Bad Blood

"Bad Blood" is the 7th episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

Summary
When Alice discovers that her father is in Wonderland, they begin healing their broken relationship, which leads to her having to make a difficult decision. In flashbacks, a young Jafar is emotionally distraught after his mother dies and we find out what drove him to become the unforgiving villain he is today.

Plot
"Previously in Wonderland..."

Cyrus kicks down the loosened bottom of the silver cage he'd been trapped in, and it falls into the depths beneath it. "Stay strong, Alice. I'm coming for you," he says. In the distance, Alice looks at Jafar's palace in the clouds and says that all she has to do is follow the sun West and she will find Cyrus. The latter looks at the glow of the necklace she's wearing from the floating island. Standing on an edge, over the sea below, Cyrus is told by the Red Queen that sometimes love is not enough, and he tells her, "I'm afraid you're wrong." This said, he jumps below, much to her surprise. "I know your daughter, and I know where she went," Jafar is heard saying to Edwin, Alice's father, who asks him if he's seen her, to which the villain replies that he can take him to her.

Teaser
Agrabah many years ago

We are shown a small habitation lost in the arid wilderness surrounding the core population of Agrabah, where the palace of the Sultan stands. Inside the small house in the distance, an infant Jafar is seen tending to his dying mother, Ulima, who is very ill. He rubs a wet cloth over her forehead and begs her not to leave her, as he holds her hand in his own. He starts to ask her what he can do, what herbs to use, but she tells him there's nothing left to do. He tells her not to say that and reminds her that she is a healer, she's cured many others, and the dying woman claims to fear she is beyond help, it's her time. "I'm sorry," she tells her worried son, who goes on to ask what he will do and where he will go, with teary eyes. She tells him not to worry, and kisses his hand, before saying he will be cared for. Jafar asks "By who?", to which she responds, "Your father." Tears streaming down his face, the young man says he doesn't understand, and starts to recount that his father died when he was younger, but is interrupted and unable to finish his sentence by his mother's claim that his real father still lives. Ulima tells him to go to his father, at the palace. The child says that only the Sultan lives there, and Ulima smiles and nods her head, saying, "That's right, Jafar." "He's my father?" the boy realizes, and his mother feels weaker. She hands him something and says that it belonged to the Sultan: a ring, which she slides into Jafar's finger, telling him to go and give it back, and the Sultan will remember. She touches her son's chin and tells him he is the ruler's blood, and the latter will not turn him away. This said, Ulima dies, and Jafar mourns her. The winds start to soar through the house and Ulima's visible life energy appears and disappears in the air. Jafar holds his deceased mother, crying.

We see the ring still on Jafar's finger, in the present day, as he sits, now an adult man, in the living room of Edwin, Alice's father, and says to the man that he must be worried sick about Alice. He adds that he knows how protective fathers are when it comes to their children. "Yes," Edwin nods, "Of course." Jafar, pretending to be a doctor, feigns some reminiscing as he goes on about how he remembers when Alice first came to them at Bethlem, and states that he's seen many patients over the years, but she was special. He says she was obviously well cared for, so he knew she must have come from a loving home. Edwin tells the "doctor" that's very kind, but asks that he tell him exactly where Alice has gone to. Jafar says it's best if he just shows him. Edwin looks confused and Jafar moves in to open his briefcase. He calls for the Rabbit... and the latter emerges from the case and greets Edwin, who looks astonished. The Rabbit turns to Jafar after coming out of the case and tells him, "If you're just gonna show me off, was the bag really necessary?" Edwin asks if that's a "white rabbit" - seeing as how Alice had clearly mentioned one before - and the Rabbit says that "they're" always in shock. He then turns to the man and confirms this. The fascinating creature then asks the wizard if the man before them is Alice's father, and Jafar nods in response. The Rabbit examines the man and comments that he doesn't see the resemblance. "Come with me," Jafar tells Edwin. Both of them get up, and the Rabbit creates a magical vortex on the wall of the room. "Dear God," the flabbergasted Edwin says, before he asks what is happening and where they're taking him. The Rabbit jumps in, and Jafar says, to his shocked companion, "Some people call it Wonderland."

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND

Trivia

 * The title card of this episode features the dragon summoned by Jafar, in the guise of Edwin.

Reviews

 * In her recap/review for SpoilerTV, Ashley B was positive of the episode, despite not being a fan of Jafar's backstories. The episode gave her a positive idea on the series and its themes: "I absolutely adore the fact that everyone's motivation on this show is love in some form or another. If you could only take one thing from this season so far it would be "love conquers all". This effects all the characters, whether it be the True Love of Alice and Cyrus, the lack of love due to missing heart for the Knave, the Red Queen yearning to rekindle her love, or Jafar striving for the love of his father. As I said in the past, I am not a fan of romance, but I feel now that this show is a story about love, not a love story."

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.