Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 4 Review: Strange Case 

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have exited the story just as quickly as they came into it. 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 4 was full of unexpected turns and revelations, all leading up to the final one of the hour: Princess Jasmine is in Storybrooke in search of Aladdin.

"Strange Case" left us with a lot to discuss, so let\'s just get right into it!

There\'s one final twist -- I am not the monster you need to worry about.

Permalink: There\'s one final twist -- I am not the monster you need to worry about.

It seems like a shame to have the Jekyll and Hyde story end so abruptly.

Just as Sam Witwer\'s Hyde was stealing the show as the most charismatic and multi-dimensional villain Once Upon a Time has seen in years, his fate was revealed to be tied to Jekyll\'s. 

And let\'s all just admit it: Jekyll messed up BIG TIME.

His big plan was always to pay back Rumplestiltskin for the death of his beloved Mary (who was NOT into him, like, at all), and he made his best attempt at killing Belle. 

It goes to show that man can never remove his inner beast completely – he can only learn to control it. 

These stories, they\'re going to play themselves out whether you like it or not, and I sense you may not.

Permalink: These stories, they\'re going to play themselves out whether you like it or not, and I sense...

Obviously, this was tied to Rumplestiltskin (who got a new haircut?) because of his own beastly struggles. 

I\'ve always loved the intricate way the writers connect every fairytale universe together, but I have to admit that using Rumplestiltskin (and the Evil Queen) as the source of evil doings in nearly EVERY universe is growing tired. Are there really no other villains out there? Does it always have to be the Dark One or the Evil Queen?

Now, back to my agitation that we\'re saying goodbye to Mr. Hyde so soon. 

This flashback only solidified my enjoyment of Hyde as a villain. He balanced that fine line between comedy, menace, and just being human. (Hey, that\'s a show that Sam Witwer was on also!)

It find it a tragedy in storytelling that the show can\'t seem to move on to something new and exciting and stick to it. This is why Snow White\'s "defeat and repeat" sentiment resonated with me so strongly on Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 3.

I think we\'ve just discovered the only foolproof way to destroy one\'s doppelganger - by killing the original.

Permalink: I think we\'ve just discovered the only foolproof way to destroy one\'s doppelganger - by...

Mr. Hyde and the Evil Queen as a duo had enormous potential for this season. It\'s just a shame that in order to give viewers the revelation that the only foolproof way to stop the Evil Queen is for Regina to die needed to come at the hands of such a fresh character.

Once he tried to kill Belle, I was totally done with him. Though, I might have enjoyed seeing Jekyll go totally mad before he met his demise. 

Killian stepped in to save Belle, thanks to his mermaid magic, and now it seems that Rumple will be in debt to him. I\'m really looking forward to seeing how exactly that will play out. 

Rumple\'s got a big problem on his hands, and no one can help him but himself. He HAS to stop handling Belle with kid gloves. He needs to realize that she can kick some serious ass on her own. The lies need to stop, and so do the tricks. 

Love isn\'t science, and it\'s not magic either.

Belle: Threats won\'t make me love you, Rumple.

If Rumbelle is ever going to survive (and I really hope that they do, because Beauty and the Beast!), then Rumple has got to stop trying to control everything and treat Belle like the woman he fell in love with, before he started trying to manipulate every situation she ever walked into. 

Rumple\'s speech at the end was completely accurate – their child will absolutely be marked. (See above: Rumple is the villain in EVERY story.) Belle would do well to keep that in mind and try to find a way to work toward civility with her husband. She\'s tough, sure, but he\'s right. 

Although, he could have said all of that without the threats.

Once Upon a Time Photos from "Strange Case"

Elsewhere in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret returned to teaching, only to discover that she\'s really rusty. 

Luckily her new pal Princess Jasmine was by her side to encourage her and get her back on track. 

Now, I *think* that this was supposed to come off as a surprise, that Princess Jasmine was in Storybrooke.

But here\'s the thing: ABC has been showing those, "IN TWO WEEKS...ALADDIN AND JASMINE\'S STORY..." promos several times during every episode that\'s aired this season, so the second I saw her, I immediately connected the dots, and that final "twist" just felt like a "yeah, I already knew that," moment. 

That being said, I\'m cautiously optimistic about seeing Aladdin played out on Once Upon a Time. I wasn\'t a fan of the Frozen arc, but something about this one looks really fun, especially if it fleshes out the Savior story.

And speaking of the Savior, it was really nice to see how bothered David was by Emma and Hook\'s impending cohabitation. I always enjoy watching David getting retroactively protective of his daughter.

Moments when he sets aside his \'Prince Charming\' hat and puts on his \'#1 Dad\' hat are fun, and remind us that the family dynamic is still strong with the Charmings, even despite those decades that they missed out on. 

What do you think, TV Fanatics? Were you happy to see an end to the Jekyll and Hyde story, or were you hoping they\'d stick around a little longer? What are your first impressions of Princess Jasmine? Can Belle and Rumple ever get over their differences and find love again? Sound off in the comments below!

As always, you can watch Once Upon a Time online right here at TV Fanatic and catch up on all of the moments you may have missed!

Christine Laskodi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and listen to her podcast devoted to all things \'ships at The Shipping Room.

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Permalink: These stories, they're going to play themselves out whether you like it or not, and I sense...

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