Once upon a... wait a minute... Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re holding the magic mirror up to Regina Mills a.k.a The Evil Queen’s story arc in “Once Upon a Time” and conjuring up the tweaks we believe better suited her narrative. We are talking plot points so if you’re yet to watch the series in its entirety there will be spoilers.
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00:00Once upon a time, you were a villain, Mom."
00:03Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're holding the magic mirror up to Regina Mills, aka the
00:09Evil Queen's story arc in Once Upon a Time, and conjuring up the tweaks we believe better
00:14suited her narrative.
00:15We are talking plot points, so if you're yet to watch the series in its entirety, there
00:20will be spoilers.
00:21I can't wait to see what's in store for me next.
00:27The character you know
00:28As has become the trend in modern times, Once Upon a Time throws in its thoughts on a matter
00:33that puzzled many for a while.
00:35Evil isn't born, it's made.
00:39That certainly seems to be true in Regina's case.
00:42Flashbacks show us that power, control, and life on the royal throne were far from what
00:47Regina wanted as a young woman.
00:49Why can't I just be myself?
00:51Because you can be so much more if you just let me help you.
00:56I don't care about status, I just want to be...
01:01All she wanted was her happily ever after with Daniel, the man she loved.
01:05Unfortunately, her mother, Cora, was more concerned with her own social climbing than
01:10her daughter's happiness, bringing that relationship to a permanent end.
01:13Your magic can't keep us apart.
01:16I love him.
01:17And I love her.
01:19And I love her too.
01:20If you loved me, you wouldn't try to keep us apart.
01:22And if you loved me, you wouldn't try to run away.
01:25I'm sorry, but this is my happiness.
01:28When Cora crushed Daniel's heart, she effectively crushed Regina's too.
01:32Could this have been avoided if Snow White had kept her promise and stayed silent?
01:36Perhaps.
01:37But Snow was just a child trying to help.
01:39However, this mistake unleashes Regina's vengeful side, giving her vendetta against
01:44Snow more depth than jealousy over being the fairest in the land.
01:47Are you mad?
01:55No.
01:57I'm not mad at all.
02:00You were just trying to help me.
02:03Driven by rage, Regina causes countless casualties in her quest to destroy Snow White.
02:08What shall we do now, your majesty?
02:10Kill them all.
02:12No mercy.
02:14Find me Snow White.
02:17She eventually gets her revenge by casting the curse that brings everyone to Storybrooke.
02:23Unbeknownst to her, Rumpelstiltskin had his own agenda, steering her towards casting the
02:28curse, knowing it would ultimately end her reign.
02:32You will not cast the curse.
02:36Someone else will.
02:38He even directed her to adopt the savior's son.
02:41When the curse breaks and everyone regains their memories, they come after Regina.
02:45You took everything from us and now?
02:47What?
02:49Now you're gonna kill me.
02:51Eventually.
02:52But first you need to suffer.
02:53Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us.
02:57But in Storybrooke, new villains are constantly emerging, so Regina becomes yesterday's news.
03:02The heroes realize they can harness her power for good, although at first she's somewhat
03:06reluctant, she soon genuinely puts all her efforts into changing for the better.
03:11Everyone out there is scared and confused.
03:13They need hope.
03:14What better way to do that than to return united?
03:18You're coming with us.
03:19I know you don't like it, you'll learn to.
03:22For our good, for yours.
03:24It definitely gives her one of the series' most compelling story arcs, as we watch her
03:28rediscover that light that her mother had extinguished all those years ago.
03:32We even see her go as far as literally separating from her evil half.
03:36Love also comes along once more, and he helps Regina see who she truly wants to be.
03:41Full of stories about heroes and villains.
03:46Guess which column I'm in.
03:49This book is about the past.
03:51Like you said, you're not the evil queen anymore.
03:54We still can't forgive the writers for taking Robin away.
03:57By the season 6 finale, Regina is accepted as one of the heroes.
04:01Season 7 is tricky to judge, as Regina spends a good part of it believing she's a bar owner
04:07named Ronnie.
04:08Yet, even when she remembers her true self, her heroic spirit remains strong.
04:13So if this is how I have to go out, showing you that there are people in the world that love you
04:18no matter what you do, well then, that's a worthy end for me.
04:24By the series finale, the entire fairy tale world recognises she's earned her place as a queen
04:30and crowns her as such.
04:32It's a fascinating journey from the evil queen to the good queen, but could it have been even more?
04:38I now crown you...
04:44A good queen.
04:46Long may she reign.
04:48Where it went wrong.
04:50One of the key themes running throughout the series is understanding how villainy is created,
04:54and another is showing that if someone can turn evil, they can also find their way back to goodness.
05:00Perhaps no one is more emblematic of this than Regina.
05:03However, her journey feels a bit lacking, as any healing process isn't linear.
05:07You were a villain, mom.
05:09But you've changed.
05:12But you've changed.
05:14You're a hero now.
05:16And defeating bad guys is what heroes do.
05:20I believe in you.
05:22Now you need to believe too.
05:24Regina has a lot of amends to make.
05:27She did so much damage as the evil queen, and much of it might be considered unforgivable.
05:31Why are they loyal to her and not me?
05:34I am their queen.
05:36You did just slaughter an entire village.
05:38Maybe that's why they call you...
05:41Yet the heroes are surprisingly quick to let bygones be bygones.
05:45We get it, they're supposed to be the clear-cut divisions between heroes and villains,
05:50but it's hard to see how they could so easily forgive and forget.
05:53You're the hero, and I'm the villain.
05:58Free will be damned.
06:01It's all in the book.
06:04And we both know how it plays out.
06:06Regina spends much of the series grappling with the boundaries of good and bad,
06:10and occasionally, her past does come back to haunt her.
06:13But there aren't really many serious consequences for her crimes.
06:16Shouldn't there have been at least a few episodes dedicated to Regina
06:20facing some real retribution rather than just the odd apology,
06:24usually to characters she needs something from?
06:27But I know I'll never find it if I revert to my old ways, so...
06:32I'm sorry.
06:36Although she's initially resistant to joining forces with the heroes,
06:39Regina is quick to turn away from the path of darkness.
06:42We all know that habits, especially ones that have been in progress for over 28 years,
06:47are incredibly hard to break.
06:49Wouldn't it have made more sense to see her fight a little more for her power post-curse
06:53rather than quit practically cold turkey?
06:56No need for a fuss.
06:58It's just little old me.
07:01Regina, think about what you're doing.
07:03Bug.
07:06Yes, she was doing her best for Henry,
07:08but even the most well-intentioned people have slip-ups.
07:11It's not like she's opposed to going back to her old tricks when the time calls,
07:15only now it's under the guise of helping the good guys.
07:18It's just that magic is the way I've always gotten everything.
07:22It sounds like it's also the way you've lost everything.
07:25Regina, this is your chance to start over.
07:28The biggest flaw in Regina's arc is her journey from the evil queen to the good one.
07:32One of the things that made Regina a likable and relatable character
07:36is that she showed us what it means to be human.
07:38We're not all bad, and we're not all good.
07:41We make mistakes, let our emotions get the better of us,
07:44and carry baggage that's hard to shake off.
07:46Her baggage, her karma, call it what you want,
07:51will always be there.
07:54Her bad side is more extreme than the average person's,
07:57but that doesn't mean she can't go through all of the middle ground that the rest of us do.
08:01Sometimes the desire to fall back on old familiar habits is just too good to resist.
08:06When the Snow Queen's curse takes effect,
08:08Regina turns back into her evil self.
08:10This isn't just someone being forced to see the bad in others like everyone else.
08:14This is full-on evil queen, suggesting that it's still a big part of who she is.
08:19You said no magic. You said you could keep a secret.
08:25I was 10!
08:27Maybe some of her triggers won't be connected to dark magic. Who knows?
08:31Eventually she literally parts with her evil half and even finds the goodness in her,
08:36which almost feels like a cop-out.
08:38I'm going to be brave for both of us, and choose love over hate.
08:43Rather than turning her back on who she was,
08:45a big part of her story could have been Regina reckoning with her history
08:49and finding a way to have more belief in herself going forward.
08:52Regina once says that the author has
08:54essentially decided that once a villain, always a villain.
08:57Yet we think that comes from a more internal place.
09:00You're just saying that to hide the real reason that you won't take a chance on love.
09:05You don't think you deserve it.
09:07Regina never truly believed that she was worthy of redemption,
09:10so she just blamed all of her misfortunes on that.
09:12When Robin came along, he helped her see that her past doesn't have to define her
09:17and that she is deserving of forgiveness, acceptance, and a happily ever after.
09:22But first, she has to believe it herself.
09:25And I'm a part of you whether you like it or not.
09:32And now I love myself.
09:38Which means so should you.
09:40Then they went and took him away.
09:42But let's not focus on that right now.
09:44Fast forward to the end, more villains have been defeated,
09:47the realms are united, and they need someone to reign over them all.
09:50Who do they choose?
09:51That's right, the Queen formerly known as Evil, Regina.
09:55All the realms have been united, and now we need someone to lead us.
09:59People have decided.
10:01Your Majesty.
10:03On a superficial level, it might seem like a great happily ever after for her.
10:07She's on the throne, and she doesn't have to crush anyone's heart for it.
10:11The people have finally accepted her as their ruler.
10:13However, if we look back at Regina's backstory,
10:16we realise this may not be the right happy beginning for this Queen.
10:20This is it.
10:22What's your happy ending?
10:24No, Miss Swan, not even close.
10:27This isn't an ending.
10:29I hate endings.
10:31Because then your story's done.
10:33As we said, Regina never dreamt of becoming a Queen.
10:36She didn't even want to marry the King.
10:38She just wanted true love.
10:40Your father, King Leopold, he's a kind and fair man.
10:45But I don't love him.
10:48However, one thing led to another,
10:50as she found herself in a position of great power that snowballed out of control.
10:55And out of your suffering will rise my victory.
11:01I shall destroy your happiness,
11:05if it is the last thing I do.
11:08It's great that everyone thinks this Regina will rule with compassion and fairness,
11:12but they seem to have forgotten the last time she wielded that much power.
11:16Also, isn't she going to get a little bit lonely reigning alone
11:19while all of her closest allies are off seeking their own adventures?
11:23Who's to say she wouldn't eventually become disillusioned with her position,
11:26especially when she realises it was never what she really wanted?
11:30We get what they're doing here, but this ending doesn't do our Regina justice at all.
11:34It's intolerable.
11:36Nothing to do and nowhere to go.
11:40I need freedom.
11:42I need options.
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12:00How do we fix it?
12:02Regina is one of the most compelling characters because her internal struggles are so relatable.
12:06He seems to have made it a rule that villains don't get happy endings,
12:10even if they change, even if they try to be good.
12:14Point him to me. I'd be happy to have more than a conversation.
12:17Do we always make the best decisions? No.
12:20But do we hope to learn and grow from them? Absolutely.
12:24Regina's story should have explored this journey more deeply.
12:27Instead of the typical heroes versus villains narrative,
12:30Regina's path could have been filled with challenges, setbacks, and growth
12:34that see her walk that tricky tightrope between the two.
12:37Storybook has me written as a villain, and villains always lose,
12:40so I thought you might have a clue as to who the author is so I can make him change that.
12:46Her promise to Henry to do better should have shown her stumbling,
12:49making mistakes, and learning from them because that's what being human is all about.
12:55After the first curse breaks, Regina should have really faced her past and know she hurt.
12:59She needed to do more than just apologise.
13:02Expecting everyone to forgive her might be a stretch, but she could show them she's changed.
13:06And I want you to be here because you want to be here, not because I forced you.
13:14And not because of magic.
13:16We're not saying she needed to grovel, but she should ask herself,
13:19would I forgive me if I was in their shoes?
13:22We'd have let Regina explore her villainous side more before jumping over to hero camp.
13:27You wanted to see your queen?
13:30Well, my dears, here she is.
13:36Her thirst for power stems from deep-seated pain, grief, rejection, and anger,
13:41and those emotions don't just disappear overnight.
13:44And you'll be sent out of Storybook for good, and I will never have to see you again.
13:52I want to enjoy this while I still can.
13:55Enjoy what?
13:56Justice.
13:57The curse-breaking means everyone remembers who they were, but it doesn't magically erase bad feelings.
14:03Letting Regina explore these emotions would make more sense
14:06than sweeping them under the rug for the sake of the story.
14:09At the very least, she and Snow needed a real reckoning.
14:12But whatever it was, Regina, I'm sorry.
14:19I truly am.
14:22Apology not accepted.
14:24Only then would her journey towards becoming a hero feel authentic and less bitter.
14:29Instead of the heroes constantly preaching about goodness,
14:32they should have been telling Regina,
14:33hey, we know you're trying, we know it's hard, but keep doing your best,
14:37and don't beat yourself up over the setbacks because even heroes falter.
14:41Let's not forget our heroes have blood on their hands, too.
14:44Still, holding Regina accountable when she slips up is crucial.
14:48It's how you learn to do better.
14:50I was always the queen. It was you who added evil to my name.
14:54Good doesn't do what you do.
14:57Why?
14:59Regina, why go back to being this way after how hard you tried?
15:03And what did it get me?
15:04Regina's story arc could have helped viewers see themselves in her.
15:08Emma, my evil half is gone. I don't know how strong I am.
15:11Evil did not make you strong. Let's do this.
15:13You don't have to be perfect or a hero.
15:16You just have to be your best and most real self.
15:18You are not all evil, and I am not all good. Things are not that simple.
15:23We never would have written a storyline where Regina separates and tames her evil half.
15:28Instead, she'd acknowledge it as part of her.
15:31A messy part, but still part of who she is.
15:33I gave you some of my love.
15:36Love from Henry and Robin and the people I care most about.
15:42And in return, I'm taking back some of your darkness.
15:45She might have magic, but she's a real person, and real people have flaws.
15:49Our Regina would learn that every experience shaped who she is,
15:53and without them, she wouldn't be where she is now.
15:55Do you still regret it?
15:58Not walking through the door of that tavern all those years ago.
16:03If I had, I wouldn't be here.
16:06I wouldn't have Henry or my family or this town.
16:11Instead of trying to fit into the hero or villain box,
16:13we would have focused on Regina learning to accept herself as she is,
16:17without clinging to who she was or who she thinks she should be.
16:20People can be beautiful disasters, and can't be neatly boxed in,
16:24not even in a fairytale world, as the series shows time and time again.
16:29Thanks to the hero Regina's sacrifice, Isaac's villainous work was undone.
16:38OK, grab the tissues because we're going to talk about Robin.
16:41Regina and Robin could have been together earlier,
16:44but Regina wasn't ready to open her heart.
16:46The guy with the lion tattoo, that's him.
16:50Exceed us, doesn't lie.
16:52Come on, this is your chance at love and happiness.
16:56As sad as it was, maybe it was necessary,
16:59because Robin came back into her life at the perfect moment.
17:02Now, we're not saying you need a partner to fix you or make you complete,
17:06but Robin had a huge impact on Regina.
17:09What do you see in me?
17:12Preferably the same thing you see in me, a second chance.
17:17With his love, she finally starts to see what we, the audience, saw all along.
17:22She's capable of being good, she deserves redemption, and she deserves true love.
17:27Regina, with Robin, is the character we would have written.
17:30Robin died to protect me.
17:33That's what true love is, sacrifice.
17:38It's giving up everything for the person you love.
17:41We get it, the writers probably didn't want a man to be responsible for Regina's happiness,
17:46but we wouldn't have killed off two of Regina's love interests.
17:49Robin's death did show Regina's growth.
17:52She didn't react to Zelina the way that she did to Snow White,
17:55but still, we would have kept Robin around.
17:57Every time I look at you, I blame you for what happened.
18:01Me? What about Emma? She dragged you to hell.
18:04I chose to go, but you, I trusted you.
18:07And because of that, Robin's soul was obliterated.
18:11Not just because they're the cutest together,
18:13but because he was a catalyst for Regina's real healing.
18:16He told her all the things her hero friends didn't.
18:19Regina started her journey of self-love and acceptance
18:22because Robin helped her let her guard down.
18:24He didn't care about who she was, only who she is,
18:27and he showed her that it was okay not to be this perfect beacon of light.
18:31I've tried to live by that code every day of my life.
18:36Then why are you here?
18:38Because today is not one of those days.
18:42After he dies, Regina essentially goes back to feeling like she's a villain
18:46who can never find redemption.
18:48This brings us to Regina's happy ending.
18:50I thought my story came to an end a long time ago,
18:55and then new people came into my life.
18:58People who gave me a second chance.
19:01Sure, it's a nice full-circle moment when Snow crowns Regina as Queen of the Realms,
19:06but what happens next?
19:08Regina sits there on her throne, alone,
19:10thinking about everything that brought her to this moment.
19:13She sighs with relief, knowing she'll likely rule in peace,
19:16but then she remembers she only agreed to marry Snow's father
19:19after Cora killed Daniel.
19:21She wanted to spend her life with Daniel,
19:23and now her heart aches for Robin, too.
19:25She becomes aware that this isn't the life she wanted.
19:28Things might have turned out differently had I chosen you over...
19:33well, instead of...
19:36evil.
19:38You made mistakes, and now you're making up for them.
19:42In our fairy tale, Regina realises that the love of her people
19:46isn't the same as the love she lost.
19:48Despite the heartbreak, she decides she has to try to open her heart again.
19:52She puts Henry, Snow, or Emma in charge,
19:55and sets off on a new adventure to find what truly fulfills her.
19:58We're not saying it has to be a partner,
20:00but it has to be something that feeds her soul
20:03and makes her feel as alive as she did with the men she loved.
20:06Inside here lies the beginning of your happiness.
20:09All the pain in your past will be just that.
20:12The past.
20:13Whether she finds what she's looking for and returns to the throne,
20:16or discovers her happy ending elsewhere doesn't matter.
20:19What matters is that Regina heals her heart
20:22by embracing her true self and opening herself up to a real happy ending.
20:27Fresh start, no baggage.
20:29You can let go of all the anger that weighs you down.
20:32Go get him.
20:35Okay.
20:38Okay, I can do this.
20:41I can be happy.
20:43I know you can.
20:44Do you think Regina got the ending she deserved?
20:47Let us know in the comments.
20:49A happy beginning, then.
20:52I like to call it...
20:54a second chance.
20:56Do you agree with our picks?
20:58Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
21:00and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.