Once Upon a Time Gave Regina a New Love Interest

It's been a pretty long time since Regina (Lana Parrilla) had a love interest on Once Upon a Time, seeing as she's been steeped in grief over the death of the love of her life, Robin Hood (Sean Maguire). But that's over as a new man has come into her life. Whether that's a good thing or not is debatable.

Tonight's episode of Once Upon a Time revisited Dr. Facilier's (Daniel Francis) game of cat and mouse (or cat and... frog?) with Princess Tiana (Mekia Cox), as he warned of a terrible monster that would visit her shores as she ascended to the throne. In Hyperion Heights, he showed up to offer his investment into Roni's bar.

Regina alluded to having past dealings with Dr. Facilier -- both in the flashback to the Enchanted Forest and in present-day Hyperion Heights -- but she wasn't very specific about the extent of those dealings. Now we know they were pretty, um, intimate.

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After determining that he was very much awake in Hyperion Heights, Regina sent him and whatever offer he was peddling packing. In the Enchanted Forest? Not so much. Despite her best attempts to send him on his way after his latest face-off with Tiana, Regina couldn't seem to resist indulging in a kiss with her former flame. Whether that romance is still brewing is up in the air at this point. Regina didn't seem eager to rekindle the flame, but she did end up joining him in his apartment at the end of the episode. Hmm...

Introducing a new love interest for Regina at this point in the season (especially since we now know the series finale is quickly approaching) is an odd choice, and an even odder one considering how villainous Dr. Facilier seems. Regina's worked so hard to do away with her formerly wicked ways and be good, it seems like tempting fate to get romantically entangled with a man who is at best a trickster, at worst an evil sorcerer.

It's too soon to tell whether this relationship will be going anywhere in the past or present, but we can only hope Dr. Facilier's intentions are good. And if they're not? Regina better get to the bottom of whatever con he's pulling fast in order to put a stop to it.

Once Upon a Time airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC.