“Chosen” was all about the follow up of Henry getting captured by Nick (aka Hansel, aka the Candy Killer) in the previous episode and also about Nick out to get Zelena as his next victim. The fairytale flashback was about Zelena’s time way back in Oz where she meets a younger Hansel and Gretel alongside their blind father while trying to drive the Blind Witch out of the kingdom. Elsewhere Regina returns from her plant gathering trip that she was written off screen doing last week, Hook is trying to figure out Henry’s whereabouts and Facilier is up to something sinister going after Rumple’s dagger.
I didn’t really have any major issues with this episode like I normally would have with introductions of new characters and plot threads. Hansel and Gretel’s blind father actually humanized Zelena in her Wicked Witch days back in Oz, but it was weird how fast and suddenly his personality shifted once he found out who Zelena really was. It was expected that they’ll have a falling out by the end of the episode.
Photo Source: ABC
On the flip side, Facilier’s motives were made clear even with less screen time compared to the other characters. We found out that he woke up both Nick and Prince Naveen in the present day and that both of them are working for him. Facilier is actually in direct competition with Gothel — who has been absent since Ivy and Anastasia left weeks ago — over trying to find Rumple’s dagger first.
The only characters who barely did anything was Jacinda, Lucy, Tiana and Alice (who didn’t show up at all). Jacinda was still mulling over Henry leaving and constantly zoning out, Tiana was still working at her food truck and Lucy did absolutely nothing. The men, on the other hand, had plenty of screen time. Rumple had a heart to heart with Zelena. Nick and Henry talked murderer to hostage. And Hook was trying to find Henry after getting a report of Henry’s car being by Alice’s Seattle Underpass Troll and him never making the flight to NYC.
So overall not a bad episode, there was a lot of moving parts that actually set up true storyline of Facilier vs Gothel over Rumple’s dagger. Next week seems to follow up this plot beat and feature’s Rumple’s first interaction with Faciliar and the revelation that Alice may be more powerful then she appears due to being Gothel’s actual daughter, but that’s next week.
