Honestly I think what made this episode great for me was that it did focus on Emma, Regina, and Henry (and a little bit Rumple), who are the core of the show. Robin and Hook were set aside for a bit, and the show actually aimed for some continuity with everything that’s gone down for our three central characters over the past four seasons. (Don’t get me wrong, I like Hook, but sometimes he feels overwhelmingly present; Robin I’ve got mixed feelings about.) It focused on the family relationships more than the romantic ones (except for Henry’s) and THAT is what made it really powerful. The driving tension was how the darkness drove family members to hurt one another–from the review of Cora’s murdering Daniel to Emma’s own betrayal and manipulation of Henry, backgrounded with echoes of Rumple’s relationship with his own son.
The romantic relationships ARE important (it’s part of how you grow a family, after all) but the show is strongest when it focuses on the family relationships, which are messy enough without trying to make the romantic ones messier. *coughZelena’spregnancycough* There are strong episodes that focus on romance (Skin Deep, duh) but what makes these characters come alive for me is all the other people they love besides their partner(s).
Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing