- Title: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland – Heart of the Matter
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Despite having all three genies under his control, Jafar (Naveen Andrews) struggles to proceed with his plan suspecting the Knave (Michael Socha) is responsible. After the Jabberwocky (Peta Sergeant) discovers the new genie’s heart is missing and uses Red Queen (Emma Rigby) to force the location of it from the Knave’s lips it becomes a race to recover the heart as Alice (Sophie Lowe) and Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) travel to Storybrooke with the help of The White Rabbit (John Lithgow).
The spin-off’s first crossover with the original Once Upon a Time is forgettable as despite causing a huge crater in the middle of the street the disturbance caused by the rabbit’s hole doesn’t cause any interest from the townspeople. Recovering the heart and returning to Wonderland (in short order), Alice and Cyrus loose it quickly to Jafar who then returns it to the genie’s chest. However, it’s not a complete loss for Cyrus who comes in possession of the sorcerer’s staff which he rightly believes to be his mother suggesting that a family reunion may soon be in order.
Although the crossover itself is a bit of a disappointment, the fallout from the trip and recovery of the Knave’s heart produces quite a few big events including Jafar killing Anastasia in front of the Knave to make sure the genie’s heart is indeed working and under the sorcerer’s control. Only by breaking the laws of magic can the Red Queen be saved, suggesting the Knave may now be more inclined to help Jafar with his spell (which you’d think he’d have to because of the whole master/genie relationship anyway). “Heart of the Matter” also includes more flashbacks to the days leading up to Anastasia’s wedding and Cora‘s (Barbara Hershey) influence over her fate somewhat softening the character’s abandonment of will for a life of power.
