Once Upon a Time season 6, episode 4 forces Jekyll to run, but he cannot Hyde from the classic duo’s untold story.

So many new and old faces surface on tonight’s Once Upon a Time, you would think this was another special celebration episode. Jasmine, aka Shirin, now walks the halls of Storybrooke’s oddly overpopulated school. Dr. Lydgate makes his Once Upon a Time in Wonderland crossover debut in a flashback to Jekyll and Hyde’s past.

Much like the character wrapped up in Once‘s sixth season, the series has an ongoing identity crisis of its own. There is a disconnect that exists between the stories they want to tell and the overall threat of the season. As it stands, there are three “big bads” of season 6 — Hyde’s unknown plan, the Evil Queen’s unknown plan, and Emma’s unknown killer.

That is a ton of Xs to solve for, and like Snow, the typical pacing of storytelling is not working as well to get the point across as it did in season 1. Season 6 is, ironically, a departure from the split-season format the series favored the last few seasons. Instead of allowing viewers to find meaningful connections with any new characters, they are ripping them away as quickly as possible.

Jekyll’s Untold Plan

If Henry had to identify with one famous fictional author, Lemony Snicket would be the one for him. Hyde and Jekyll, two great characters with plenty of untold stories, meet their demise in this episode to advance the thinnest storylines. And thus, Once continues to present a series of unfortunate events.

Hyde spends a good majority of his time on Once locked away in the asylum while Jekyll tinkers away in the lab. Finally, in episode 4 we expect that their story will unveil a major threat, a impending smoke monster, a technological revolution, something, anything that will give this season momentum.

Instead, Rumpel played a vital role in the success of Jekyll’s serum, there was an unfortunate mix-up when it came to who got action and who did not, and an innocent bystander dies as a result. All of that to say that Rumpel wanted to seek a solution to curing a case of “feelings.”

What about all that history in the Land of Untold Stories? What about their roles in the asylum? We’ll have to look elsewhere for our catalyst this season now that Hyde and Jekyll are gone.

I’d personally like to present Sam Witwer an award for best walk through fog while wearing a period costume.

The Evil Queen’s Untold Plan

Little movement in this arena in episode 4. While we did not have to sit through another sister/sister heart-to-heart about the great perks of being in touch with your bad self, we did get a few flash-in-the-pan bits featuring the Evil Queen’s extreme side-part.

In addition, Regina learns that she must now die in order to rid herself of the Evil Queen forever. The residents of Storybrooke, especially Leroy, are not that bothered by the Evil Queen’s presence. They appear ready and willing to fight her just as they did in the forest and they have all grown to accept Regina for the person she is today.

For better or worse, Regina will have a little bit of deep-seeded rage and anger lurking inside of her. I personally believe that by pushing characters to bait Regina, namely Rumpel in this episode, with lines that make her second guess every instinct are a disservice to her character work.

Emma’s Unknown Future

Regina and Emma enter uncharted territory this season — they find themselves on the same arc of character development. Without the Savior, who is Emma? Without the Evil Queen, who is Regina? Are they making decisions because they know it is what their counterpart would not do? Vice-versa? I cannot imagine why these two are not interacting more as the season moves forward.

Regina does go to Emma to ask her for a huge favor (as if Emma doesn’t have enough on her mind). Just as in Camelot, Regina asks Emma to kill her should the Evil Queen become ruthless. It is, as we find out, the only way to stop her worse self.

Let’s pump the breaks there for a second. Regina’s initial statement is, “I have to die.” No, Regina, you do not. There is no prophecy telling you that you must die. You, unlike Harry Potter, can live with that horcrux in your system and do quite well for yourself.

The Dark One Wild Card

Speaking of horcruxes, is Belle carrying Harry Potter? By the end of the confrontation between Belle and Rumpel on the docks, Rumpel made it clear that their child will bear a mark on his head. She will require assistance raising such a powerful infant and she will call upon him for help.

The child is not even born yet and we already know he grows up to be a strapping young man with a destiny thrust upon him by an inherently evil sorcerer.

Once Upon a Time may not be diving into the Disney catalog anymore, but some threads seem to be pulling at the seams of Harry Potter‘s cloak.

Stray Observations

• Snow is teaching again, but this time she is injuring the bird’s true home and teaching kids about science with weapons. Is Storybrooke preparing for some secret war we do not know about? There are so many weapons!

• Aladdin, Jasmine, a possible threat! We are finally going to get this Agrabah story on the road next week with the premiere of the Aladdin storyline. From what it looks like, Aladdin and Jasmine are not lovers so much as enemies in this version of the story.

• Maybe the reason Dr. Lydgate experimented on madness in children was because he lost his own daughter and didn’t want other parents to feel that same loss.

Watch Once Upon a Time season 6, episode 5, “Diamond in the Rough,” Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.