Second Star to the Right

"Second Star to the Right" is the twenty-first episode of Season Two of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It is the forty-third episode overall, and premiered on May 5, 2013.

Synopsis
Emma, Mary Margaret and David go in search of Regina when they discover that she - along with some magic beans - have gone missing. But against Neal's protests, Emma still believes that Tamara had something to do with Regina's disappearance; and Mr. Gold contemplates telling Lacey the truth about his ability to conjure magic. Meanwhile, after Rumplestiltskin abandons his son and lets him travel alone through a portal, young Bae finds himself back in 19th century London and is taken in by the Darling family—befriending their daughter Wendy.

Recap
Just moments after Rumplestiltskin lets his son slip through the portal, Baelfire lands in a land without magic. There, he is almost run over by a horse-drawn carriage. When he looks up he sees a monument that reads "Kensington Gardens", and around the corner are a couple of people walking near street lamps. Baelfire turns his head to see London's Elizabeth Tower.

Six months after his arrival into this new world, Baelfire has become a vagrant and is seen foraging through garbage in search of food. When all he manages to find is a half-eaten pear, Baelfire decides to sneak into the home of a seemingly wealthy family. Inside the home he finds three loaves of bread, which he scarfs down. A dog sees Baelfire eating the bread and barks at him. One of the residents, a young girl, comes out of her room with a small sculpture and tells Baelfire to stop. He tells the girl that he didn't mean any harm, and the girl can see that Baelfire is poor and hungry so she offers him all three loaves. She asks him his name, and he tells her that his name is "Bae", and in return she tells him that her name is Wendy Darling.

Neal Cassidy lays in bed and asks his fiancée Tamara if they can sleep in. Tamara laces up her shoes and tells Neal that her marathon is in three weeks, and she needs to train before then. Neal tells her that if she comes to bed, he'll give her a workout, but Tamara laughs it off and kisses Neal goodbye.

Mr. Gold and Lacey stand over Dr. Whale as Mr. Gold tries to get Dr. Whale to kiss his shoe as punishment for looking at Lacey. Neal comes up from behind Mr. Gold and gets him off of Dr. Whale, who walks away from The Rabbit Hole. Mr. Gold tells his son that it does not concern him, and Neal tells his father that he is surprised that he did not turn him into a snail. Lacey, unaware of magic and Neal's past does not understand what Neal means by that. Mr. Gold hands over the keys to his shop to Lacey, and asks her to wait for him inside. Once Lacey is out of sight, the father and son resume their conversation. Neal tells his father that after years of searching for him, he disappeared and does not seem to care about anything going on in his life i.e. meeting Tamara. Mr. Gold tells Neal that the relationship will not work, because he still has feelings for Emma. Neal tells his father that he was wrong when he thought that he might be worth his time. Mr. Gold tells him that he is still here, but Neal tells him that he is only there for Henry and that he can stay away from them from now on.

Emma and David walk into Regina's mayoral office with guns cocked and loaded, ready to shoot. When they see that Regina is nowhere on the premises, they tell Mary Margaret and Henry to come in. Henry asks Emma if she plans to hurt Regina after she finds her. Emma says that she only wants the magic beans that Regina stole. Mary Margaret questions why Regina would leave her office unlocked, and it becomes even more suspicious when David discovers where Regina is keeping the beans. When Mary Margaret takes a closer look, she sees that the beans have been taken off the vine they grew from. Emma grows concerned that something has happened to Regina, considering that Regina would not leave evidence like this behind, and she would not have used the beans without Henry. Emma checks the security system in Regina's office, and it reveals that the last time someone was in the office was at six thirty that morning, and that whoever it was used an override code to get into the office. Mary Margaret asks Emma if she believes someone else took the beans. Emma says that they have not found Regina so it is likely. Mary Margaret then tells Emma that the only one in town capable of overpowering Regina is Mr. Gold, but Emma doubts this, because of Mr. Gold's preoccupation with Lacey. Emma tells her parents that this was not the doing of Mr. Gold, but Tamara. Mary Margaret tells Emma that she has already gone down that road, and it's time for her to let it go. Emma tells Mary Margaret that August was attacked the day Tamara came to town, and that she doesn't believe it was a coincidence. Emma tells Mary Margaret and David to see if Mr. Gold has something that can help locate Regina. Meanwhile, Emma plans on researching Tamara's room.

In Greg and Tamara's headquarters, which are located around the Storybrooke Dock in a seafood cannery, Greg and Tamara have Regina strapped to a table. Greg asks Tamara if she got into Regina's office, and she confirms that she did. She shows Greg what she snatched while in Regina's office—two magic beans. Tamara tells Greg what Neal told her regarding magic beans, that they can open portals. When Greg shows signs of jealousy, Tamara tells him that as soon as they are done, her engagement to Neal is over. He shows Tamara a jewel that Regina had on her before they captured her. She puts the jewel into her pouch, and tells Greg that their Home Office will have a field day with all of the items their sending them. Amidst this, Hook brings his hook closer to Regina's face, she tells him that whatever they are offering him is not worth it. Hook tells her that they are offering him the ability to kill Rumplestiltskin, which is worth it. Regina asks Hook if he actually trusts them and proceeds to laugh at his foolishness for not knowing who he is working for. Greg enters with an electronic box of sorts. Regina asks Greg if this is part of his mission. Greg straps Regina to his machine, and tells her that it is a separate matter from his mission, a personal matter. He tells Regina that it is about his father, but Regina once again states she allowed him to leave town. Greg questions why his father would not search for his only son, and prepares to enable his machine. He asks Hook for help, but Hook tells him that he will not help until they plan on killing Rumplestiltskin and will not participate in torturing Regina before leaving. Greg turns on his machine, and Regina asks if it is supposed to frighten her, and Greg says that it should. He again asks Regina where his father is, and when Regina doesn't answer him he fires up the machine.

In the Darling household, Wendy has been hiding Baelfire from her parents by keeping him in her room's crawl space. One night Wendy brings Baelfire some leftovers for him to eat. Baelfire holds the food up to his face and inhales deeply, before asking Wendy if her parents have any suspicions, and Wendy tells him that they are adults and cannot see anything that is not right in front of them. Unbeknownst to both of them, Wendy's parents have eavesdropped on their entire conversation. Wendy's father, George, asks her how long she has been keeping Baelfire in their home. Wendy admits that he has been staying in there for a couple of weeks, but says that he was living on the street before she brought him into their home. George then asks Baelfire where his family is, and he tells him that his mother died, and lies about his father being dead as well. He prepares to leave, but Wendy's mother, Mary, shows sympathy for the boy she deems an orphan, and welcomes him to her home, much to George's shock.

Emma shows up at Neal and Tamara's room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast to search the room "for real". Emma notices that Tamara is not there. Neal tells her that Tamara is out running and asks her what she suspects Tamara of this time. Emma tells him that Regina has gone missing. Neal tells Emma that she is being ridiculous by suspecting Tamara. Emma walks over to Tamara's things and asks Neal where she went running and how long she has been gone. Neal says that she went left to run in the woods a couple of hours ago. Around Tamara's shoes there are traces of sand, Emma questions Neal as to why sand would be tracked in if she ran in the woods. Neal tells Emma that she probably just wanted to run on the beach instead, but Emma says that if Tamara lied about something insignificant, then she may have lied about something else as well. Neal tells Emma that Tamara might just like to run on the beach, but Emma says that they need to investigate.

The Darling children, Wendy and John crowd around their bedroom window, awaiting the return of a presence they call "The Shadow". Wendy invites Baelfire to come and wait for it with them. Baelfire is slightly concerned and asks Wendy what this shadow is and when it came. Wendy tells him that a couple weeks ago, around the time Baelfire came to their home, a shadow came flying into their room that was not attached to a human body. She tells him that this shadow can travel between worlds and change its shape due to its magical ways. As soon as Baelfire hears that magic is involved he feels obligated to warn them about this shadow. He forbids them from talking to the Shadow ever again. Wendy sees this as a ludicrous demand, but Baelfire tells John, Michael and Wendy that all magic comes with a price. John tells Baelfire that he is just saying that because he is a non-believer, but Baelfire asserts that he does believe in magic and has seen it, because he comes from another land, a land abundant with magic. Wendy is intrigued by this and tells Baelfire that a land like that sounds wonderful. Baelfire tells her it is not as it's the reason he left. He adds that magic is what destroyed his family, and he does not want it to destroy hers as well. After hearing this, Wendy promises that she will stay away from the Shadow.

Mary Margaret and David come into Mr. Gold's shop to tell Mr. Gold that Regina is missing, but Mr. Gold says that that is just the way he likes her and resumes drinking with Lacey. David tells Mr. Gold that despite his feelings about Regina, he still owes him a favor. Once again, Lacey does not understand what he is talking about, so Mr. Gold asks her to excuse him so he can attend to his business. Mr. Gold tells them that he can find something to help locate Regina, but first he wants to know why they would want to help the Evil Queen. Mary Margaret says that she owes it to Regina because of what she did to her mother, Cora. Mr. Gold tells her to never underestimate the power of a guilty conscience. One of the items in Mr. Gold's shop happens to be one of Regina's tears, but in order for his magic to work he will also need a tear of Mary Margaret's so he holds the vial up to Mary Margaret, who cries a single tear. Once the tears have been combined the liquid glows, and he instructs Mary Margaret that for the magic to work she has to drop the tears into her eye, which will connect her to whatever Regina is experiencing. David asks him how long the spell last and Mr. Gold tells him that it will last until they find Regina. Mr. Gold then tells them that his part of the bargain is fulfilled and tells them goodbye. Lacey comes back inside and tells Mr. Gold that she overheard the conversation in its entirety. She asks if he can do magic, but Mr. Gold tells her to pour herself another drink.

David tries to prove to Mary Margaret that she does not need to take it upon herself to host the spell given to them by Mr. Gold, but Mary Margaret says that she needs to do it to lighten her heart that was darkened as a result of killing Cora. David nods his head, and then uses an eyedropper to give Mary Margaret the tear. Once in her eye, Mary Margaret screams and contort, as she feels Regina being tortured by Greg's electroshock therapy machine.

Baelfire awakens and finds that Wendy has broken the promise as she sits by the window welcoming the Shadow into the bedroom. He tries to get Wendy away from the Shadow, but she explains that the Shadow is from a land with magic, but a land different from Baelfire's land. Wendy tells Baelfire that the land is called Neverland, and there children never grow old and that there are no grown ups. The Shadow grabs onto Wendy's hand, and prepares to fly away with her. Baelfire tries to keep her inside, but to no avail, because the Shadow soon flies away with her.

Emma takes Neal to the beach, to look for Tamara. Neal asks Emma if she believes Tamara is keeping Regina in a sand castle, and then claims that her emotions are clouding her judgement. Emma then tells Neal that although it was hurtful he never came looking for her and found Tallahassee with someone else, this is not about breaking up him and Tamara. Tamara happens to run into them while running on the beach, she explains to Neal that she starts in the woods but later runs on the beach. Emma tells Tamara that Regina is missing, and Tamara seems legitimately concerned and tells Emma to let her know if she can be of any assistance. When Emma gets ready to leave the beach, Neal tells her that he wanted to go to jail for her, but August talked him into letting her go. He also tells Emma that he was afraid that Emma would never forgive him, because he never forgave himself. He then apologizes to Emma for everything he has done to her.

Tamara gets back to the seafood cannery where she and Greg are holding Regina hostage, and she tells Greg that Emma and Neal do not suspect anything and believe that she was just running on the beach. Greg tells Tamara that Regina is not cooperating, but he says that it is all about to change. Regina seizes in pain as Greg turns the machine back on again. Regina tells them that they are fools in over their heads stealing magic. Tamara laughs when Regina says that they are trying to steal magic, instead she says that they are in Storybrooke to destroy it, because according to Tamara "magic is unholy". Regina tells them that two people cannot destroy magic alone, but Greg claims they are not alone. He tells her that after he departed from Storybrooke, most people did not believe his stories of magic, but some did. Greg tells her that their organization has destroyed magic before, and that they will do it again, because Storybrooke is not the first time magic crossed over into this world. Greg then turns his machine on to torture Regina further.

After Mary Margaret co-experiences the electroshock therapy with Regina, David asks her if she is okay. Mary Margaret, clearly bewildered, tells David that whatever just happened to her was the worst pain she has ever felt, and that Regina is powerless in her current situation. David asks her what she could see where Regina was or who was holding her hostage. Mary Margaret does not recall any of that, and only remembers the extreme pain. David tells Mary Margaret that even a small detail could help find Regina. Mary Margaret now tells him that she could feel that she was strapped down and smelt sardines. David then calls Emma to tell her what Mary Margaret experienced via the teardrop. Emma happens to walk by a seafood cannery, and when David mentions that Mary Margaret remembers smelling sardines, Emma jumps to the conclusion that Tamara is holding Regina hostage there.

The morning after Wendy's departure to Neverland, she comes back through her bedroom window and wakes up Baelfire. Wendy asks him how long she was gone, and Baelfire tells her that it was just the night. Wendy tells him that time works differently in Neverland, an island that according to Wendy, has mermaids, fairies and no adults to tell the children what to do. But she also tells Baelfire that at night all the children start to cry for their parents, but the Shadow will not let them leave, and that the reason it is called Neverland is because once you step foot on its soil, you can never leave. Baelfire then asks how she managed to escape if no one else could. Wendy reveals that the Shadow let her go, because he wanted a boy, so he is coming back to take one of her brothers in her stead. Baelfire assures her that the Shadow will not, because he will not let anything bad happen to her or her family.

Mr. Gold has told Lacey that he can do magic, and is now showing her by changing the color of a potion bottle. Lacey asks him why he did not tell her sooner, and Mr. Gold says that it is because magic comes with a price, and that it usually drives away the people he cares about. Lacey then says that he must have been caring about the wrong type of people, and then asks him to show her what else he can do. He smiles, before summoning a necklace for her, saying that he can do "anything", one of the perks that come along with being the Dark One. Lacey guesses that immortality must be one of the perks, asking if Mr. Gold could keep her young, to which Mr. Gold answers "yes". Lacey says that if that is true then they can live together forever, but Mr. Gold contradicts this slightly by telling Lacey that immortality doesn't mean that he cannot be killed. He tells her that there is a prophecy that someone might be his undoing, Lacey tells Mr. Gold that if he knows who it is then he should just kill him, but Mr. Gold tells her that something is standing in his way. Lacey says that she thought he was a man who would not let anything stand in his way, and Mr. Gold proclaims that he is that kind of man.

Emma and Neal are now looking for Regina around the Docks. She asks Neal if he will have her back if Tamara is keeping Regina there, and Neal agrees that if that is the case he will have her back. Soon after this, Emma hears a noise, but she soon discovers that it is Mary Margaret and David searching for Regina as well. David hands Emma a walkie-talkie, so that they can stay in contact. Emma tells David and Mary Margaret to search the basement, while her and Neal will investigate the main floor. Meanwhile, in Tamara and Greg's lair, Tamara can see on her monitors that the four heroes have found out where she and Greg are holding Regina. She tells Greg that they have found out about them, and that they need to go. Greg refuses to leave now, especially when he is on the verge of finding out the truth about his father from Regina, and tells Tamara that his father is the reason they know about this town, therefore he can't abandon his mission now. Tamara leaves him there, but runs off in fear of being discovered. Greg revs up the machine to full capacity, and gives Regina one last chance to tell him where his father is. This time, Regina agrees to tell the truth, she tells Greg that his father is dead. She admits to killing Kurt after Greg ran away. Greg doesn't believe Regina is being honest with him, however Regina tells him that if he wants proof that she is telling the truth than he should dig at his father's campsite, the place where Regina buried the body. Regina tells him to kill her, and that she just wanted to see the look on his face when he found out the truth. As soon as Greg turns the machine back on, Regina screams in agony.

After Mary wishes the Darling children and Baelfire goodnight, the four children begin to make their bedroom Shadow-proof. Baelfire, after locking the bedroom window, tells the Darlings that the Shadow won't take anyone. Wendy thanks him, before they all get into their beds. None of their precautions work, because as soon as they get into their beds, the Shadow manages to open their window and get in. Baelfire tells the children to hide in the crawlspace, but Michael stays outside. Their dog, Nana barks at the Shadow, which at least temporarily stops him from taking Michael. Baelfire runs out from the crawlspace, and offers himself to the Shadow, to keep his promise to Wendy that he won't let anything happen to her family. Wendy tries to hold onto Baelfire, but it proves futile, because the Shadow still takes him outside the house, after Baelfire thanks Wendy for making him part of her family. The Shadow flies Baelfire over the homes of London, and eventually takes Baelfire to Neverland through the second star to the right.

Greg proceeds to torture Regina and tells her that this is the end of her. He tells her that she won't hurt anyone ever again, and when he is about to shock her again, David Nolan finds him and shoots his machine. Greg runs out of his lair, and is chased by David, but Mary Margaret stops him to tell him that Regina is near-death. David rushes over to Regina, telling Mary Margaret that they need to bring her to Mother Superior. David talks with Emma via their walkie-talkies, and tells her that she needs to block the exits. David tells her that they found Regina and that Greg is coming her way. Neal tells Emma that he was right about it not being Tamara. When he turns his back, Emma is hit over the head with a crowbar by Tamara, who tells Neal that her and Greg are working together. She aims Emma's gun at Neal, and he asks her what she is doing. Tamara tells him that magic doesn't belong here, and he of all people should understand her cause. Neal asks Tamara how long she has been lying, and she tells him she has been lying since she spilled coffee on him. Neal tells her that their relationship is all a lie, and Tamara tells him that her job is more important. Tamara admits that she never loved him. Neal leaves to tell the others, but Tamara shoots him in the process. Just when she prepares to injure him fatally, Emma jumps in and kicks the gun out of Tamara's hand. Tamara pulls Emma's hair, so Emma smashes Tamara's face into the wall. Emma knocks Tamara to the ground, giving her enough time to grab Tamara's gun. Then Tamara grabs one of the magic beans and opens a portal between Emma and Neal before fleeing. Emma grabs onto a pole in the Storybrooke cannery, but Neal cannot get up because of his gunshot wound. The magic bean begins growing bigger, and Neal falls into it, but Emma catches him before he falls into it completely. Neal tells her to let go, but Emma says that if he falls through the portal he will die. Neal tells Emma that if she does not let go, she will come through the portal with him, and he doesn't want Henry to grow up an orphan like they did. She tells him that she loves him, but loses her grip, causing Neal to fall through the portal, which then closes.

Greg digs ferociously at the place that was once his and his father's campsite, to see if his father was indeed murdered by Regina. His shovel hits something hard in the soil, so Greg starts digging by hand. He soon uncovers not only his father's shirt, but also a skull.

In Mary Margaret's Apartment, Mother Superior heals Regina with her wand, and tells David and Mary Margaret that now that the cuff which prevented her magic is off, she should be fine, and in time her magic will return. Emma comes into the apartment, and tells her them that Tamara killed Neal.

Now in Neverland, the Shadow flies Baelfire over a large body of water. Baelfire lights a match, before putting in the Shadow's face, which causes the Shadow to drop him. The Shadow cannot find Baelfire, so it retreats to the Neverland island. After floating for a while, a pirate ship finds Baelfire and pulls him out of the water. The ship's captain, Captain Hook, welcomes the boy to the Jolly Roger.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as David Nolan
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Meghan Ory (Credit only)
 * Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Andrew Airlie as George
 * David Anders as Dr. Whale
 * Ethan Embry as Greg Mendell
 * Chris Gauthier as Smee
 * Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara
 * Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy
 * Dylan Schmid as young Baelfire
 * Freya Tingley as Wendy
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Mother Superior

Co-Starring

 * William Ainschough as John
 * Benjamin Cook as Michael
 * Karin Inghammer as Mary

Uncredited

 * The Shadow (CGI)

Quotes
Baelfire: You don't need magic. You have family right here. That's all you need.

Baelfire: I won't let magic destroy this family. This is the only way. You have to let me go.

Production Notes

 * The title card features the Elizabeth Tower.
 * When the Shadow is taking Baelfire away to Neverland, the time shown on the Elizabeth Tower is 8:15.
 * Storybrooke's cannery is a real life Steveston Village cannery.

Event Chronology

 * The Storybrooke events take place after "The Evil Queen" and immediately before "And Straight On 'Til Morning".
 * The past Land Without Magic events occur before "The Stranger" and "Welcome to Storybrooke".
 * The Neverland events take place after "The Crocodile" and before "And Straight On 'Til Morning".

Episode Connections

 * The reason Baelfire ends up in London is explained in "The Return".
 * Baelfire mentions losing his family because of magic; an event shown in "The Return".
 * Kurt disappeared following the events of "Welcome to Storybrooke".

Disney

 * Similarly to Disney's 1953 film Peter Pan, John has an umbrella and a top hat while Michael carries a teddy bear.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Peter Pan story, focusing on Wendy's expedition to Neverland.
 * Also included are Captain Hook, Smee, the shadow, Mary and George Darling as well as their children John and Michael from the same story.
 * Baelfire lands in Kensington Gardens, where J. M. Barrie set Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, a prequel to the original novel of Peter Pan.

Goofs

 * Baelfire takes one loaf of bread and eats it, but when Wendy picks up the whole pan, all three loaves are untouched.