Regina The Old Hag
An evil queen by any other name [or face] is just as evil.
Regina visits Jefferson [The Mad Hatter] because she needs access to Wonderland. She promises riches in return, but Jefferson refuses to help. Regina disguises herself as a decrepit old toy peddler and manipulates him into helping her. Jefferson's daughter, Grace, pleads with him to buy her a stuffed rabbit from Regina's cart--the price: one silver. Jefferson doesn't have enough money and attempts to barter with incognito-Regina, but Regina amusingly replies she can take no less than one silver due to the economy. Jefferson and Grace leave rabbit-less. Since the feeling of woeful inadequacy is a powerful motivator, Regina's scheme is a success, and Jefferson later visits evil-queen-Regina to help her get to Wonderland.
Regina in Wonderland
The Queen of Hearts has taken Regina's father. Regina enlists the aid of Jefferson to get him back, but he doesn't know Regina is on a mission to rescue her father; he only knows his daughter will be set for life if he helps Regina.
He uses his hat to open a portal to Wonderland. The entrance rules are: the number of people who enter through the looking glass must be the same as the number of people who exit through the looking glass. They enter Wonderland and happen upon a maze composed of carnivorous hedges that stand between them and Regina's objective. Jefferson warns Regina to stay away from the people-eating hedge walls, and Regina responds in a manner that can best be described as freakin' badass as she declares, "The walls should stay away from me." She signs her Declaration of Badassery by shooting a wall of fire from her hand that scorches a pathway directly to The Queen of Hearts' vault.
Regina retrieves her father who apparently ate from the wrong side of the mushroom or drank from the wrong bottle because he's shrunken and locked in a small chest.
Regina and Jefferson high tail it back to the looking glass, but just as Jefferson is about to step through, Regina stops at a mushroom and picks a piece from it. She gives it to her father who immediately grows to normal size. Regina traps Jefferson in Wonderland, and Jefferson begs her to stop, explaining that he needs to get back to his daughter.
Regina glares at him and spits, "If you truly cared for your daughter, you never would have left her in the first place," then she steps through the looking glass with her father.
This face says there is a lot more to the "If you truly cared for your daughter" statement than chastising Jefferson...
Two in, two out.
The Caterpillar
"Who are you?" Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call. Call Alice.
Regina's "What in the seven abysses of hell is that?" face is priceless. Jefferson gets an honorable mention for choosing to ignore the talking, smoking caterpillar by closing his eyes.
The Queen of Hearts
Playing with the Queen of Hearts, knowing it ain't really smart.
The joker ain't the only fool who'll do anything for you.
The joker ain't the only fool who'll do anything for you.
Emma and Mary Margaret vs The Mad Hatter
Emma and Mary Margaret are held against their will by Jefferson aka The Mad Hatter. Jefferson knows about the curse, and he believes Emma can fabricate a magical hat that he can use to get back to Fairy Tale Land. Emma puts on a performance enhanced with tears and tells him she believes him about the curse. He lets his guard down, and Emma clocks him with a telescope. Emma dashes to the room where Mary Margaret is tied up and as she's freeing her, Jefferson appears and tackles them like they're holding the football. Unfortunately for Jefferson, he doesn't realize all the females on the show are as fierce as Amazons."Crazy son of a bitch."
He and Emma throw down then Mary Margaret takes a back seat to Snow White as Snow appears, whacks Jefferson with a croquet mallet then taekwando-front-kicks his ass right out the window;
Ten points for execution, but she would've gotten another ten points if she had done this:
Nevertheless, it was a valiant effort with results.
The Book
Judging by Henry's WTF expression, we surmise that one of the stories August added was The Mad Hatter's. The page in the book is a little girl in what looks like Regina's palace. For more pics of the book from this episode, see here [last set of pics].
White Rabbit
Inside The Mad Hatter's Hat
The inside of the Mad Hatter's hat is like an interdimensional terminal with doorways that lead to various parallel worlds.
[L-R: Looks Asian, possibly a hint at Mulan, The way to Oz [?], Wonderland Portal, [?], [?]
Far left: Looks like hieroglyphics, Center: [?]
M-Theory
The Mad Hatter Loses His Head
The Queen of Hearts orders Jefferson's head off. Something lops off his head and to the astonishment of Jefferson and science, Jefferson's still alive.
Something
Jefferson sans head as Wonderland pokes science in the eye.
How The Mad Hatter Became Mad
10/6. Nice.
The Queen of Hearts demands to know how Jefferson traversed the worlds and entered Wonderland. He confesses he used his hat, but he no longer has it. He is then ordered to make a new magical hat to send himself home. Jefferson tries... and tries... and tries. We last see him in Wonderland surrounded by his failed attempts and teetering on the brink of madness feverishly trying to create a new magical hat, so he can get back to his daughter in Fairy Tale Land.
The definition of insanity.
Emma Has Magic? Maybe.
Storybrooke Daily Mirror
Afternoon Edition
Heartless! School Teacher Jailed On Murder Charges
Storybrooke Elementary Girl Crowned New Champion at Regional Spelling Bee [ ? This is an odd headline.]
The Queens of Hearts' Vault
Regina's vault-of-crazy has the same chests and drawers as the Queen of Hearts' vault. A few plausible explanations for this are: Regina stole the Queen's vault [which would be damned funny], she duplicated it, the vaults were made by the same person, or the Queen of Hearts was once in Fairy Tale Land.
The drawers are numbered. They're marked with "XC" then below that a series of letters [most likely Roman numerals]. Regina pulls her father from a drawer marked "XC [next line] G LV". Translated from Roman numerals, that's 90 G 55 or 90 455.
Continuity Error
The gun changes directions on its own while Emma and Jefferson discuss the current situation. Either Emma's head is a giant magnet that's causing the gun to spin like a compass needle or it's a continuity error. [And no, the gun was not touched by anyone in the room.]
Questions Answered This Episode
- Who left the key in Mary Margaret's cell?
Regina - Who framed Mary Margaret?
Mr. Gold and Regina - Where is Fairy Tale Land in relation to the real world?
Fairy Tale Land is one of many parallel worlds. Wonderland is another parallel world.
Other Things From This Episode
- Why is The Mad Hatter's name Jefferson?
We think he's named after Jefferson Airplane: a 60's band who sang White Rabbit—a song about drugs using Alice in Wonderland imagery. Jefferson's daughter, Grace, could be named for Grace Slick, a lead singer for Jefferson Airplane. But that's just this site's theory—we're not sure; we've just had some kind of mushroom, and our minds are moving low. Go ask Alice we think she'll know.
I feel bad for Jefferson. I mean, how can you NOT!?
ReplyDeleteSo much has happened to him and all he wants is to be with his daughter and keep her happy...
DeleteI don't know about the last door, but the door to the right of the Wonderland Looking Glass (in the first picture under "Inside the Mad Hatters Hat" looks kind of like the inside of a submarine so... the Little Mermaid? No idea about the last one.
ReplyDeletei thought it looked kind of futuristic.
DeleteIs it a hobbit door ?
DeleteWho is the Queen of Hearts....maybe Regina's mother?
ReplyDeleteThat would be an awesome twist.
DeleteNah if that were the case, based upon what we know of Cora's reputation she would not have whispered or hidden behind a veil, she would have wanted to rub it in Regina's face and they would have been stopped from escaping with the use of magic
DeleteWhat about the floor where all the doors are? It reminds me of the room in "Lost" where they got the information to locate the island. UGH I hope not!
ReplyDeleteIn reference to this: Storybrooke Elementary Girl Crowned New Champion at Regional Spelling Bee [ ? This is an odd headline.]
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's an odd headline, it's actually rather intriguing. How can a Storybrooke girl win a regional spelling bee if nobody can leave the town? I presume the spelling bee was held elsewhere. Very interesting.
Yes, that's what we meant when we called it "odd". How indeed can a child who's unable to leave Storybrooke win the Regional Spelling Bee? It's odd.
Deleteone of the door must be for Narnia world.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteI think Regina has the same vault as the Queen of hearts because the queen is her mother.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading the post, I was giggling at all of the "White Rabbit" references, and enjoying the nods to Jefferson Airplane (probably because I am 56, and grew up with them and was a big fan). I just wanted to thank you for this. It made my day. And I have to admit that I did NOT get the Jefferson OR the Grace name connections! I am embarassed to admit that!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I really enjoyed your writing...and your clear-headed review. Thank you! I WILL be back!!!!
Thanks. Glad you like it. :)
DeleteThat's not a continuity error, Emma's head is really a magnet.
ReplyDeleteEmma kept the magic hat that Jefferson left behind. She threw it in the VW as she was taking MM back to prison. I wonder who is going to use that hat to get back to Oz or Wonderland? Regina obviously knows about the hat's magic. Maybe Rumple will claim it as what Emma owes him.
ReplyDeleteI notice you guys use classic music in your fan videos and you can quote Jefferson Airplane songs. I was wondering, how old are you guys?
ReplyDeleteAnd you know that they are Jefferson Airplane and can tell that it's "classic" music. How old are you?
Delete(Besides, who doesn't know who Michael Jackson is?)
We weren't alive when most of the classic rock songs we use were made, but we're old enough to know good music. :)
DeleteGood answer.
DeleteDid anyone else wonder why the queen of heart had a veil on? Jefferson said that the hat rules were "two in, two out." Could it be that his wife (if it is Alice) got stuck there and in turn became the queen of hearts so that she could find a way back?
ReplyDeleteI hope they go back to the point where Jefferson fell into The Hat. (Yes, I think it deserves Capitols!)
ReplyDeleteThey should make a character page for The Hat! He's a major character!!!
DeleteWatching previous episodes, I believe that the Queen of Hearts is actually Cora, Regina's mother...my guess after drinking the Storybrooke Koolaide!!!
ReplyDeleteThe writers have officially said that Henry (Regina's dad) was a "small guy inside a box, and a little bit of the food made him larger in Alice in Wonderland rules" which means I was right! Just like the food in ALice's adventures in wonderland, the food make you bigger and smaller. But no one cut out his heart.
ReplyDeleteDid someone on the show say his heart was cut out?
DeleteNo, but people on the boards everywhere were saying that it was his heart in the box. I just wanted to clarify once and for all.
DeleteThe writers said that MM kicking the MH was Snow White starting to come back.
ReplyDelete10/6 ?
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who doesn't understand that?
DeleteIt's from an image in the book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." In the image, the Hatter has a tag in his hat that reads, "In this style 10/6." There's another version of the Alice in Wonderland tale titled, "The Nursery 'Alice'," which explains the meaning of 10/6. Here's the excerpt:
Delete"The Hatter used to carry about hats to sell: and even the one that he's got on his head is meant to be sold. You see it's got its price marked on it-a "10" and a "6"-that means "ten shillings and sixpence." Wasn't that a funny way of selling hats?"
I didn't even know that, I mean, I saw that he had it in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," but was too young to care when I first noticed it, and when you get older and you've seen something a million times, you forget about it. Now that you mention it, I do remember something about that though, even a parody of a woman who never took the tags off her hats. Ever.
DeleteOn another subject, have you ever read the story of when alice returns to wonderland and "becomes a queen"... or something... I haven't read it since I was 7... Where is that book... I'll get back to you on that.
Inside of Jefferson Hat, the different portals looks like the one in the Nightmare before Christmas, you know where there was Christmas town, Easter town, whatever town.
ReplyDelete