We’ve been hyping the return of Once Upon a Time from its midseason hiatus lately, which isn’t that surprising since I named it once of my favorite new shows of 2011. Recently, we got to speak to the Queen herself, Lana Parrilla, who chatted about why Regina does feel guilty for some of her recent bad deeds, why Henry is her biggest concern and how her relationship with Emma could evolve.
Naturally, we had to ask Lana about the events of the midseason finale. You might recall that the last new episode of Once Upon a Time ended with Regina killing Sheriff Graham after he started to remember his fairytale past and also rejected Regina in favor of Emma. Emma was devastated and the fans weren’t doing any better. But Lana insists that the decision didn’t come easy to Regina and compared it to a decision the Evil Queen was forced to make many episodes ago. “Making the decision to kill her father wasn’t an easy decision [for the Queen] and you could see that it was hard for her. Killing Graham was very similar [for Regina]. I think she really loved him, I think she really cared for him. I think that making that choice was a very difficult one. And that’s why we see her [acting] very emotional as she’s crushing the heart.”
But despite her guilty feelings, Lana did acknowledge that killing Graham was a choice Regina had to make, particularly because he was remembering his past as the Hunstman. “Ultimately, anyone that starts to remember is a major threat, because then she’s going to be revealed. She’s going to start losing power and control over the people in the town.”
Could anyone else in Storybrooke remember their fairytale past? Lana couldn’t tell us, but she did reveal Regina’s biggest concern at the moment: “I think ultimately her concern is really with Henry. Henry knows all. And we [the audience] know that he’s not crazy. I think she will do everything in her power to convince everyone around him that he is delusional. But I don’t think she has any intention of hurting her son. I just want to make that clear.”
Tonight’s new episode of Once Upon a Time will be giving us a look into Rupelstiltskin’s past, but will also pit Regina and Mr. Gold against each other as they each back a different candidate for mayor. Lana told us that Regina is extremely confused as to why Mr. Gold chooses to support Emma against Regina’s wishes. “I think that’s what surprising for her in this moment. I think that she’s questioning ‘why is he backing [Emma] up and what is this about?’” Lana explained. “I think Regina is quite puzzled in this moment. But it makes sense that [the Queen and Rumple] were rivals in fairytale land and it makes sense they are rivals in Storybrooke. I think what’s shocking for her and the question she’s probably asking is ‘does he know who he is?’ That has yet to be revealed. You’ll learn more about their relationship in the upcoming episodes, especially in Storybrooke.”
As for Regina and Emma, tonight’s Once Upon a Time wouldn’t seem like a good episode for their relationship, since Regina fires Emma to stop her from becoming sheriff. But the two women will come together at some point and it could very well impact their relationship going forward: “In [tonight’s] episode, there’s something that happens where Regina really needs Emma’s help. It’s not so much that they’re working together, but, let’s just say that Emma earns the title of a hero. I’m afraid to give away too much and spoil the end of the episode [but]…let’s just say that there are moments where [Regina] finds ways to mentor Emma. She kind of guides her and advises her.”
Finally, astute Once Upon a Time fans will most certainly have seen traces of the fairytale world in Storybrooke. We’ve seen Snow White’s coffin at the bottom of the mine shaft, the Queen’s vault of hearts is where Regina crushed Graham’s heart, and Mr. Gold’s pawn shop is a treasure trove of fairytale items. But Lana pointed out a few more items you may have missed: “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but in the mayor’s office, the box where [the Queen’s] father’s heart was in is actually on the mayor’s desk. There are bits and pieces where and there.”
Don’t miss an all new episode of Once Upon a Time tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC. To prepare for tonight’s episode, watch four sneak peeks here. You can also visit ABC’s Once Upon a Time page here.
Check Out the Great Deals on Full Series DVD and Blu-Ray at EBay!
About Clarissa
Clarissa is the Managing Editor of TVOvermind and is a former lawyer who lives in Toronto. Follow her at twitter.com/clarissa373 or email her at clarissa @ tvovermind.com
Follow Us
