“Once Upon A Time:” A Cricket’s Song

Previously on Once Upon A Time, Emma Swan moved to Storybrooke, Maine after her biological son, Henry, showed up. Henry showed Emma a storybook of fairy tales and claimed the town was actually made up of those characters. After much coaxing, Emma decided to stay and investigate, if only to humor the young boy. Oh, and Henry’s adopted mother is actually the Evil Queen who enacted the curse to take away everyone’s happy endings.

Emma officially joins Storybrooke’s police squad as Sherriff Graham’s new deputy. And as soon as she puts on the badge…KABOOM…a sinkhole opens up at an abandoned mine site. The mayor arrives at the site (as well as the rest of the town), finds a shiny piece of what looks like glass and promptly states that the mines will be filled up and paved over. Henry immediately goes against her, believing the mines contain some clue to the fairy tales.

The mayor threatens to ruin Archie Hopper (aka Jiminy Cricket) if he does not change his therapy method with Henry in which he let’s Henry continue to dwell on the fantasies. In doing so, Henry is devastated and goes to the mines alone. Archie and Emma both go looking for him, and Archie gets trapped in the mines with Henry. It is there that Archie finds his conscience and vows to continue helping Henry, telling the mayor he is no longer afraid of her. Thus, another character is changed since Emma’s arrival! And the songs of the crickets return to Storybrooke!

In a bit of a side story, Mary Margaret (Snow White) continues to visit David (Charming) since his wake-up from the coma. Their relationship continues to blossom, but Kathryn, claiming to be David’s wife, keeps butting in. Ultimately, Mary Margaret is conflicted and puts in her resignation at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the backstory in Fairytale Land is Jiminy Cricket. As a young boy, he travels with his parents from town to town as street performers. But they are very crooked and steal from anyone they can. As he grows up, he gets weary of this life of crime and seeks out Rumpelstiltskin who offers him a magic potion to sprinkle on his parents. In a twist of events, his parents con him and the potion is actually given to an innocent couple that is turned into wooden dolls. And even worse, the couple had a young son. Jiminy makes a wish to the blue fairy and he is transformed into his favorite creature, the cricket, and goes to offer his guide and conscience to the young boy for as long as the boy needs. Of course that young boy turns out to be Geppetto.

I loved this episode! I thought it was rich in backstory while also moving the present day story forward. Rumpelstiltskin continues to have his hand in everyone’s lives, in fairy tale time and present day. Did anyone catch the wooden dolls in Mr. Gold’s Storybrooke shop?

I also thought the actors playing Jiminy’s parents were fantastic! I couldn’t help but picture The Princess Bride’s Miracle Max and Valerie every time the two bantered back and forth. I thought the little tidbit of Archie’s dog being named Pongo from 101 Dalmatians was a nice touch as well.

I’m very curious about the piece of glass the mayor found and threw back into the mines. There is speculation that is may be the Magic Mirror, but I’m not sold on that theory. For one, the Magic Mirror already has a present day representation as The Daily Mirror’s reporter, Sydney. Also, the shards looked more like broken glass than broken mirror to me. There is also the fact of the mines. Could it have something to do with the dwarves’ mines from Snow White? Or perhaps the coffin of Snow White?

Anyway, let us know what you think! Do you agree or disagree with these thoughts? Do you have other theories? Did we miss any interesting bits? Leave us a comment!