Once Upon A Time Episode 9 Recap: Regina Saves Henry, Everyone Else Stands Around And Watches

Regina putting Henry's heart back in

I'm VERY happy to report that TeamHenry is FINALLY off that %^#& island. I feel like I wasted 10 years of my life there. Here's the rest of the goings on. The episode was split between everyone trying to save Henry and flashbacks to when Regina adopted him.

In Storeybrooke:

Regina has a missing void in her life that only a baby (and Emma Swan, but that's a different story) can fill. She goes to Rumple for help. I would like to note here that Regina has magic. Can't she just do a spell and steal a baby from someone? Why does she need Rumple's help?

Anyway she gets the baby and names him Henry after her father (we all know how that ended). But babies can tell when you're uptight and Henry keeps crying. She thinks something is wrong with him and takes Henry to the doctor. Nope nothing's wrong. She puts Henry in Snow's arms and he stops crying.

Regina finds out Emma is Henry's birth mother and thinks Rumple is up to something (namely trying to break the curse) and that's why he gave her that particular baby. She plans to send Henry back to Boston but changes her mind after looking at that cute little adorable face. And we see that if she hadn't kept Henry he would have been adopted by the Darling brothers who planned to give him to Pan in exchange for Wendy. So thank goodness for that.

Regina trying to get Henry to stop crying

In NeverNeverLand:

Henry is still laying on the ground. Pan has stolen his heart and taken Pandora's box (with Rumple inside). He flitters off somewhere. Regina is panicking. Emma again calls Henry "our son" and says she knows how Regina feels. Regina protests saying Emma has lots of people who love her (including Regina). All Regina has is Henry. And with that she kicks me right in the feels. I do feel your pain Regina.

The ladies go looking for Pan and get tied to a tree. Pan tells them he's Rumple's father and tries to guilt them into doing something. I don't know what. Of course that does NOT work on Regina. As we saw from her speech in front of the firing squad way back in FTL, girlfriend is not plagued with self doubt. "I have regrets. Regrets that I was not able to kill more people, cause more damage and inflict more pain. But most of all I regret with every ounce of my being that I was not able to kill... Snow White". So don't try to guilt girlfriend into anything. Regina releases herself from the vines and pulls out Pan's heart (which is really Henry's). Off she goes back to the ship and puts the heart back in Henry. There is a joyous mother and mother and son reunion. Doesn't this all seem a bit too easy?

Regina casts a spell to protect Henry from anyone else trying to pull out his heart. But Pan shows up and finding he can't steal the heart, tries to pull off Henry's shadow instead. Regina and Rumple trap him in Pandora's box. Then they all work together. Regina does a little magic and they release Pan into the sail I think? I didn't understand that part. Why not keep him in the box? That seems safer.

Off they all sail back to Storeybrooke. On board are the usuals plus Wendy and Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys. And in the final scene, Henry goes to talk to one of the boys. He says Pan never loses... because Henry is really Pan. Hmm I thought that rescue was WAY too easy.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Extra points since the episode was Regina-centric. Only two episodes to go (12/8 and 12/15) until their break. OUAT will then return in March.