This week on Once Upon A Time, number one frenemies Emma and Regina “team up” to find the delightfully evil Snow Queen, who now has a snow lair. And we, as the audience, are taught never to give up on people (or television shows). Lesson learned, OUaT.

Both Emma and Elsa are determined to get back their memories and learn who the mysterious Snow Queen is. Emma finds a picture she doesn’t remember of herself and the ice cream lady from when she first came to Storybrooke. Huh, funny, I don’t remember that scene! Emma thinks Regina might know something about it. Emma also lets Elsa know that when you screw someone over, there’s no getting them back.

Cut to: grumpy Regina, who is also looking for the Snow Queen, so she can unfreeze Marian. She demands that her mirrored prisoner, Sidney, find the Snow Queen. When Emma stops by and asks about Sidney (who took the picture she found), Regina lies about knowing where Sidney is. Meanwhile, Elsa, who is waiting in the car, sees a vision of her beloved Anna calling for help. She runs off after her, even making an ice bridge to cross a steep cliff to reach her. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ELSA A NEW SET OF CLOTHES? My god, she needs to change her dress. Sorry, not sorry.

Sidney reports back to Regina that he found the Snow Queen and tries to barter for his freedom, but Regina is not biting. He leads her (as a handheld pocket mirror) towards the Snow Queen. Regina runs into Emma, who is looking for Elsa. Emma wants to team up and Regina can’t control her sarcastic comebacks. It’s great. Regina obviously can’t get over Emma ruining her life and apparently finds it hard to take a compliment. Regina, let it go…!

Elsa finds “Anna” but it turns out the Snow Queen was just creating an illusion to lure Elsa there and trap her in ice chains that grow stronger with Elsa’s fear. I think she is trying to teach Elsa a lesson about letting go of her fear? She’s off to build a snowman now. Groan.

Emma and Regina reach Elsa’s snow bridge. Emma is hesitant, but Regina charges through before a frosty wind blasts them and the bridge starts collapsing. It is revealed that Sidney betrayed Regina and is working for the Snow Queen! Emma can’t believe Regina lied to her. How is she not surprised? But they have bigger problems because the Snow Queen did in fact build a snowman – a giant, evil armored snowman. Emma and Regina realize that they can defeat the snowman together with their hand powers. And defeat it they do!

Their celebration is short lived because the Snow Queen appears and steals Regina’s mirror and then choke holds both women just like a modern day ice Darth Vader. Elsa suddenly appears and blasts the Snow Queen to the ground. She broke out of her fear chains by saying “I am not afraid” out loud. Wow, that was easy. The Snow Queen seems impressed and then disappears. Regina also disappears into smoke, just mad about everything and anything.

The oh-so-wise Elsa tells Emma never give up on people. So, Emma once again goes to Regina, telling her she isn’t going to give up on her and Regina admits that she doesn’t want to kill Emma. That’s a start.

The Snow Queen goes back to her snow lair and frees Sidney and sends him on his way. She didn’t need him, just the mirror – which is imbued with dark magic power. The Snow Queen apparently has an obsession with mirrors, saying they reflect our “essence” and our tiny souls. Ok then. She keeps announcing that she will finally get what she wants… She cracks Regina’s mirror and puts a piece of it into her own cracked mirror. It becomes whole again and she finally tells us her motive: “I will have a family that loves me!” Alrighty, seems like a good motivation. Can I just say that I adore Elizabeth Mitchell and love everything she does? So, that is where I am coming from.

No flashback to Arendelle and our favorite sisters this week. Instead, we flashback to 1998, where people should NOT be making “Harry Potter” references in America yet. But, I won’t be a stickler for anachronistic pop culture references. Anyways, teenage Emma befriends another ragamuffin teenage delinquent named Lily (Nicole Munoz). They steal from a store together, break into an empty mansion together, and play video games together (Fun fact: Hot Pursuit is a great game!) They also find a camcorder and decide to tape themselves, declaring their BFFness. Unfortunately for orphan Emma, but Lily actually has a family and was adopted. Her dad has been trying to find her, not a social worker. Young Emma is PISSED and gives up on Lily. She shan’t be her friend anymore! I mean, they literally knew each other for 1 whole day, so there shouldn’t be such attachment. Hmm, this flashback story seems to perfectly mirror the present day BFFness, or lack thereof, between Emma and Regina. OMG, I said mirror. And mirrors are powerful and relect the essence of our tiny souls, says the Snow Queen. Okay, sure.

Back in the present day, Emma and Killian rifle through her childhood things and find the camcorder that Emma and Lily filmed themselves on. Wow, she’s been lugging that around with her this whole time? Didn’t they confiscate it after she was turned in to the social worker? Hmm. Well, after the clip of Lily and Emma, the tape cuts to a new scene. One Emma doesn’t remember. OMG, who is that in the scene? Why it’s the Snow Queen and she apparently was Emma’s foster mother! Dun, dun, dun… (okay, totally predictable and knew that was coming!).

In a third lesser plotline, Mary Margaret has become unbearably annoying and useless. I can see why Regina can’t stand her. She’s a helicopter mom with boundary issues. David wants to take her on a date, but she’s worried about their son. Later, they discover jovial Will Scarlett escaped from his cell. They search for him. David tells her to go home and almost IMMEDIATELY she finds Will Scarlett digging on the beach. Wow, is David that dumb? Mary Margaret then convinces herself that David set this all up to give her spirit back. She gives him way more credit than he’s due because he had nothing to do with it. So, Mary Margaret pardoned Will on the basis of David’ smarts. Once again, is David that dumb?

Side note: David also mentions cross-universe world Asgard, which is from the movie Thor, which actor person Josh Dallas starred in. I think it’s fun to have little easter eggs, but it really made no sense that David would know at all what Asgard is.

Another side note: No Rumplestitskin this week! Very interesting!

And that is it for this week! Things are definitely advancing and leading somewhere. I mean, the Snow Queen literally spelled out her motive for what she is doing. How she is going to get that is beyond me. Emma and Regina’s relationship is probably the core of the show, so I would love to see more of them interacting. It’s fun to see their sarcastic banter. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, stay cool, Oncers.

Once Upon A Time airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC. Watch full episodes on ABC.Go.com.