#b) the entirety of 1x05

[faithandfairies]

The Rules of the Dark Curse

So…I was watching OUAT 1x05, Jiminy Cricket’ s episode, and part of 3x11, Going Home, and I’m more convinced than ever of a couple of things.

There is still a curse. One which Emma and Henry and I think to some extent, the others are aware of.

Here’s why. A. I’ve already mentioned this but it bears repeating. Henry’s girlfriend, Violet, is actually Jefferson’s/the Mad Hatter’s daughter Grace. Henry actually calls her that in 5x21 then corrects himself.

B. 1x05 and 3x11 actually explain how the curse works. - 1x05 tells us that the curse makes it harder to do what you actually want to do and be who you actually want to be. It makes it harder to make the choices you want to make by making it harder to hear the voice inside telling you what is right for you.

-3x11 tells us that the curse services the person or people that cast it. It makes their wishes and darkest desires come true.

Which brings me to another thing. Every Dark Curse that has ever been cast that has been successful (so not Pan’s) has been the work of two people. Yes, even the first one. There are a couple of glaring clues to this.

When people talk about the curse they talk about the Queen’s curse. And we take it to mean they are talking about the Evil Queen. But that’s not what they actually say. Because the truth is that “the Queen’s curse” could also be “the Queens’ curse”. Same pronunciation, different meaning. And the thing is that there were two Queens present at the casting of the original dark curse, two Queens whom both gave up the thing they loved most.

You know what else? I firmly believe they both gave up two things. You don’t just give up a person. You give up a thing or things that represent(s) something of value to you. Something that’s not tangible, but real nonetheless. They don’t have to be a person or people, but they can be because it’s what these people represent. Pan actually lists the acceptable prices of the curse in 3x11. They are love in the form of “romance, family, loyalty, friendship”.

With the dark curse Regina gave up her family, both her current family in the form of her father and her future family in the form of Emma and Snow. I say this because Regina came to Snow’s castle looking for Emma. And I’m absolutely certain it wasn’t her intention to kill her, but to keep her.

So did Snow. She gave up her family in the form of David and Emma.

So the first curse was a combination of Regina’s and Snow’s wishes. But The thing is the middle ground that needs to be found when the people’s wishes are conflicting.

It’s why the curse made both Regina and Snow miserable. Because that’s what they wished for each other. But at the same time why Ruby, Snow’s best friend was fine. As happy as she had ever been even. Snow’s doing. Although she dressed slutty. Regina’s doing. People’s realities become a combination of what the different people want. And when one doesn’t care about a certain individual or doesn’t mind either way, the other has more control. Regina harbored no ill will toward Ruby and so Snow was able to make her as happy as she could. She wasn’t separated from Granny. I think Snow was also able to affect who came to Storybrooke with the curse. Like the dwarfs. I don’t see any reason why Regina would have brought them. She hated them originally.

There is also the matter of there being two components to the curse. That of the memory wipe and that of the actual curse. With the original curse Regina did the memory wipe. That is the curse that was broken. If the curse had been broken in its entirety in season 1 then everyone would have returned to the Enchanted Forest. Storybrooke would have ceased to exist. Like it did in season 3. Just the fact that it exists and that everyone is in it means there is a curse in effect.

It’s also why both Snow and Regina being framed for murder, creating a rift between them and the people they care about and Emma calling Regina her friend in early season 4 after Regina’s and Snow’s curse is broken is so important. Snow and Regina being framed for murder, Emma’s parents trying to turn Emma against Regina, that is Snow and Regina throwing a wrench in each other’s happiness yet again. And anyone looking at seasons 1 to 3 would probably call Emma and Regina friends by 3x11. But the curse is in effect. A combination of Regina (and Snow) getting what she wants and it being taken away. In part because Snow wants it and in part because Regina herself doesn’t believe she deserves to be happy. Also, once Regina’s memory wipe is lifted, half of Snow’s happy ending is returned. Although even by season 3 she can’t get the other half to work, her relationship with Emma. Regina manages to do a better job of that. It’s also important to note that lying and cowardice were important parts of David’s curse identity. He had a hard time being honest when he was cursed.

I also wonder if Snow wasn’t the one who somehow wrote the book into the curse. Or at least wrote it into her own possession. It’s also interesting that it was found in a closet. It tells me that she was an important key to breaking the curse, she got Henry the book, but also that she had more control over the story from the get go than she believed or might have known. Control that she passed to Henry. It’s also interesting because it was what the author influenced Snow and Charming to do that got him trapped in the book in the first place. And it was Regina who ended up freeing him for good.

Which brings me to the current curse, evidenced by Henry calling Violet Grace.

Now, a lot of what I’ve mentioned had been already theorized by Shady. She has even theorized that there is still a curse happening now. And by whom it was cast. Snow and Hook. I agree with all of this. I just don’ t agree with when it was cast.

First of all, I think that this curse happened over time. So it’s much harder to detect. And we need to remember that there has also always been a curse in effect. Even while curses were supposedly broken. Remnants remained.

Part of me doesn’t believe that Snow’s curse was ever lifted. In part because she never got back part of what she gave up. Her wish as she mentions in 3x11 was to have her family, to raise her daughter. She never got that back in any form. Through any of the curses being lifted. Even though she tried to recreate it. It seems to me like a curse being broken would mean things being restored to how they were before. If you don’t get everything back that you gave up to cast the curse in some way, shape or form then it can’t have been lifted completely. This goes for season 1 and season 3′s curses. Although when I think about it Snow did get pregnant shortly after 3x11. So maybe that was her getting back what she lost, Emma’s childhood through a new baby. The other reason (when it comes to season 3) was that it was simply never broken. As Shady has said, Zelena’s memory curse was broken in season 3. And if all of these arguments fail, just looking at current events it does feel like they could be a combination of Hook and Snow’s wishes for Emma’s life.

For comparison, Regina did definitely get back what she lost. Emma…and Henry, in the form of her son.

It’s also obvious due to the fact that that is what she gives up to reverse her and Pan’s curse. I think the reason she had to do that is to affect Pan’s curse, to have any control over it, to influence it she had to give up again what she got back. It’s what having control over the curse requires. You could say that Regina essentially counters Pan’s curse by casting her own new one. Over Emma and Henry. In order to protect them. But her curse is very specific. It involves them, her family, not being a part of her life fully. Together. A choice she made to affect the curse in such a way that it ensured their happiness without her. Happiness that was an illusion, but still. And I’m not entirely sure that that curse isn’t still going as well. Actually, I believe it is. Emma is lonely just like she was in New York even though she was just engaged. Just like she was in New York. Emma is happy only she isn’t. Hook is especially horrible at being a good person. He is a pathological liar even moreso than I would expect and often gets caught in his lies. It’s like he’s having the hardest time being a good person and doing the right thing when he’s around Emma and her family. One could call it a curse. Regina’s maybe? Being conflicted between wanting your best friend to be happy but not with the person she’s trying to be happy with must be hard.

Especially when you know your friend doesn’t love the guy. Which I think she does know.

So Regina’s new curse started in 3x11, ensuring her family’s illusion of happiness without her.

Snow’s curse is the savior princess curse. I think the Wish Realm was an exaggerated representation of the Emma Snow wants her to be. Or Regina’s joke version. And interesting that since it was Emma’s wish wished by Regina, Emma ended up with a dead Neal and a drunk, old Hook. And no prospects. Aside from Regina. The whole “someday your Prince will come” theme. You gotta love this show. 

Emma is docile, the perfect princess. I don’t think this is how she would have turned out had Snow raised her originally, but taking a adult -wouldn’t be caught dead being a princess-Emma with a mind of her own, her own views and beliefs and making her fit in the mold of princess would mean that her backbone and willpower would have to be the first to go. Which I think is what Snow has actually been doing this whole time, but more subtly. (Snow’s season 3 curse that hasn’t been broken).Trying to re-raise Emma. Re-mold her into the princess that Snow had always hoped she would be. But the system is glitching. Because it goes against who Emma actually is. And kind of reminds me of Snow removing Emma’s inherent darkness as a baby. Darkness everyone has within them. The choice to be who they want to be, be it good or bad. This actual canon action of Snow’s makes me actually wonder if Emma raised by Snow wouldn’t have been a lot like Wish Realm Emma, because Snow actually removed part of Emma’s ability to stand up to her parents, to rebel. I think removing Emma’s darkness was in itself a curse. Emma had no choice but to be a hero. She literally didn’t choose it, it chose her. Or her parents chose it for her. When it came to Aladdin becoming a savior he did so for two reasons.

1. Jasmine believed he was 2. There was the urgent need for one (when something almost collapsed onto Jasmine) and Aladdin believed he was the savior himself so he could protect Jasmine.

Jasmine made Aladdin into two things he was never meant to be. A savior and a genie. Both so he could save Agrabah. In the end Jasmine saved it herself. Well, with his help. And by the end Aladdin was neither the savior or the genie. And Jasmine realized she should never have turned him into either.

With Emma, she became the savior because Snow, Regina and Henry all needed her to be one. I’d say Rumple as well but Rumple said himself that he only took advantage of what she already was. I’m guessing he saw the future.

Snow calls Emma the savior as a baby. She is the first one to believe. Henry is the second one, the first one who creates the necessity for a savior.

But it’s Regina being in danger and no one being willing to protect her along with Emma’s promise to Henry to protect her that makes Emma’s savior powers manifest.

So far we have as current curse casters Regina and Snow. Regina affects Emma’s illusion happiness and Emma being happy without her. Snow affects Emma’s behavior, making her the perfect savior princess. One that has a love of her own. Snow basically wants Emma to have what she has. Because that is what makes her happy. And she thinks that the same things in a similar package will make Emma happy.

Moving on to Hook. In order to be able to bring Emma back to Storybrooke- part of what Snow’s curse was meant to do-Hook gives up his ship. I believe this gave Hook control over the curse. His ship is the thing he loves most. His home, the thing he’s loyal to, his freedom, his shipmates were his family. Even now that he has it back he doesn’t have his shipmates. Nor does he really use his boat. He has still given it up in favor of creating a home with Emma on land. He gets to see the sea, but never sail it with his boat. Something that really stood out to me was that Emma and Henry actually went kayaking without Hook. Which makes no sense unless you consider it as part of the curse’s price. Just like in season 3 Regina got to see Henry but he didn’t have his memories. She had him, but she didn’t really have him. It wasn’t the same. 

I think Hook originally had limited control maybe in part because he didn’t realize he had it, but over time his control has increased. While I think Regina’s has decreased. Her part of the curse is still in effect, but she can’t go against it that much. Also, I think because the things she would want to make happen now go against her original curse wish. I think as caster you can make things happen within a curse, but only if they fall within the frame of your original wish. Not if they go against it completely.

I think that’s why trying to break Emma and Hook up in 3x17 didn’t work. Both her own curse of Emma’s illusion of happiness and Hook’s  and Snow’s were working against her. And it’s probably also why a break up between Emma and Hook never lasts.

Hook wants to be with Emma. And started chasing Emma in earnest after he gave up his boat. Giving up his boat is also what gave him his wish at the time. A kiss.

I think that the period between Hook giving up his boat and early season 4 is Emma’s rebel period. It marks Emma rebelling against what Hook wants. I think at that point Snow also may not want Emma with Hook. She just wants Emma with a man. So her dislike of Hook might also be a factor there. And Regina’s dislike of Hook. But I think that Emma and Regina’s fight must have affected the curse. Regina’s and Snow’s parts of the curse were both focused on Emma having their idea of happiness. But with Emma and Regina at odds with each other Emma wasn’t happy and no curse could make her. She wasn't feeling like being the savior or being with a man. It was also the time where part of Regina’s curse was in effect. She had neither Emma nor Henry. I feel like this period is where Regina’s curse was the strongest and maybe Emma had the most control when it came to refusing the things Snow and Hook wanted for or with her.

She was chasing Regina and Hook was chasing her. Until 4x03 where her and Regina’s fight reached new heights. Regina insulting her savior quality. But there was also the acknowledgement of mutual trust. That apparently hadn’t been lost like the first time around. Emma gained some ground with Regina.

This is also when Hook and Emma started dating in earnest. But she was still chasing Regina. And her relationship with Hook was an illusion. She didn’t dress like herself. Hook got violent with a drunk who tried to pop the bubble of the happiness illusion and Emma came home standing against the door looking unhappy and puzzled instead of blissfully happy.

And I think when Emma and Regina became friends, it made Emma happy and so that again affected the curse, making Emma maybe more susceptible to Hook and Snow’s wishes. Someone who is happy is less likely to rebel.

I think Hook now has double control over the curse. When Emma forced him into his dark one status. I think loyalty was lost between them. It completely corrupted their romance. And it’s still corrupt. It’s why they can’t make their relationship work. I think this moreso than Regina is what makes their relationship fail. Because now that I think about it, Regina wasn’t able to get the desired effect when she did try to influence their relationship. Because now Hook is a vital part of the happy illusion she cursed Emma into. But Emma and Hook corrupted their own relationship when Emma shattered what they had by turning Hook dark against his will. They haven’t come back from that.

I think this entire show is one curse on top of another. Overlapping, entwining with each other.

I wonder how death affects a curse. Is Emma going to the underworld also part of the curse? Not being able to let go of the reality the curse assigns you?

Is that also why Regina couldn’t let go of her Robin but did let go of Wish Robin? The hold of the curse was in full effect with her Robin making it hard for Regina to first realize she didn’t really want to be with him and leave him and then let go of him after his death? Where there was no curse hold with Wish Realm Robin, not on her at least. The Queen is another story.

It does seem like Robin might have been a twisted part of the curse by Snow. Her version of a happy illusion for Regina. Not ill-intended maybe. But doing the same thing to Regina as she did to Emma. Wishing a similar happy ending as her own onto both Regina and Emma.

Then there is the other matter that Emma is not just part of Hook’ s curse desires for her, she is also his genie.

Just like Aladdin was for Jasmine.

I think that what Hook added to Emma through curse and wish were two things

1. For Emma to be his savior 2. For Emma to be his happy ending

So that is what she is.

In conclusion, I believe the current curse is a combination of Regina’s, Snow’s and Hook’s desires.

I also think a combination of True Love’s kiss and sacrifice are probably what will break it. Like the last was broken.

I just thought of something else. Regina broke a curse in season 3. And we all assumed that it was Snow’s. But what if it wasn’t? What if a curse can only be broken by the person who cast it or by their blood? So when Emma broke the Dark Curse in season 1 what she was actually doing was breaking her mother’s part in it? But would that then mean that the memory wipe was actually Snow’s doing somehow? That she also inadvertently desired to forget her despair so she could make it through the time the curse lasted? No, I think that being the person who cast the curse or blood-related to the person who cast the curse is not the only way to break it. But I think it may be one way. The question then does remain which part of the curse Emma and Henry broke in season 1. Regina’s or Snow’s? It makes more sense that it was Regina’s part since Regina was very clear on being the one to do the memory wipe and create curse names, etc. But then Regina was the one to reverse the curse completely in 3x11.

Which also begs the question. Which curse(s) did Regina break with Henry in season 3? Zelena’s? Definitely, or the residents of Storybrooke wouldn’t have gotten their memories back. But did she and Henry also break her own?

So that would mean that the current curse is just Snow’s and Hook’ s. Adhering to the two person casting rule 1st Curse (1x01) Snow and Regina

2nd Curse(3x11) Regina and Emma or is it again Regina and Snow? I’m gonna go with Regina and Emma. Emma did say that the price would have to be paid by both of them(her and Regina). Emma gave up a significant part of her family along with Regina. She is the one who made that decision. Just as Snow originally made the decision to give Emma up. After Regina made the one to give Henry up. Whether she lost Emma this time was up to Emma herself. Wait, if it was Regina and Emma does it mean that Emma’s part of the curse of having to give Regina and her family up is still in effect? So still a three person curse? Or did it break when she came back?

3rd Curse (after 3x11), Officially Snow and Zelena. Unofficially, in my opinion, Snow and Zelena, then Hook on top of that.

 4th Curse (season 5) Emma and Hook. With possible remnants of Regina’s curse. And Snow’s and Hook’s previous curses most likely still in effect. Making the current curse one of Hook and Snow and possibly Emma and Regina. Some part of me almost feels like Regina releasing Storybrooke’s/ Emma’s magic back into Storybrooke and Regina coming into contact with it as she did so may have lead to a TLK wannabe that might have removed any remnant of Emma and Regina’s parts in the curse, although not every curse in effect since it wasn’t an actual TLK. I don’t know for sure. There was just something about that scene though.

I thought about it some more and came up with a couple of rules when it comes to curse breaking.

1. The first and I believe most important one we’re introduced to as soon as the show starts is that whomever is breaking the curse needs to be aware there is one. In the series premiere when Charming and Snow broke Snow’s sleeping curse both were aware that Snow was under one. This exchange happens.

Snow:“You found me!” Charming: “Did you ever doubt I would?” Snow: “The glass coffin gave me pause”.

Snow knew she was cursed and was completely aware of her surroundings while under the curse. So you can’t break a curse you’re unaware of.

2. In order to break a curse you have to be personally affected by it-as in you were the one who was cursed-, be the one who cast it or be blood related to the one who cast it. I feel like there might be more to this depending on which part of the curse Emma and Henry broke in season 1. And which curse and/or part of a curse/curses Regina and Henry broke in season 3. What made it possible aside from TLK? These three things are not mutually exclusive, I don’t think. That means if you abide by one out of three you’re good. But it narrows down the list of people who can break particular curses and this list will vary from curse to curse.

With the original dark curse Snow’s part of the curse was broken by two of her blood relatives. Her daughter Emma and grandson Henry. Neither of which were personally cursed. Emma was affected by it as in she was sent away. But she was not cursed.

3. Belief. You have to believe that however you choose to break the curse will work. When it comes to using True Love’s Kiss both people involved have to believe their love for each other is strong enough to break the curse.

These are (some of) the rules. All of which we have seen enacted on the show.

But it also made me revisit the season 3 curses enacted by Regina(3x11) and Snow.

Using the blood relation rule Henry should have been able to break Snow’s curse when sharing TLK with Regina. He should have also been able to help Regina break both Zelena’s and her own curse. And they seemingly did break at least Zelena’s memory curse together.

But I don’t think he had any knowledge of any of the curses. Even with his memories returned. He would have gotten.his memories up to the moment he left Storybrooke. Did he even know his mother was casting a curse to counteract Pan’s? Did his mother even know that’s what she was doing? Not simply reversing her old curse? Unless like with Emma in season 1 just believing gave Henry the memories he needed to break the curse.

Emma gained memories of her time in the Enchanted Forest right after her birth. Which I don’t think she should have been able to remember.

But even so does it mean that just one person being aware of the curse is enough? It doesn’t seem likely. But that since Regina is the one related to Zelena it was her part in the kiss that broke Zelena’s curse? Or with TLK is it only the love that needs to be mutual and not the knowledge of the curse? Or did Henry maybe overhear them talking about the curse Zelena cast and did he only place that info in persepctive once he got the rest of his memories back?

So does that mean her curse, the one Regina cast on Emma and Henry in 3x11 is broken? Or is it still in effect? What about Snow’s curse?

I maintain that the current curse is probably a combination of Hook and Snow’s curses combined with possible remnants of Regina’s and Emma’s. I’m just not clear on what was actually broken with the True Love’s Kisses. And what the rules that came into play were.

Longest post ever!

There is more where that came from. I’m just too tired to write it out.