Enchanted Past. Baelfire (Neal) uses the magic bean Blue gave him, to transport himself and Papastiltskin to a land without magic. Papa chickens out. Bae ends up in Victorian (or newly post-Victorian) London, so the bean moved him through both time and space, as Blue suggested it would. After six months, Bae sneaks into the Darlings' home, to steal food. Wendy Darling (Freya Tingley) catches him in the act, but then ensconces him in the nursery's crawl space, and feeds him.

Eventually, the Darling parents figure out the scheme and decide Bae can live with them. They put him in the nursery. They put him in the nursery which contains not only their two little boys, but also his age equivalent, Wendy. (Is it just me, or is this Baelfire the young woman's Ralph Macchio?) My eyes roll so far across the floor I have to enlist the dog to help me find them.

Peter Pan's shadow has been visiting the nursery. One night, it convinces Wendy Darling to fly off to Neverland with it, despite Bae's warnings that all magic comes with a price. The next morning, Wendy returns with Neverland tales of woe. Bae helps Wendy, her brothers, and Nana defend the nursery against the Shadow, but resistance is futile. The Shadow returns and wants a boy to accompany him.

Bae offers himself in Michael Darling's stead. When the Shadow and Bae are nearly to Neverland, Bae (based on an earlier warning from Wendy) lets himself fall into the water (rather than set foot on Neverland soil). He is rescued by none other than Captain Hook. Before we flash forward, I must give my kudos to whomever is wielding the casting magic. Freya Tingley is every bit as much Wendy Darling, as Ginnifer Goodwin and Bailee Madison are both Snow White (and each other).

Storybrooke. Present. In a waterfront warehouse, Tamara and Greg torture an impotent Regina, for fun, profit, and Kurt Flynn's location. Emma searches Neal and Tamara's room again, and convinces Neal to tag along on her investigation. Neal continues to believe in Tamara, until he sees her clock Emma, and until Tamara shoots him and then opens a magical portal. Neal saves Emma from the portal, but slips in, himself. Emma tries to save him, but is unsuccessful. Before Neal disappears, Emma tells him she loves him and I cry, for more reasons than you might suspect.

In other news, the Charmings save Regina and Blue heals her (and removes the cuff, so Regina has magic again, which can't be good). Tamara absconds with the black diamond, which serves as the trigger for the Dark Curse Fail Safe. The audience ends the evening with their faces in their palms.

"Second Star to the Right," is entertaining and exciting. Bae's stop in England and trip to Neverland do the heart good. Still, I can't help but feel that so much of this season squanders characterization at the feet of plot. I don't hate that Emma loves Neal. I do hate that she's confessed it before he's earned it back, and that she confessed it first. I don't hate that the Charmings save Regina from Tamara and Greg...Owen...Growen...Groan. I do hate that Prince Charming speaks of their rescue as if it were a favor owed Regina.

I will be back with the full recap, ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where we're shooting Neal and then shoving him into a portal. Repeatedly.