Once upon a time in a land of magic, there was a young boy named Jack. Jack lived with his mother in a small cottage at the edge of the enchanted forest. They were poor and struggled to make ends meet. One day, Jack's mother asked him to go to the market to sell their only cow, Daisy. Jack was hesitant to part with their only source of milk, but he knew they needed the money desperately. As Jack made his way to the market, he stumbled upon a peculiar old man standing by the roadside.
Magic Beans, Cora and Hook almost used the remains of a magic peace of furniture, but then used a restored magical bean instead. Mermaids can freely travel to any land by swimming there - Rumple couldn't have struck a deal or coerced a mermaid to take him where he needed to go? Shadows can fly freely between any realm. Why not get his own shadow to fly him where he wanted to go?
Magic Tornadoes can whisk you away to pretty much any land. The Mad Hatters Hat could have taken him anywhere. Zelena apparently knows how to get back to Storybrooke in some unexplained way. Ruby Slippers can take you anywhere. The Sorcerer and/or his Apprentice can create magic doors out of thin air that go between any world. What, is that magic too high level for the Dark One? Hook sailed from Storybrooke to Neverland to find King Tritan and brought him back to make amends with his daughter Ursula. The White Rabbit can burrow to any world. Somehow The Dragon from Mulan had made it into the "Land without Magic". A wishing Star can bring someone to Storybrooke - it's likely it could take you almost anywhere you'd like to go.
Mermaids can freely travel to any land by swimming there - Rumple couldn t have struck a deal or coerced a mermaid to take him where he needed to go. He can take her back; she ll play dead and fool Regina, and then they can sneak off to Storybrooke with everyone else and Hook can kill Rumplestiltskin.
As Jack made his way to the market, he stumbled upon a peculiar old man standing by the roadside. The old man had a mischievous glint in his eye and held a small bag in his hand. Curiosity got the better of Jack, and he approached the man.
Once upon a time in a land of magic enchanted bean
Don’t you know, love is weakness?
No…it’s strength!
In Fairy Tale Land, the Evil Queen is planning her curse that will rage the kingdom and transport all its citizens to a land without magic. However, one person stands in her way…her mother, Cora. Fortunately, a certain pirate happens along, and when the right words are spoken, the Evil Queen can get him do anything she wants. In this case, rip out the heart of her mother so that Cora cannot follow the Evil Queen to Storybrooke in exchange for revenge on Rumplestiltskin.
The pirate, Captain Hook, is given a one-time-use enchanted hook to rip out one heart and directions on how to get to Wonderland—where Cora, AKA the Queen of Hearts, resides. If he does it right, he can kill Cora and be back to Fairy Tale Land in no time.
However, once in Wonderland, Cora is wise to his scheme. And when he tries to grab her heart, she merely laughs. Why would she keep a heart in the same place as everyone else? She is the Queen of Hearts after all.
Hook spills the beans on what he’s up to and why, and Cora sees her chance…to see her daughter again. Or is it to get back at her daughter? Hard to tell with Cora’s deceitful eyes.
Anyway, Cora makes a better deal with Hook. He can take her back; she’ll play dead and fool Regina, and then they can sneak off to Storybrooke with everyone else and Hook can kill Rumplestiltskin. Win-win.
But the ruse works too well. Regina is readily fooled that Hook actually killed her mother—and no, this time she does not ask to see the heart as proof of his dirty dead. (Or at least we don’t see her ask for it). Regina confesses to her “dead” mother that she’s sorry she had to kill Cora. And by the way, she’s always loved her, which is why she had to kill her. Logical.
After Regina leaves to enact said curse, Cora and Hook run off to a corner of the Fairy Tale Land we’ve come to know as the Safe Haven. Cora puts up a shield which protects that part of the land as the curse ravages the kingdom. Hook and Cora watch as it envelops them. Twenty-eight years, and then they can make their way to Storybrooke…
In Present Day Fairy Tale Land, Emma and crew find Rumplestiltskin’s cell and search high and low for the squid ink to no avail. The ink is gone. And just as the discovery is made, Cora and Hook happen along, trapping the women in the cell. Cora takes the compass and they’re off, but not before revealing that Aurora was a pawn.
Oh, and Hook took the giant’s bean necklace, and probably killed the giant too boot. For Hook it’s a reminder of how something good can turn bad. (Nice thought, Hook).
The women continue to search, finding nothing but a scroll where Rumplestiltskin repeatedly wrote Emma’s name like a mad man. Or was he?
Mary Margaret remembers a time when she watched Cora practice magic. The memories gives Mary Margaret an idea. The squid ink wasn’t in a jar, it was in the writing!
Aiming the scroll at the cell bars, Mary Margaret gently blows on the words, which lift and float to the bars, disintegrating them. Go, Snow!
Mary Margaret, Emma, and Mulan leave after tying up Aurora. Aurora can’t be trusted so long as Cora has her heart.
The women chase after the evil villains, determined to get back home.
Meanwhile, Cora and Hook have reached Lake Nostos, er…dried up Lake Nostos. But the missing water is no problem. Cora simply opens up the ground to form a pool of the magical liquid. Hook pours in the sparkly ashes from the wardrobe and they’ve got themselves a portal.
Nearly ready to jump, the women show up and ambush them. A fight ensues. Emma knocks Hook out and saves Mary Margaret from Cora, who tries to take her heart. As Emma leaps in front of her mother, Cora’s hand plunges into Emma’s chest. But Cora can’t take Emma’s heart.
Why? Emma is magic. Love is not weakness, as Cora’s always believed. No. Love is strength. With the power of love, Emma rockets Cora away from her, and Mary Margaret and Emma jump into the portal.
On the other side, in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold and Regina decide they can’t let Cora get through the portal. So, stealing the entire mine’s diamonds, they conjure up enough power to block the portal. Anyone who tries to get through will die.
Regina is reluctant at first. What if Emma and Mary Margaret actually get through?
Mr. Gold doesn’t care. Regina should be happy to finally get her revenge on Mary Margaret and the biological mother of Henry. Besides, what if it’s Cora? It would be better to block the portal than let that monster come through.
So, Mr. Gold blocks the portal—which is the same well that he used to bring magic to Storybrooke.
However, Henry finds out about their plan and runs to stop them. At first Regina tries to hold him back, but Regina’s desire to win back her son overcomes her. She wants to be good. For Henry. So she steps in, and takes the curse away.
The portal opens just in time for Mary Margaret and Emma to climb through.
Thanking Regina, Mary Margaret runs to wake up David, and Emma reveals to Mr. Gold Cora’s unsuccessful plan to take her heart.
Mr. Gold tells Emma that she is magical because she is the product of true love. And love is the most powerful magic of all.
Later, in Present Fairy Tale Land, Mulan had snagged Aurora’s heart and returned to the cell to give it back to the girl. Aurora reveals that the souls the wraiths take can be found again. They are merely in another world. So I’m guessing Mulan and Aurora will soon journey to rescue Prince Phillip.
Back on Lake Nostos, Hook and Cora meet again. The compass may be gone, but the portal is still open, and Hook has a magic bean. Sure, it’s useless on its own, but with the magical properties of Lake Nostos it can work.
As the drum rolls before the credits, the two evil villains are making their way across the water outside Storybrooke. Hook spies the iconic clock tower above the library.
They’re almost there…
Burning Questions:
1) Where is Cora’s heart?
2) Will Regina stay good or will she regress into evilness to get Henry back?
3) How long will it be before Snow White and Prince Charming are separated again? How long until they find each other again?
4) Will Mulan and Aurora find the wraith-soul world and rescue Phillip? Or is that part of the story finished?
5) What will happen to Storybrooke now that two “eviler” villains have arrived?
6) Will Belle be caught in the midst of Hook and Mr. Gold’s inevitable stand-off?
7) When will Henry’s father show up?
8) What will happen the remaining part of season 2?
~ Taryn
P.S. Check back on January 6, 8/7c for the return of Once Upon a Time, Season 2.
But the ruse works too well. Regina is readily fooled that Hook actually killed her mother—and no, this time she does not ask to see the heart as proof of his dirty dead. (Or at least we don’t see her ask for it). Regina confesses to her “dead” mother that she’s sorry she had to kill Cora. And by the way, she’s always loved her, which is why she had to kill her. Logical.
After Regina leaves to enact said curse, Cora and Hook run off to a corner of the Fairy Tale Land we’ve come to know as the Safe Haven. Cora puts up a shield which protects that part of the land as the curse ravages the kingdom. Hook and Cora watch as it envelops them. Twenty-eight years, and then they can make their way to Storybrooke…
The old man explained that the bag contained magic beans that could bring great fortune and adventure to anyone who possessed them. Unable to resist the allure of the magical beans, Jack traded Daisy for the small bag. When Jack returned home, his mother was furious. She scolded him for his foolish decision and threw the bag out of the window in anger. Disheartened, Jack went to bed, unsure of what the future held. However, as the night passed, something remarkable happened. The beans started to sprout and grew into a towering beanstalk that stretched up into the sky. The sight of the enormous beanstalk astonished Jack, and he couldn't resist the call of adventure. Determined to make the most of this magical opportunity, Jack climbed the beanstalk. Up in the clouds, Jack discovered a magnificent castle belonging to a fearsome giant. It was filled with treasures beyond imagination. Jack decided to take the chance and stole into the castle. He managed to collect a bag of gold and a magical hen that laid golden eggs. However, just as he was about to make his escape, the giant awoke and chased Jack down the beanstalk. Back on the ground, Jack quickly grabbed an axe and chopped down the beanstalk, sending the giant plummeting to his doom. With the beanstalk destroyed, Jack and his mother were safe from the giant's wrath and now possessed incredible treasures. The main idea of this story is that sometimes, taking risks and embracing opportunities can lead to unexpected rewards. Through Jack's decision to trade the cow for the magic beans, he stumbled upon an adventure that transformed his life. It teaches us the power of seizing the moment and the possibilities that can arise when we step out of our comfort zones..
Reviews for "Through the Beans and Beyond: Adventures in the Land of Magic"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really excited to watch "Once upon a time in a land of magic enchanted bean" as a fan of fantasy and adventure movies. However, the movie turned out to be a major disappointment for me. The story was predictable and lacked any depth or originality. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any development. The dialogues were cheesy and felt forced. Overall, it felt like a poorly executed attempt at a fantasy film. I would not recommend wasting your time on this one.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - "Once upon a time in a land of magic enchanted bean" was a complete waste of my time. The movie had a promising title, but the execution was terrible. The special effects looked cheap and unrealistic, and the costumes were laughably bad. The plot was poorly developed and failed to captivate my interest. The acting was mediocre at best, and it seemed like the actors themselves were not invested in their roles. I strongly advise staying away from this film if you value your time and money.
3. Mike - 2/5 - I usually enjoy fantasy movies, but "Once upon a time in a land of magic enchanted bean" fell short of my expectations. The movie had an interesting concept, but it lacked proper execution. The pacing was off, with significant portions of the film dragging on and being filled with unnecessary dialogue. The visuals were lackluster, and the CGI was subpar. The character development was weak, and I struggled to connect with any of them. Overall, the film had potential but failed to deliver an enjoyable experience.