Season 6, Episode 18:
Where Bluebirds Fly
After the Black Fairy threatens her baby, Zelena decides to put a stop to her, once and for all, despite the fact Regina considers this a reckless and dangerous idea. Meanwhile in Oz many years ago, Zelena must choose between an old childhood friend and her powers as the Wicked Witch of the West, a choice whose consequences may just offer redemption in the present.
Tropes
- Altar the Speed: David is worried that Snow is rushing into planning Emma and Hook's wedding, when the threat of the Black Fairy is still out there, because she's afraid that they won't survive to see the wedding otherwise. Emma herself later admits that it's best to wait, rather than give in to fear.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Stanum actually uses a number of these on Zelena, but the best exchange is probably after she has told him about the time-travel spell to go back and make Cora choose her instead of Regina.Tin Woodsman: Seems like you're going to an awful lot of trouble to be with someone who didn't want you to begin with.
Zelena: Careful. The last person to speak so freely to me is now peeling bananas with their feet.
Tin Woodsman: You wouldn't be so upset, unless what I was saying was true. - Bait-and-Switch: It looks like Zelena is calling a tornado to take her back to Oz. It turns out she's finding the heart that can suck away her magic.
- Batman Gambit: The Black Fairy was counting on Zelena egotistically trying to take her on personally, and thus being able to redirect her magic into the fairy crystals in the mine, corrupting them.
- Brought Down to Normal: Zelena at the end.
- Changed My Mind, Kid: Instead of going back to Oz with Robin, Zelena chooses to make amends by bringing the Crimson Heart from it to Storybrooke.
- Chronic Villainy: Lampshaded by Hook when he points out that even when Zelena isn't the villain they're fighting, she ends up being the villain they're fighting. Immediately after this, however, she shows up and makes the Heroic Sacrifice to stop the Black Fairy, proving her redemption has stuck after all.
- Continuity Nod:
- When Stanum comes by, an annoyed Zelena moans about people not knowing about her banishing the Wizard a while ago.
- Charming brings up how Snow dated Whale and she fires back "we were cursed!"
- When Regina tries to save Zelena from the Black Fairy, she not only sneers with "now you care about me?" but calls her on blaming her for Robin's death when she killed Hades to save her life.
- Couch Gag: The title card features the Emerald City.
- Double-Meaning Title: Subtle, but while the obvious meaning of the title is to reference The Wizard of Oz via lyrics from "Over the Rainbow", the specific phrase quoted (and the overall meaning of the song) is about yearning for somewhere to be happy, which is what Zelena is searching for and always has been.
- Fantastic Nuke: The Black Fairy corrupts the vast vein of fairy crystals in the mines, creating a mass of dark magic that Regina calls a "magical nuke".
- Heroic Sacrifice: Realizing her magic is what's powering the crystals, Zelena uses a magical heart from Oz to absorb all her magic and render her powerless.
- History Repeats: Charming is afraid this will happen if Emma and Hook rush into marriage — that just as his and Snow's wedded bliss was destroyed by the Evil Queen, the Black Fairy could do the same even if they do end up defeating her and surviving.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The Black Fairy's attempt to corrupt the fairy crystals into the dark fairy dust she needs to start the Final Battle not only backfires thanks to Zelena, it creates the pure light magic crystal needed to restore the Blue Fairy's magic and restart her heart — and knowledge she possesses will be key to defeating her. Gideon is quite smug in pointing this out.
- Hope Spot:
- Snow is determined to make Hook and Emma's wedding this, but David points out that by rushing into things while the threat of the ultimate evil is still on the horizon, it would actually be dashing hope by ruining what should have been Emma's happiest moment. Instead, he says the true hope spot is believing the Black Fairy can be defeated so there can be a wedding afterward with long life and happiness.
- Another moment happens when it looks like Zelena really is about to defeat the Black Fairy... and then she starts laughing.
- Idiot Ball: Just because she's convinced her magic is stronger than anyone else's, Zelena believes she can destroy the Black Fairy. As in, using her dark magic on the source of all evil.
- I Just Want to Be Special: This is revealed to be Zelena's true motivation, even more than wanting love, a family, or power. She ends up sacrificing Stanum to keep her magic because she is convinced this is what makes her special... not realizing it's those who love her.
- Internal Reveal:
- Belle and Gold have been keeping the Blue Fairy's comatose state a secret, but everyone learns about it by the end of the episode thanks to Zelena.
- Also, Gold tells Belle about the Black Fairy having Gideon's heart.
- Invasion of the Baby Snatchers: Zelena, preparing milk for her baby (but not noticing the baby monitor has stopped making noise), finds the cradle empty...and the Black Fairy, thief of children, holding her.
- Locked in a Freezer: Or in this case, mine shaft. Regina goes to stop Zelena from facing the Black Fairy alone, and their argument and brief magical scuffle causes a cave-in that traps them inside, so they must work together to get out — made more difficult, of course, because of Zelena's arrogance and Regina's previous blame game re: Robin Hood.
- Love Is a Weakness: As usual, Zelena believes this (both past and present), which is why she sacrifices Stanum and is prepared to leave Storybrooke with Robin. When she finally does the right thing and gives up her magic to save everyone, she claims she feels "weak", but Regina responds, "You look stronger than ever."
- Mama Bear: Once again Zelena is this, willing to do anything — including face the source of all evil — to protect little Robin. Just as the Black Fairy counted on.
- Married at Sea: Hook suggests this on the Jolly Roger until Henry points out all the guests could get seasick.
- Meaningful Name: Stanum's name is derived from the scientific term for tin.
- Mythology Gag:
- The young Zelena is seen walking down the Yellow Brick Road.
- Zelena tests the milk for her daughter with "not too hot, not too cold, just right", referencing Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
- To finish out the set of Dorothy's companions begun in "Our Decay", we get to meet the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion and learn how they became what they did.
- Zelena snarls at the Lion on how "it's time to know the real king of the forest. Me." After the Lion slinks off thanks to her spell, she just laughs at how now it's "a coward."
- The Tin Woodsman (in this universe, a childhood friend of Zelena's named Stanum) is cursed for chopping down a tree, the same as happened to him in the Oz books, with the difference being that instead of chopping off his own body parts to be replaced with tin ones, he's actually turning into tin. Subverted, however, in that this time the witch who cursed him was the Wicked Witch of the North, not East.
- Also, the Tin Woodsman is once more seeking a heart — only in this case it isn't so as to feel love, but because it is magic and can break the curse. Like in the MGM film, it's rednote (and actually called the Crimson Heart), and it also doesn't actually do anything (until filled with someone's magic).
- And when he succumbs to the curse, he ends frozen in place just as in both the book and film (he even describes it as "rusting") and as she departs, Zelena taunts him with "maybe Dorothy will find you and save you."
- The episode title references a lyric from the song "Over the Rainbow", which was written for the MGM film.
- Stanum references the Wicked Witch of the North, who first appeared in The Marvelous Land of Oz.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Zelena's attack on the Black Fairy is then channeled into the cave of crystals around them to power them for the Fairy's plan to destroy Storybrooke.
- No-Sell: The Black Fairy literally laughs at Zelena's magical attacks.
- Oh, Crap!: Zelena's reaction when the Black Fairy brushes off her attacks.
- Parents Walk In at the Worst Time: Snow White barges into Emma and Hook's house — ironically, to discuss wedding plans — right as they're about to get hot and heavy. This leads to the Unusual Euphemism (something of a show tradition) of "making pancakes."
- Plot Coupon: The wand which banished the Black Fairy to her realm and which can defeat her now is only half — the heroes have to find the other half to win.
- The Promise: Zelena asks Regina to take care of Robin for her if something goes wrong with the Crimson Heart. Not only does she agree, so does Emma.
- Race Lift: The man who becomes the Tin Woodsman is played by a black actor this time around.
- "Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Zelena gives one to Regina, letting her have it for unfairly blaming her for Robin Hood's death. Although Regina doesn't immediately apologize (only pointing out she had saved her from the Evil Queen and was only trying to do so again with the Black Fairy), she does look troubled, and by the end of the episode finally does tell Zelena she's sorry and that she's proud of her.
- The Black Fairy gives a brief one to Zelena in turn, pointing out that while she is indeed stronger than Regina, her magic isn't "wicked" just chaotic because her heart is in turmoil, and that she only needed her because she knew she'd "make the wrong decision."
- Remember the New Guy?: Oz used to have the Witches of the East, North and South, protectors of the land, who were supposed to be joined by the Witch of the West (Zelena? Dorothy?). Stanum is cursed by the Wicked Witch of the North: is she the Witch of the North turned evil? Another witch altogether?
- The Reveal: It turns out, the Black Fairy didn't have Gideon incapacitate the Blue Fairy because she knows about the wand that can defeat her. In fact, Blue apparently knows the true reason why Black abandoned Rumple as a baby, and she's terrified of him finding it out.
- Staring Down Cthulhu: Zelena is surprised Stanum shows no fear standing up to her but he points out he's already cursed and "I haven't got much to lose."
- Thicker Than Water: In the end Zelena realizes this, and that she would rather be with family that loves her (however thorny, contrary, and conflict-filled her relationship with Regina is) than in a place where she will be alone except for those who hate her.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Stanum brings up how Zelena was once a kindhearted girl who wanted to use her magic to help others.
- Villain Team-Up: The Black Fairy offers one to Zelena. She refuses.
- Wartime Wedding: Snow is pushing for the "just before facing the war" version of this, out of fear that if Hook and Emma don't get married now, they might never get to. Both David and Emma explain to her the flawed reasoning she's using.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- It is never explained why the Lion is apparently guarding the Crimson Heart—was it simply in his territory? Was he set to guard it by the Wicked Witch of the North (thus making this a case of Adaptational Villainy)?
- Also, we never learn how (or if) Dorothy managed to restore the Tin Woodsman, although her interaction with the Scarecrow in "Our Decay" suggests some form of the original plot of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz happened in some fashion.
- You Are Not Alone: Stanum tries to tell Zelena this, and that she doesn't need time travel or her magic to make it so. She doesn't believe it or accept it until choosing to stay with Regina and help stop the Black Fairy.
- You Can't Fight Fate: Henry reveals to Charming that he tried to use his Author's pen to have Emma "win the final battle" but every time, the words erase themselves.
