Kansas

"Kansas" is the 64th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
With Mary Margaret in labor and due to give birth at any moment, the residents of Storybrooke go on high alert in an attempt to ensure that Zelena doesn't try to steal her newborn baby for use in her ultimate game plan to turn back time and change her destiny, while obliterating Regina's existence. Meanwhile, in the land of Oz of the past, Glinda tries to convince Zelena to fight her evil tendencies and join her and her sister witches as a protector of Oz. But the appearance of a young girl from Kansas could turn out to be her undoing.

Plot
"Previously on Once Upon a Time..."

Snow and Charming stand within the small, snowy realm of exile where Glinda is confided to, face-to-face with the Good Witch of the South. Reaching through the bars of his cage, Belle asks Rumple how Zelena can be stopped, and he replies that they need Glinda, the Good Witch. We are shown Glinda as she surveys Snow and Charming. Zelena, disguised as Ariel, uses her magic to curse Hook's lips, going on to explain in her proper form that the next time his lips touch Emma Swan's, all her magic will be taken. Hook and Emma stand face-to-face in the woods of Storybrooke. Over at the local graveyard, Mary Margaret clutches her pregnant belly as Emma and Henry come running towards her. She tells them, and her husband, that the baby is coming.

Teaser
David's jeep is seen hurriedly driving towards the local hospital of Storybrooke, pulling up outside whilst Mary Margaret, still in labor, moans in pain within. Her husband steps out to open the door for her, assuring her that they've reached their destination, and Mary Margaret takes steady breaths as David helps her out of the car and into the wheelchair that an orderly brings over. Emma is seen running towards her parents, having just exited her own car. Meanwhile, inside the cage in Zelena's storm cellar, Mr. Gold is seen rapidly spinning at the wheel, magically transforming straw into gold. Mary Margaret makes it onto the wheelchair, still squirming with heavy blasts of pain, before being pushed into the hospital by an orderly, accompanied by her husband, daughter and grandson. The turning wheel of Mary Margaret's wheelchair becomes Rumplestiltskin's spinning wheel as we're taken back into the Dark One's cage, where he's spinning out copious amounts of golden thread. Zelena is seen making her way down the cellar stairs and she looks at the pile her prisoner has created. She smiles wickedly. Back in hospital, Mary Margaret lets out another scream as the process of labor continues, being hurried through the maternity ward. David has a comforting hand placed on her arm, which is placed on her belly; her other hand clutches the armrest of the wheelchair. Finally, she is met by Dr. Whale, who ushers her into her own room, asking a nearby nurse for assistance; the nurse opens the door, allowing the mother-to-be to pass through. More cries of pain. "There. That'll do," Zelena states as Gold continues to spin. At her command, he stops engaging in this task and the Wicked Witch bends down to pick up the tray of gold thread he's produced. "As you've said, spinning clears your mind. Or should I say, your brain," she says as she waves her hand over the pile, magically transforming the golden thread into a golden brain, which she then adds to her nearby chest of ingredients (which also contains David's courage and Regina's heart). She adds that she has but one more ingredient to collect, clearly referring to Snow White's baby. Emma and Henry wait outside whilst Mary Margaret is wheeled into her room. David and Dr. Whale proceed to help her onto the bed, but as she stands up, another contraction ensues. The baby is most certainly coming. ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
In the Enchanted Forest of the past, Rumplestiltskin conjures a fireball in his hand, telling Regina, his student, that it's her turn. The young Queen tries her best to do the same, and actually manages to hold a ball of fire in her hand for a brief moment, but her happy surprise soon fades away when the flames quickly extinguish. Annoyed, she continues to try and copy her magic tutor, not being able to produce more than a lick of a flame. It is then revealed that Regina is in fact being watched by her half-sister, Zelena, who stands in the land of Oz looking through a sort of portal on the ground, through which she is able to witness events happening across realms. She is completely green and seething with anger, commenting to herself that "it's not that difficult" and proceeding to conjure a fireball in her own hand with ease. She then blows it out before hearing the screech of her flying monkey up above, circling around what used to be his place of work back when he was the Wizard of Oz. He lands on a pile of his old possessions, but Zelena orders her pet to be quiet, saying that she can't concentrate with all the noise he produces. "It's probably me," comments Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, as she enters, "He was never much of a fan." Zelena wonders who she is and so Glinda introduces herself by name; when Zelena hears that she's a witch, she immediately casts a defensive fireball, but Glinda tells her to relax, assuring her that she's not there to fight her, but thank her, for showing Oz the true nature of the "Wizard" and for standing up to him. The monkey continues his flight, annoyed, and Zelena, still clutching a ball of fire, seems confused that Glinda is glad about Walsh having been turned into a circus creature. The Good Witch says that a little time as a pet will do him good, adding that he was a trickster who offered people hope that he could never deliver, before commenting that Zelena is quite powerful. Zelena, finally having extinguished her fireball, says that she knows, and so Glinda asks her why she's wasting all her energy on foolish pursuits. Zelena asks what Glinda knows about what she wants, and the latter witch states that Zelena wants to change her destiny, but she can't go back in time; no one can. "Why don't you come with me?" Glinda offers after a lull, but Zelena asks why on earth she would do that. Glinda replies that she can offer the green sorceress something that she's really looking for, and says that she has some people she'd like for her to meet. Zelena wonders who, and Glinda tells her to come and meet her real sisters. A hint of a smile flashes upon Zelena's ruby lips. "There," Zelena says in the present day, "Dig." Rumple proceeds to drag a rake through the soil in his jailer's barn, grunting as he does so. Zelena realizes that the Dark One thinks she will fail, but he merely states that he thinks destiny is destiny, making her laugh as she retrieves his golden brain from her chest of ingredients. She tells him that he's wrong and that she can change it as she places the brain down on a dish, explaining that, once she fixes the past, her mother will have kept her, Regina will never have been born, and she'll get everything her half-sister ever had. She proceeds to take out Regina's heart and place it on another dish on the other side of the barn, saying that, with the right ingredients, she can do anything. She goes back to retrieve David's courage, which is symbolized by the hilt of his sword, as Gold says that it's irrelevant whether or not her plan actually works, because no matter what she changes of her past, who she is will always remain the same, and that is a fate she can never escape. With all her current ingredients in position, Zelena says that they shall see, looking out was what Rumple's created once he's finished digging. She holds out a compass, checking its accuracy, as the shot moves out to reveal a large, compass-like, geometric rune inscribed into the earth. In the hospital, Mary Margaret is lying in bed, clutching her pregnant belly and crying in pain whilst David assures her that their baby is going to be fine, promising that it will never leave her arms no matter who's out there. She points out that that's what they thought last time, but her prince points out in turn that, this time, they have someone else on their side, going on to look out into the hall at Emma, who's currently casting a protection spell. She asks Regina, who's doing the same, if she really thinks it will be strong enough to hold Zelena off, and the Queen says that it depends whether or not Emma's magic is stronger than the witch's, but if it is, then no one wielding dark magic will be able to pass through. Emma thanks Regina for the vote of confidence, but Regina denies this, simply stating that they're out of options. "Swan," a familiar voice says, and Emma turns to be met by Hook, who says he heard the baby's on its way. She tells the pirate that she doesn't think he should be there, but he argues that he wants to help. She says that, if he really wanted to help, he should have told her when Zelena cursed his lips, but he states that he had no choice, reminding the blonde that the Wicked Witch threatened her and her family and that he was only trying to help. Emma believes that telling her the truth would have been help, but he retorts that it also would have meant a death sentence for Henry. "Henry's safety is my concern, not yours, which is why I'm taking this fight to Zelena," Emma tells him, stating that "this ends today", and David watches from within the hospital room as Hook tries to follow her. The prince then emerges from a nearby door, telling his daughter to wait, and he assures her that she doesn't have to do this alone. She argues otherwise, telling her father that he needs to stay with Mary Margaret, but he reveals that he wasn't referring to himself and that she should take Hook. She asks him if he's insane, but Charming tells her that the pirate is going with her, before turning around to the pirate himself and telling him the same thing. Hook acquiesces, but wonders why David's decided to trust him all of a sudden, and he replies that Zelena backed him into a corner and he did the best he could. "See? Even your father gets it," says Hook, but Emma points out that David knows all about keeping secrets from loved ones (clearly referencing his Dreamshade poisoning back in Neverland), which hurts him. She apologizes, but states firmly that she's doing this alone, and David disagrees, saying that this is about all of them, not just her. She asks what Hook can even do, pointing out that she has magic whereas he only has one hand (Hook chimes in that he's good in a fight) and David tells her that the pirate can, at the very least, draw fire. Hook seems unhappy at the idea of being cannon fodder, but this makes Emma agree to her father's demand, saying that Hook can come. "Fair enough. Shall we?" the pirate asks once David's returned to Mary Margaret's room, but Emma requests a moment, seeing Henry arrive with Grumpy. She greets her son who greets her back, asking if the baby's arrived, and Emma tells him that it hasn't yet, but it will soon, apologizing before she says that she has to go and take care of the witch, assuring him that she's going to be alright and that she'll be back before he knows it. Henry seems okay with the matter, assuring his mother that he's not worried because defeating bad guys is what she does, and she smiles before embracing him. Regina then approaches, telling Emma to go and that she'll keep Henry safe, and Emma thanks the Queen before being asked by an impatient Hook if she's ready yet. "Yeah," she says, "Let's end this." She proceeds to leave with the pirate as Henry and Regina watch.

Act II
In the waiting room, Henry is reading the newspaper which leads Archie, who's sitting beside him, to jokingly ask if he's keeping up with current events, but the young man replies that he's looking at the classifieds. Archie points out that Henry's a little young for a job, but he says that he's actually looking at apartments, commenting that Mary Margaret's place will be crowded after the baby is born and he'll be back and forth from Regina's, but Emma can't sleep in her car. "No, not comfortably," Archie agrees, putting a smile on his face and telling his former patient that it's really good to see him as he missed him, and Henry tells his old therapist that he missed him too. The young man returns to his newspaper, suggesting a place by the water with a view, and Archie wonders if he's spoken to Emma about staying in Storybrooke. Henry answers negatively, not knowing what there is to talk about; "We're... home." "I never should've brought Henry back to Storybrooke," Emma is saying whilst she and Hook make their way to Zelena's farmhouse, and the pirate assures her that she did what she felt was right, however, she argues that she did what he manipulated her into, leading him to remind the blonde that her parents, as well as the whole town, needed her. She points out that Henry needed her also, saying that they were happy in New York and, after she's finished melting this witch, she'd like for them to be happy again. Hook tries to explain that, content as she was in that city, none of it was real, but Emma argues that it was real for her and Henry because everything that happened still happened; "Minus all the things you forgot," Hook says, reminding her further that part of her wasn't the real her and, whether she likes it or not, the big part of her, and Henry, belongs in this town. She points out that that's the part of her which is always in danger, stating that she's going to leave, and Hook wonders what her son thinks to that. Angered, Emma says that Henry is a kid and "wants chocolate milk in his cereal" whereas she is his mother, so she knows what's best for him. "What's best for him... or for you?" Hook questions, but Emma appears insulted. The pirate goes on to point out that she's taken care of her son quite well in Storybrooke, so she can talk about danger all she likes but that's not the reason why she wants to leave; he requests that he tell her the real reason why she's so afraid of staying, suggesting that it's maybe because she can see a future there - a happy one - and Emma, even more annoyed, adds, "Let me guess, with you?" Suddenly, however, their moment is interrupted by Zelena, who's appeared outside her house with Rumplestiltskin at her side. She mockingly comments that the two of them are adorable, but as she approaches, she says that they perhaps should have been more focused on her than on each other, adding that, without magic, that's going to be a bit of a challenge. Emma tells the Wicked Witch that she should try enchanting the lips of someone she'll actually kiss next time she wants to steal her powers, but Zelena tells the blonde that she has a decision to make: she can keep her magic, which makes her oh, so sad, or she can save the man that she can't wait to run away from. The witch then turns to Rumple, requiring his assistance, and the Dark One waves a hand, causing Hook to fly through the air and into the large tub of water on the lawn. His head is held beneath the surface, making the pirate unable to breathe, and Emma calls his name, worried. She runs over to him, trying to heave him out of the water, as Zelena tells her to choose wisely. She continues trying to stop him from drowning, but Rumple's magic is keeping him in position, and Zelena tells the blonde to try all she likes, but she can't free him. Emma angrily looks at the witch, who vanishes in a flurry of green smoke. In the land of Oz of the past, Glinda and Zelena approach a table which resembles a large compass, at which two women are sitting, taking up the spots of East and North. Zelena wonders what this place is, and Glinda tells her that it's the heart of Oz, introducing the Witch of the North and the Witch of the East as her sisters. Each location represents a special part of magic. The South, love, the North, wisdom, and the East, courage; together, their abilities are far more powerful than they could ever be on their own, and they can do things that no one else can. This excites Zelena, who asks if they're capable of time travel, but Glinda, knowing what the green witch is hoping to achieve, tells her new sister that that's not why she brought her there. Zelena recalls Glinda saying that she wanted to help her, but if she can't change the past, then she can't exactly do that. However, Glinda argues that she brought Zelena there to change her future, explaining that the seat on the West point of the compass-like table has been empty for some time and they'd like for her to fill it. Zelena is taken aback, wondering what the West represents, and Glinda replies that it's the most elusive of elements: innocence. This disappoints Zelena, thinking this makes her the last person these witches should consider; "Look at me... I'm wicked." But Glinda tells her that she doesn't have to be, saying that innocence claimed can be just as powerful as innocence born if one simply chooses to be good. Zelena points out that that's easy for the Good Witch to say, "good" being part of her name, and the Witch of the North asks Glinda if she isn't going to tell Zelena the news. Zelena wonders what news the Witch of the North is referring to, and Glinda sighs, telling her new sister that she didn't want to say anything unless she had to because she wanted to let Zelena shape her own destiny. "What could you possibly know about my destiny?" Zelena asks, curious, and the Witch of the East explains that Glinda is the keeper of the book of records, which chronicles the past, present and future of Oz. Glinda explains further that the book foretells of a powerful sorceress who will join their sisterhood as a protector of Oz, but Zelena appears confused that they think this sorceress to be her. Glinda adds that the book says the sorceress from the West will enter the land by cyclone, and Zelena recalls being brought to Oz in a cyclone when she was a baby. "That's right," says Glinda, "We've been looking for you for a long time, Zelena. You've always been meant for more. I know you don't think so, but you can do this. You just have to let go of your past." Being told these things about herself makes Zelena smile, but the last instruction makes her appear worrisome. Hook remains underwater, now unconscious, and Emma finally manages to drag him out, Rumplestiltskin and the Wicked Witch now being gone. The pirate lays on the floor and Emma shakes him, begging him to wake up, but he doesn't stir. She addresses him as "Killian", ordering him to come back to her, but he remains unconscious. Emma knowing what she must do, utters, "Son of a bitch," before holding Hook's nose and opening his mouth, planting her lips on his. In an act of CPR, she blows into his mouth, but as she does so, his lips glow green and a sort of large magical vacuum is created around Emma, causing the blonde's magic to be drained completely. She continues to stare down at Hook, again begging him to come back to her, and before long, he coughs up water and regains consciousness. Coughing profusely, he looks up at the relieved Emma, knowing what she must have done, and worriedly asks her, "Swan... what did you do? What did you do?!"

Trivia

 * The title card of this episode features the Emerald City of Oz.
 * Although credited, Michael Raymond-James (Neal Cassidy/Baelfire) is absent from this episode.

Production

 * The title of this episode was revealed by executive producer/co-creator Adam Horowitz, via his Twitter account, on February 28, 2014.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.