Fans of ABC’s hit drama, Once Upon a Time, are thrilled that the show has returned with its seventh season, which premiered on Friday.
Last season was the ending of a beloved story arc where the characters all seemed to gain a happy ending. But there’s no real happily ever after because the story keeps going.
‘Hyperion Heights’ begins with the Henry (Jared Gilmore) we’ve always known and love wrapping up his story. High school is over, Operation Cobra is complete, and now he wants to find out where he belongs. He tells Regina (Lana Parrilla) goodbye, throws his only magic bean and gets on a motorcycle (um okay…) to ride off into a brand new land.
Now a grown-man, Henry still rides that motorcycle and runs into the first carriage he sees with Cinderella (Dania Ramirez) inside. Who decided that Henry should ride a motorcycle again?
It wouldn’t be Once Upon A Time without multiple alternative worlds to keep track of so when we shift to Seattle, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. In Seattle, Henry is basically an Uber driver. One day, Lucy (Alison Fernandez) shows up and introduces herself as his daughter leaving Henry in shock and repeating, “I don’t have a daughter” several times.
Lucy begs Henry to come with her to Hyperion Heights because her mother, Cinderella, is there, and she says that’s how the curse is broken. Lucy’s grandmother is Lady Tremaine (Cinderella’s wicked stepmother played by Gabrielle Anwar), and she is trying to force the fairytale people out and bring in outsiders in order to separate them forever.
Cinderella, or rather Jacinda in Seattle, works at a chicken restaurant. Running late for her shift and with a jerk of a supervisor, she refuses to apologise and quits.
Back to Cinderella’s Real Realm, Henry is trying to help Cinderella and offers to take her on the back of his motorcycle. She’s sceptical of his “horseless carriage”, but she hops on and Henry explains his story to her whilst teaching her how his motorcycle works. Here’s the twist: instead of riding off together, she jabs him in the jaw and steals the motorcycle.
Returning to Seattle, Lucy steals Henry’s laptop and leaves a note to meet her at Roni’s. Roni is the new Regina and she looks so good. She owns a bar that Alice (Rose Reynolds) lurks on top of, but she’s being bought out by Victoria Belfrey (Gabrielle Anwar) who is the evil stepmother. Henry is talking to Roni about his strange day and she asks why, which prompts him to reply with, “Imagine if I walked in here and told you that I was your son.”
When Jacinda gets home she discovers Lucy isn’t home and needs to find her soon otherwise they’ll both pay because Victoria is going to be very angry. We then meet Victoria, who is terrible but also very interesting.
In the other world, Lady Tremaine is ruthless, not a fan of magic and prefers using fear to control others. She clips Fairy Godmother’s wings and decides to use the wand in order to eliminate her. However, Lucy in the real world, is on to her and makes a wish in an abandoned lot before telling Jacinda she has found Henry. Jacinda takes the laptop and heads to Roni’s where she meets Henry. Of course, Henry is smitten with Jacinda from the get-go and there is some serious chemistry there.
Cinderella makes it to the ball and approaches the prince. She’s interrupted by Henry who has brought her a hyacinth (signifying rebirth) and he takes the dagger Cinderella stole from him. She admits she hasn’t come to marry the prince and instead she’s come to kill him because he’s stolen everything from her. Henry attempts to stop her, but he’s too late and faints as Alice stands over him with a wink. Alice warns him that he should go home because it isn’t his story. Alice is working with Weaver (Rumple) who’s torturing people (what else is new?).
At Roni’s, Henry chats with Jacinda who wants a little home out on an island in the bay. Henry discovers his car is missing, but the police aren’t very helpful except for Rogers (Hook). Henry finds Lucy to ask her about his car and tells her he’s leaving, but Lucy tries to stop him. Henry screams he lost his family in a fire except Lucy says that they are cursed memories and he needs his old life back. Jacinda rolls up to take Lucy, but of course, their car breaks down.
In Cinderella’s world, Jacinda confronts the prince in order to kill him but stops herself. The evil stepmother stabs him instead, just because he rejected Drizella (harsh). She blames it on Cinderella, but Henry tells her to take his bike and meet him later at the portal.
Henry is at the police station again when Victoria shows up looking for Lucy and Jacinda. He agrees to work with her for now. Meanwhile, Jacinda and Lucy are going to make a fresh start on the island and Lucy agrees. Unfortunately, Rogers and Ivy (Adelaide Kane) show up to take Lucy away. Ivy gives Lucy’s storybook to Rogers to destroy, but something happens when Rogers holds it.
In Cinderella’s land, Henry arrives at the portal but she doesn’t show. His alarm goes off at midnight (I never knew cellphones worked in the magic world) and he is forced to make a choice: stay here or leave. He finds Cinderella’s slipper in the hyacinths and then says, “Operation Glass Slipper is a go,” which tells us he’s going to stay.
Rogers is upgraded to detective and matched with Weaver (how is that supposed to work?). Back at Roni’s, she decides to keep her bar because it’s hers and she’s going to hold out for now. Jacinda returns to Mr. Cluck’s and gets her job back. Henry shows up at the random lot with a bouquet of hyacinths, expecting there to be a cemetery there. Rogers looks longingly at a drawing of Emma in the book (so, does he remember?). In the last few moments of the episode, Jacinda is sweeping and finds her own quarter before dropping it in where her daughter had earlier, Henry finds the first line to his next book and a hyacinth grows in the vacant lot.
Overall, I was impressed with the Season 7 premiere. The new storyline is similar to the beginning of Season 1, but this episode still gave us a fresh spin on things.
What did you think of the Season 7 premiere? Sound off in the comments below!
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