Be Careful What You Wish For

***Be Careful What You Wish For*** is the first episode of the eighth season of *Once Upon a Time*, and the 156th episode overall. The episode aired on October 5, 2018.

## Plot

### Past

In the Wish Realm, some time after being banished from the kingdom by Snow White and Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, with no magic, walks through the forest sulking. Suddenly, she is ambushed by the Wicked Witch of the West (Zelena). The Wicked Witch reveals that she is the Queen’s half-sister, abandoned by their mother Cora years ago. She is envious of how the Queen got everything, and wants to enact her revenge. The Wicked Witch knocks her half-sister out with magic.

The Evil Queen wakes up in a run-down shack with the Wicked Witch by her side. The Wicked Witch reveals her plan to cast a time-travel spell and go back in time to prevent the Evil Queen’s birth, and get everything she ever had. The Evil Queen, seeing the naivety in her half-sister, proposes a deal; the Wicked Witch can erase her from existence if she helps the Evil Queen get her revenge on Snow White first by taking over the kingdom. That way, if the Wicked Witch fails, she has already taken in the present. The Wicked Witch reluctantly agrees, and uses her magic to lower the shield on Snow White’s kingdom and return the Evil Queen’s powers.

Bickering, the half-sisters enter the Royal Castle, but are located by the Blue Fairy. The Wicked Witch easily proves herself extremely powerful, and the Blue Fairy flees to inform Snow White and David. The Wicked Witch and the Evil Queen prepare to enter Snow’s bedroom, but the Huntsman attacks. The Wicked Witch stays behind to stop him. The Evil Queen enters Snow’s bedroom, alarming Snow, David, their baby Emma and the Blue Fairy. The Evil Queen takes out Snow’s heart and prepares to crush it, but the Wicked Witch interrupts, revealing she was fooling her half-sister all along.

The Wicked Witch brags that she just wanted to ruin the Evil Queen’s at the most humiliating moment; then, she prepares to collect ingredients for her time-travel spell. She takes David’s courage and Snow’s heart, before fleeing with baby Emma. Snow and Blue rush after her, followed by the reluctant Evil Queen. The unlikely trio find the Wicked Witch at her shack, preparing to use her alter to cast the spell. The Wicked Witch tauntingly pours David’s courage into her cauldron. Blue blasts the villain back with light magic, and summons the heart and Emma, returning them to Snow. The cauldron tips over, allowing Blue to retrieve David’s courage. Enraged, the Wicked Witch angrily steals all of Emma’s courage. Declaring revenge on all of them, the Wicked Witch flees with Emma’s courage. The Evil Queen vows to track down the Wicked Witch and kill her, but warns her enemies not to become hopeful following their team-up; one day, she will return to kill Snow White.

### Present

Regina informs Zelena, Henry, Alice, Robin and Wish Hook of Operation Hope, in which they (the United Realms Royal Association) set out to search for lost citizens in the United Realms. Elsewhere, it is revealed that Wish Regina and some other villains (Wish Zelena, Wish Cruella, Wish Maleficent, Wish Ursula and Wish Pan) are having a meeting about their mysterious arrival in the new land. Wish Regina guesses that the Dark Curse brought them there, so the group leave to search the land for answers and find out who cast the curse.

Henry stops by Granny's Diner to inform Ella and Lucy of his new job at the Royal Castle, and asks Ella to join him, but she declines for Lucy's sake. The Wish Villains journey through the Dark Forest, where Wish Cruella speaks of her recent encounter with the heroes, including Henry. Wish Regina is curious as to why Henry has the same surname as her, prompting Wish Cruella to explain about the heroes. Meanwhile, said heroes rendezvous and decide to split up; Wish Hook, Alice and Robin go one way while Regina, Zelena and Henry go the other.

The latter trio soon encounter the Wish Villains, and an incredibly confused Wish Regina. Regina answers all of her counterpart’s questions, proudly revealing her redemption and what else happened following the Dark Curse. Wish Regina is not happy when she learns the Dark Curse was broken, meaning the last 30+ years of her life was a waste. The counterparts have a magic duel; however, when Regina gains the upper hand, the Wish Villains retreat. At the Mills House, Ella and Lucy discuss Henry's new job and getting their memories back.

Meanwhile, Alice, Robin and Hook find a man sleeping on a beach. The man awakens and introduces himself as the demi-god Maui. They take him back to Storybrooke, where he reveals his life story; he was abandoned by his parents and adopted by the gods. Over time, he grew narcissistic, and stole the heart of the goddess Te Fiti to impress those around him. However, he was banished, but redeemed by a teenage girl named Moana who helped him restore the heart. Meanwhile, the Wish Villains express their newfound desires to find all of their old enemies and get their revenge.

## Characters (in order of appearance)

* Evil Queen
* Evil Queen (Wish Realm)
* Peter Pan (Wish Realm)
* Wicked Witch of the West (Wish Realm) (first appearance)
* Cruella De Vil (Wish Realm)
* Maleficent (Wish Realm) (first appearance)
* Ursula (Wish Realm) (first appearance)
* Alice Jones
* Robin Hood, Jr.
* Wicked Witch of the West
* Henry Mills
* Captain Hook (Wish Realm)
* Cinderella (New Enchanted Forest)
* Lucy Mills
* Maui (first appearance)
* Blue Fairy (Wish Realm)
* Huntsman (Wish Realm) (first appearance)
* Queen Snow (Wish Realm)
* King David (Wish Realm)
* Princess Emma (Wish Realm)

## Locations (alphabetical)

* United Realms
	+ Enchanted Forest
		- Royal Castle
	+ Storybrooke
		- Granny's Diner
		- Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer
		- Storybrooke Cannery
		- Storybrooke Free Public Library
		- Storybrooke Harbor
	+ Wish Realm
		- Evil Queen's Palace (Wish Realm)
		- Royal Castle (Wish Realm)

### United Realms Cameos

* Arendelle
	+ Arendelle Castle
* Camelot
	+ Camelot Castle
* Chinese Village
* DunBroch
	+ DunBroch Castle
* Enchanted Forest
	+ Evil Queen's Palace
	+ King Midas' Castle
	+ Sir Maurice's Castle
* Land of Oz
	+ Emerald Castle
	+ Emerald City
* New Enchanted Forest
	+ Mother Gothel's Tower

## Trivia

### Timeline

* The past events take place in the Wish Realm after Alice is born in *Eloise Gardener* and before Wish Regina continues searching for Wish Zelena in *To Be Queen*.
* The present events take place after Regina becomes the Good Queen in *Leaving Storybrooke* and before Wish Zelena ambushes Oz in *Stay Strong*.