Board Thread:Show-Related Questions and Answers/@comment-5989182-20140321215739/@comment-4946908-20140401044501

Hmcooper4 wrote:

1. (a side question: if there is no Magic in the Storybrooke, how did the sleeping curse work?)

3.  (my question is Why was he allowed to remember?)

Magic could work in Storybrooke, it was just no one had any access to magic. Regina brought magic to Storybrooke with the apple and that's why the sleeping curse worked. Remember the magic she used to crush the Woodsman's heart. There is some but it's limited.

I think Regina allowed him to remember as his punishment. The whole point of the curse was to destroy happiness. Jefferson's fault was abandoning his daughter and "you don't abandon family" so, Regina torments him by putting in a lovely mansion all alone and so close to his daughter but so far away because she has no idea who he is. If he hadn't helped Regina, he would be with her even after the curse.