Recap / Once Upon A Time In Wonderland S 1 E 5 Heart Of Stone

Years ago, just when Will Scarlet and Anastasia were about to go through the looking-glass, Anastasia’s mother confronted them. Anastasia’s mother insulted her, telling her that she was a failure for being with a rogue like Will instead of marrying a nobleman and rising above her station. Her mother had always wanted one of her daughters to become Queen. Anastasia insisted that she loved Will, and that was all she needed. Her mother told her that love is not enough to live on, and predicted that Anastasia would learn that lesson one day. As her mother disowned her, Anastasia was shaken, but Will assured her that he loved for her for true self, and the two of them traveled through the looking-glass to Wonderland.

Today in Wonderland, the Red Queen looks over an ominous canyon filled with stalagmites. She makes a motion as though she is about to step into the canyon, but something prevents her from going into it. The Red Queen finds Alice at Will’s statue, and proposes that they make a deal. The Red Queen tells Alice that Jafar is a problem for both of them, and she says she will tell Alice where Cyrus is being kept if Alice will help her get some magical dust to protect her from Jafar’s dark magic. Alice is very reluctant to make any kind of deal with the Queen, but the Queen notes that Cyrus’ prison is so well hidden that Alice would never be able to find it without magical assistance.

With the help of the magical wishbone, Cyrus has nearly finished cutting a hole in the bottom of his cage. He confides to the old prisoner that today is the day he will escape.

Years ago when Anastasia and Will tried to adapt to life in Wonderland, they had a difficult time making ends meet. They were living out of a wagon and had to spend much of their time foraging for food.

Will: I’m sorry, love, I am doing the best I can.

Anastasia: I know. I just thought things would be different here. When I first heard about Wonderland I figured that the wonder was short for “wonderful,” not “wonder how we’re gonna make it?”

As they spoke, a cart drove by carrying food for the ball at the Red King’s palace. Anastasia had the idea of gatecrashing the ball and having dinner there.

In the present, the Red Queen and Alice ride in the Queen’s coach to the canyon known as the Great Divide.

Alice: I’ve heard of that place. There’s a darkness there.

Anastasia/Red Queen: There’s a darkness everywhere when the sun goes down.

Alice: Just so we’re clear, I’ll get you your magic dust, but when this is all over, Jafar will be the least of your problems.

Anastasia/Red Queen: Let me guess, you’re going to make me suffer for what I did to your Cyrus? I’m not the monster you take me for. I didn’t kill Cyrus.

Alice: Being a prisoner again is the same as death to him.

Anastasia/Red Queen: But not to you. Which is what got you back to Wonderland.

Alice: What exactly do you hope to gain from all this? You have power, wealth, what more could you possibly need?

Anastasia/ Red Queen: There are some things that all the wealth and power cannot get you.

Alice: …Like what?

Anastasia/Red Queen: We all come to Wonderland looking for something more, darling. I seem to remember a little girl in a blue dress wanting her father’s love.

Alice: You and I are nothing alike.

Anastasia/Red Queen: We both want something we don’t have, Alice. It’s just a matter of what we’re willing to do to get it.

As Cyrus finishes making the hole in his cage, the old prisoner describes what the dungeon looks like beyond their cell, so Cyrus can find his way out. The old man says he has been Jafar’s prisoner for a long time and has never seen anyone escape successfully, but he thinks that Cyrus is more determined for the others, and he might have a chance.

Jafar has the White Rabbit brought before him. Jafar says he will help the White Rabbit get out of his debt to the Red Queen if he starts spying for Jafar instead.By swinging the cage back and forth and slipping through the hole, Cyrus is able to get out of the cage and away from the pit. One of the guards nearly stops him, but Cyrus snatches the keys and pushes the guard into the pit.

Alice and the Red Queen arrive at the Great Divide. There doesn’t seem to be any way across the ravine, but the Red Queen shows alice a message carved on the rocks, saying that “the pure of heart shall make the leap.” The Red Queen knows she isn’t pure of heart, but hopes that Alice might be able to make the leap.

The Red Queen remembers what happened the night she and Will crashed the Red King’s ball in stolen outfits. Anastasia took note of the manner in which the noblewomen at the ball spoke, and tried emulating them. The King noticed Anastasia and spoke with her.

Red King: I know every lady in my court. Why haven’t I seen you before?

Anastasia: I’d say, either you haven’t been looking hard enough...or maybe I’m no lady. (They both laugh)

Unfortunately, at that moment Will was caught by the guards, who realized his invitation was a forgery, and several noblewomen accused Anastasia of stealing their dresses. Will and Anastasia were both thrown out of the party. Will looked on the bright side, since he had managed to steal some food, but Anastasia felt depressed and humiliated.

As Alice looks at the Great Divide, she wonders if the Red Queen is trying to trick her.

Anastasia/Red Queen: (Smiling sweetly) If I wanted you to fall off the cliff, I’d push you!

Alice figures that the leap she has to make must be a Leap of Faith, since it is impossible to literally leap across the ravine. She tries to think about her love for Cyrus and have faith in that.

Alice: When two people love each other, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish together.

Anastasia/Red Queen: If only that were true.

Alice steps forward into thin air, and an invisible bridge stops her from falling, but after Alice takes a few steps, she suddenly falls into the canyon. She comes to her senses at the bottom of the ravine, surrounded by skeletons and stalagmites.

At the top of the ravine, the Red Queen is upset that Alice apparently failed.She thinks back to when she and Will were together. There came a time that she told Will they should give up and go home, having failed at their attempt to make a new life. Will thought this was a terrible idea, after the awful way Anastasia’s mother treated her when she left. Anastasia got the idea of stealing the crown jewels before leaving, so they at least wouldn’t have to go home empty-handed. Will was sad at this idea, since he had been trying to give up stealing.

Anastasia: Oh, Will, come on! Weren’t you the one that said it was ok to steal if it was for a good reason? When you were with the Merry Men, isn’t that what you did? Stole from the rich and gave to the poor? Well, we are poor, Will. Only difference is no one’s givin’ us anything.

As Will dithered, Anastasia told him this would be their last heist, pulling off the perfect crime and escaping to a place where the law could never reach them, and where they could use the treasure to build a new life. Seeing the desperation in her eyes, Will finally agreed.

Cyrus tries to free the old man in Jafar’s dungeon, but the old man tells Cyrus he would only slow him down. Reluctantly, Cyrus leaves him to make his escape.When the White Rabbit doesn’t give Jafar any useful information, Jafar uses his staff to remove one of the Rabbit’s feet, telling him he will put the foot back only if the Rabbit can think of someone Alice cares about who she might make a wish to save.

In the Great Divide, Alice encounters a spirit that looks like herself as a young girl. The spirit starts an earthquake that brings the Red Queen down into the ravine. The spirit challenges Alice to kill the Queen and get her revenge. The vision tells Alice that she can read their thoughts, and if Alice kills the Queen, the vision can tell Alice where Cyrus is. The Red Queen tries to use magic, but nothing happens. She is defenseless. The vision reminds Alice of how she has suffered at the Red Queen’s hands and urges her to kill her. Alice decides to spare the Queen’s life, and the vision reveals that this was a test. By not giving into revenge, Alice passed the test. The vision then turns into the magic dust. When the Red Queen asks Alice why she didn’t kill her, Alice says she isn’t like her.

As she thinks about this, Anastasia remembers how she broke into the Red King’s palace to steal the crown jewels. Just as her eyes fell on the ruby tiara, the King caught her in the act…

Once they are out of the ravine, the Red Queen steals the magic dust and refuses to tell Alice where Cyrus is being kept. Fortunately, Alice managed to keep some of the dust hidden away.

While Cyrus sneaks through the dungeons, Jafar orders the White Rabbit to create a portal to another realm. When Jafar threatens the Rabbit, the Rabbit panics and hops away. The Rabbit and Cyrus run into each other in the corridors, and the Rabbit stops running to distract Jafar while Cyrus escapes. Jafar notes that even if the Rabbit had gotten out of the dungeon he would not have made it past what’s beyond that. The Rabbit opens a portal.

The Red Queen remembers what happened when she was caught by the Red King. Instead of arresting Anastasia for stealing from him, the King proposed to her.

Red King: (As Anastasia tries on the ruby tiara) What you have goes far beyond your beauty. What you have is what is most elusive: the drive to be more than you are. That is how one rules. And that is what I desire at my side.

Anastasia: What if I love another?

Red King: Yes, the fellow from the ball. Love is a noble thing, but how far will it get you? Hmm? Let’s say you sell this (pointing to the tiara), how long will it last you before you’re right back where you started? And that love you cling to, it won’t be long before you realize it’s not enough. And then? Then my dear, it will be too late for you.

While all this was going on, Will was waiting for Anastasia to drop the loot down to him so they could make their escape. To his surprise, the courtyard suddenly started to fill with people and the guards blew a fanfare on their trumpets, despite it being the middle of the night. The Red King came out on the balcony to introduce the people of Wonderland to Anastasia, the Red Queen. While the people of Wonderland applauded, Will was filled with shock and disbelief at this betrayal.

In the present, the Red Queen returns to the hedge maze where Will stands as a stone statue. With a look of remorse, she pours the magical dust over the statue, turning Will back to normal. Before Will can come to his senses, Anastasia hurries away so that he won’t know she saved him.

Standing on a mountain above the clouds, Alice tries using the magic dust to track down Cyrus. The magical dust reveals that on the mountaintop across from Alice is Jafar’s castle, which is invisible until the dust touches it. While Alice promises Cyrus she is coming for him, Cyrus finds his way out of the dungeon and promises that he is coming for Alice.

Tropes

• Cloud Cuckoolander: The Red King may act fairly normal, but it is curious that he decides to propose to the burglar who just tried to steal the crown jewels, and that they are apparently married so quickly that Will is still waiting for Anastasia to drop the loot down to him when the new Queen is suddenly announced. In the middle of the night.
• Genre Savvy: In the flashback, Will suggests making mushroom soup, but Anastasia tells him that they can’t do that because the mushrooms in Wonderland make people change size.
• I Lied: The Red Queen breaks her deal with Alice and refuses to tell her where Cyrus is being kept.
• Kick the Dog: Jafar temporarily removes the White Rabbit’s foot to coerce him into telling everything he knows about Alice.
  • The Red Queen breaks her deal with Alice even after Alice spared her life, though this is softened when it is revealed what she wanted the magical dust for.
• Leap of Faith: Subverted. Alice begins her journey into the great divide with a leap of faith, but she suddenly falls into the ravine to face the next test.
• "Not So Different" Remark: The Red Queen tries to make this argument to Alice, but Alice isn’t buying it.
• Once More, with Clarity: This episode shows Will and Anastasia traveling through the looking glass to Wonderland, but this time shows that before they left, Anastasia was disowned by her mother.
• The Perfect Crime: In the past, Anastasia planned for her and Will to steal the crown jewels of Wonderland and then journey through a portal back to the Enchanted Forest, making it completely impossible for Wonderland to pursue her.
• Pet the Dog: The Red Queen uses the magical dust to restore Will from the stone statue Jafar turned him into.
• Secret Test of Character: To obtain the magical dust, Alice has to prove she has a pure heart, which she does by sparing the Red Queen’s life.