Subtext Recap: Once Upon a Time 3.15 – Quiet Minds

You know… spoilers.

I’m just going to say it, this was a very confusing episode for me. Not because it had a shocking twist. Because as soon as Neal stumbled through the door of Gold’s shop, I felt like Spike in “The Weight of the World” <– Buffy reference.

Neal is Gold. Gold’s Neal. They’re one and the same… Is everyone here very stoned?

Anyway, that didn’t happen for a bit. Neal, however, is brought up early on (as missing, maybe, or maybe not missing), and Regina is all over changing the subject, as she always seems to be when Emma’s love interests are brought up.

Unable to cope with Neal’s shadow over her Emma-lust, Regina decides to go on a witch hunt. God, I don’t even forgive myself for that. Then, Emma says “Just be careful” and Regina gives a tiny smile, and damn if I don’t forgive.

This keeps our not-so-ambiguously gay duo apart for much of the episode. And – Oh look! – it’s Robin Hood, zinging an arrow past Regina’s head. At least she got to catch said arrow all ninja-like, which was pretty sexy. But then, into the cabin, and OMG! these two have totally had twenty minutes of screen time together and this moment of forced sexual tension and it’s so obvious they are meant to be. And this 15-year-old-boy-style macking isn’t at all sexual. I mean, they are man and woman soul mates. By its very nature, it’s real affection and destined and the truest of true, true love.

Cut to Emma, and Neal gets a big goodbye scene… again. Why, I wonder. It’s not like he’ll stay dead. And certainly not gone. Don’t worry Neal-ophites. He will be back to die a third drawn-out death.

Also, it’s pretty classic that the only person they don’t know in town is suddenly just BAM all up in their business, the only person who’s had a moment of doubt about it so far is Charming, and it lasted exactly long enough for him to be over it in time to take a drink from a stranger while bad tidings are afoot.