'Once Upon a Time' Hero and Villain of the Week: Under Pressure
Warning: This recap for the “Nimue” episode of Once Upon a Time contains spoilers.
What’s love got to do with it?
We’ve seen again and again the power of true love on Once Upon a Time. But this week, we see how love can destroy, how it can tear things apart, how it can lead to darkness.
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This episode of OUAT gave us a deeper look into Merlin’s back story — his connection to the Dark One mythology, why he feels a responsibility over Emma, and who Nimue is. And not surprisingly, as is usually the case with OUAT, love was at the heart of this story. Love, and heartbreak.
Why do we have a sense that more heartbreak is in store for our fairy-tale favorites from Storybrooke?
Hero of the Week: Merlin
The myth of Merlin has been built up for over a season on OUAT, but this is the first time we get to really see the man behind the legend. He’s just a regular guy, who falls in love with a beautiful woman. He wields powerful magic, but he doesn’t want to abuse his power.
He has access to a grail which can bestow immortality, but he knows well enough the price that has to be paid. That level of magic always comes with a deal. Does that sound familiar?
It soon becomes clear that Merlin’s love is Nimue — the “lady of the lake,” if you know Arthurian legend. And she’s far from being a helpless damsel in distress. Instead, we learn that she was the original Dark One! She drank from that grail, rendering her immortal.
Merlin, despite his love for her, knows what he has to do. “Even when you love someone, you have to say no.”
Villain of the Week: Emma
Merlin might be able to say “no” to Nimue, but can he stop Emma?
For another week, Emma wins this top prize for her nearly-unstoppable quest to unite Excalibur with the Dark One’s dagger. There was a moment when we thought Merlin might be able to prevent this from happening. After all, he put aside love (see above) for the greater good.
But despite his very good arguments, Merlin can’t fight destiny. The Dark One lineage is too powerful. Once Emma tasted that power, she could never resist wielding it.
Even the thought of hurting Henry wasn’t enough. Even the memory of Merlin’s warning to her in the movie theater in her childhood wasn’t enough.
“You’re a woman now,” Zelena reminds her.
And with that, Emma unites dagger with sword. Excalibur is whole again. We can only hope the world survives.
Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.