After watching ABC’s Once Upon a Time season 7 episode 17 last night, Zelena may be known as “wicked,” but it’s clear that all she really ever wanted was to be good. Even though she has made her fair share of mistakes, she deserves the chance to prove herself and to be loved for who she is. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Chosen,” Zelena/Kelly goes to Rumple for help since the “Candy Killer” has targeted her as his next victim. Meanwhile, Nook/Rogers figures out that Henry never made it to New York, Drew/Naveen gets closer to Sabine/Tiana, and Hansel/Jack/Nick reveals his motives. My top 5 moments from Once Upon a Time season 7 episode 17 are:
5
“I am tired of playing candy crush with you.”
In this episode, we get to see more of Zelena’s past and learn about her interactions with the witch from “Hansel and Gretel.” Even though Zelena is known as “wicked,” she begins connecting to Hansel and Gretel’s father who is blind and begins to let her walls down. Zelena feels that he sees her for who she truly is, which is something she has never experienced before and she wants to help him in return. Zelena blinds the witch and offers to give her sight to Hansel’s father, but he declines when his children run to him, revealing that Zelena knew they were being held captive. Hansel’s father is furious that she kept this from him, even though she tries to explain that she was just trying to protect him. Zelena’s chance of happiness is destroyed here and her anger re-surfaces, burning harsher than the flames she inflicts on Hansel. It is clear why Hansel holds Zelena responsible for a lot of the misfortune in his life, but it doesn’t seem like this Zelena still exists anymore. Like Regina, Zelena has found her way to redemption, but it is hard to maintain this when old wounds insist on re-opening.
4
Hansel reveals his motives to Henry.
Henry is still being held captive by Hansel and tries to keep his cool by keeping Hansel talking. Hansel reveals that Henry gave him a second chance because “Jack” had no past and earned the potential to be a true hero, something that Hansel had never experienced before. He has absolutely no sympathy for witches, however; revealing that he believes they are all bad and that the arrival of Henry’s family is what set him off on this path of revenge. Henry is still confused by this, as he doesn’t understand why Hansel is saying that Kelly/Zelena is his aunt, still clinging to the reality he has come to know so well in H Town. Hansel shows Henry the blood test results proving that he is Lucy’s father, but Henry still tries to come up with a rational explanation here.
3
Rogers/Nook reads between the lines.
Nook/Rogers has his suspicions and approaches Jacinda/Ella and tells her that he found Henry’s car abandoned and that he never made it to New York. Jacinda reveals her naiveté about the situation and explains that this could not possibly be true since she received text messages from Henry earlier that day. Nook/Rogers reads between the lines and they figure out that only Hansel/Nick/Jack referred to her as “J.” Nook/Rogers finds Henry and rescues him. Good thing Nook/Rogers didn’t need to dust off his emoji decoding skills.
2
“Trust is a powerful thing.”
Drew/Naveen shows up again and it seems like him and Sabine/Tiana are getting closer, as he helps her with her food truck business. There are definitely sparks flying between these two, but we know that Drew/Naveen has another agenda. Later on, Dr. Facilier shows up and reminds Drew that he is there to collect a debt. Drew/Naveen gives him one of Sabine/Tiana’s beignets for some sort of voodoo ritual. Even though we know that Drew is working for Dr. Facilier, what are their plans for Tiana/Sabine? We know that Dr. Facilier has several plans all in play at the same time, especially when he visits Hansel later and reveals that he is the one who woke him up and orchestrated everything. Will this get him one step closer to obtaining the Dark One’s dagger? Will anyone be able to stop Dr. Facilier before it’s too late?
1
“Must be a bitch trying to keep track of your driver licenses.”
Zelena/Kelly reveals that in this reality, she actually has a good life. She even explains, “at least Kelly didn’t kill a munchkin,” and you can’t help but feel sympathetic toward her. Kelly has a simple life here, including the love from a good man and a daughter that she is trying to connect with. Hansel refuses to let Kelly live her life here and tries to make her suffer by kidnapping her fiancé, Chad. Kelly/Zelena shows up and reminds Hansel to focus his revenge on her, desperately trying to protect Chad. After the threat is over, Zelena/Kelly tells Chad about her jaded past, minus the fairy-tale details, and he still accepts her for who she is, which is absolutely heart-warming and beautiful. It looks like Kelly/Zelena has a chance of true happiness here with the man she loves and her family. Kelly/Zelena’s redemption is that much clearer in this moment. While she is far from perfect, her willingness to change and protect those she loves proves that she is far from a villain. She’s our hero!
I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Once Upon a Time below. Happy viewing!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
@TV_Fanatic_Girl
