~ Review: Mad As A Hatter ~

Once upon a time…

Jefferson is playing hide and seek with his daughter, Grace. They head back to their cottage, when they noticed Regina’s carriage. Grace asks her father if he knows her, and Jefferson says no. He tells Grace to hide in the woods until he comes and finds her. Jefferson goes in and clearly he and Regina know each other. Regina needs his help, but Jefferson says he doesn’t do that kind of work anymore. Regina tries to get him to do it by promising him and his daughter a lifetime of luxury and comfort. But Jefferson still says no. Regina tells him she needs his special skills to get her somewhere, somewhere he has been before. She hands him a paper, and Jefferson asks what she possible could want from that certain place; something was taken from her and she wants it back. However Jefferson still says no and Regina understands. Yeah right. 

Mirror, Mirror How Do You Like My New Nose?

The next day, Jefferson and Grace are at the village market. Grace sees the toy cart and finds a rabbit. She asks her father if she could have it so he can join them for tea, and Jefferson couldn’t resist saying no. However he doesn’t have enough money to pay for it, and the old lady says she can’t sell the rabbit for any less. Grace says it’s OK, but Jefferson will not take no for an answer. Grace insists she doesn’t need it and they both leave. After they leave, the old lady goes to the back where a mirror is. The Magic Mirror appears and tells the old lady that Grace still should have had the toy, but the old lady replied that would have been no fun, and reveals herself to be Regina in disguise. That is cruel. I have to admit I’m a tiny bit disappointed that we saw the EQ in her infamous disguise already. I was hoping that could have been saved for when she tries to get Snow to eat the poison apple. It would have at least had that element of surprise. Oh well...

Back at their house, Jefferson makes a rabbit for Grace and apologizes for it not being the same one she wanted, but Grace loves it. Love the expression Jefferson had when Grace said that. They sit down to have their tea party. But Jefferson has decided to help Regina one more time and tells Grace she needs to go to their neighbor’s house for the rest of the day.  Grace wants to come, but Jefferson tells her he is not going to work in the woods. Grace then pleads her father not to do whatever is Regina wants him to do. But Jefferson tells her he wants to give her everything she wants, but Grace says all she wants is her father. However Jefferson’s mind is made up and Grace makes him promise that he returns in time for their tea party. Jefferson promises. Sweet, but sad scene. After Grace leaves, Jefferson opens up a trunk and takes out a hat shaped box.

 Jefferson goes to Regina’s castle and Regina assumes that he is here to help her. Of course he is, thanks to your intervention.  Jefferson makes Regina promise that once he is done helping her, he and his daughter could have everything they always wanted. Regina promises. Yeah right, as usual. Jefferson takes a hat out of the box and spins it. Soon purple smokes come out and he Regina shrink and jump into the hat. Interesting way to get to Wonderland. But then again this is fairy tale world. They come to a place where there are many different doors. Jefferson finds the door/glass mirror that will lead them to Wonderland and tells Regina they have to stick together as the amount of people who enter has to be the same when they leave. They enter together and arrive in Wonderland. They come across The Caterpillar; he smokes right to their faces and Jefferson comments how he hates Wonderland. I do too, never was a fan of the story of Alice in Wonderland.

Regina, We Are Not In Kansas Anymore

Soon they come across a maze, provided by the Queen of Hearts. Jefferson tells Regina they can’t go in otherwise the Queen will punish them. However that doesn't stop Regina and reminds him that he can’t leave Wonderland without her and as such would never see Grace again. They move forward until Jefferson realizes that the walls have hands, so if they get too close they will be captured. Regina uses her power and fires it through the maze, thus creating a straight path. Loved Regina’s quote on this. See below. They run until they come across the center of the maze, where a vault is in place. Regina opens it and grabs a small box. Just as they leave, the guards come after them. They outrun them, thanks to Regina’s powers, and run towards the glass mirror. Regina stops and cuts a piece of mushroom where The Caterpillar sat on top of. Where did he go? Regina opens up the box and places the mushroom inside it. Purple smokes come out and there stands Regina’s father, Henry. The Queen of Hearts always saw Regina has a threat so she kidnapped her father for leverage. Jefferson immediately realizes that Regina knew all along that only two can leave, that is why she didn’t tell him about her father. Jefferson gets stuck on the pathway and begs Regina about his daughter and how she is waiting for him, Regina looks a bit sad, but then throws it right to his face. “If you truly cared for your daughter, you would have never left her in the first place” as you don’t abandon family. You evil b****. Oh, how I badly wanted to smack her. Regina and Henry go through the glass mirror and leave Jefferson to the Queen’s guards. Jefferson screams out in pain and anger. The knights arrive and they take him to the Queen.

Jefferson is presented to The Queen of Hearts, whose face is hiding under a veil and is very quiet. Interesting twist. She only speaks through her translator, yet Jefferson hears her when she says, “Off with his head.” A knight comes and literally cuts off his head. Aren’t children watching this show as well? But he survives and the translator tells him he can have his body back if he tells the Queen how he came to Wonderland. Jefferson tells her he came through his hat, but Regina took it. The translator said that he can go back home if he can make another hat that will get him there. But Jefferson says he can’t get it to work without magic and the translator tells him to make it work. Haha! A little Tim Gunn moment. Later, he is shown being surrounded by thousands and thousands of hats, shouting “get it to work!” and acting mad. And that’s how he became the Mad Hatter.

Reflection:

What a great episode! Sebastian did a great job. I have seen some of his past performances, but he was great as the Mad Hatter. His scenes with the daughter were very sweet and touching. I hope they bring him back and have him help Emma more in some way. I’m also pleased that finally someone gave Emma the big push she needed to really start thinking that Storybrooke is not real and is really cursed. And Mr. Gold and Regina working together? That was a bit of a surprise. I can’t wait to find out what Rumpelstiltskin is really up to. But I can wait as next week’s episode is the episode most fans have been waiting to see all season. The story of why the Evil Queen hates Snow White.

Favorite Quotes:

“I do so like a man who dresses for the occasion.” ~ Regina ~ I do too. And just love the way she says it.

“I forgot how magnificent you are.” ~ Regina to Jefferson ~ Indeed. I much prefer this version of the Mad Hatter to all the other ones I have seen.

“Everyone wants a magical solution to their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic” ~ Jefferson ~ Good point.

“Stay away from the walls….The walls should stay away from me.” ~ Jefferson and Regina ~ Seriously, don't miss with Regina. 

“It’s cursed because like everyone else here what I love is ripped from me.” ~ Jefferson ~ Aww…I wish Emma gave him a hug. Or I wish I could have given him a hug. Haha!