tbf Cass WAS really hot in this episode!

The episode progresses as normal until the confrontation in Rapunzel's bedroom. The eclipse happens and Cassandra is about to seize the Sundrop from Rapunzel. Then, instead of Cassandra taking it, there's a brilliant flash of light as the Sundrop and Moonstone produce a sort of time/space anomaly in which Cassandra and Rapunzel's minds are transferred back to Rapunzel's tower, during the moment right before Eugene went back to save Rapunzel.

Instead, we see Moon Cass standing outside the once again fully intact tower. She climbs it (easily due to her powers) and goes inside to see Rapunzel chained and gagged, just as she was when Eugene found her. As Rapunzel looks up fearfully at Cassandra, Cassandra approaches, not quite knowing what to do. As she looks down at Rapunzel, her urge to protect the princess clashing with her urge to destroy her and seize the Sundrop, we see Gothel come in. She congratulates Cassandra and tells her how proud of her she is, and that once Cassandra takes the Sundrop, she'll be able to use her powers to make Gothel young permanently, while also being the daughter she always wanted. Cassandra then looks at Rapunzel, who can't get the gag off but is trying to tell Cassandra that in spite of everything, she's still a good person and doesn't have to do this. Cassandra reaches for the Sundrop, but something doesn't feel right. She turns to Gothel, who continues trying to tempt her. Cassandra asks Gothel if she ever really loved her, and of course Gothel says that she did and that Cassandra is the most wonderful daughter a mother could have, then tells her to embrace her destiny and take the Sundrop. Cassandra looks at Rapunzel again, and then at Gothel, who reaches for her with a smile. Cassandra looks at her hand, then at Rapunzel, whose eyes go from being fearful for herself to being fearful for Cassandra, accepting whatever Cassandra does to her while silently trying to tell her that she cares about her no matter what.

Cassandra then looks around the room, and in a brief series of flashbacks, remembers how Gothel treated her, and also realizes how she treated Rapunzel all those years... keeping her trapped, chaining her up... their eyes meet one more time, and in that look, Cassandra learns everything about Gothel and Rapunzel's relationship that she needs to know. She then turns to Gothel, and in a brief but powerful rant, she denounces her biological mother, angrily advancing on her and condemning her not only for how she treated her as a little child but Rapunzel as well. Gothel goes to stab Cassandra, but with her powers, Cassandra pushes Gothel out the window, sending her falling to her doom (at the same time, we see Zhan Tiri getting blasted away from Rapunzel and Cassandra, she hits the wall and looks stunned at first, then looks down at a glowing orb in her hand (which turns out to be the Sundrop taken from Rapunzel) and smiles). Cassandra then turns to Rapunzel, gently freeing her from her bonds and apologizing. Rapunzel just tells Cassandra that she knew she'd make the right decision and that she's proud of her, and after Rapunzel's chains are removed, the two embrace and return to Rapunzel's bedroom, still hugging each other as the anomaly fades.

Afterwards, the scene still continues like it did originally, with Zhan Tiri sneaking up and grabbing the Moonstone for herself while Cassandra is distracted (probably as she's parting from the embrace with Rapunzel). The two are still trapped, but Cassandra's redemption/apology scene while trapped with Rapunzel is somewhat shortened, as a lot of ground has already been covered inside the anomaly. The rest of the finale would proceed as it did normally.

So yeah... these (fairly small) changes would have MASSIVELY improved how I enjoyed the finale and Cassandra's redemption. Cassandra FINALLY gets to confront Gothel (even if it's a sort of time/space mind trick conjured by Zhan Tiri). Cassandra gets her redemption BEFORE being tricked by Zhan Tiri, making it much more heartful and meaningful. Cassandra even gets to "save" Rapunzel. It's just so much better all the way around and would have elevated the finale to perhaps my favorite television episode of all time, rather than just inside the top ten.