Regina Mills/Evil Queen Character Analysis

[angiebelle]

I really don’t think Regina knows who Emma is. If she had any inkling that the one to break the curse had made it too town, I think she would have had a much stronger reaction. She is suspicious because Emma is a stranger, but I don’t think she has put two and two together yet.

So here’s a random thought…obviously Regina remembers everything from Fairytale land. So what exactly happened when the curse was first enacted? Did Regina have to learn how to function in our world? How did she learn things such as how to drive a car and how society in our world generally works? I also wonder if she had the chance to visit our world prior to the curse through the use of the magic door room. Has Jefferson helped her get to other worlds?

[weedith]

Evil Queen: What’d you tell them?

Rumpelstiltskin: The truth! That nothing can stop the darkness. Except, of course, their unborn child. You see, no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken. Their child is the key. Of course, the curse has to be enacted first.

It only stands to reason that Regina would at least suspect who Emma is. She knows that Snow and Charming’s child is the key to breaking the curse. She knows nothing has changed in SB for years and years. She knows that 28 years after Snow’s baby is born a 28-year-old shows up in town and things start to change. Regina can’t be so dense as to not put the pieces together by now.

It is a good question why she didn’t just get rid of Emma as soon as she realized. If she worried about hurting Henry, she could have just made Emma disappear and said she left town. I think she has to be biding her time because she doesn’t know how much effect Emma has had on the curse already. Her mere presence has started the curse crumbling, so maybe she worries that once it starts to fall apart, there is no stopping it. Maybe she thinks she has to defeat Emma in a more decisive way. If she realizes who Henry’s grandparents are, she might worry that Henry also has some ability to destroy the curse, since he doesn’t seem to be affected by it. Maybe she is just in some MAJOR denial and refuses to think about who Emma is because it means she is doomed. In any case, I hope this question is addressed sooner rather than later. I bet they confirm that Regina knows before the season is over.

[Snickerdoodle]

On another topic concerning Regina and how she could marry a king… it occurred to me last night that her family could be royalty in other ways like a brother or sister related to a king who is a Duke/Duchess, Lord or Lady. So, couldn’t she be royalty or of a royal line without her parents being a king/queen?

[Slurpeez]

@ sjm: Yes, you could be right. I think Regina was royal by her own lineage before she married King Leopold. She could have been the granddaughter or niece of a king, without being directly in line to the throne.

"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy

[mia]

I guess you’re right. In the photos they don't seem to be lacking really, so they must have some wealth. They could be a Lord/Lady even. I do believe they’re royal blood, just not high ranked.

[killianhookfan]

I think Regina knows exactly who Emma is. But Lana has mentioned several times in articles that she is very aware that Regina does love Henry – so if that is the case, there is no way that she is going to kill Emma because she knows that Henry was so intent on finding his birth mother (from a mortal perspective), and because she knows that Henry believes that she is the EQ from a FTL perspective. What mother wants their kid to think they are an EQ – even if they are??? So I think the last thing she is going to do, simply because of Henry, is to directly do away with Emma. I think that instead she just wants to let the curse run its course and try to hurt MM as much as she can before whatever effect Emma is going to have takes over. I actually think Regina feels more threatened by Emma because of Henry then because of the curse – not simply because she is his birth mother but because deep down she doesn’t really believe she has the ability to truely love someone – so I think she fears that people will figure out that she isn’t fit to be a mother and that somehow Emma will be able to take Henry away (Archie has even hinted about this). (Although in the real world a birth mother who suddenly showed up 10 years later with Emma’s history would never be able to get Henry!!).

[hjbau]

I have also heard the actor say that her character loves Henry. But she really doesn’t in any sane reasonable way. I mean she hurts him all the time and is completely controlling of him. And the whole thing about the curse created a hole that could never be filled. I think it is like Regina wants to love Henry, but doesn’t know how to do that.

[killianhookfan]

I agree hjbau. I actually think there is an interview with Lana and Robert where they both talk about this at comic con. I think that the difference between a “normal” parent’s motivation and Regina’s motivation is an abnormal fear. Regina’s motivation is all about the fear of not being able to love Henry even though she really wants to. She has a fear of having Henry taken away and a fear of him finding out that she really IS the EQ. So I think that in many ways she actually has a fear of Emma because of the power that she feels she holds over her relationship with Henry. I’m guessing that we are about to find out that she had a delightful role model for a mother as well.

The thing I will say in Regina’s defense with Henry though is, unless I am forgeting an instance, I don’t recall ever seeing her be abusive of him so I don’t know that I would say that she hurts him all the time. I think she is protective of him and from her perspective, understandably so. I don’t think there are many parents who would be very trusting of a biological parent who shows up 10 years after giving birth, moves into town, and suddenly wants to start hanging out with YOUR child all the time (in fact, if it were me I would be heading to my attorney as fast as possible to set up some guidelines). She is a working parent who has rules for what Henry is supposed to do when he is home alone to keep him safe – if he doesn’t follow those rules he is punished. And when Emma does things that she sees as unstable, she keeps Henry away from her. I don’t see that as being controlling – I see that as being a parent. I think that is probably part of the “game” Kitsis and Horowitz have put together with Regina and Henry. From Henry’s point of view those things all help prove his theory that Regina is the Evil Queen – to everyone else, it just proves she’s Mom. Now, with Archie she has shown her true colors, his therapy hasn’t been able to convince Henry that she isn’t the EQ so she threatened him – that was wacked and Archie knows that she obviously does NOT have Henry’s best interests in mind. But, again, I think that is the fear rearing it’s ugly head again.

[angiebelle]

This curse can’t have been that much fun for Regina either- she has been stuck there for 28 years in limbo without her magic! Her only good deal is that she is in a position of power and gets to watch the others suffer. But obviously, this has not brought her true happiness….she adopted Henry in an attempt to fill the void. I suppose she may have an idea who Emma is, but she hasn’t indicated it. She has only shown she has issues with Henry interacting with a stranger she doesn’t trust. Does she realize that Henry is Snow White’s grandson? Would that bother her or would she just think of that as another way she has taken something from Snow White.

[hjbau]

The only thing i would consider abusive was in one of the episodes. At the hospital Regina grabbed Henry very hard and sort of yanked him. I would consider that abusive unless the child is doing something like running into the streets and you are trying to stop them then grabbing them like that by the wrist and yanking them can be scary. It is like the threat of violence.

I actually wasn’t talking about that though. I was talking about Regina getting Emma to say stuff when she knows that Henry will be listening so that it would upset him and cause a split between the two of them. I do agree that i think it makes sense in a normal reason for her to be worried about Henry hanging out with Emma. If it was me i would want to get to know the woman before i would let her hang out with my kid, but that really isn’t the issue with Regina. It is more that she sees Henry as leverage then that she is worried about him being with Emma. I don’t know. It is a complicated issue.

[Author]

Posts