Once Upon A Time Season 7, Episode 17 Recap: Zelena Embraces Her Inner Kelly

We begin Many Years Ago at the gingerbread cottage of the witch, with a captive young Hansel and Gretel. The witch urges them to eat, after all, there are “starving children in Arendelle.” Sounds like Anna and Elsa are dropping the ball! In walks Zelena to banish the witch from Oz because she perceives any witch as a threat. Zelena scoffs at Gretel’s pleas for help, but they distract Zelena long enough for the witch to blast her good. She staggers out of the cottage and collapses in the woods.

Forward now to Hyperion Heights and Roni’s bar. Regina walks in victorious, having found the moss that she was desperately seeking for Henry’s cure. Zelena informs her that Henry has left for New York and his big city job interview. She also pulls out the box of chocolates and shows Regina that she is now a target of the candy killer. Zelena is bemoaning the fact that her cursed life was actually nicer than her old life – after all Kelly never killed or maimed anyone. For her the curse was more like a vacation. She also wonders if her fiancé Chad could ever love Zelena after having known Kelly.

Over at Jacinda’s, she is anxiously awaiting a text from Henry. It finally comes through complete with emojis to let her know that he is safe and the interview went well. She replies with a few emojis of her own and the message is of course, apprehended by Nick/Hansel, who is holding Henry hostage.

Hansel’s remark that Ella still loves Henry even while under the curse flies right over Henry’s head and parts his hair. Henry begs Hansel to let him help – still thinking that his old buddy Nick is suffering from delusions of being the real Hansel.  Hansel tells him that the storybook is true and once again Henry is delightfully obtuse and doesn’t even realize what Hansel is talking about.

Hansel tells Henry he is going to catch the most “wicked” witch of all – the one who did him the most harm.

Across town, Zelena and Margot arrive at the station house with the box of death chocolates in hand. They’re greeted by Rogers, who immediately wants to interview Zelena in regards to the candy killer case. Zelena excuses herself and finds her way to Rumple, who is  not terribly zealous about saving her neck (and considering their history who can blame him). There’s even a delightful moment of Mr. Gold shining through when he curls his lip and asks “Why would I help you?”  Zelena reminds him that he cannot just let her die – not if he ever wants to be reunited with his beloved Belle. Rumple isn’t terribly comfortable hearing that but you can see that he’s reluctantly going to do the right thing. He takes Zelena down to the evidence room. She’s expecting some sort of weapon to help her fight Hansel but what Rumple gives her is a box containing her Emerald necklace.

Zelena isn’t exactly sure how that’s going to help considering she has no magic to use it with. Rumple gives it to her as a reminder of the person she used to be. While Zelena has no interest in being that person anymore, he reminds her that person stands as a marker to show her how far she’s come – and how much she has to lose.

Back again we go  to Oz, Where a recovering Zelena finds herself laying on a bed in a simple cottage. A man named Ivo arrives and informs her that he found her half-frozen in the woods. He mended the clasp on her necklace which fell off her neck after her encounter with the witch. Zelena thanks him and tries to leave, but she is still weak. He offers her food and shelter until she’s can get back on her feet again.  Zelena realizes rather quickly that the man is blind and therefore really doesn’t know who she is. He also happens to be the father of Hansel and Gretel and is still diligently looking for his children.

Forward again to Nick/Hansel’s house, where he’s recounting the good old days with Henry.  It seems Henry’s friendship gave Hansel a new lease on life. After an adventure with Henry he became Jack the Giant Killer and felt like a hero for the first time  Henry still isn’t buying into this but he’s playing along. He begs Hansel to let him go and he’ll use his author powers to rewrite his story. Unfortunately, Hansel knows Henry would never deliberately use his author power unless it was absolutely necessary.  Hansel just wants to rid the world of witches and  he knows just how he’s going to do it. Leaving Henry, he walks out the door.

Over at Rollin Bayou, Drew is helping Sabine with her daily business and it’s clear there’s still a spark between the two of them. Sabine leaves to do some grocery shopping and to Drew’s dismay he’s visited by Dr Facilier. The good doctor addresses him is Prince Naveen – ending all doubt that he has been woken up. He also reminds Drew that he still owes a debt and Dr. Facilier is here to collect.

Drew brings Dr. Facilier one of Sabine’s famous beignets. Facilier shakes some of the powdered sugar from the beignet onto a voodoo doll. This beignet is apparently special because Sabine trusted Drew with her Famous Recipe and trust is a very important and magical thing. Drew now believes his obligation is done but Facilier is adamant that he’s not done with Drew yet.

Back again to Ivo’s Cottage where Zelena is trying in vain to create a fire but her magic is just not up to the task yet. Ivo suggests that they create the fire together,and as if they sit before the flames it’s clear that he’s falling for her. When Zelena asks him to describe what he thinks she looks like he describes her fierce eyes and her passionate heart.

Zelena is clearly touched that he sees something inside her that no one else could see. He tells her that the loss of his sight was almost a blessing as it let him get to know his children better, then he tells her how he longs to hear their voices again. A guilt stricken Zelena excuses herself so that she can “take care of something.”

Zelena goes back to the gingerbread house to confront the witch,  taking her sight, which she plans to use on someone more deserving. She rushes inside but alas, it appears she is too late. Hansel and Gretel are no longer in their cages and she presumes they’ve been cooked and eaten.

In Hyperion Heights, Rogers meets with Jacinda to ask her if she’s heard anything from Henry. He explains that he found Henry’s abandoned car with a flat tire and when he called the airline Henry had not boarded his flight. Jacinda shows him the text that she received and remarks that it was odd for Henry to call her “J”. Rogers recalls Nick using that very moniker at Flynn’s barcade – and Nick coincidentally has bought a gingerbread house kit for Lucy.

Rogers zooms off in his Mustang a la Starsky and Hutch to track down Candy Killer Nick.

Henry, meanwhile,  is struggling with his bonds as Hansel returns. In Hansel’s hand are the test results from Henry’s blood test at the hospital, clearly showing that Henry is the biological father of Lucy.

Hansel explains that one day he was Nick with all of his cursed memories thinking that Lucy was his daughter and suddenly blammo! His real memories came flooding back and he realized he was Hansel and started down the path of being the Candy Killer. He’s hoping that these test results will flip the switch on Henry’s memory.

No such luck, of course. Henry is still locked into his curse delusion, sure that Hansel has somehow forged the paper. He reminds Hansel with great exasperation that Kelly is not Zelena, but an ordinary person with a life, a child, and a fiancé. Hansel grabs a knife he thanks Henry for giving him the piece of information he needs to get to Zelena.

Across town at Roni’s bar a very nervous Zelena is starting at every sound. Regina reassures her sister that Rumple is looking after Margot and she’s putting together a full arsenal of weapons for the two of them. She also reminds Zelena that just because she’s having to acknowledge her wicked past, it doesn’t mean that she can’t keep some of Kelly with her. In an echo back to the early days of season two she reminds Zelena that “we can be both.” Together they await the moment of reckoning with Hansel.

Rogers rushes into Nick’s Place and rescues Henry, who lets him know that Zelena is the next target. Then we segue over to Roni’s bar where Zelena is answering a call from Chad, her elusive fiancé –  who unfortunately is sitting at knifepoint because Nick has him. 

Zelena lies to Regina, telling her that Chad has called and is sitting at the airport. She begs Regina to go pick him up and Regina reluctantly complies.

Across town, Henry shows up at Jacinda’s.  He lets her know that he is not taking the job in New York as he hugs Lucy tight.

Back now to Oz where’s Zelena arrives at Ivo’s cottage ready to confess that she was unable to rescue his children. Unfortunately for her Hansel and Gretel escaped on their own and have returned and told their father exactly who she is and what she did. Ivo is enraged and calls Zelena a monster, despite her offer of the sight that she took from the witch. She throws the sight potion into the fire and Hansel grabs a knife, going after her. Zelena causes the flames to engulf Hansel’s arms, teaching him a painful lesson: when you mess with the witch you get burned.

Over at Roni’s, Zelena heads down to the basement where she finds a tied-up Chad and a knife-wielding Hansel waiting for her. She and Hansel tussle and her stamina as a spin instructor serves her well as she roundly kicks his ass.

As she holds a knife to his throat he urges her to go ahead and finish what she started but Zelena refuses to take his life – she’s a different person now. She konks him on the head instead, and then frees a very confused Chad. Zelena confesses that she used to be a very different person who hurt a lot of people, but with him she feels free to be the person she wants to be. She tearfully offers him his ring back. Chad lets her know that he loves her – even the parts that he doesn’t know or understand. He tells her to put the ring back on her finger.

The cops haul Hansel away, and Regina returns. Zelena tells her that Chad has accepted her but she’s upset because she still has to tell him that she needs to stay in Hyperion Heights.

Regina tells her that Kelly and Zelena both deserve some happiness and encourages her to go back to San Francisco. “Go on, you monkey,” she croons in the cheesiest voice possible. “You get on that bike and fly!”

Margot arrives and Zelena lets her know she’s returning to San Francisco with Chad. Margot decides to stick it out in Hyperion Heights – after all she’s got a new blonde someone that she really feels is worth hanging out for. Zelena gives Margot her coveted green emerald necklace to remember her by.

Over at the station, Hansel is waiting to be questioned, when in strolls Dr. Facilier. He admits that he’s the one who woke Hansel up, and he’d been hoping Hansel would polish off more of the coven – especially Mother Gothel.  Hansel vows to finish the job, but Facilier has lost patience. He takes out his now-magical voodoo doll and pierces its heart, killing Hansel dead, dead, dead.

I’m giving this one three voodoo dolls out of five.

I am sincerely not thrilled with Zelena’s exit, but I do think Lana did a great job with pacing on her directorial debut.

My thoughts:

1. Henry is so obtuse, it’s ludicrous.
2. Most of the damn town is awake from the curse – how long are they going to drag this out for the others?
3. I really still don’t give a shit about Gothel or her freaking coven.
4. We need more Rumple. We really do. That bit of friction in his scene with Zelena was like a breath of badly-needed oxygen.
5. Glad they didn’t take too long with Hansel’s arc, especially since it really didn’t further the overall plot in any valuable way.

What did you think? Should Zelena renounce her magic and go play house with Chad? Do you know (or care) what the hell Gothel is up to?