YMMV / Once Upon a Time S3 E18 "Bleeding Through"

• Alternate Character Interpretation: A fan theory is that Eva was not of the marrying age at this point in time, and that Leopold's decision to marry Cora was motivated out of her being of the age where she could produce heirs immediately.
• Genius Bonus: By Freeze-Frame Bonus it can be seen that the painting in the hallway outside Regina's study is The Return of Persephone by Frederic Leighton. One of Persephone's other names is Kore. This also acts as a bit of foreshadowing of Season 5B, where Cora is the Mayor of Underbrooke (albeit under Hades's domination), and where it is revealed that it was Zelena who went to the Underworld to begin a relationship with Hades.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Hoo boy...Rose McGowan being a victim of rape by fraud and plotting revenge is several levels of uncomfortable to watch.
  • Also, while it does not excuse her later actions, after learning of what a poor gardener did to Cora to ruin her life it's a lot more understandable why she would disapprove of Regina falling for a stable boy...
• Squick: So Cora nearly married the man who would eventually be Regina's husband.
• Strawman Has a Point:
  • Well sure, Eva betraying Cora's secret was motivated by selfish reasons. But she had discovered a) Leopold's new bride-to-be was secretly pregnant, b) was likely going to pass the baby off as Leopold's and c) was going to steal from the royal treasury to keep her secret. That's not to mention that Eva had been betrothed to Leopold since birth, and it's understandable she'd be a little annoyed at being thrown aside for a woman Leopold barely knew.
  • Jonathan does have a point that Cora immediately offered herself to someone who claimed to be the prince. Her own ambition overrode her common sense. Jonathan did lie to her, but Cora was the one who initiated taking things further.