, but for Emma. Mother Superior's shadow is restored to her and she comes back to life. She congratulates Tinker Bell for her brave actions and apologizes for perhaps being too strict with the rules. She is impressed by Tink and gives her back her wings and the Black Fairy's wand. David, Hook and Neal rush back to the pawnshop to give Mr. Gold the wand and tell everyone about Mother Superior's return.

Before Mr. Gold begins the switch, he clasps the bracelet on Pan's body to prevent him from using his magic. Once the wand is used to transfer Henry and Pan's spirits back to their rightful bodies, everyone rushes out to look for Henry.Belle notices Mr. Gold is staying behind and waits for him to come with her, but he says he has unfinished family business with his dear old dad. She allows him to be, though Neal stays behind a beat longer to look silently at his father's backside as Mr. Gold stares down at the unconscious body of Pan.

In a flashback to Storybrooke while the Dark Curse is still in effect in October 2011, ten-year-old Henry is sitting at a table on the school grounds while looking at a homework assignment he did not complete, which is a family tree. He tucks the paper away in a folder and pushes it under his open lunchbox. His teacher, Mary Margaret, notices Henry and comes over to ask if there is a problem since he didn't turn in his homework again. Henry remains silent at her question, so she sits down to console him by saying things will change if he believes in it since life is unpredictable. He closes his lunchbox, and wonders if her life is unpredictable, considering that everything in town, in his eyes, seems to be the same except himself. He is unhappy that his birth mother didn't love him, and neither does Regina, though she pretends to be. Even more so, Henry feels like he doesn't belong in Storybrooke. She believes Henry does belong here, and that he is loved. He has no visible reaction to her words, so she quickly gets an idea. Mary Margaret explains cleaning out her bedroom closet in the morning and finding a mysterious book, which she doesn't remember being there, but it appeared almost like magic. She pulls out a book, entitled Once Upon a Time in golden letters, and sets it in front of him. Henry says it's not possible for a book just to appear out of nowhere. Mary Margaret agrees, but it happened anyway. As he opens the book to a random page of a young boy and an older man with a cricket stuck to a clock, Mary Margaret goes on to say the book is here despite despite the strange circumstances of whether she was given the book a long time ago or if it arrived from someplace. She points out that the book contains hope. He assesses that they look like fairytales. To this, Mary Margaret explains fairytales are a reminder their lives will get better if they just hold onto hope, and though his happy ending is not what he might expect, this is what will make it so special. He asks to borrow the book, though she gifts it to him. He brightens up with a smile at her response, to which she says that even believing in the possibility of a happy ending is a powerful thing. As she leaves, Henry turns to another page of a princess and her prince. Henry calls Mary Margaret suddenly, and upon looking up, he sees his teacher, for a brief moment, as the same princess in the book. A second later, the vision disappears and Mary Margaret looks like her normal self. In awe, he thanks her for giving him the book. Another flip of a page, and Henry sees the princess cradling an infant child. Strangely, he recognizes the child's name as Emma.

On the streets, Granny uses her wolfish tracking skills to find Henry, who is at the clock tower. After reuniting with his two mothers, he hands the scroll to Regina, who passes out as soon as she touches it.

Back at pawnshop, Pan awakens in his own body. Mr. Gold looks coldly down at his father, and gives him a chance to express remorse for his actions. Pan talks about Mr. Gold as a baby, and describes him with seeming affection. Then, he elaborates on how little his son's big eyes filled with tears pulled at him. Not only did he pull away his money, but also his time and hopes of ever having a better life. Frustrated, Pan says his son, "Why can't I be free of you?" In response, Mr. Gold holds a sword to Pan's chest. Pan decides to teach his son one last lesson, and tears the bracelet from his arm. Mr. Gold is stunned as Pan tells him the bracelet was his own creation, and therefore cannot be used against him. Using magic to cuff his son, Pan flings him into the wall and kicks him back before leaving the shop, saying that he will not only take the memories of Mr. Gold's family, also their lives.

In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestiltskin lights a candle for his son Baelfire's birthday. When Belle walks in bearing flowers, Rumple orders her away. She stays anyway, realizing he is holding a candle lighting in remembrance of his son. She asks how old Baelfire would be, to which Rumplestiltskin defensively states that he isn't dead, just lost. The Dark One quietly states out loud his own wish to be with his son in celebration of the birthday. Rumplestilskin tells her that they once had a chance to be happy together, but he was too afraid. She tries to console him; saying its not too late. Though Rumplestiltskin hopes she is right, he recognizes his is not a happy ending.

In the present, Mr. Gold vainly struggles with the cuff. Becoming desperate, he picks up the sword and toys with the idea of cutting his arm off to be rid of the bracelet.

In front of the clock tower, Regina awakens and everyone that she just saw how to stop the curse. Before she can do anything though, Pan magicks the curse into his hand and magically freezes everyone present. He wonders if he should kill Belle or Neal first before deciding on murdering his grandson. Luckily, Mr. Gold arrives in the nick of time, both hands still attached. To an immobile Neal, he acknowledges making the curse in order to find him. Alas, Mr. Gold now realizes it's all a mistake because his son's happiness is not with him. He expresses love for Neal, and then Belle, who made him stronger. With these farewells, he summons his detached shadow in order to receive the dagger that bears his name. Mr. Gold explains to Pan that the only way he can die, is if they both die. On that note, he plunges the blade through his father's back. Belle and Neal look on in horror as Pan's youth is taken from him in the form of a darkened smoke and Malcolm reappears in his place. Malcolm attempts to plead with his son, stating that they can start over and have a happy ending. Mr. Gold attests that he himself is a villain, and as such, can't have a happy ending. Then, he twists the dagger deeper into both their wounds as a golden light pours out from the blade. The light engulfs them as Mr. Gold places one last kiss on his father's cheek and they vanish.

With Pan's death, the others are freed from their immobility. Belle immediately crumples onto the ground in heartbroken despair over Mr. Gold's death. David and Mary Margaret are too horrified for words at what they witnessed while the others are also speechless. Regina dazedly picks up the scroll and stares into space, causing Neal to ask her not to let his father's death be in vain. The curse's fog is still closing in and there is no time to waste. Regina anxiously describes the curse's price; she has to say goodbye to the thing she loves most—Henry. She can't ever see him again because destroying the scroll will undo both curses, meaning that Storybrooke will be undone as well. Everyone will be transported back to the Enchanted Forest, prevented from ever returning—except Henry. Since he was born in the Land without Magic, he can't be brought into the Forest. Only Emma will be able to stay with him because she is the Savior and thus able to escape the curse once again. Emma refuses, wanting to go to the Enchanted Forest with Henry, but Regina says that is not an option. She needs to pay the price, otherwise she can't stop the curse. David and Mary Margaret tell Emma that she needs to take Henry away, for both of their best chances. They will always be a family, but they want Emma and Henry to have a happy ending. Regina tells her that all she wanted was for Emma to get the hell out of her town so she can keep her son, but now all she wants is for Henry to be happy. Finally, Emma agrees to leave Storybrooke with Henry.

At the town border, Emma and Henry say their goodbyes to their friends and family, including Dr. Hopper, Mother Superior, and the seven dwarves. Henry sadly tells Regina that it's all his fault, that if he had never looked for Emma and just lived with the Regina under the curse, none of this would have happened. He says that felt alone, and thought Regina didn't really love him. He was wrong. Regina consoles him, admitting that it is not his fault, but hers, for casting the curse in vengeance in the first place. She recalls Mr. Gold's words, and agrees that a villain like her can't have a happy ending. Henry disagrees, and tells her that she is not a villain; but his mom. Emma embraces Neal, who promises that he will see her and their son again. Hook says goodbye to Emma, promising that there won't be a day that goes by without him thinking of her. "Good", she quietly replies. Before she can get into her car, Regina has one final thing to say to Emma and Henry: when the curse removes Storybrooke from existence, there will be no trace of it left, not even in their memories. Though Regina can preserve neither Emma nor their son's memories, she can create false ones. Though it pains her emotionally, she can create a past in which Emma never gave up Henry for adoption so they'll have always been together. Emma protests because the memories won't be real, and Regina agrees. However, their future will be real. With that, Henry and Emma receive final kisses from their mothers and clamber into the car. They watch Regina use her power to turn the green mist purple, then they drive across the town border just as the fog closes in on their family. Storybrooke vanishes from the world until even the spray-painted border is gone.

In a flashback, Emma gives birth to Henry. However, memory is changed. Instead of giving up her child, she asks to hold her baby. Emma smiles in wonder as she gazes at her newborn son.

A year after the erasure of Storybrooke, Henry and Emma are happily living in an apartment in New York City. Emma makes a good breakfast of pancakes and eggs for herself and Henry, paired with hot chocolate drinks topped off with cinnamon, and Henry waters their plants. But before they can dig into their food, there is a knock at their door. Neither are expecting company, so they both ignore it until the knocking becomes pounding on the door. Emma goes to open the door, revealing none other than Captain Hook. He is overjoyed to see Emma, even if she doesn't recognize him at all. That doesn't stop the over-eager captain from kissing her, though. She gives him a well-deserved knee in the groin while Hook mumbles that he at least had to try. Emma ignores his pleas for help about something terrible has happened and her family is in trouble. She responds that her family is right here, and slams the door in his face. Henry curiously asks who that was. Emma makes a flimsy excuse about someone probably leaving the downstairs door open.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle/Belle
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
 * Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Lee Arenberg as Leroy
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Blue Fairy/Mother Superior
 * Tony Perez (Credit only)
 * Raphael Sbarge as Archie Hopper
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Christopher Gauthier as William Smee
 * Robbie Kay as Peter Pan
 * Rose McIver as Tinker Bell
 * Stephen Lord as Malcolm
 * Parker Croft as Felix

Co-Starring

 * Joy Castro as Nurse
 * Michael Coleman as Happy
 * Faustino Di Bauda as Sleepy
 * David-Paul Grove as Doc
 * Evans Johnson as Nun #1
 * Jeffrey Kaiser as Dopey
 * Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark
 * Mig Macario as Bashful
 * Dave Mathews as Doctor

Uncredited

 * CGI The Shadow
 * Unknown baby as Henry Mills

Production Notes

 * The title card features Emma's car surrounded by the curse's green mist.
 * Emma and Henry's apartment number is the same as this episode's number—311.

Event Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest events featuring Snow and Prince Charming take place after their visit to Rumplestiltskin and before the arrival of the Dark Curse in "Pilot".
 * The Enchanted Forest events featuring Belle and Rumplestiltskin takes place during the events of "Skin Deep".
 * The Neverland events take place after "And Straight On 'Til Morning"  and before "The Heart of the Truest Believer".
 * The Land Without Magic flashback with Henry and Mary Margaret occur 10 years after "Save Henry" and a month before "The Thing You Love Most".
 * The Land Without Magic flashback of Emma giving birth to Henry takes place three weeks before "Save Henry" (according to "Pilot"), and 10 years before "Pilot".
 * The present day Land Without Magic events take place after "The New Neverland" and before "New York City Serenade".

Episode Connections

 * Peter Pan switched bodies with Henry in "Save Henry".
 * Henry recalls Pan tricking him into giving him his heart, which occurred during "Think Lovely Thoughts".
 * Tinker Bell lost her wings in "Quite a Common Fairy".
 * Hook and his crew come to Neverland in "The Crocodile".
 * Hook learns of the Dark One's Dagger during "And Straight On 'Til Morning".
 * Regina mentions her struggle involving the Enchanted Bracelet from Tamara and Greg Mendell, which occurred during "The Evil Queen". The Enchanted Bracelet itself was first seen in "Tallahassee".
 * When Mary Margaret first gives Henry his storybook, he sees illustrations of episode stills from "The Stranger" and "Pilot".
 * Mr. Gold had his shadow removed from his body in "Lost Girl".
 * What happened to Mr. Gold after he disappeared, is revealed in "Quiet Minds".
 * The song playing in Emma's New York City apartment is "Charley's Girl", the same song featured on Neal's iPod in "Broken".
 * Emma and Henry's love for hot cocoa with cinnamon was established in "The Thing You Love Most".
 * How Hook was able to travel to the Land Without Magic is revealed in "There's No Place Like Home".

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features Hook, Tinker Bell, Peter Pan and the shadow from the Peter Pan story, Snow White and Prince Charming from the Snow White fairy tale, the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair from the Pinocchio story as well as Belle and the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.
 * Rumplestiltskin symbolizes both the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, but also the character of the same name from the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale.

Lost References

 * The alarm clock in Emma's apartment rings at 8:15, and stops at 8:15:04. 4, 8 and 15 are three of the Lost' numbers.

Pop Culture

 * The song featured in Emma's New York City apartment is "Charley's Girl" by Lou Reed.