'Once Upon a Time': Big things happen in a 'Tiny' episode

By Jevon Phillips

Feb. 11, 2013 12 AM PT

In this “Tiny” episode of “Once Upon A Time,” another new resident of Storybrooke is introduced as Anton the Giant, shrunken and brought against his will by Cora and Capt. Hook, crashes his way through the town.

But first things first: Regina. We know that she and her mother Cora are cooking up some plan, the first part of which is to make herself known again. Regina does so, going to see Henry at Snow White and Emma’s place. But Snow and Henry left earlier for the airport with Mr. Gold, and his protective scarf, on a quest to find Gold’s son. Grrr, says Regina, and leaves.

Meanwhile Snow and Charming want to find Cora, so the best person to help them do that is a reluctant Hook. Hook leads them to his hidden ship to pick up clues. No Cora, but there is a weapon Cora planned to unleash: a giant. A “travel-sized” giant, as Grumpy put it, who freaks out at the sight of David/Charming. After smacking them around, Anton runs off.

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Flashback mode: We see Anton with his giant brethren eating dinner. He’s nicknamed Tiny, and yearns to make peace with the humans despite their warmongering, conquering ways. Their job is to plant and harvest the beans that allow passage between worlds. “We giants foster life; they destroy it.” That’s what their leader says, so Anton decides to go down and see the humans on his own.

Belle is still mentally unstable. Ruby visits her, trying to befriend her after her memory loss. Belle, though, is fixated on having been healed by Rumpelstiltskin, and by having seen his wield a ball of fire. She gets a bit agitated, doesn’t want anyone to call her ‘Belle,’ then gets a quick sedative injection by the nurse. She’s getting a bit annoying.

Rumpelstiltskin isn’t very sociable outside of Storybrooke. Just the simple act of going through airport security brings anxiety, and the possibility of losing his memory. Emma helps him through it, and Cinnabon gets a shout-out.

David figures out that the giant was angry at his twin brother James who, in a flashback, was told by King George to befriend the giant instead of killing him. Taking his ally, Jacklyn, or Jack to her friends, James found the giant and Jack gave him mushrooms to make him small. Jack got them after slaying a Jabberwock from a wise woman. Another Wonderland transport? The Jack of Hearts, maybe? Either way, the duo befriend Anton, and he tells them about the treasure -- and the beanstalk.

In Storybrooke, Regina, after meeting with Hook, finds Anton and gives him another mushroom. This one makes him big, and lets him rampage through the town, throwing cars and taking his rage out on David. Regina and Cora need a distraction to enact their plan.

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In the airport, a nervous Rumpelstiltskin, after being questioned by Emma and Henry, retreats to the airport bathroom. There he finds that his magic is failing (or has already failed) being outside of Storybrooke.

Back to the beanstalk in the past. Jack and James followed Anton up the beanstalk as he returned to get some of the giants’ treasure to help out the human kingdom. The humans proceeded to kill all of the giants, except Anton, in order to get all of the magic beans. Anton destroyed the beans so that the humans couldn’t get them. Sadly, Jack didn’t make it, so don’t expect to see her coming back to Storybrooke or something.

And in the present, Anton is still mad. In his giant size, he tries to squash David, and misses just as the mushroom wear off. Having smashed through the street, Anton was dangling in a pit. Charming saves him, despite almost being killed by him. And all misunderstandings are forgiven. Anton even tells them that he has the means to plant a beanstalk and harvest more beans that will allow Storybrooke residents to go back to the Enchanted Forest or their other homes. He becomes an honorary dwarf (“Tiny”) and begins to work on the field.

Epilogue one has Belle meeting up with Mr. Mendel, the outside man who had a crash in Storybrooke and happened to see Rumpelstiltskin perform magic. He tells Belle that she’s not crazy, and we know that these two will probably be cooking up something sooner or later.

Epilogue two has a potentially powerless Rumpelstiltskin looking frightful as the plane takes off with he, Emma and Henry bound for New York and a rendezvous with his son.

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