May 15, 2014
This is our full recap of Bleeding Through, which was the last episode we recorded before viewing the Season 3 finale. We spend the majority of the podcast analyzing the major character moments for Regina and Snow. Along the way we tried to reckon with the way the show characterizes Cora vs Leopold and Jonathan and wonder if a pattern has emerged. See show notes.
This Week at the Crossroads, Cora Mills sells her soul to the Devil.
This Week at Ye Olde Royal Gazebo, the Gazebo becomes the temporary way station for Prince Jonathan, Prince Leopold and the Devil, who are approximately the same person.
This Week in Waitressing, Cora "can bring home the mozzarella sticks, fry them up in a pan, start her own fire and never let you forget you're a man......"
This Week at Rumple's Little Shop of Horrors, Belle is a total rock star and tells Regina to stuff it.
This Week in Amazing Character Developments, Regina and Snow have arrive at a new understanding of each other and their history.
This Week in Fails, Leopold fails to convince Bri and Alex that he is the Prince of Purity.
This Week in Convenient Plot Points, Zelena knows the exact coordinates of Regina's heart; Regina can put a spell on her heart so Zelena can't control it (but can't conceal the heart or change it into something else.)
Show Notes:
There are two etchings in Regina's study in this episode which directly relate to the themes of the episode. The first, Pygmalion is Enamored with a Statue He Had Made involves Pygmalion. Pygmalion was a sculptor who thought girls were icky. So he sculpted a statue of Venus and fell in love with it. She turned into a real woman and loved him back. He molded her completely to be an obedient, silent woman.
Semele is Consumed by Jupiter's Thunder involves Semele and Jupiter aka Zeus. The married god Zeus seduced commoner Semele and got her pregnant. Before she could give birth to their son Dionysus, Zeus' wife Hera turned her to ash. But then Zeus reconstituted Dionysus in his thigh and later Dionysus grows up and reconstitutes Semele.
Both of these stories resonate for this episode, but beyond that, amplify some concerning issues that come up on OUAT.
If we were creating a study guide for this episode, we would ask students the following:
Is there a particular reason why the revelations about Leopold, Cora and Ava cause the women to reevaluate their knowledge and understanding of their mothers and themselves and even Zelena, but does not cause them to reconsider Leopold?
Does the show actually repudiate the attitudes of Prince Jonathan and Prince Leopold or does it reinforce them?
Other Side of the Mirror is a Once Upon a Time podcast with an emphasis on Regina Mills/Evil Queen. We focus on the show, theories, fandom and more. Suggest a topic for an upcoming fan episode and more. Call our voicemail line at (970) 510-6623, email feedback to talk@othersideofthemirror.com and follow us on Twitter @othersideONCE.