Ep 18. Bleeding Through

In Once Upon a Time season 3 episode 18 titled Bleeding Through, fans are taken back in time to learn more about Regina's past. As the episode opens Regina is struggling to deal her issues following her breakup with Robin. Henry tries to convince Regina to open up about her past, reminding her how important it is to not only move on, but to also learn from the past. Out of desperation to forget the present, Regina agrees to revisit her past.

The episode is told using a flashback technique, taking viewers back to Regina's past life with her mother Cora. The young Regina, desperate for love and acceptance from her mother, seeks her approval by trying to use magic. As expected, the attempts to impress her mother are unsuccessful, and this leads to Regina meeting a charming man named Daniel. The two fall in love quickly, and Regina can't wait to tell her mother about him.

However, news of Regina's love for Daniel only makes Cora angrier and more controlling. Regina is left feeling more alone than ever before. This raw emotion leads Regina to seek the help of a new friend. A mysterious woman named Zelena offers to use her powers to help Regina obtain her mother's love. As one would expect, this ends up being a really bad idea.

The viewer learns more about Zelena's history and how her story is intertwined with that of Regina's. Zelena persuades Regina to use magic in an attempt to obtain Cora's love. Once again, Cora denies Regina the love and acceptance she desperately wants. Cora sees Regina as a failure since her daughter can’t master simple magic. Regina's feelings of desperation, coupled with Zelena’s manipulations, lead her to place a spell to take place on her wedding day with Daniel in order to force Cora to love her.

Over time, Regina begins to realise the severity of what she has done. She realises that love cannot be forced, and her mother was never going to accept her for who she was. When Daniel discovers the spell his response is heartbreaking for Regina. This ultimately leads to Regina using magic in a way she should not for the first time, exacting her revenge on one of the most important people in her life and setting her on a path from which there would be no return.

Throughout the episode, numerous questions are answered, such as how Regina became the powerful villain everyone knows and loves, why Zelena was doing what she was doing, and how Regina ended up adopting Henry. The show also introduces characters we haven't seen before, like Zelena and a young Snow White.

The story in Episode 18 of Once Upon a Time season 3 is incredibly layered, and many of the seemingly impossible questions earlier seasons presented are answered. However, Bleeding Through also leaves the viewer with new questions, keeping the overall plot interesting, intriguing and engaging.

In conclusion, Once Upon a Time season 3 episode 18 takes viewers on an emotional roller coaster, as Regina's past is revealed in detail. The episode features great performances from the cast, as well as an engaging, well-written and well-executed story. With plenty of twists, revelations and new questions, Bleeding Through proved to be an excellent addition to the series.