ONCE UPON A TIME - "Page 23" - Believing there isn't room in Storybrooke for both her and Regina, the Evil Queen sets out to eliminate her other half using Robin to bait the trap. Hook, determined to make things work with Emma, turns to his old friend Capt. Nemo for advice, but Gideon torpedoes his plan before he's able to set things right. In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen learns a surprising lesson about the true source of her misery, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand) Once Upon a Time Review: Page 23 (Season 6 Episode 14) ONCE UPON A TIME - "Page 23" - Believing there isn't room in Storybrooke for both her and Regina, the Evil Queen sets out to eliminate her other half using Robin to bait the trap. Hook, determined to make things work with Emma, turns to his old friend Capt. Nemo for advice, but Gideon torpedoes his plan before he's able to set things right. In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen learns a surprising lesson about the true source of her misery, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)

Once Upon a Time Review: Page 23 (Season 6 Episode 14)

Lauren Busser Once Upon a Time, Reviews

For six seasons we’ve watched Regina battle her darkness, and Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 14, “Page 23,” brings that struggle to an end.

The Evil Queen and Regina’s plot comes to a conclusion in this episode, and it has a unique ending that feels so fitting to Regina and the show as a whole.

Yet, there’s something that feels final about the ending.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "Page 23" - Believing there isn't room in Storybrooke for both her and Regina, the Evil Queen sets out to eliminate her other half using Robin to bait the trap. Hook, determined to make things work with Emma, turns to his old friend Capt. Nemo for advice, but Gideon torpedoes his plan before he's able to set things right. In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen learns a surprising lesson about the true source of her misery, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
ONCE UPON A TIME – “Page 23” – (ABC/Jack Rowand)
LANA PARRILLA

Of course, Regina and the Evil Queen face off in a sword fight after The Evil Queen uses the enchanted shears to separate their fates, but it doesn’t end with a death. When Regina seems poised to deliver the deathblow, but stops short.

After screaming, “What the heck is going on?” at my television, I realized this was how it has to end.

Yes, the Evil Queen is…well, evil…but Regina isn’t.

Once Upon a Time deals a lot with the idea of darkening one’s heart through murder. We’ve seen it with Snow White when she murdered Cora and Rumple talks about it this season in relation to his sons.

So, if Regina did vanquish the Evil Queen, she would have darkened her soul again anyway, and had to live with the fact that she had murdered a part of herself.

So instead of killing the Evil Queen, Regina gives her some of her love and takes back some of the darkness. Then sends The Evil Queen to a place where she can get a fresh start. That fresh start happens to be with Robin Hood.

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My feelings about the ending are mixed, I desperately wanted Regina to live happily ever after with Robin Hood and it feels like we’re cheated out of it.

ONCE UPON A TIME - "Page 23" - Believing there isn't room in Storybrooke for both her and Regina, the Evil Queen sets out to eliminate her other half using Robin to bait the trap. Hook, determined to make things work with Emma, turns to his old friend Capt. Nemo for advice, but Gideon torpedoes his plan before he's able to set things right. In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen learns a surprising lesson about the true source of her misery, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
ONCE UPON A TIME – “Page 23” – (ABC/Jack Rowand)

Instead, the Evil Queen gets to see what might have been, in an alternate realm.

It feels very neat to have them tucked away in a parallel world where we will never see them again, but I want to know what becomes of them.

Despite my sadness, it feels right for Once Upon a Time.

To me, this show has always been about redemption. Storybrooke is full of imperfect heroes and villains, and their flaws are what make them compelling.

While they are fairy tale characters, they each have multifaceted personalities and histories that have driven them to where they are, and the creators have been done their best to display those aspects of the characters.

Regina is a prime example, and it’s one of the reasons I am happy with the conclusion of the Regina and The Evil Queen storyline. She’s gone from a very angry person who blames other for her unhappiness, to being able to accept and love herself.

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ONCE UPON A TIME - "Page 23" - Believing there isn't room in Storybrooke for both her and Regina, the Evil Queen sets out to eliminate her other half using Robin to bait the trap. Hook, determined to make things work with Emma, turns to his old friend Capt. Nemo for advice, but Gideon torpedoes his plan before he's able to set things right. In a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen learns a surprising lesson about the true source of her misery, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MARCH 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
ONCE UPON A TIME – “Page 23” – (ABC/Jack Rowand)
TONY PEREZ, LANA PARRILLA

The Enchanted Forest storyline shows this well. We see how vindictive the pre-curse Regina is and how determined she is to kill Snow White, and it stands in contrast to present day Regina wanting to save Robin and keep her family safe.

Regina’s journey is what the show is all about. She’s a flawed person finding a way to accept both the good and bad parts of herself, and the choices that she’s made.

And if you need proof that Regina has grown, ask yourself this: Would Regina have congratulated Emma on her engagement a year ago? Or even two?

I don’t think she would have.

Stray Thoughts:

  • Emma and Killian’s short-lived engagement was not what I expected, but does anyone else think they’re opening this up to their own version of “I will always find you?” Is anyone keeping score of how often these two are separated? Are Charming and Snow at all worried about the fact that this keeps happening?
  • I am not sure how I feel about Gideon. His storyline wasn’t a large part of this episode, but his presence is starting to feel a little forced. I get the need for a new villain, but with Rumple and Regina’s “morality” growing, it feels like the producers are looking for ways to continue the show, and it’s starting to get messy.
  • What was that with the sleeping/waking curse? You mean to tell me we have to sit through more episodes without Snowing together?
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Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.

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Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.