‘Once Upon a Time’ season 3, episode 16 preview: Lana Parrilla, Rebecca Mader, and a showdown

If you have been waiting for the showdown of all showdowns on “Once Upon a Time” season 3, then we have a gift that is going to be right up your alley: The new preview for Sunday night’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green” that sets up what will be a huge moment coming up a little later in this episode.

This moment, which places Lana Parrilla’s character of Regina front and center against Rebecca Mader’s Zelena, is technically the second time that we’ve seen the confession that the Wicked Witch and the Evil Queen are related. But, Regina doesn’t know that. Zelena turns Granny’s Diner into the Unhappiest Place on Earth, and tells Regina to research her family history, and then meet her on the street a little later at night for them to talk all about it.

This entire video seems to be a precursor to the other sneak peek that we’ve shared, at least given that Regina doesn’t seem to be questioning the sisters’ relationship to each other in that one. The suggestion and the feeling is still there that there will be major conflict ahead, but there is still one thing that feels missing: The motivation. Through all of this drama, we still don’t have a complete understanding as to why Zelena is doing some of the things that she is. Some of the flashbacks in this episode will start to explain it, and on the surface, her hatred seems more born out of a lengthy period of hatred and anger than something that popped in her head over time.

Also, the Dark One will be involved. He always seems to be.

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Photo: ABC