Why did Mother Gothel help Regina and Zelena to wake up Lucy? Who killed Doctor Sage? All these and more as we hit the road, digging deep into the episode “Secret Garden” including Mother Gothel’s—dirty hippie witch—agenda, Zelena’s dysfunctional family, as well as the Resurrection Amulet’s unparalleled power.

Mother Knows Best

This episode felt like Once Upon a Time getting back to its roots in the worst way. However, they surprisingly did a good math with this flashback. They had previously said Robin was 25, and if she is 18 in the flashback and Lucy is a baby, that means Lucy is now eight (allegedly).

So Robin’s age finally makes sense.  In episode 7×01, Hyperion Heights, Henry leaves Storybrooke and he’s 18 which would put Robin at age 5 as she was born when Hebert was 13 in episode 5×08, Birth and in episode 5×05 Dreamcatcher, Henry stated he was 13.  It wouldn’t be for another 10 years before Henry meets Cinderella putting him at 28 which would make sense as many milestones for the characters seem to take place at 28.  In this episode, Robin states she’s 18 which would make Henry 31 when Lucy’s born and about 38-39 when the curse was cast as Robin stated she was 25 in episode 7×10, The Eighth Witch and Lucy was eight wedge the curse was cast.  Still doesn’t explain why Regina, Zelena, Hook or Rapunzel haven’t really aged but at least the aging is making a little more sense.

— DeAndre Williams

That said, this would contradict Zelena’s statement that Robin growing up quickly was meant to imply that in another realm actually time moves faster, which would also account for Henry growing up so much while all the people he left in Storybrooke didn’t age very much.

It was nice to see the past and see the answer as to why Zelena’s back and how she and Robin got to the Enchanted Forest. Tiana’s castle also looked better than what they’ve done in the past. On the other hand, it was a little flat, rushed and creepy in the wrong way. It was bothersome how they can jump between realms easily without explaining it. At least they did a good job fixing the timeline.

One thing we liked about the episode is how they introduced Robin’s storyline and how she was supposed to follow Zelena’s footsteps and learn magic just because she is the daughter of the Wicked Witch. We were a bit troubled with the Storybrooke stuff, seeing young Storybrooke girls practicing dark witchcraft. Are one of the girls Emma and Hook’s child?

There are so many game-changers in this episode. Why was Gothel helping Zelena and Regina in present day Hyperion Heights? Why bother wake Lucy up? How did Zelena know Mother Gothel? Did Gothel try to recruit Zelena into the coven before Robin summoned her?

Memento Mori

When they found Robin in Memento Mori’s, she said that she ran away, rather than the fact that Gothel kidnapped her. Did Robin do that just to get back at her mother? Madame Leota, on the other hand, one of the most powerful witches in all the realms and is critical to Mother Gothel’s plans for her coven. Furthermore, Madame Leota is a ghostly character from the Haunted Mansion franchise. Originally conceived as a character to be featured in The Haunted Mansion, Leota’s character has been expanded, to be featured in multiple Disney attractions, as well as a feature film. She was originally portrayed by Leota Toombs, whom she was named after, while Eleanor Audley voiced her. Madame Leota generally favors speaking in rhyme as her incantations seem to be based around it.

The Memento Mori, the name of the shop where Zelena and Nook found Robin, is the medieval Latin Christian theory and practice of reflection on mortalit...