Once Upon a Time in Wonderland‘s winter finale leaves Wonderland upside down and every character’s future in flux. Read our full recap to see where everyone leaves off!
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland‘s winter finale features more than enough warm feelings as Cyrus and Alice find each other. But with the Red Queen and Jafar close behind, the good feelings are not here to stay for too long. As tensions mount between Jafar and the Red Queen reach a breaking point, everyone struggles to find a place to call home.
The Rabbit Hole: When Cyrus and Alice become a bit too ambitious in Wonderland, the Rabbit’s home, full of love and healing rejuvenates Alice physically. However, the Rabbit takes Cyrus aside to ensure that Alice is truly safe in his company. Cyrus begins to explain to the Rabbit, that when he and Alice are together a home is created. Listening to the Rabbit standing in a physical safe place sparks something in Cyrus. If something were to happen to one of them, where would they go to meet the other?
In the underworld, Cyrus approaches the Caterpillar for a favor. Cyrus trades a compass that will find anything one desires for a place that he desires. Maybe the Caterpillar trades the compass to Captain Jack Sparrow at some point in the story? Cyrus takes Alice to an invisible fortress that conceals a roomy space for them to call home. Adventures will continue, but for now they can take a breath and enjoy one another’s company.
A Storm is Coming: Jafar’s rage is completely uncorked after the Red Queen’s last move. With the board tossed aside, Jafar storms the castle and is greeted by the severed head of the Queen’s right hand man. When he discovers she is gone, he takes a strand of her hair from her hairbrush. In his lair, Jafar mixes a storm to strike down the Red Queen and much of Wonderland in its wake.
A Hiding Place: Jafar and the Red Queen are finally done pretending to play nice. The Red Queen takes one major step out of line trading Jafar a fake lamp, keeping the two major pieces of Jafar’s puzzle from him. With Cyrus at her side, the Red Queen takes him to pick up a familiar relic from a place she used to call home with Will.
Inside an abandoned carriage, The Red Queen passes by the pink dress she left behind with Will when she placed a red crown on her head. With the lamp in her possession, it is time to find Alice. Cyrus insists that Alice will be where they agreed to go in order to feel safe from the world. The Queen is not done with her secret hiding places though. Cyrus is able to sense when people desire something, but the Queen’s wish is one so deep and guarded he is not able to make it out just yet.
On the path back to the castle, the Red Queen realizes her reign in Wonderland is at an end, leaving her castle behind in the smoke. Their game of chess may have the Jafar advancing on her side of the board, but the Queen still holds the potential to trump all the other pieces on the board.
A Queen’s Plea: After rescuing the Rabbit family from a place only Anastasia would hide something, the abandoned wagon. The invisible wall separating Alice from the world does not reveal a warm welcome once inside. The Knave tells Alice that it may be time to expect the worst. If they have not run into Cyrus, then that means Jafar or the Red Queen has. Alice sees Cyrus running towards the home seconds later and the two are finally reunited in Wonderland!
The Knave was not entirely off base, when the Red Queen appears moments later demanding the entire party escape Wonderland through the Rabbit’s hole. A storm quickly approaches the Outlands and the only chance for survival depends on Will and the Queen seeing through the mistakes of their past. In order to gain some trust, the Queen reveals that the only thing she wants back in her life is Will. She will give up everything she worked for to gain back their lives before the red crown. Cyrus is finally able to see that she is telling the truth, it is shown in her deepest wish. As the lightning goes to strike the Red Queen, she tosses the lamp to repel it, but it reverberates and delivers a fatal wound to Will’s chest.
Alice goes down almost immediately, due to the terms of her first wish; if Will dies, she will die. Cyrus tries to force Alice to use her last wish, but it is Will’s wish that was promised to him. Will uses his wish to end Alice’s suffering. Alice awakens in Cyrus’ arms, but Will is no where to be found.
Wishes are extremely fickle and need proper care and thought. What Will did not realize is that wishing to end Alice’s suffering set Cyrus free, but took Will into the chains of servitude as a genie. In a lamp far away, Will floats alone in the water.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is now on hiatus until March 8, 2014. That leaves viewers plenty of time to speculate what will come next for Genie Will, Jafar’s plan to rewrite the rules of magic, and the Red Queen’s dark confession. What do you think the next phase of Wonderland will bring?
Tune in March 8 to find out!