Make way for (Prince?) Ali!

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 5 finally took us to Agrabah, for some Arabian nights and Savior revelations.

We discovered that there is a way to sever the Savior bond, using a tiny pair of shears, and that Aladdin used it. Emma sent Killian to get rid of the shears, but he instead hid them in his pocket.

Elsewhere in the hour, the Evil Queen convinced Zelena to showcase her wicked side again, and Emma confessed that her death is coming.

Did we love Aladdin? How long will Zelena stay wicked? Which character stole the show? Join TV Fanatics Allison Nichols, Steve Ford, Robin Harry, and Caralynn Lippo, along with Once Upon a Fan's Teresa Martin, as they talk about “Street Rats!”

What are your thoughts on Aladdin?

Allison: I liked him. My favorite scene of his was the one between him and Emma in the crypt. I was actually really surprised that he used the shears. I'm hoping to see him stick around, so he can have some heart to hearts with Emma. They definitely have some information that they could share, and it would probably be nice for both of them to talk to someone who knows the burden of being the savior.

Steve: I loved it. I've been waiting for these characters to be further explored. Good things come to those who wait, and boy was this good! I felt far more invested in the happenings in Agrabah than Storybrook, I think Deniz Akdeniz is doing a great job with the character so far, and I look forward to seeing more of him.

Teresa: I thought that he was very nice, and the actor had a lot of charisma. I'm not too invested in him because I'm more into the main characters, but Aladdin did have a quiet dignity, especially in his Storybrooke scenes. The choice to have him speak in a cockney accent was a little distracting, but since Jasmine has a more of a posh English accent, I suppose Agrabah can have corresponding social-class accents. 

Caralynn: I loooooved Deniz Akdeniz's portrayal. The accent threw me a little bit, to be honest, but I liked his roguish nature and he and Karen David's Jasmine have WONDERFUL chemistry. I also really like that they haven't introduced an already-in-a-relationship Aladdin and Jasmine – instead, we're going to see their relationship develop in the present day.

Robin: I liked him!  He was very charming. I was soooo disappointed that he used the shears, but I'm incredibly interested now about the sequence of events that led him to that point.

On a scale of 1-10, how impressed were you with the costuming for Agrabah?

Allison: I enjoyed the costumes. Admittedly, the flashbacks have kind of lost their flare for me, so I don't always pay that close of attention to them. They haven't gotten to Arrow flashbacks level of boring, but I've grown tired of them. I'll give the costumes an 8.

Steve: You know, I'm kind of on the same page with Allison as far as the flashbacks go on OUAT, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour through Agrabah. The set pieces and costumes were awesome, and seeing that story come to life was just pure fun for me. That said, maybe I'm biased and a sucker for anything Aladdin, but I need to give the costumes a solid 10.

Teresa: 11? Eduardo Castro is always magnificent in his designs. They were a visual delight.

Caralynn: I was too distracted by the disturbingly bad CGI for Agrabah (particularly the Cave of Wonders) to form any real opinions about the costuming.

Robin: Frankly, I think they turned the costuming game up to 11 for Agrabah. I loved it. I don't think they managed to quite hide that they were in the same set location that all the "town square" scenes happen in, but I thought Agrabah and its inhabitants were all gorgeous.

Are you surprised that Killian kept the Savior shears?

Allison: Not at all, he will do whatever it takes to save Emma. They are both quite stubborn. Emma turned Killian into the Dark One to save his life last season, and Killian will take away Emma's savior skills if it means saving her life.

Steve: Nope! While Killian may be getting in over his head with once again dealing in something he doesn't fully understand, he will do anything he can to save Emma. That's more than enough reason for keeping the shears.

Teresa: Somewhat, because he was pulling a Rumple which never goes well, no matter the intentions. You would think Killian might have pondered that for a moment. Or perhaps that is the point? That maybe things aren't always so black and white, and a person has to wait until the shoe is on the other foot to judge?

But ultimately Rumbelling CaptainSwan was new, and I wonder at the value of having their story go into territory that could fundamentally harm the trust between them, especially after they made up with "no more secrets."  I felt for CaptainSwan fans.

Caralynn: Not at all. It's actually a perfect parallel of Emma going against Killian's wishes and turning him into the Dark One to keep him alive back in Season 5. I can't imagine Emma won't acknowledge that she's done the same thing once the secret of the shears comes out (and it'll definitely come out). 

Robin: Killian, dude, I was in your corner the whole time!! I gave Emma so much grief for keeping secrets, only for Killian to turn around and make one of his own.  For a man that gave Emma such a hard time for saving his life against his wishes, he sure didn't waste time making the same choice. At least maybe now they might understand each other a bit more. 

Now that Regina knows she may be under that hood, will she let that affect her decisions moving forward? 

Allison: Regina is still struggling with the fact that even though she separated herself from the Evil Queen, there still may be darkness inside of her. I think the news of Emma's vision just adds more fuel to the fire. Regina's worried that she may never be rid of all the evil she has done and all the evil she is capable of doing. I'd love to see her have some sessions with Archie.

Steve: The idea that it could be her under the hood is definitely going to be in the back of Regina's mind. It's difficult to say how yet, but now that Emma has come clean with her Oracle vision, I think it will play into how Regina approaches her plan for dealing with the Evil Queen.

Teresa: I think it might, but in good ways. Regina has proven that she has learned from her mistakes; she takes negatives and turns them into positives. It could make her more determined than ever to not allow the vision become reality.

Caralynn: I actually really liked how she handled it. She didn't freak out or get defensive – she channeled her uncertainty and frustration into helping Emma find Aladdin. I really hope she doesn't let that get between her and Emma – I love where their relationship has wound up.

Robin: I have no idea where this is headed, to be honest. I don't think that will affect her decisions any more than anything else would have - Regina has been the one person you can expect to act logically, even when her motivations were wrong. I think she will continue to use her brains over her emotions. 

Zelena is choosing to be wicked. How long do you think that decision will stick?

Allison: I'm not sure how long. I'm hoping that she will come to her senses and think about the example she is setting for her daughter and that will be what brings her back to the good side. I will say, I am enjoying Zelena and the Evil Queen hanging out and bonding.

Steve: Ugh! I'm hoping not long. I was never a big fan of Zelena, but I would much prefer her if she just stayed grumpy over becoming wicked again.

Teresa: I'm not sure. There's a part of me that thinks it's temporary, but another part of me can see her heading going into a Blaze of Wicked Glory. She never does anything by halves!

Caralynn: I can already see where this is going. At the eleventh hour, Zelena will swap sides (AGAIN) and be a "hero" and Regina will forgive her and yada yada. I'm kind of over Zelena's flip-flopping.

Robin: Meh, who knows? I'm back to irritation and apathy about Zelena. I have never heard one person abuse an adjective as much as Zelena does with the word "wicked." I mean, Regina doesn't go around calling herself "evil," neither does Rumple walk around saying "I'm DARRRRK" all the time. 

Who was the MVP of the episode?

Allison: I'm going to say Henry. He realized that he set Emma on a path to death, and it broke his heart. Instead of hiding away with this pain, he brought it up to Emma. The scene between Emma and Henry was probably my favorite scene in the entire episode.

Steve: Jafar! I've been waiting for this dude since his brief tease in the season premiere. Jafar is just so imposing and has such a commanding presence. I cannot wait to see more of him.

Teresa: I'm with Allison. It is Henry. That scene with him and Emma struck me. It brought feels straight back to the pilot. While I know Emma has many with her – parents, Killian, and Regina – Henry is her heart. 

Caralynn: I actually really liked this version of Aladdin, so I'll go with Aladdin. He was roguish and super hot. He reminded me of everything I liked about the Knave/Will Scarlett in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (yes, I watched it... and yes, I enjoyed that show).

Robin: I was happy to see Raphael Sbarge get to show his chops for a bit, I've been a fan of his since The Guardian. I'm always intrigued when actors have to play their characters as another character, and seeing Evil-Queen-as-Archie was a LOT of fun for me. That said, the actual MVP was Agrabah.

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