Who stole the bottle from its hiding place? Who is this Anastasia character who once held Will’s affections? And what exactly is a forget-me-knot?! All these things are revealed in this third episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
Will’s Past
A few years ago in the Enchanted Forest, in the world of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, two people driving a carriage with horses came upon a group of men in the road, one lying on the ground with an injured leg.
In this flashback, the men go to assist the group, and a mysterious figure drops out of the trees and into the cargo of the carriage, stealing the luggage inside. We learn that the figure is in fact Will the Knave, and apparently, hanging out with Robin Hood and his merry band of men was one activity he got involved in in his secretive past.
The Forget-Me-Knot
In present-day Wonderland, Alice reads off a “Wanted” poster of Will, listing his many transgressions. They are on the hunt for the genie’s bottle, and Will comes up with a plan: they must find a “forget-me-knot,” an enchanted piece of rope that, when tied together like a lasso, will show you the last thing that happened in a particular place.
The problem is in obtaining the rope, but Alice is sure they can face any obstacle! I do so love her spunk.
The Newest Evil Plan
Elsewhere, in Jafar’s dungeon, and he and the Queen’s new plan is to force Alice to make one of her wishes. They taunt Cyrus over a table of food, Jafar stating that he can’t wait to see his face when Alice makes a wish.But Cyrus trusts that Alice won’t betray him. His faith in her is certainly inspiring!
The Underland
In their quest for the forget-me-knot, Alice and Will enter the Underland, which Will is familiar with. It is filled with all manner of unsavory folk, but the most important character there is the Caterpillar, voiced by Iggy Pop in a delightful voice acting appearance, and Will tells him that he wants to make a deal.
The Caterpillar doesn’t take Will’s new deal, which convinces Alice that he doesn’t have the knot; he’s selfish, he would’ve taken the deal if he could’ve.So the Caterpillar agrees to a new deal: if he tells them where it is, and Alice and Will get the forget-me-knot, Will’s debt to the Caterpillar must be erased. He agrees, and after he threatens them a bit more, they are off on another adventure in Wonderland!
Who is Will’s Love?
In the past, Will is initiated as the newest member of Robin’s band, and after the ceremony when Robin suggests they leave at Dawn, Will has a different idea: they should rob a nearby castle of all of its gold, enough to take care of a lot of people for many years to come.
This appeals to Robin’s love of giving to those in need, but he doesn’t want to get mixed up in any magic shenanigans and they agree that nothing else will be taken. Will goes home after this discussion, and there he greets a woman in bed. Could this be the mysterious Anastasia?
The Bandersnatch
Jafar and the Red Queen come up with the perfect creature to scare Alice into thinking she will lose Cyrus and make her use a wish: a bandersnatch, a creature that she faced as a child that almost killed her. Cyrus appears concerned during their conversation, which proves to them that they have made the right choice.Alice and Will fall into a hidden trap when the reach the house of Grendel, where the Caterpillar sent them. They wake up in a kitchen, and it looks like they’re going to be Grendel’s next meal!
But while they are there, Grendel sits at his table and looks into the very same forget-me-knot they are looking for, and he watches a scene that turns out to be of him and his lost love.
Will realizes who the woman was to Grendel, saying, “The way you look is how I feel.” With this, the writers have created an interesting parallel between the two characters.
When Will and Alice finally do break free, they are confronted with the bandersnatch that Jafar sent after them outside. They manage to trick it into putting it’s head through the knot, then capture it long enough for Will to stab it.
Grendel’s Gift
Grendel is grateful to them for saving him, but saddened when he finds that the fight changed the last scene shown through the forget-me-knot. But it’s time for him to move on. He tells them to take the enchanted item, and they leave.
Elsewhere, Jafar and the Queen listened and the Queen assumed Alice used one of her wishes. But Jafar knew this isn’t the case, and they pay Grendel a visit.
They lure Grendel into giving them information on who killed the creature with the promise of reuniting him with his wife, but in the end, they kill him to fulfill their end of the bargain, instead of bringing her back. These two truly are an evil force to be reckoned with!
The Looking Glass
Robin and his men did break into the castle at Will’s suggestion, but he took more than just gold. He stole a looking glass as well, and after the robbery as they are all gathered around admiring the gold, a voice comes out of the woods, warning them to return it, for it will bring only misery.
But foolish Will doesn’t heed this warning! He leaves Robin and his men, and brings the looking glass back to the woman waiting for him at home.
The Betrayal
Back in the present, Will and Alice look through the forget-me-knot at the site of the bottle’s burial, and discover the Rabbit’s betrayal. After this, Will decides not to give the item to the Caterpillar after all, and he burns it.
I feel like this will be a turning point for Will and his redemption on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and I’m excited to see more.
Anastasia Revealed
Finally, we flashback again to Will’s past, and in a shocking twist, the woman he loved, Anastasia, is revealed to be the Queen herself! Presumably before her royal reign.
Will brings her the looking glass, and throws it to the ground to create a portal to take them far away. He asks her where they’re going. Where else? To a place filled with magic: our Wonderland.
Don’t miss the next episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, airing every Thursday night at 8:00 PM on ABC.
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(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
