Merida, David, and Emma look down on Arthur's dead body. Emma recognizes at once that Hades killed him. She immediately decides that they have to stop Hades by killing him. David stops her as she goes charging off. He tells her to slow down. They don't know if they even can defeat Hades or how to do it. David doesn't think that Emma is thinking clearly because of her grief. She insists that she is only trying to protect Storybrooke. David wants her to start dealing with Hook's death by grieving. 
 
Hiding out in Regina's office, Zelena complains about Regina not trusting her and how Regina and Robin threatened Hades. Hades suggests that he turn himself in, but Zelena refuses. Hades then suggests an alternative course of action. They must defend themselves. He shows her the broken Olympian Crystal that he stole from Zeus. Once he fixes it, they will be unstoppable. 
 
Outside the Storybrooke Town Hall, Emma, Charming, Regina, Robin, and Merida discover that Zelena has cast a protection spell. Regina suggests that they sneak into the building via a secret underground tunnel. She and Robin can use the tunnel to get his daughter back and to talk some sense into Zelena. Emma wants to come too, but Regina tells her that she is too emotional and is not thinking straight. This upsets Emma. David tries to calm her by saying that they still don't know how to stop Hades. They need to figure it out because once they have the baby, Hades will come after them.
 
Robin and Regina enter the secret tunnel. As they walk, Regina apologizes for trusting Zelena with Robin's daughter. Regina tries to defend Zelena, but Robin is less than forgiving. Regina is stunned by his attitude.

In the Game of Thorns flower shop, Gold confronts Moe French, Belle's father. Gold tells him that Belle needs him. She is under a sleeping curse and only True Love's Kiss can wake her. Moe refuses to help. He hates the fact that Belle is with Gold, not understanding how Gold could get a beautiful woman like Belle to love him. He would rather see Belle cursed than with Gold. Rumple reintroduces Moe to an old friend, the Cane of Pain, slamming it down on the counter causing Moe to flinch with the painful memory of Gold beating him with it. Still Moe refuses. He would rather die than help Rumple. As Gold starts to threaten Moe again, Emma interrupts and tells Moe to leave, and he quickly departs. She asks Rumple for his help informing him that Hades is in Storybooke, and she hopes that Gold knows how to kill Hades. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you?" Rumple states, "You're the one who got us into this mess." He departs, leaving Emma discouraged. 
 
Hook and Arthur enter Hades' throne room. They search for the lost storybook pages. Hook is sure that the pages will reveal Hades' weakness. Unable to find them, Hook is frustrated. Killian promised Emma that he would help her, and he can't move on until fulfilling that promise. He asks Arthur as a king where would he hide his treasure. Arthur responds, "The most important stuff I hid where no one would dare touch; my throne." Arthur searches Hades' antique barber's chair and finds the missing pages in a hidden compartment. He hands them to Hook, who scans them quickly. He knows he has to get them immediately to Emma. They contain information on how to destroy a god.
 
Hook and Arthur return to Granny's diner in Underbrooke. They are there to talk to Cruella, who is sipping gin and scoping out the handsome new addition to the Underworld: Arthur. Hook demands that she tell them where the phone booth is so that they can contact their friends in the other world. She confesses that she destroyed it. She wasn't about to let people resolve their unfinished business and escape the Underworld. If she was trapped, then everyone else should be trapped with her. Hook then remembers the storybook. He asks Cruella about its location. It is in sight, but out of reach, she informs him. She put it in the River of Lost Souls. Hook confides in Arthur that if they can get their hands on that book, there may be a way to save Emma.

​Emma enters the Storybrooke library where the Charmings and Merida are researching how to defeat Hades. Snow asks Emma to help them, but she says she doesn't have time to look through books. As Emma turns to leave, David stops her. He knows she is hurting, but she shouldn't be bent on revenge. Emma swears she is not out for revenge. She can't grieve Hook's death because she knows he’s trapped in the Underworld in pain, and the last thing she told him was to move on.  David agrees that they have to help Hook. Snow tells Emma to sit down and help them find a way to defeat Hades for Hook. Emma complies reluctantly. 
 
Hades uses his powers to mend the Olympian Crystal slowly. He tells Zelena that his brother didn't want him to have it, so he broke the crystal. Hades didn't have the power to put it back together. But, thanks to Zelena, he has his heart back and can mend the crystal. Hades swears that once it’s whole, they can show everyone that they were wrong about the two of them. Hades suggests that they can live any life they want, and they could even rule Storybrooke together.  Zelena's dreams are simpler than Hades’. She just wants to live a peaceful life with Hades and her baby. Hades tells her that they have to make a show of strength before they can survive. The phone rings. Hades answers it to find Gold on the other end of the line. Rumple offers Hades a deal, his protection for a piece of the Olympian Crystal. Hades is surprised that Rumple knows anything about the crystal, but Rumple is aware of any powerful magic brought into Storybrooke.  Hades passes on the deal. 
 
Robin and Regina finally reach the underground entrance to the town hall. Once again Regina apologizes for allowing Zelena to take his daughter. Robin is more forgiving now and agrees that they owe Zelena another chance. "We all have the capability to change and the future is not written by our past," Robin states and they kiss passionately. Without any plan, they enter in hopes of saving Robin's daughter.

​In a boat on the River of Lost Souls, Hook and Arthur approach its source. Arthur glances downward to see lost souls swimming around them. Hook warns him not to touch the water, or he will become a lost soul as well. As the boat docks, they see the book resting in the hands of a gargoyle. Hook leaves Arthur to guard the boat as he climbs the stair to retrieve the book. A lost soul emerges from the river and attacks Arthur and tries to drag him into the water. Hook reverses course to help Arthur despite Arthur's plea to go for the book instead. Hook wards off the demon with a torch. Once again Hook climbs to the book; another demon emerges to grab the book first.  Arthur calls to Hook to toss him the torch. He then strikes the demon with it, destroying the lost soul. The book goes flying towards the river, but Hook dives for it and manages to retrieve it before it’s lost. 

​Arthur complains that Hook never told him that the lost souls could attack. Hook theorizes that now Hades is gone, there is no one keeping them under control. Hook opens the storybook and tells Arthur how it can cross realms. By returning the torn pages, Hook can help Emma defeat Hades. The missing pages are about the Olympian Crystal, the one thing that can destroy a god.  Hook closes the book hoping that Emma will find the pages.
 
In the Storybrooke library, Emma researches. She sees the storybook nearby. Emma opens it to see an illustration of her and Hook dancing at her first ball. She is sad and quickly closes the book.  She puts it on a stack behind her, out of sight. As she returns to her research, the storybook magically opens and turns to the missing pages. Hearing it, Emma is surprised and quickly turns to look at it. She picks up the book to see the drawing of the Olympian Crystal. She smiles, knowing that Hook has helped her from the other side.  

Hades successfully mends the broken crystal. He is giddy with happiness. Zelena suggests that they just take it and leave Storybrooke, but Hades is determined to rule over it. Regina and Robin secretly listen to the other couple just outside the office door. Robin spies his daughter through the doorway. They need a distraction to get into the office and grab the baby. Suddenly the lights flicker. Emma is outside, trying to bring down Zelena's protection spell. Zelena decides to go out and confront Emma. Hades, grabbing the crystal, leaves to search for other intruders. After they leave, Regina and Robin manage to enter the office and retrieve the baby, but they are surprised by Hades. 
 
As Emma tries to break Zelena's protection spell on the town hall and is confronted by Zelena.  Emma tells Zelena that she is not trying to hurt her. Emma knows that Hades has the crystal and what he can do with it. Angry, Zelena zaps Emma, throwing her to the ground. She grabs the pages from Emma and reads them. Her expression changes as she learns about the crystal. She now firmly believes that Emma wants to kill her love, Hades. 
 
Inside the mayor's office, Robin picks his crying daughter to comfort her. They are surprised by Hades and the crystal. Robin puts his daughter back in her bassinet. He warns Hades to stay away from his daughter, but Hades isn't after the baby. Hades wants to kill Regina instead. Regina tells him that if he kills her, he will lose Zelena forever. Hades will never let Zelena find out. The crystal doesn't just kill. It totally wipes out a person and their soul out of existence. No afterlife. No possibility of moving on to a better world. As Hades raises the crystal to strike Regina down, Robin jumps in front of her, taking the full blast of the crystal. Hades laughs as Robin slowly turns to Regina. His body and soul separate, and his body drops to the ground, dead. Regina is frozen as she gazes tearfully at Robin's spirit.They reach for each other, but his soul disintegrates and disappears. He died sacrificing himself for love. Regina, dropping to her knees, holds Robin's lifeless body. Hades raises the crystal again, pointing it at Regina and laughing. 

Zelena returns, surprised at the scene before her. Regina blames Hades, and he counters saying that they attacked him. He was only defending himself. Regina accuses him of lying and telling Zelena that she only wanted to protect her from Hades. Zelena is confused and tries to figure out who is lying to her. Hades confesses that he trapped them in the Underworld and promised that they can rule Storybrooke together once they destroy their enemies. Frustrated, Zelena wonders why they can't just live a happy life together. 

​As Hades and Zelena are distracted by their disagreement, Regina makes a move for the crystal, knocking it out of Hades' hand. Zelena grabs it first. Hades tells her to kill Regina. Regina pleads with Zelena. She defended her and believed in her when no one else did. Regina tells Zelena that Robin died to protect her. That's what True Love is; sacrifice. Zelena realizes that Hades won't give up anything for her. He is bent on power and revenge. Hades tries to provoke Zelena into using the crystal on Regina, but she uses it on him instead, stabbing him in the chest. Hades becomes a pile of ash. Zelena weeps, horrified and distraught. Regina returns to Robin's body and is joined by her sister, Zelena. They hug and try to comfort each other.  

​In the Underworld, Hook thanks Arthur for helping him on his quest. A portal to paradise opens. Hook has completed his unfinished business by helping Emma defeat Hades. Arthur decides to stay behind in the Underworld. It was prophesied that he would repair a broken kingdom, and he now realized that it wasn't Camelot, it was the Underworld. Hook crosses through the portal and is greeted by Zeus on the other side. He thanks Killian for helping the heroes destroy his misguided brother, Hades. Zeus escorts Hook onward to where he belongs.
 
Emma stands by Killian's grave in the rain. Tearfully, she places a flask of rum next to the flowers. Emma thanks him for the missing pages and tells him that Hades is gone. She knows that she should feel happy about him moving on to a better place, but now she has to accept that he is gone. 
 
A crowd gathers at Robin's funeral. His friends and loved ones lay arrows decorated with roses on his casket. Henry hands an arrow to Regina. With a broken heart, she places the arrow. Zelena, carrying her baby, moves to be next to her sister. The crowd begins to disperse. "He never even got to name his daughter." Regina says mournfully. "There's only one name that I can think of that is fitting." replies Zelena, "Robin." They leave together. 
 
Emma steps forward to Robin's casket next to Snow.  Snow reminds Emma not to blame herself.  Emma asks to be alone to say goodbye to Robin, and Snow leaves. As Emma stands alone, she is suddenly hit with a flash of magic. Hook materializes behind her. He softly calls her name. Surprised, she turns to face him. She can't believe her eyes. They run to each other and kiss passionately. Their ordeal is finally over.  

     The flashback this week was all about Emma. We met Cleo, a bailbonds woman who finds Emma with the intention of taking her back to Phoenix for skipping bail. Cleo gives Emma some leeway and decides to let her stay in town one more day to try and find out more information about where and who left her when she was a baby. Unfortunately for Emma, there isn't anything new for her to learn, but the two women strike up a begrudging sort of friendship in the short time they have together. As it turns out, Cleo gave up a daughter for adoption and can feel for Emma's struggle. In a moment of advice that will start Emma on a journey to who we know her as now, Cleo tells Emma that she has to protect herself, that the jacket she herself wears is armor and Emma should find a way to protect herself as well. She also tells Emma that she needs to let go of the struggle to understand why she was abandoned and move on. Cleo is hurt after she and Emma escape the police while searching records and Emma is forced to leave her bleeding and presumably dead in an alleyway. 

     In current time, the heroes are struggling with several obstacles in the Underworld. Hades asks for help from our heroes to get Zelena back from Pan and Rumple. The contract is indeed torn up, releasing the Rumbelle baby from Hades' future grasp. Zelena is freed as Pan and Rumple poof away, clearly with a very strained relationship between the two. In a shocking but fantastic moment, Zelena and Hades share a kiss which, BOOM, turns out to be True Loves Kiss! Hades' heart is restarted and he is ready to get the hell out of Hades for lack of a better phrase. He tells Emma and Hook about the ambrosia tree that lies deep in the Underworld, which will allow Hook to be free of this purgatory he's in. Unfortunately, despite that TLK, Hades is a true villain and plans to trap everyone in the Underworld while he lies to Zelena and escapes to rule Storybrooke with her. 

    After a perilous journey down, and a test that proves Emma and Hook really do feel True Love for each other, they are dealt a harrowing blow. The ambrosia tree was cut down by Hades years before, and there is no fruit left to save Hook. The two say a very emotional good bye, with Emma begging Hook not to let her be his unfinished business. As she rises in the elevator, they grasp hands as long as they can, until finally they can no longer touch. The heroes make it to the portal just in time, and return to Storybrooke.

     In Rumbelle news, Rumple kissed Belle and confirmed that, sadly, his kiss will not wake her. What do you do with your wife who is under a sleeping curse when you need to travel? You put her in a box of course! A tiny box, just right for carrying in your pocket. Rumple made us all think he had truly crossed that unforgivable line this week by taking Robin's heart, but as it turns out, he put it back when we weren't looking! It was all a ruse to fool his Father of the Year parent, Peter Pan, who thought he was getting Robin's heart and a one-way first class ticket to Storybrooke. Sorry Dad, it was only the best water balloon EVER, filled with water from the River of Lost Souls. Bye Bye Pan, parting is such sweet.... well, its just sweet.

     This week's episode gave us a much loved look into the origin of Emma's jacket. We have seen her put it on like armor for the past several seasons and finally it was actually called that on the show. We got a great opening that mimicked the opening of the pilot, driving home the fact that the character of Cleo was very much what Emma would become in time. The ties continued when we learned that Cleo had given a daughter up for adoption, very much like Emma had given up a son and had been given up herself. In a really lovely wrap up of Cleo's story, Emma was able to find Tasha (Cleo's daughter) and tell her about her mom. At the same time she was able to suit up, find her own armor and let go of some things that were holding her back. We can visually see Emma becoming who she is in current time. The subtle shift that putting on our own armor can affect in us, is very much evident in Emma. 

 This week's episode had a much-awaited reunion between Emma and Hook, but not without 
complications from older brother, Liam. We also see more of the Brothers Jones' past. And Henry takes matters into his own hands.

We start off with Henry and Cruella riding in Cruella's car. They are trying to find the quill. Cruella tells him they are looking for some kind of sign. Henry then sees a bright red light off in the distance and asks Cruella to stop. Henry sneaks away from Cruella and bumps into the Apprentice. The Apprentice tells him that Henry is his unfinished business, and he's here to tell Henry not to resurrect Cruella, that it would be a terrible mistake. Henry is in disbelief that the pen can bring someone back, unlike what the Apprentice told him before. He replies that the rules are a little more flexible in the Underworld. The Apprentice says he should record the stories as they are, but Henry says he is sick of the stories, and being on the sidelines. He wants to help Emma, not Cruella. The Apprentice then says that the quill is in the Sorcerer's mansion, protected by a spell, but he needs a key to find it, which the sheriff took. If Henry can find the key, the quill is his.

,Back at Emma's house, Killian asks why Liam is down here, but Liam does not know. Killian says that Hades fixed it so no one can leave, and his brother is proof of that. The only way everyone can be free is if they defeat Hades once and for all. Liam says there have been others who have tried to overthrow Hades before and that there's a book that has the power to defeat him. Liam would  find it himself, but he doesn't know what to look for. Emma says that she thinks it's a storybook, like Henry's. 

In the Charming's apartment, they are frantically looking for the book. Snow thinks it could be in her closet, like where she found Henry's. But they come up empty. Regina says that's not a surprise, since Henry's book was about hope, and there's not a lot of that in the Underworld. As Emma is looking, Liam interrupts, wanting to talk. Emma asks if it's the protective big brother talk because she's not good enough for Killian. But Liam replies he already knows she's not good enough. This takes Emma aback. Liam says that it's her fault Killian is down there and argues with her about how she didn't let him die a hero. Emma says she's risking everything by coming to save him. Liam asks if that's what he needs, or what she needs, and that when Hook defeats Hades she should just stop thinking about her desires, and let him go.

 Henry enters then with his grandparents and tells them about what the Apprentice said about the book being in the Sorcerer's mansion, but that the key is locked in the sheriff's station. Charming says that it's about time he had a chat with his brother. 

​Back on the ship, Liam comes up to Captain Silver saying that the Brothers Jones will be leaving. Silver says that at least one of them will. It is then shown that Killian has passed out. Silver says he's not much of a gambler. Liam shakes Killian awake, asking where his silver is, but he gambled it away. Liam is told to leave Killian behind, but Liam tears up their papers to the navy. He says, “Come hell or high water, I will not leave my brother.”

​At Granny's, Regina and Emma are waiting for Snow and Charming. Emma asks Regina what she thinks of Liam. Regina figures out that Liam doesn't like Emma. Emma says he thinks she's not good enough for Hook. Regina retorts that Emma's too good for Hook. Emma responds that Liam thinks she should let Hook move on. Regina asks what does Hook think. Hook agrees. Regina says he has to forgive himself and that they're a lot alike, and forgiving themselves is the hardest thing to do. Emma needs to help Hook with that. Henry arrives saying Snow found the key. They all go to the mansion, and Liam breaks through the spell on the door.

Back in the past, there's a storm knocking the ship around. Captain Silver is apparently heading into the storm wanting to find a precious stone, saying for the brothers to handle it. Threats are exchanged, with Liam saying he applauds the idea of mutiny. Killian and Liam then draw swords, intending on saving the men on the ship. Liam and Killian have won the battle.

In the mansion, the group splits up to find the key. Emma says for Henry to stay behind and be the lookout, but Henry doesn't want to be left out. Regina says “Don't argue with your mother,” and when Henry starts to protest, “Or your mother.” But after they leave, Henry goes off searching for the pen on his own. Liam finds the storybook and tears out the pages about Hades. It is interesting to note that the Underworld version of the book looks just like Henry's.

​Back at the mansion, Hook is looking through the book, realizing that there's no mention of Hades' story anywhere. Emma sees that there's been pages ripped out. Regina remembers that she tore out her pages of Henry's book so he wouldn't know she was the Evil Queen. They think that Hades has done the same. Emma asks Liam if there was any evidence of the book being tampered with, but Liam lies claiming there wasn't.

Hook knows something is wrong with Emma. She tells him that she's had a bad feeling about Liam since they met. She thinks Liam is hiding something, but Hook says his brother wouldn't lie. Emma says maybe there's stuff about Liam Hook doesn't know, that maybe he knows what his unfinished business is. But Hook rejects the idea, saying he knows who his brother is.​​​

At the well, Hook asks what truth are they talking about. One of the crew says Hook's brother isn't the hero he claims to be. He then goes on to tell Hook about the visit with Hades and Liam at the bar. He accuses Liam of trading their souls for the Eye of the Storm. Hook then learns about Hades threatening to tell the truth if Liam didn't destroy the pages. He is shocked, but Liam says he didn't have any other choice.  And now both brothers are going to pay the price.  

The crew takes Liam and Killian down to the fire pit, saying it's time to walk the plank. Liam replies he would gladly walk it to spare Killian. The crew man says he should've gone down along with the ship, like the rest of them, and now they finally will. Liam then apologizes to Killian, saying he wanted to be the perfect example to him. They are interrupted by Hades appearing in his blue poof of smoke, asking why he wasn't invited to the party. Hades then knocks the crewmen down into the fire, which leaves the two brothers. One of them gets to live. It appears that Killian will be the one to die. But Liam says he won't let Hades have his brother, no matter what deal they made. Ignoring him, Hades poofs Liam up in the air, appearing to fall into the fire. Killian grabs on, not wanting his brother to go. Killian then forgives Liam for what he did. But Liam neeeds to forgive himself. Liam says the only way to make amends is for him to pay the price, and he lets go.

​But, everything changes. A ship in the sea appears. Hades is livid that Liam is moving on, saying Killian will pay for this, and disappears. Liam is happy now, having forgiven himself. Killian is relieved to see that Liam is safe and can depart. Killian tells all of them to go, saying their unfinished business is done. Liam and the crew then get on board the ship. Liam wants Killian to come too, but Killian's unfinished business isn't done yet. Liam says to apologize to Emma, and he was wrong. She does want what's best for Killian. Killian became a true hero in a way Liam never could. The brothers shake hands, and Liam and the boat sail away.

Back in the flashback, the two brothers reach the shore. A navy man walks up to them, deducing that they were searching for the legendary Eye of the Storm. Liam then says the gem was no legend, and pulls it out. The men are impressed, saying Liam is a hero and the captain offers commissions on his ship, the Jewel of the Realm.  

At the mansion, Hook meets up with Emma saying she was right about Liam, informing her about  the deal Liam made with Hades. Killian says Liam sacrificed himself, but he and the crew moved on. Hook says Emma helped him see the truth before he went and he's glad Emma came to Underbrooke since he does deserve saving. Emma asks if he's planning to come home. Hook says yes, that he damn well intends to have the future that Liam fought for. 

​Henry meanwhile is still searching for the pen, when he sees another light glowing.  He goes to inspect it, uncovering the pen and ink.

In the loft, Killian tells the group that Liam ripped out the pages about Hades and he is sorry on behalf of his brother. But their storybook had secrets in it too. They need Henry, but he's off “being a teenager.” and doesn't want to talk to anyone. Charming says maybe Henry doesn't want to talk to his mothers, and goes up to join him.

​Meanwhile, Mary Margaret walks through the Underworld’s cemetery with Charming, They come upon a gravestone that Mary Margaret recognizes. The name carved in the stone is Hercules. She tells Charming that he was a childhood friend. She realizes that Hercules must be in the Underworld and that if they save him, he can help them save Hook.
 
In a flashback to The Enchanted Forest, a teenage Princess Snow sits on a throne next to her stepmother, Regina. The peasants have approached her for help with some bandits who have been harassing the villagers. They beg her for assistance and guidance. Regina is very supportive that Snow could take care of the problem. Unsure of what to do or say, Snow becomes overwhelmed, running out of the throne room.  Regina smiles as she runs away.
 
Princess Snow, running through the forest, falls into a hunter’s pit. Someone lowers a sword down for her. She grabs the hilt and is lifted up out of the pit with one arm. She thanks her rescuer and introduces herself to him with adoration. The handsome young stranger introduces himself as Hercules. 

​Emma, Henry, Regina and Robin are on a trail in the Underworld forest, looking for Hook. Regina remembers that she has maps of all of Storybrooke in her office in the real world, and possibly there are maps of the Underworld in the Underbrooke’s mayor’s office. "Do you think there are maps here?" Emma asks. "Everything else in Bizarro Storybrooke has an analog so far,” Regina replies. Robin volunteers to check it out and Regina suggests that he take Henry because Henry knows her office so well. 
 
After Robin and Henry leave, they come across to the young prisoner Killian helped to escape.  She starts to deliver Killian’s message to Emma, but are interrupted by growling.  Emma whisks them away to safety with magic. They reappear in Mary Margaret's loft apartment. Emma finds a picture of her parents. “So this apartment is just waiting for your parents die and return?” asks Regina.  “Creepy but that seems to be the case.  I think we’re safe here,” states Emma.  “It's officially a cold day in hell when I move in with the Charmings,” Regina sasses back. Emma comforts the prisoner. She tells Emma that Hook is in an underground prison and that she escaped through underground tunnels and came out in a cave in the woods.  Emma inquires if she could find the cave again. “Yes,” the young woman responds, “but is being guarded by [a creature with] three heads . . .  its teeth can crush bones with a single bite, and those eyes, they burn right through your soul rather than finish you off.” “That's not true.” Mary Margaret interrupts, appearing with Charming. “I know exactly what this beast is and how we can defeat it.” she says confidently.

Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret and Hercules enter the tunnel that the young female prisoner escaped from.  Regina asks Herc if he is sure he can defeat Cerberus. Mary Margaret shows him support by saying “I know you can do this, Hercules.” Herc, who had been lagging behind the women, now steps forward to take the lead. He asks the others to wait for him as he enters the dark caverns.
 
Back in The Enchanted Forest, the villagers are handing over their valuables to the bandits. They hear Princess Snow behind them. “Leave my people alone!”  “Where is your daddy's army?” questions the one-eye bandit leader. Snow smiles, “I don't need an army. Return what you've taken from these people and leave my kingdom or the next arrow will go in your one good eye.”  Smirking, the bandit leader says, ”I want to see you try.”  Princess Snow fumbles for the arrows in the quiver, they all drop to the ground, and she stoops to pick them up quickly as the bandit leader chuckles. He steps on the arrows she tries to pick them up. Hercules gets angry. He punches the ground, causing a small earthquake, demanding the bandits leave Princess Snow alone or they will have to face him. The bandits, visibly shaken by his feat of strength decide that caution is the better part of valor and retreat. As he leaves, the bandit leader tells Princess Snow “Your boyfriend won't be around to protect you forever.”  
 
In the palace, the bandit leader meets with Regina. She has been behind the bandits’ reign of terror the whole time. She gives him money. “Are you sure you don't want me to kill her?” the bandit leader asks. “I will not turn her into a martyr for these people to worship.  No, I had to turn them against her. Then these miserable people will realize that I am meant to be their queen,” she replies darkly.

Regina finds Mary Margaret moping on the bed in the abandoned apartment.  She asks why she is not looking for Hook.  Dejected Mary Margaret says she couldn’t help and that it was all her fault.  She thought she was doing the right thing by enlisting Hercules’ aid.  She thought Herc was destined to kill Cerberus, but now she just doesn't know what to do.  Regina gives her a pep talk.  “Now is not the time to give up! I dedicated years to taking you down, but nothing can stop you.”  Mary Margaret responds, “You took my kingdom, cast your curse.  I lost my daughter for 28 years!”  Regina replied tenderly, “Then you found her. You defeated me in a way that no one thought was possible. You made me your friend by never giving up on me.  So what's the difference this time?”  Mary Margaret still bewildered asks, “How am I supposed to help anyone stand up against Hades?  All I have are speeches about hope!”  Regina smiles, “You're right, Mary Margaret can't help.  In fact, we don't need her anymore.  We need Snow White.”
 
In The Enchanted Forest, Hercules comes upon a miserable Princess Snow. She doesn’t think that she can do anything to help the villagers against the bandits.  “I don't want to be Snow White anymore,” she pouts.  Hercules tells her how he really defeated the Nimean Lion by accidentally dropping a torch and singeing off the lions impenetrable fur.  “Don't you see?” Herc tells Snow, “If I hadn't failed, I would've never figured out how to succeed.” “OK, so how do I stop these bandits?” Snow inquires.
 
On the docks of Underbrooke, Herc is working when Mary Margaret approaches. She tosses in his sword at his feet and demands that he pick it up. He shakes his head.  Mary Margaret asks Herc how Cerberus killed him.  Exasperated Hercules tells here that Cerberus has three heads.  Every time he faced one head, the other two heads attacked him.  He was out numbered.  “I never should have fought that beast alone.”  Hercules laments.  “Well that's it!” Mary Margaret exclaims, “That's why you're going to win this time. You're not going to fight him alone.”  Surprised, Herc asks “You want to fight Cerberus with me?  “Herc, I became that hero you always believed I could be,” Mary Margaret says with confidence. “We're going to fight that three headed beast and we're going to win!”  Hercules nods in agreement.
 
Waiting for Mary Margaret back at the abandoned apartment, Charming Regina Emma and the girl prisoner are discovered by Cerberus.  As he attacks, they run for their lives.
 
In The Enchanted Forest, the bandits are stealing from the peasants once again.  Princess Snow arrives and demands that they give back the items they have stolen.  She stands defiant with her bow and shoots an arrow past the bandits and disarms their leader.  She demands that they lower their weapons.  Following her lead, the peasants come forward with their pitchforks and axes, finally joining Snow and defending themselves. The bandits drop the stolen items and leave. The peasants cheer for their hero.  Princess Snow and Hercules hug with delight.  Hercules tells Snow that she doesn’t need him anymore and he needs to leave to finish his labors.  He invites her to come with him.  “I'd love to,” she said “but, Herc, I think my people need me more.”  Hercules replies with admiration, “You're going to make an amazing queen.”  She responds, “And Olympus will be lucky to have a hero like you.”  They kiss tenderly before parting.  It’s Snow White’s first kiss.

As David, Emma and Regina sprint down the street of UnderBrooke, fleeing Cerberus, they come upon Mary Margaret with Hercules. The young female prisoner has run ahead of them, and now they have to split up to find her.  Mary Margaret and Hercules find her next to the fallen clock tower.  She is terrified.  Mary Margaret leads them into the nearby library.  They bolt the doors against Cerberus.  Mary Margaret tells them that they should attack all three heads at once.  She  turns to the girl prisoner, and hands her Herc’s sword.  At first the girl refuses, never having fought before.  Reluctantly she takes the weapon.  Hercules arms himself by ripping a pipe off the wall.  Cerberus bursts through the library doors and they begin their attack against him, each taking one head.  They manage to defeat the beast, and he disappears in a puff of smoke. They are joyful.  The girl, overwhelmed by the battle and excitement, almost passes out.  Hercules catches her as she starts to faint.  He introduces himself.  She tells her that her name is Megara in a flirtatious manner.  Their eyes connect and they smile at each other.  
 
Back at Granny's diner, Hercules wraps a blanket around Meg’s shoulders to keep her warm.  They sit across from each other at the table realizing that they have met somewhere before in the past.  Megara was fleeing from Cerberus when Hercules was looking to defeat the monster.  He was killed, and she died soon after him.  He apologizes for not saving her before, and she tells him that even though he didn’t save her back then, he has saved her now.  They hold hands across the table.  The Charming family and Regina watch the scene from the counter.  Mary Margaret ponders that maybe defeating Cerberus wasn't Hercules only piece of unfinished business, maybe he needed to save Meg too. Mary Margaret tells Emma “You didn't know me in The Enchanted Forest, but I was someone who took risks even when she was afraid.  I was the one I guess who inspired people.” She glances at Regina and smiles “An old enemy reminded me of that.  I just don't want to ever run the risk of forgetting who I was again.”  “What are you saying?” asks David.  She replies, “I'm saying I don't want to be Mary Margaret anymore.  I want to be Snow White again.”  “Well it's about time!” declares Regina.  “I think we can make that happen, Snow.” David said smilingly.
 
Back at the mayor’s office, a worried Robin calls for Henry through the vent.  Henry emerges telling Robin that he is ok.  “Did you find anything?” Robin inquires.  “No, I didn't.” lies Henry.

     The winter hiatus is over and the first episode up was definitely worth the wait. Once Upon a Time turned 100 this week and a carriage full of guest stars turned up for the landmark episode. In a moment that many fans had hoped for, Neal returned to warn Emma of the dangers ahead. He assured her that he isn't in the Underworld and is in a place where he is happy. The meeting took place in the yellow bug, near a roller coaster, suggesting that Neal's Heaven is his younger days with Emma. This moment also gave Emma the ability to tell Henry later in the episode, when he was trying to find Neal at Underworld Granny's, that his father was happy  

     The flashback this week centered around the events of Regina's birthday. Unhappy with her inability to kill Snow White, she wants only for her birthday to be over. Henry Sr., always the concerned father, asks Sydney/Magic Mirror to summon Cora so he can speak to her through the mirror in an Enchanted Forest to Wonderland trans-realm call. Cora uses this chance to escape the mirror and, in her twisted motherly way, gets the one thing Regina really wanted for her birthday: Snow's heart. In an effort to save Regina's soul and keep her from going dark forever, Henry Sr. steals back the heart and returns it to Snow. This is only revealed when Regina goes to crush it and instead of being in pain, Snow simply laughs off Jiminy (getting a little fresh) who had been stuck in her tuffets. Furious, Regina shrinks Henry Sr. and puts him in a box, which Mommy Dearest Cora grabs just before she is banished through the looking glass and back to Wonderland. 

     Back in Present Day, our group of heroes begin to explore the Underworld, which looks like a post-apocalyptic Storybrooke. Regina tells Robin that whoever created the dark curse she cast must have had inspiration from this place. Granny's dinner is being run by the Blind Witch who offers Snow White gingerbread or children from the menu just before Charming's smarmy brother James comes in and lays a big kiss on Snow. Oops, wrong brother! He leaves as Charming comes in, and the hint of a future meeting is laid into place. 

     Rumple ventures out to the Underworld version of his shop where he finds his father, Peter Pan, to be the proprietor now. The chipped cup on display lends to a flashback of he and Belle saying goodbye just before the trip to the Underworld began. On another display is the Peter Pan doll that had been Rumple's when he was a child. Pan wants to form an agreement. He tells Rumple that if one of the heroes stays in the Underworld, he (Pan) would be able to take their place and return to the living. A very curious situation, which has me wondering if this means one of the group will end up having to stay in order for Emma to bring Hook back to Storybrooke. Rumple wants no part of it, but Pan gives him a vial with a "Call Up a Dead Guy" potion as a gesture of good will. (Or so he says. I am hesitant to trust Pan as he has been one of the sneakiest villains to date)

     Other reunions are going as well as can be expected in the Underworld. Regina finds Cora, who almost immediately issues an ultimatum. Cora tells Regina that she must take Henry and her "thief" and return home or else her father Henry Sr. will pay the price of being sent to a place "much worse" than the Underworld. 

     In the cemetery, Emma sprinkles the potion that Pan gave Rumple onto Hook's grave. His image appears, but he looks more like a card-carrying member of the Walking Dead Zombie Crew than the dashing pirate. He is suffering and hurt, but the communication spell won't hold and he cannot hear Emma. He vanishes, leaving the group to wonder where to look for him. Regina takes the remaining potion and pours it over her father's grave. Her guilt and sadness overwhelm her and she cannot even look at him when he first appears. He tells her that he loves her and forgives her. The two share a few really lovely moments in which Henry Sr. tells her not to leave, and that she must stay and do the right thing, even if he must pay the price for it.

When Cora finds that Regina did not leave as she ordered her to, she brings Henry Sr. and Regina down to a cliffside and waves her hand to have the fires take him. Cora vanishes herself away before seeing what happens. The flames vanish, a light from above lights a new path, and Henry Sr. realizes that he is going to a better place. Regina was his unfinished business and their interactions in the Underworld allowed him to be free and done with it. In an amazing moment that is sure to rank as a fan favorite, Henry Sr. gets to meet his grandson Henry. The family share a moment together before Henry Sr. walks up the path into the light.

     The final scenes show Cora traveling down the elevator in the library to see Hades. The clock tower (lying partially crushed in the street) has moved from 8:15 to 8:16, meaning that a soul has escaped Hades' domain. He tells Cora she has failed him, and as punishment he puts her into tattered clothing and makes her into the poor miller's daughter once more. 

     This episode laid out much of the rules of the Underworld for the upcoming adventure. We know that a soul must be replaced by another soul if it is to escape back to our world. We see that the clock ticks will each indicate a soul moving on to a better place, which Hades is none too happy about. Our heroes discovered that everyone in this Underbrooke has unfinished business and they may be responsible for much of it. This also gives them the ability to be able to help some of these people move on. We also learned that quite possibly Storybrooke is a copy of the Underworld and not the other way around as we had thought. This leads me to assume that the Dark Curse was originally created by Hades. 

     There were also many moments that touched back on the pilot. Regina's birthday was a sort of dark version of Emma's birthday from the first episode. Both had the single candle, both were longing for something. We again saw the clock stuck at 8:15 and, in a change from the pilot, it was Regina's actions that made it tick instead of Emma's. Fellow staff member Zach Van Norman theorized that Regina may actually become the savior of this Underworld, which would make a great deal of sense since Hades specifically wants her (out of all the heroes) gone. Emma and Regina are very much two sides of the same coin so a flip of their roles in this crazy Underworld version of Storybrooke would be a great representation of that. One thing is for certain, our heroes are definitely not in Maine anymore....

​The winter finale of Once Upon a Time was full of heart-wrenching, epic moments sure to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.  Add to that a twist that nobody saw coming and a cliffhanger to keep us wanting more.  Adam and Eddy did not disappoint with the writing of this episode.  With stellar performances from the entire cast, most notably Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue, “Swan Song” proved to be an episode for the record books.
​

Back in Storybrooke, Charming is trying to get Emma to slow down and talk about the plan.  But Emma won't have any of it.  She wants to find Hook before he resurrects all the Dark Ones.  Mary Margaret then says that he didn't want to become a Dark One.  Emma says that he did because of her.  Regina wants to fight, but Emma is having none of it.  Mary Margaret is shocked, saying, “This a man you loved.”  But Emma says that man died back in Camelot.  Now all that's left is the Dark One.  She says they need to split up and find him and stop him, no matter what it takes.​

Emma enters Gold's shop, saying there's no sign of Hook, the next stop is the Jolly Roger.  We then hear Henry screaming outside for help.  Emma rushes outside, finding Nimue confronting Henry.  She tells him not to move, but Nimue says it's too late, and paralyzes him.  Emma runs over to Henry and asks if he's okay.  He says he thinks so, as the others walk up to them.  Regina wants to know what just happened to them.  Gold then appears, saying he has the answer.  He tells them to check their wrists.  They are embellished with the mark of Charon, the ferryman who carries newly deceased souls across the river Styx.  Gold then says the Dark Ones have only a temporary pass into this world.  The only way to stay is to trade places with a living soul, which means our group of heroes.  Gold says when the moon reaches its peak, the ferry from the Underworld will arrive to take them down there. Regina asks how they can stop it, but Gold says they can't.  Emma then says that he's scaring Henry, and tries to comfort him.  But Gold just says they should all be scared.  This is a fight they cannot win.  Emma says she's not going to give up.  Gold warns to use this time wisely, to use it to say goodbye.  ​

The Dark Ones are still around, looking for victims, with Nimue at the lead.  We then see Hook, looking out over the harbor.  Regina walks up to him, saying she might find him somewhere with the view of the sea.  Hook says there's no use in hiding now.  Regina tells Killian he can't go through with this, She knows that he thinks Emma has betrayed him, but she asks if dragging her family to the Underworld is really the answer.  Killian is shocked that Regina would say that, bringing up the Dark Curse.  She of all people should know how far someone would go for revenge.  And unfortunately for her, so do all the people she's killed who are waiting for her in the Underworld.  But she says she's not that person anymore.  She then says he may be the Dark One, but they both know he's not the man she recruited to kill her mother.  When she starts talking about the past, Hook stops her, silencing her, saying they agreed they would never speak of what happened in the past again.  She has no idea what kind of man he truly is.  ​

​We next see a flashback from the Enchanted Forest.  Hook is staring off at Regina's castle as a horse and carriage rides by.  It stops and our Evil Queen Regina steps out of it. Hook says he'll kill her mother, but in exchange, he wants her to bring him to a land without magic where he can finally get his revenge on Rumple.  Regina agrees, but first she needs to know what kind of man he really is, a recurring theme for this episode.  She says her mother is an expert at one thing, exploiting weakness, and she needs to make sure he has none.  Hook realizes it's a test.  He gets in anyway, with Regina laughing her malicious Evil Queen laugh.  It's wonderful to see our Evil Queen again.​

Then Henry and the others are seen looking through books to stop Gold's plan of going into the Underworld.  Henry says there has to be a way to escape it.  Mary Margaret says that maybe Gold's right, surprising Emma.  Emma says she's Snow White, she doesn't know how to give up hope.  Hope is in her blood.  But Mary Margaret doesn't want to spend what could be her last moments looking through books.  She wants to make the most of her moments with her family.    Henry suggests having dinner at Granny's, and Charming agrees.  But Emma says Neal will be left all alone.  Mary Margaret says he won't be alone, he'll have Emma.  Emma tearfully says she won't give up on her own family.  Mary Margaret says they're almost out of time, and time is what's most important, time with those we love.  A lesson we should all learn from.  Mary Margaret kisses Emma on the forehead and says she knows Emma won't stop trying, and she wants her to succeed.  But she wants Emma to meet them at Granny's, to say goodbye.  Emma tearfully promises.  They hug one more time and Mary Margaret says she loves Emma.  Emma says “I love you too.”  And then Mary Margaret walks out with Henry, Charming, and the baby.  ​

Meanwhile, Hook is watching this play out as Nimue sneaks up behind him.  He doesn't say anything as the scene cuts back to the Enchanted Forest flashback to a pub where Brennan Jones is working.  He says he knows what Regina wants him to do: kill his father.  Hook then reveals himself to Brennan who is taken aback, asking how is this possible.  He left many centuries ago.  Hook says they both found a way to cheat death.  Hook's father then goes on to say that he was put under a sleeping curse.  Hook doesn't believe this, asking why is he awake now.  It was True Love's Kiss that broke the spell.  His True Love changed him.  As Brennan breathes an apology, Hook asks where the woman is.  His father replies that she is dead.  Hook then says he came there to kill him.  His life would be the price he had to pay to finally get his revenge on Rumple.  But he says they both have lost too much, and he's planning on sparing his father.  In order to let Regina think that he killed him, he says he can arrange transport to somewhere to start again.  Brennan asks if it would be possible to bring two.  He goes on to say that he has a son.

Rumple pulls Belle aside before he leaves for the duel.  He frankly tells her that he understands the difference between not wanting him to die, and still wanting to be with him.  If he wins the duel, he invites her to meet him at the well if she wants to begin again with him.​

After this intense scene, Emma arrives at Gold's Pawn shop where Rumple is preparing for his High Noon meeting with Hook. Emma offers squid ink to assist him. Rumple declines declaring he will defeat the new Dark One using honor.  

Later at the well, Belle arrives giving Rumple a false impression that she has chosen to rebuild their marriage. Instead, she tells him that she's not sure she wants to start over and needs to be on her own so that she can focus on protecting her own heart.  There she leaves Rumple devastated and alone.​

Meanwhile, Rumple's words to Emma lead her to Henry again.  She tells him that she "heard" him and is not asking to have the cuff removed, but for his help.  "Nobody is better at figuring out how to break a spell than you."  Henry assents and takes the lead, saying he will get a locator spell from Gold's shop and they will find the dreamcatchers. He announces the launch of "Operation Cobra, Part Two."
​

​

Two years later, we see Mulan collecting money.  She threatens the tavern owner that she will cut off his hand if he doesn't pay up. The four of them get into a fight, but it is interrupted by Merida shooting off an arrow and pinning the tavern owner’s sleeves to the wall, surprising Mulan.  Knocking out the tavern owner, Mulan asks Merida why she is there.  Merida asks for Mulan’s help; she needs to save her kingdom and her family.  Mulan said the only person that she helps these days is herself.  “Where's your sense of honor?” said Merida.  “Honor never filled my purse, “ Mulan replied.  Merida offers Mulan gold to help her save her kingdom.  Mulan agrees on the condition that Merida asks Mulan no more question about herself.
 
Zelena and Arthur approach the witch’s cottage.  A wolf comes out of the corner snarling.  Reacting quickly, Zelena grabs a sleeping potion from the shelf and knocks the wolf out with it.   The witch appears.  Arthur tells her that they are there for the magic helm because he needs it to save his kingdom.  The witch tells them that they are not the only ones and that she doesn't have it anymore.  Zelena demands to know where it is. The witch replies “If I knew where it was, then I wouldn't have sent someone to fetch it for me. If you're not going to buy anything, I think it's time you leave.”  The witch starts to gesture to cast a spell, but Zelena comes up behind her and pushes her face down towards the boiling cauldron.  “No one out-witches me!”  Zelena declares.  “Tell us who's looking for the helm or you go bobbing for eye of newt!”  The witch tells Zelena that Merida of DunBroch is looking for the helm as well.  Arthur is baffled.  She was a prisoner in his dungeon who had escaped.  

​In the present, Mulan and Merida are surprised by Arthur and Zelena, who've come looking for the helm. Arthur realizes that Merida doesn't know what the helm does.  "It has the power to make other men fight your battles," Arthur informs her.  Merida the calls Arthur a liar.  Her father would never use magic to make men fight for him. Zelena taunts her "Awww, apparently daddy dearest wasn't the great king you thought he was."  Mulan tells them that they don't know where the helmet is. Zelena magically takes Merida's bow from her, intending to cast a locator spell on it. Arthur and Zelena disappear leaving Merida heartbroken over the loss of her father's bow.
 
Merida is determined to return home. She believes that her father used dark magic to lead his subjects to death, and now feels like she doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.   She's going to tell Macintosh and the other lairds that she can’t find the helm and wants to give them enough time to find it themselves before the witch turns them all into bears.  “The Lairds can't even find the pointy end of their spears,” Mulan responds.  “You can’t give up like this!”  “Why not? You have.” Merida retorts, “Or is there another reason you're out here working for the highest bidder?”  

Merida visits her father's grave with her new friends, Ruby and Mulan. She thanks them for their help.  Without them she would not have been able to save her people.  Mulan thanks Merida for helping her restore her on her path and explains that she was trying to get over a broken heart.  “I waited too long to tell someone how I felt about them.  When I finally worked up the courage it was too late.” Mulan said sadly.  Ruby invites Mulan to come with her searching for werewolves.  Merida wishes them good luck as they leave. After they are gone, she uses the magical ale on her father's grave.  At first she believes that it doesn't work, and then her father appears.   He is proud of her for becoming Queen.  She feels sorry that she lost faith in him, believing that he has use the magic helm to control his subjects.  “Why didn't you use it?” Merida questioned him, “What made you change your mind?  Fergus responds, “You did, the night before the battle.  After I spoke to you, I realized that if I wanted to show you what it took to be a leader I couldn't use magic to do it.”  Merida responds "You showed me what a true leader is and I will never forget that. I just want to make you proud."  Father and daughter hug, as Merida weeps.  King Fergus’ spirit disappears to return to the Underworld.  Merida now stands alone.  A determined look crosses her face.  “Arthur, you have no idea what's coming for you,” she swears.
 
Merida grew in this episode.  She learned what it took to be a good leader through the example of her father.  Her father was willing to sacrifice himself for his people.  In contrast, Merida also saw the bad example set by King Arthur, who was willing to sacrifice his subjects’ free will and their lives to get what he wanted.  These kings were two very different types of men and leaders.  Merida now knows that it was Arthur who slaughtered her father, and he had better watch out!

Three weeks ago in Camelot, Emma is trying to ignite Prometheus spark to a flame. Dark Rumple appears, warning her not to ignite the spark.  Once Arthur has re-forged Excalibur, he will use it to kill Emma and that is bad news for all the Dark Ones in Emma’s head.  Emma tells Dark Rumple that she has no choice; she has to save her family.  She attempts again to ignite the spark, failing, wondering what is wrong with it.  Dark Rumple says “Wrong with it or wrong with you?” When she is ready to let go of the dark magic, she will be able to light the spark. Apparently she's not ready yet. 
 
Emma is interrupted by Henry, who witnessed her talking to herself.  He asked her what the voices said, and she tells him that she could not yet light the spark because she's not yet ready to let go of the dark magic. Henry informs her that maybe she just needs a little bit of motivation, and shows her a newspaper ad for a house.  He tells her that he and Killian were working on Operation Light Swan. The house was meant to be a promise of a future for her, Hook and Henry to be together as a family. Emma informs Henry that she is not yet ready to give up the darkness and that she needs to use it one more time.

​
The heroes return to Granny's with Excalibur. Emma still needs to light Prometheus' spark into a flame. Regina tries to have a heart-to-heart talk with Emma, who is worried that the dark voices in her head might be right and that she is not ready to let go of the darkness yet. Regina decides to cut through Emma's indecision by commanding her with the dagger to tell why she is not ready to give up the Darkness yet. Fortunately or unfortunately, Hook and the Charmings intercede, taking the dagger from Regina as Emma stalks off sulking. Snow accuses Regina of being cruel. Regina dismisses the accusations saying that she was getting to the truth, and it's not her fault if the truth is painful.
 
In Storybrooke, Zelena delivers a baby girl. Robin holds the baby tenderly.  He is so happy to have a baby daughter.  Zelena thinks Regina is green with envy.  They are interrupted as Emma suddenly arrives. Emma throws Whale against the wall, knocking him out as Robin draws his sword to defend his newborn daughter.  Emma informs them that she isn't after the baby.  She wants Zelena instead. They are stunned as Emma poofs Zelena out of the room.
 
Hook awakes in Emma's basement to find himself chained up next to Zelena. They think that maybe Emma is preparing a spell to steal Zelena's dark magic.  Emma arrives to inform them that she doesn't want Zelena's magic, but that she wants to give Zelena her dark magic instead.  Her plan along has been to destroy dark magic.  She wants to transfer her darkness to Zelena and then kill her. She needed the baby to be born before she could cut Zelena down with Excalibur. Emma feels justified in killing Zelena because she killed Neal and Marion.  Killian argues that it is still cold-blooded murder. He reminds Emma that they went to find Merlin to help remove the darkness from her.  Surely Merlin has a way to help Emma that doesn't involve killing Zelena.  Emma tells Hook that Merlin can no longer help them.  Once again, Killian demands to know what happen in Camelot.

​The memories flashback takes us back to Granny’s Diner, where Emma is ready to re-forge Excalibur using Prometheus' spark for the spell.  As she starts to re-forge Excalibur, Hook’s neck wound opens back up, and he starts to bleed profusely.  Emma stops the spell, rushing to Killian’s aid.  Merlin explains that Excalibur was forged to cut immortal ties and even though she seemed to heal him before it, her power wasn't strong enough to heal Killian.  As Hook lies dying, Emma decides to use her Dark powers to release Merlin from Excalibur, tethering Killian to it instead to save his life.  Merlin tells Emma that her action would multiply the darkness.  It could not be destroyed, and she would pay the steepest of prices.  It will be her final step into the darkness. 
 
Snow and Charming beg Emma not to do it.  Regina also tells her not to do it. Emma asks, “What would you have done to save Daniel if you could?” She was not going to lose Killian if she could help it.  Declaring that she would not let anyone stop her, she uses her magic to transport her and Killian back to the field of Middlemist flowers.
 
Killian wants Emma to let him go.  He doesn't want to become dark.  She tells Killian that she will help him fight the darkness, and they can work together to find a solution. He insists that he is weak like Merlin and that he would not be able to fight the darkness.  He was dark before in his life, and it took him centuries to overcome it.   He doesn't think that he can do it again. Emma reminds him that they have a future together, but he says he is happy just to know that she has a future.  Hook passes out, close to death.  Using Excalibur, Emma tethers Hook’s life to it.  Killian’s body disappears within the spell, his name appears on Excalibur, Emma's appearance changes into her Dark Swan form, and we see Hook emerge from the black tar of the Dark One's vault.  We witness the second birth of the episode as another new Dark One is born.

     
This week's episode was an adventure for many of our characters. It was a strong week for Belle, who got to show her wits in both our land and Camelot. The title (which was the original title of Disney's Brave prior to its theatrical release) suggests that Merida would be the one to find her bravery this week. What we actually saw was several characters, in both big and small ways, find their voices and their hearts, leading them to stand up and be BRAVE.
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     In our Camelot flashback, we see Merlin, with the help of Belle (who suggests a spell from a book she's studying), dissipate the cell bars and free both Lancelot and Merida. (Score one for the smart girls!) As the group heads out, Merida lags behind in what we find out is a plan to Bellenap...er, kidnap Belle. She bonks her on the head and they sail for the shores of Merida's kingdom. Belle wakes up, a wee bit unhappy, but a fast friendship is struck when she hears Merida's story. It turns out that Merida was captured by Shady-As-Heck Arthur when she stole one of his boats to try and get home to save her brothers. This tale takes place about ten years after Brave, Merida's father has died, and the hot Scot with an attitude has convinced the other clans that Merida is not fit to be queen. Yes, you are thinking, weren't these guys all super cool with Merida by the end of Brave? Aye, lassie, they were. But in the time that has passed, Merida no longer feels Brave. What we have not seen is that Merida shot an arrow to save her father from an attacker, and missed. (Something is shady here. Merida wouldn't miss). The attacker was able to kill her father, and Merida has blamed herself ever since. 

     
Belle and Merida make it to the Witch's cottage. (The same one from the movie Brave, of course). They see in the cauldron that Merida's brothers are soon to be killed and Belle helps her make a potion that will turn her into a bear. Merida is sure to be able to defeat her brothers' captors and set them free with this. They head off, potion in hand, to save her brothers. 

     Just as her brothers are about to be executed, Merida drinks the potion. Nothing happens. Belle has switched it with water and tells Merida to have faith in herself. Merida aims her bow, steadies herself, and then shoots. Her arrow is true, and splits all three of the arrows flying toward her brothers. The clans realize Merida is strong, and fit to be queen. They drop their weapons and kneel.

In the forest of Present-Day Storybrooke, Rumple is tied up with his precious chipped cup nearby. While out of Merida's view, he kisses the cup, and then smashes it using the sharp edge to free himself. When it is discovered that he is gone, Dark Swan Emma commands Merida to put an arrow through Belle's heart, which she feels will force Rumple to become a hero and protect her.

In town, Belle finds Rumple, hiding in the library elevator. He tells her he can't be brave, and that Merida will come after her. Belle has faith in Rumple, as he has shown that he can be brave in the past. He confesses to her that he did not cripple himself in the Ogre Wars so he could return and protect Baelfire, but rather because he was afraid. Merida shows up and in the end Rumple resorts to his flight instinct, driving to the town line. Belle is having none of it and gets out of the car to walk away. Not too far down the road she meets up with Merida, to whom Emma has given the bear potion. Merida changes into a huge black bear and tries to kill Belle. Rumple shows up, and just before sacrificing himself to save Belle, he tosses a bag of magic dust into the bear's mouth. She turns back into Merida, Rumple has proven himself a hero and saved Belle. 
​     

   
 Meanwhile, in town, Shady Shadester Arthur has lied and tried to burn a crimson crown mushroom rather than use it to communicate with Merlin. The Scooby...um, Charming, gang find out and Henry (being one of Merlin's chosen ones) attempts the communication. Instead of Merlin, they get a pre-recorded, 3-D voicemail Merlin, who says that the Dark One has come for him. They all assume it is Emma, me...not so much.

     
One of the important things to note here is Rumple's transformation. In this episode, he became a hero. He became Brave, but not for the obvious reason. It was not his facing of the bear that changed him, that was an after-effect. Throughout their relationship, Belle only wanted Rumple to be truthful with her, which he could never, or would never, do. In a moment of complete acceptance and trust, he chose to tell Belle the truth about why he crippled himself. All along he had feared that the truth would be the thing that drove people away from him. But in the end, it made him a hero...it made him BRAVE. 

Recap by Zach Van Norman (@TheZachVan)

The two mothers meet with Henry and discuss his romantic interest in Violet, encouraging him to pursue her. Later, Emma uses a dreamcatcher to show Regina what happened to Daniel and make her cry; she is shocked by what Cora did, and Regina tells her that her mother did what she thought was best, though it was horrible. ​

Evening falls and Henry arranges a date with Violet at Granny’s but she turns him down, breaking his heart. Emma and Regina’s attempt to create the potion to free Merlin fails, since she has found new love with Robin Hood, and Henry arrives immediately after. When he tells his mothers what happened, he begins to cry and Regina adds his tears to the potion; while Arthur tries to stop them, he is unsuccessful and Emma uses a combination of light and dark magic to free Merlin. He removes Arthur’s spell from Snowing and explains that Emma can only freed from the Darkness if she wants it to happen. ​

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, Emma forces Merida to teach Mr. Gold how to be brave so that he can remove Excalibur from the stone and fulfill her plans. Though she appears heartless (like Merida), her softer side is revealed when she goes to her garage and holds a dreamcatcher to her chest, one of many dreamcatchers which hang above. At the sheriff’s station, Henry suggests holding a dance to lift the spirits of their Arthurian guests and then meets with Violet, learning that her horse Nicodemus has escaped. In the forest, Merida tries to get Gold to be brave but he resists, so she knocks him and steals something from his shop. Henry goes to Emma’s house, asks for her help in finding Violet’s steed, and the two of them find him at a pumpkin patch. ​

OutlawQueen, Belle and Hook break into Emma’s house using Henry’s scarf to break the protection spell, and discover Excalibur in the caverns below; Hook finds a dreamcatcher in the living room and Regina takes it when they leave. That evening, Storybrooke holds a carnival and Snowing, Belle and Hook discuss the history of Excalibur with Arthur while Henry returns Nicodemus to Violet. While this occurs, Merida goes to Gold in the forest and reveals she stole the chipped cup, leading to Gold asserting some courage and fighting her for it. ​

At home, Regina uses magic on the stolen dreamcatcher to find out what happened in Camelot and discovers Emma’s dark secret: Emma took Violet’s heart and forced her to break Henry’s heart in order to break Henry’s heart and get his tear. Henry sees it and is heartbroken all over again. ​Emma arrives at Regina’s to see Henry and Regina confronts her over what happened to Violet, Emma explains that she did what she thought was right to free Merlin (just like Cora did to Regina), but Regina tells her that Henry is devastated and will not see her; as Emma leaves, Henry looks down on her from his bedroom window and then closes the curtains, shutting her out.

How far will a man go to save his people?  In this episode of Once Upon a Time, King Arthur is faced with the dilemma of a broken sword and a broken kingdom.  A king’s got to do what a king’s to do to win at all costs.  David is also facing the dilemma of trying to save his daughter, Emma, from Dark forces.  Does he sacrifice his hero’s glory for his child’s sake?  Each man’s decision on how to face the problem is a drastic contrast to the other.  
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The episode begins in Camelot many years ago when Arthur and Guinevere are childhood playmates.  Arthur tells a secret to Guinevere that Merlin is trapped in a tree, and that Merlin spoke to him, giving him a prophecy that he would pull a sword from a stone and become king of Camelot.

     Season 5 is off to a running start and the break-neck speed continued in this week’s episode, "The Price". Longtime fans of the show know that the title is reflective of Rumple’s frequent warning that “All Magic Comes With A Price.” We discovered this week that it is not just Rumple who asks payment in return for magic, but every act of dark magic requires it, no matter who requests it.
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     The residents of Storybrooke are trapped in the town once again by a curse. This time it is Emma, the new resident Dark One, who has cast it. The group of heroes who traveled to Camelot six weeks prior have no memory of what happened, and anyone trying to cross the town line is changed into a tree. (Alas, poor Dopey. His bravery in testing the town line will be remembered). Similarly, this is reflected by Merlin’s predicament in Camelot, as we see in a flashback that he is trapped in, or as, a giant weeping willow. 

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​     Emma refuses to reveal why she has cast this curse, or what happened in Camelot, but one thing is certain, she has completely given in to the darkness. She tells Henry that he didn’t fail her, but everyone else did. This complete with a warning for Regina, that something is coming to Storybrooke, and there is no savior to save the town anymore. Henry seems to be the only one confident that Regina can be the new savior. Appropriate, since he does have the heart of the truest believer. True to her word, something dark and evil does come to Storybrooke: a Fury, a creature sent to take someone across the river Styx and into the Underworld. It is the price for a life saved by dark magic back in Camelot, and it has come for Robin. The only way to pay the price and save Robin is with the sacrifice of another life. 

​This episode was very Emma centric, and her change between Camelot past and current day Storybrooke is fascinating to watch. In Camelot, she is very childlike. She has natural, flowing hair, little to no makeup, wears a pristine white dress to the ball and even has flowers in her hair. Her tone of voice and mannerisms even reflect a very obvious innocence. In the modern day Storybrooke, her transformation is a stark contrast. Her hair is severe, pulled back tightly. Her words and movements are sharp, her voice tone menacing. Even her wardrobe is completely black. Aside from this transformation, something is slightly off. Emma tells Hook she wishes she could tell him what happened in Camelot. To me, this suggests that there is still some type of struggle within Emma. Perhaps she isn’t as far gone as it appears. 

​     There were moments in this episode that truly showed how far the Charmings and Regina have come. Years spent with Regina trying to kill Snow, years of hate and anger between them and now, Charming teaches Regina how to dance. Snow and Charming even help Regina prepare for the ball in a sweet moment that shows the full circle arc that their stories have made. We also see Snow and Emma getting ready. Mother and daughter, together, in a moment that would have been very common had the original curse not been cast. These moments, though short and still, are some of the most powerful reflections of family. 

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​Other powerful moments come from a conversation between Belle and Hook. The two are in a unique position of both having been in love with a Dark One. Belle has the most telling line of the night when she tells Hook that “A curse isn’t a curse anymore when the inflicted wants it.” Hook is sure that after spending hundreds of years trying to kill a dark one he is prepared to spend hundreds to save one he loves if need be. Belle reminds him that it is far easier to kill a Dark One than to love one. Belle obviously still loves Rumple, but it’s clearly hard to hold onto that amidst the darkness.

​Merida agrees to take Emma to the Hill of Stones to catch another wisp. After Merida hears Emma speaking to the Rumple in her head, she escapes to the Hill alone and Emma uses Dark magic to follow her, eventually ripping out Merida’s heart. In Storybrooke, Blue conjures the enchanted rose as a life monitor for Mr. Gold and gives it to Belle before telling her to join the others and help Emma. Regina attempts to use the wand but is unsuccessful, and Hook realizes they need someone wicked. Regina, Robin and Hook approach Zelena for help but she will only get them to the Enchanted Forest if they remove the anti-magic cuff. After Regina refuses, Hook and Henry try again and Zelena escapes, capturing Robin Hood and trading him to Regina for the Apprentice’s wand. She creates a tornado to go to Oz but is overpowered by Regina, who uses Emma’s baby blanket to draw the cyclone to Granny’s; the diner is picked up and transported to the edge of Camelot.

This episode was a game-changer for many relationships involving Emma Swan. The stakes were raised for CaptainSwan in particular as Emma finally admitted to Killian that she loves him. Of course that declaration was immediately followed by Emma’s evolution into the new Dark One, and only time (aka season 5) will tell what effect this will have on Emma’s relationship with her hooked companion. Will her desires include new love, or anger over the loss of her past love Neal.

Emma’s relationship with her parents received some development as well. Her anger at their decision to deposit her potential for darkness into Lily had finally abated in the previous episode, but the finale allowed her to express an internal monologue when she admitted that her opinion had changed after seeing them as true villains, and that she had been too hard on them. This will likely be negated when season 5 begins, as her new role as the Dark One may bring her feelings of abandonment and anger at her fractured upbringing to the fore.

Likewise, Emma and Henry’s relationship will be dramatically altered by her sacrifice. Will she retain love for him, as Rumplestiltskin did for Baelfire, or will she be completely indifferent to the suffering of her son? (The former is more likely in my opinion, but we shall see.) It’s also worth mentioning again that Henry broke the quill to stop anyone from having enough power as to control their destinies. I think this could be an indicator of what’s to come with Henry and his role in saving Emma.

And how will Emma react to Regina now? They finally achieved a level of friendship and respect, but this, like her relationship with her parents, will likely be undone in the new season. Emma has never really given Regina her comeuppance for casting the Dark Curse, and I suspect such a confrontation will happen soon. This will facilitate an interesting change for the three of them: where season 1 saw Emma and Henry working together to stop Regina, it’s likely that Regina and Henry will work together to save Emma. “Operation Mongoose” wasn’t the end of the role reversals, there are surely more to come!

As far as continuing themes, the season 4 finale definitely furthered Emma’s role as the Savior: she sacrificed herself to the Darkness in order for Regina to retain her happiness, doing what she thought was right in order to save someone she loves. (It may be friendship-only, but Emma and Regina do have love for each other; they’re family, after all.) This sacrifice carries a theological weight to it as well, adding a new layer of metaphorical substance to the story. It also reinforced Henry’s role as the Truest Believer: his faith in his family never faltered, he remained selfless, brave and true until the end.

This episode is now battling “A Land Without Magic” for my Favorite Season Finale and Favorite Overall Episode. There were sword fights, a dragon guarding an island prison, and ancient magic; in short, it had all the familiar tropes of fairy tales and it was glorious. Though personalities and histories were switched, we were still able to identify with the altered versions of our characters because we know their stories and what makes their relationships complicated.

The new season will cause a major shift for every character interaction as they search for Merlin to bring about the destruction of the Darkness.  Will Emma assist in their search so she can be freed, or will she undermine their efforts in order to retain her new abilities? Will Rumplestiltskin join the fight to eradicate evil, or will he once again have his own agenda and seek to reclaim the Darkness as his own?

My hope is that the “Dark Swan” storyline will include an abundance of quiet conversation scenes as opposed to loud action set pieces. This story could obviously include a lot of “show,” particularly when it comes to Emma’s new abilities, but this could be outweighed by including more “tell” scenes where characters vocalize what they’re thinking and feeling as opposed to a lot of action where they don’t get to express themselves. Season 5 can’t get here fast enough!

And after all this time, Regina finally realizes this. She brought the Author into the hospital cell to finally write Zelena out of the story, and she looked so much like the chillingly triumphant Evil Queen (and I admit, I was rooting for her to DO IT). But, Regina realized, she already has her happy ending...which is finally feeling at home in the world. 

The apple tree that she brought from home to the castle, the one under which she would meet Daniel and is in her backyard in Storybrooke, represents Regina's character arc. In Celtic mythology, apple trees symbolize a personal quest for identity, for wholeness and finding one's full self. Integral to this journey is taking the right actions, and being kind and generous. At this moment, in sparing Zelena, she takes the "high" way. But Regina has slowly become more open-hearted and cognizant of doing the right thing for several seasons. Even at the beginning of the episode, in the bar, she was closed off to any good things that could come out of this situation. Now, she is open to hope and the possibility of happiness, even if things are "messy." Like Maleficent earlier in the episode, and in light of the conversation with Mary Margaret earlier in the season, Regina has finally embraced hope, and it has changed her. 

Robin and Henry and the others are a part of this possibility of happiness, but ultimately, Regina has accepted herself  and has realized that the only one who can make her happy...is her. Which is true for all of us. We can't rely on others to make us happy, we have to find our own happiness through self-acceptance. She has everything she needs...she has hope and love and peace. 

But the Author doesn't. 

A writer needs to write, after all. What we do defines us.

So he whisks himself back to the Pawn Shop and begins to write in a book titled Heroes & Villains...

As both a daughter myself and a mother of a 10 year old girl, I absolutely loved and related to this episode ("scary dragon bitch" indeed). I always am touched by the repeated motifs that make Once so special to me, even a phrase that we haven't heard for a while like "Love is weakness" from the Evil Queen in the throes of her original anger and pain.  It reminds me of where the characters came from and how much they have evolved, and I am so grateful to have been a viewer every step of the way.

Recap by Samantha Lee - @SamsJag

Last week Once Upon a Time returned with an action packed episode that saw Rumple and the Queens of Darkness talking themselves into Storybrooke.  This week in “Unforgiven” Rumple continues to guide Ursula and Cruella from behind the scenes as they work on resurrecting Maleficent.  We also discover the dark secret that Snow and Charming have been hiding about Emma. 

The clock changes to 2:38am.  Mary Margaret awakes to find David is missing.  She goes and takes Neal out of his cradle.  Suddenly, Maleficent, Ursula and Cruella are then in the apartment.   Just as quickly Neal is gone from her arms and appears in Maleficent's grasp.  Mary Margaret begs, “Please don't hurt my family!”  Maleficent replies sweetly, “When I'm finished you won't have a family left to hurt.” 

Then Mary Margaret awakes again.  It's still 2:38 am. It was just a dream.  David is not in bed.  She finds him awake, alone and drinking.  He is worried about Ursula and Cruella being in town.  She tells him about her nightmare and that Maleficent was in her dream.  They are worried that the other two will reveal their dark secret about what they did to Maleficent in the past.  They must get them out of town. 

We are left to wonder what terrible deed the Charmings did so long ago in the Enchanted Forest.  What did they do to Maleficent? 

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Snow and Charming return home from their honeymoon only to find everyone in the castle under a sleeping curse.  They call out for Regina, but it's Maleficent, Ursula and Cruella who step out of the shadows.  They want to make a deal with the Charmings. 

In present day Storybrooke, Mary Margaret and David have coffee at Granny's while Cruella and Ursula stand at the counter waiting for Granny to wait on them or even acknowledge them.  Will Scarlet walks in and Granny hands him “the usual” which is two coffees to go.  Cruella comments that if Granny still “wolfed out” she would turn her into a coat for her collection.  Regina and Henry arrive.  Ursula and Cruella suggest that Regina could help them get some service by ripping out Granny's heart.  Regina sends Henry to her office and then tells them they'd better not bring up her dark past in front of Henry again or she'll kick them out of town. 

David and Mary Margaret ask Regina about getting rid of Cruella and Ursula, but she says she wants to give them a chance to redeem themselves.  David says they must be watched and Regina tells him that's a job for the Sheriff's Department, not the Mayor.   Emma and Hook arrive for lunch.  Hook and Ursula exchange a meaningful look as she passes by.  David rushes to Emma and says he's sure they are up to something and he wants to follow them right now.  Emma whines about missing lunch, but she goes with David anyway.

Cruella and Ursula enter the Pawn Shop.  Belle is behind the counter.  She threatens to turn them into toads if they try anything against her.  They congratulate her on defeating the Dark One.  Belle wants to know if they've seen Rumple and how he's doing.  They tell her he's looking terrible and back to being his old cowardly self.  As they distract her with their stories about Rumple, Ursula sprouts a tentacle and reaches from around the counter into the backroom where she grabs a box off a table.  The box has a design in the shape of a pair of horns on it.  Cruella and Ursula leave the shop, but first Cruella sends a text message on her Dalmatian covered phone. 

Under the clock tower, beneath the library Rumple waits in a cavern.  The Dark One may carry an old flip phone, but it has great reception.  He receives the text message, “We got it.”  “It won't be long now, Maleficent my dear,” he says.  Then he holds out his hand and magic swirls around the ground and a pile of ashes gathers at his feet.  Rumple crouches down and runs his fingers through Maleficent's remains.   

This, by the way is pretty creepy when you think about it. 

Rumple is up to something.  He's calm and collected and very dangerous when he's in this frame of mind. 

In the Mayor's Office, Henry is studying the Storybook.  He tells Regina he was a little worried about how she acted around the Queens of Darkness.  She tells him she doesn't like to be reminded of her Evil past because it makes her doubt that she can get a happy ending.  Henry tells her to keep positive.  Regina notices that some pages in the book are different.  Henry explains that these pages were added by August.  Regina thinks that maybe Pinocchio can tell them something about the Storybook.  So the plan is to question Pinocchio.   

We can hope that Regina continues to lean on Henry.  He's not a little boy anymore and it seems like his personal connection to the Storybook will continue to make him important in finding the Author. 

Emma and David are sitting in a patrol car watching the Pawn Shop.  Emma can't understand why David is so suspicious of the Evil Duo.  She asks about their history in the Enchanted Forest, but he refuses to go into detail.  After Cruella and Ursula leave the shop, they follow them.  David tells Emma to call Belle and ask her what they wanted.  

Then we flashback to the post-honeymoon meeting between the Charmings and the Queens of Darkness.  Maleficent explains that they know how Regina plans to carry out her wedding day threat.  She tells them about the terrible Dark Curse that Regina stole from her and how it can be used to hurt everyone in the Enchanted Forest, not just the Charmings.  The Queens of Darkness want to work with the Charmings to stop Regina.  They explain there is a magical tree called the Tree of Wisdom that will answer any question, but it can only be used by two of the most valiant heroes.  This is why they need to work together.  Snow and Charming are reluctant to team up with these evil allies, but they feel they have no choice if they want to defeat the greater evil, Regina.

On the road outside Storybrooke, Emma hears from Belle that a box is missing from the shop.  David puts on the lights and pulls over Cruella's car.  He knocks on her window prompting one of the episodes great Cruella quotes, “Is there a problem Sheriff Chiseled Chin?” While Ursula and Cruella wait with Emma, David searches the car.  The inside of the car is covered in red leather and red, long, bright red fur.  He finds a hidden compartment containing the missing box.  Inside the box is a small trinket.  It's a glass purple-pink orb held in the grasp of an ornate talon, like that of a crow or a dragon.  But David tells Emma he can't find anything and they let the duo go.  Emma is puzzled and decides to go back to the police station and check surveillance video.  She senses that something isn't right with David.  Maybe her superpower is working, but her heart is telling her that he wouldn't lie to her.  She can't sort out the mixed messages.  Then we see that David has taken the stolen trinket. 

David returns home to show Mary Margaret the glass orb.  He's worried that Cruella and Ursula are planning on using it to resurrect Maleficent.  Determined to protect their secret, they decide that they must destroy Maleficent's remains before the others can find them.  They will retrieve her ashes and dump them in the harbor.   

In the past, Team Charmings and Team Queens of Darkness are trekking to the Tree of Wisdom.  They are stopped by guards along the way.  Maleficent goes all dragon on the guards charring them to ashes.  Snow and Charming are horrified as they see the results of teaming up with Evil.  

In present day, Emma tries to download video footage on a computer which appears to be a Compac Presario 150 circa 1997.  She would be better off using her smart phone.  Anyway, Hook shows up with the grilled cheese sandwich and onion rings lunch she was denied earlier.  She is grateful and curious.  She asks Hook to tell her how he knows Ursula.  Hook tries to brush it off, “She's just one of the many sea monsters that crossed my path in my pirating days.”  Emma does not like this answer and continues to press him, but Hook refuses to say more.  Now Emma is getting frustrated.  Surely she is reminded of David's efforts to evade the similar questions earlier in the day.  Hook leaves on that awkward note. 

Outside Emma finds David and Mary Margaret loading hiking equipment into David's truck.  She shows them the security footage (on her smart phone!).  There is the proof that Cruella and Ursula did steal the box from the Pawn Shop.  Now they have a reason to bring them in for questioning.  But, David and Mary Margaret give her some made up story that they are going on a hike and that they should back off Cruella and Ursula and give them the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions.  Once again, Emma's super power is telling her this is a load of crap, but her heart over rides her instinct.  She doesn't want to believe her parents would lie to her, so she doesn’t trust herself.  Mary Margaret and David justify the lying.  They will do anything to keep Emma from learning the truth about their terrible secret.

Over in the Mayor's office Regina is losing her patience with Pinocchio who does not remember anything about the Storybook.  She's called Emma to talk to him since she was close to August, the adult that Pinocchio used to be.  Finally, Regina snaps and threatens the boy.  Marco jumps to his defense and tells Regina that this is a fool's quest because she doesn't deserve a happy ending after destroying everyone else's. 

In the Enchanted Forest, Charming and Snow have deserted the Queens of Darkness and find the Tree of Wisdom on their own.  The giant twisted tree is surrounded by a rock garden.  At one side is a pair of boulders marked with runes.  On the top of each is a gold handprint.  Snow and Charming each place a hand on a boulder.  “How can we stop the Evil Queen's Curse?” asks Snow.  Golden light forms on the boulders and moves up the path and then up the tree, but then the light turns read and they are flung away.  They look up and Team Evil is standing over them. 

Under Storybrooke, David and Mary Margaret have reached the cavern containing Maleficent's ashes.  They don't seem to question the convenience that they are already gathered into the neat pile left by Rumple earlier.  As they rush forward, Cruella and Ursula step out of the shadows.  Ursula whips out some tentacles and knocks them both out and they fall to the ground.  Seems like Ursula has some pretty useful talents after all. 

Across town, Regina finds Marco working in his garage.  He tries to send her away.  But she tells him she's trying to apologize for how she treated Pinocchio earlier.  She tells Marco that she is really trying to be better and that's why she came to apologize.  Marco sees she is sincere and shows her that he has kept August's motorcycle, just in case Pinocchio wanted it someday.  He gives Regina August's bags off the bike.  He hopes that there is something inside that will help her and Henry with their quest.   

In the cavern under town, Rumple has joined the others.  “I trust they don't suspect my hand in all this,” he asks the queens.  “They had no reason to,” Ursula assures him.  “And Belle?” he asks.  “She didn't even mention your name, Darling.  I'd say she's moved on,” purrs Cruella.  Rumple is hurt, but he focuses on the task at hand.  He gives Cruella a knife and leaves. 

Back in the Past, Maleficent wants to figure out why the Tree of Wisdom would not answer the Charmings' question.  Maleficent thinks there must have been some sort of interference.  Then, using some sort of special sense, maybe coming from her abundant cleavage, she figures out that Snow is pregnant.  Even Snow did not know yet!  At first Charming and Snow are surprised and pleased as any first time parents would be.  But they want to know why this is a problem.  Maleficent explains that their child is the product of True Love, and that gives it great potential.  The problem is there are two paths their child may take.  He or she may be the truest of all heroes or the most evil of all villains.  While Ursula wants to give the Charmings a parting tentacle slap, Maleficent feels their future holds enough pain as it is.  So the joyful news of impending parenthood is short lived as Snow and Charming are left to worry about what their child will become. 

In the cavern, Cruella uses the knife to slash David and Mary Margaret's palms.  She lets the blood drip onto Maleficent's ashes.  The Charmings awaken.  She tells them the theft from the Pawn Shop was all a ruse to get them into the cavern.  She and Ursula needed the blood of the people who wronged Maleficent the most to restore her.  As their blood soaks into the ashes, magic swirls around.  First a wraith figure rises, then a dragon and with a final puff of black smoke Maleficent stands before them.

Mary Margaret immediately tries to reason with Maleficent.  At first is worried that Maleficent wants to kill them.  Then she is worried that Maleficent wants to reveal their secret.  But, Maleficent says she wants to cause them as much pain for as long as possible.  The Queens of Darkness leave on that note.  David and Mary Margaret decided it's finally time to tell Emma the truth.

Hook arrives at the Sheriff's office to see Emma.  She wants the truth from him.  No more lies.  He admits that he does remember what happened, but he's not ready to tell her the details.  He says he did worse than break Ursula's heart.  Emma tells him she knows he's a changed man and she has faith in him.  She tells him how earlier she suspected that her parents were lying to her about going on a hike.  “Were they lying?” he asks.  “Of course not,” she says, “my parents would never lie to me.”  At this moment we see that David and Mary Margaret are about to enter the room and they are hearing everything Emma is saying.  Emma says she knows she has a tendency to expect the worst of people because during her childhood she was often let down by others.  Hook tells her he does not intend to let her down.  Emma says she will let Hook tell her about his past when he's ready.  In the meantime she will do what her parents always do which is choose to see the best in him.  As Emma leans in for a kiss, Mary Margaret makes a noise letting Emma know they are watching.  After an awkward greeting, David says they have bad news.  Cruella and Ursula resurrected Maleficent and if she's in town then no one is safe.  Emma wonders why the three witches are waging war against them.  Snow says, “Because we're heroes and they're villains.”  Once again the Charmings are holding back the truth from Emma. 

Back in the Enchanted Forest Snow wakes in the middle of the night.  Maleficent is there.  She tells Snow that she is pregnant too.  She wants Snow's help to defeat Regina for all their sakes and the sake of her child too.  But Snow refuses to work with her.  She's afraid that teaming up with evil will affect her child and turn it from good to evil. 

In Storybrooke, Regina meets Mary Margaret at the park.  Mary Margaret tells her that Maleficent is back and there will be trouble for everyone.  Regina says she knew “Fish Sticks and Pound Puppy” were up to no good.  Mary Margaret asks Regina to go under cover and find out what they are up to.  Regina wants to know why Mary Margaret is so sure the Queens of Darkness want to destroy them.  Mary Margaret tells Regina that she needs to ask her to keep a secret from Emma.  She tells her that Emma was born with the potential for great goodness and great evil.  The Charmings want to protect Emma from knowing all the terrible things they had to do in the Past to protect her.  They are afraid that if Emma loses faith in them she will turn to Darkness.   

As Mary Margaret explains all this to Regina we see a montage of scenes from around Storybrooke.   Henry empties August's bag and finds a single page with a picture of a door and a note that says “Author?”  Emma and Hook stroll down the street arm in arm looking happy as can be.  Rumple stands under a streetlight across from the Pawn Shop.  He watches Belle as she fixes some charms in the window.  He is happy to see her.  There is almost some hope in his eyes, but suddenly his eyes darken.  Then we see Will step into his view.  Belle turns to Will and smiles and then they kiss!  Rumple staggers back out of the light into the shadows and literally back into darkness.  Finally, we see the Queens of Darkness on the hilltop overlooking the town.  Maleficent conjures the globe trinket that David took earlier.  She takes an ornate piece of metal off her necklace and attaches it to the globe.  Once it's assembled she turns it over and shakes it.  It's a baby's rattle!  Tears well in her eyes. 

“What exactly did you do to Maleficent?” Regina asks. 

“Because of us, Maleficent lost her child,” whispers Mary Margaret.

The Charmings' secrets are revealed.

There is the secret about Emma and her potential for darkness.  This confirms what Rumple said last week that it was Emma that the Chernabog was chasing.   

There are all the “bad things” they did to protect Emma from knowing this about herself.  

Finally, somehow all their actions lead to Maleficent losing her child.  The question is:  Did the child die or was the child lost?  Can the child be found again?  Chances are the child will be found and maybe we've met her/him already. 

Our return to the Enchanted Forest begins with a trip to the Forbidden Fortress. An unsuspecting guard stands at his post until he is swept aside by the tentacles of Ursula, doing her best runway walk down the hall. As she approaches the chamber she is stopped by the voice of Maleficent asking who she is; Ursula spins, launching her tentacles at the Mistress of All Evil, but is blocked by Maleficent’s staff. Ursula replies that she may be referred to as “Your Majesty,” hinting at a sure-to-be-revealed-in-flashback royal lineage. Ursula asks who Maleficent is before revealing that she was invited to the Fortress. Maleficent tells her that this is her home, and that she did not send for Ursula. The sound of barking dogs interrupts their argument as they turn to see two Rottweilers on the attack, and Maleficent prepares her staff for a magical blast. The dogs stop just short of the villainesses and we are treated to the sight of Cruella de Vil sauntering towards them. She advises that she wouldn’t use magic if she were them, assuring the other two that they don’t eat fish or dragon...unless she tells them to. She crouches to the ground, blowing green magic at the dogs which fells them silent before asking what she’s doing there. Maleficent reiterates that this is her home and she didn’t ask for visitors; the other two declare that they received instructions but Maleficent refutes them, saying they’re trespassing.The three of them are interrupted by Rumplestiltskin, who reveals that it was he who gathered them together. His reason: they’re villains, and it’s time for the villains to get their happy endings. 

In Storybrooke, the clock tower’s minute hand moves from 8:15 to 8:16, and we see the town is at peace and back to normal: Regina drops Henry at the school bus outside Granny’s then destroys Snow’s bird painting in the mayor’s office with a fireball as she unpacks items to reclaim the mayor’s office, Snow teaches a class (including Henry) about birds, Granny holds baby Neal while Emma grabs her sheriff’s badge and a dark red jacket before going outside to meet (and kiss) Hook. The two of them walk past the closed pawn shop before greeting Belle outside the library; Hook goes inside with Belle while Emma departs. 

Inside the library, Hook has assembled a board with information about the missing fairies, the hat, and the Apprentice’s house. (A post-it note says that records indicate the Apprentice’s landlord is Yensid, known to Disney fans as the Sorcerer from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia.) Frustrated, the dear Captain knocks the board down before exclaiming that it’s been six weeks and the fairies are still trapped in the hat. Belle assures them that they will find a way to release them and that she’s reached out to some of the finest linguists in the world to help them translate runes. Hook says that it’s all because he was tricked by the Crocodile, to which Belle replies that they both were, and that she should have seen through Rumplestiltskin. Hook tells her that she was blinded by love but he has no excuse; Belle tells him that he was blinded by love too, but for someone else, and Hook says that love is a weapon as dangerous and persuasive as magic. Belle agrees, saying that Rumple had both of their hearts, but Hook tells her that Rumple loved her. Belle expresses hope that he has found whatever he was looking for.

In Manhattan, Rumple stands in front of a microwave in an apartment covered in wallpaper which matches the hanging tendrils of Ursula’s lair in the animated Little Mermaid film; the front door opens and Ursula enters, home from her shift at the aquarium. The two of them squabble over food as she reminds him that it is she who has been taking care of him while he’s been there sleeping on her couch and eating her food. He tells her that she complains because her life is crap. He retorts that offering him reheatable noodles in what could charitably be called shelter is no great gift. An email interrupts their conversation, and he tells her that the time has come for the end of their misery. The two of them travel to a large, upscale house in Great Neck, Long Island (Easter egg: Ursula wears purple under a black and purple coat, a nod to her animated counterpart) and find one of the residents is being arrested; his wife is none other than Cruella de Vil, asking one of the arresting officers if they really need these theatrics. She moves to a coat rack and removes a black and white fur; an officer tries to stop her but she firmly (and frighteningly) states that it was hers before. 

She dons her coat and pauses when she hears Rumple say her Enchanted name; she says no one calls her that here before turning to face him, and he says that Cruella Feinberg doesn’t have quite the same ring. He tells her that they’ve arrived to reclaim their former glory, offering a mea culpa now that they’ve all lost what they have. She says “Not everything” and opens the garage door, revealing the infamous de Vil car, complete with personalized license plate. He questions where she’s going with her paltry material possessions and she replies that she’s going to get herself some less-paltry material possessions. He tells her that she’ll end up back where she started and she coldly replies that she will never go back to where she started, a hint at a soon-to-be-revealed backstory. He says that he can help her get back everything she’s lost, but she is skeptical, asking if he can deliver in a world without magic where walking is a challenge. He tells her that there is magic in this world if you know where to look, and asks if she’s tired of feeling ordinary; she tells him to get in and asks where they’re going. The answer: Storybrooke.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, the four villains sit in Maleficent’s fortress. Cruella questions whether Rumple is truly powerful enough to offer their happy endings, and Maleficent and Ursula both declare that no one is that powerful. Cruella asks what exactly he’s offering (and calls him Short Stuff) and he says the answer to all their prayers. She gets in his face telling him she does not appreciate being dragged around on false promises, and he replies that he knows exactly what each of them wants, but doesn’t reveal anything. Maleficent retorts that no spell known to man or woman can do what he’s offering, and he agrees, but states that they’re not looking for a spell: they’re looking for a dark curse, one which will give them all their happy endings.