'Once Upon a Time' Hero and Villain of the Week: Dark Days Are Ahead
Warning: This recap for the “Swan Song” episode of Once Upon a Time contains spoilers.
When it comes to magic, it’s either play or get played.
The winter finale of Once Upon a Time wrapped up the “Emma and Hook are both Dark Ones” storyline, and set up an intriguing arc for the back half of the season. In a way, the episode kind of hits the reset button, as both Emma and Hook are freed of the darkness, and Rumplestiltskin becomes the Dark One again.
“Now things are as they should be,” Rumple says.
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Of course, it’s not as simple as that. It was an emotional finale, as Emma first had to try to hunt down the man she loves, and then she had to kill him with Excalibur while professing her love for him. Ouch. Killian is dead, but this is Storybrooke; is anyone really ever dead?
The back half of the season takes our heroes to the underworld as they attempt to bring Hook back to life. It looks like we’re getting the dark, alternative-reality version of Storybrooke, filled with all the familiar (dead) faces we’ve loved to hate. “Happily ever after” doesn’t exist in Storybrooke Hell!
Hero of the Week: Emma
With everyone’s memories back intact, Emma realizes that Hook is organizing a terrible reunion of all the Dark Ones. Even worse, the Dark Ones’ spirits are planning to exchange their places in the underworld for living souls — meaning Snow, Charming, Henry, etc. are all going to die unless Emma does something about it.
That something is horrible, but necessary: Emma plans to take in all the darkness and then kill herself with Excalibur. Unfortunately, Hook anticipates her move and impersonates Henry to get the sword.
But when the hour comes for the Dark Ones to take over, Regina reminds Hook of what he did to his own father. See, Hook’s father abandoned him as a kid. Later, the Evil Queen took him to his dad as a test to see how far Hook would go, villain-wise. At first, Hook is going to help his dad and his young half-brother go. But Hook doesn’t think his father has really changed and kills him. “What kind of man do you want to be?” Regina asks.
And then he sees the spirit of Nimue torturing Emma, and something in Hook snaps. He wants to be the man that Emma loved. He sucks in all the Dark One magic into Excalibur, then begs Emma to use it on him. She doesn’t want to at first, but finally, after telling Hook she loves him, she stabs him.
It’s heartbreaking and tragic, especially since Emma’s already lost one man she loved (Neal). RIP, Killian.
Villain of the Week: Rumplestiltskin
When the Dark Ones threaten to take over Storybrooke, Mr. Gold gives the keys to his car to Belle. “Go see the world,” he tells her. She has no idea about what’s really going on.
He seemingly helps Emma with her quest to stop Hook, by giving her Excalibur. Then Belle comes back, having heard the true story from Henry. She declares her love, and the two get back together.
But after Hook dies, Emma hears whispers of Dark Ones. How is this possible? She confronts Rumple, and he reveals his dastardly deeds: He used magic so that killing Hook didn’t destroy the dark magic; it just funneled it into Rumple. He’s the Dark One again! And he’s even more powerful, as he’s combined all the powers of all the previous Dark Ones, including Emma!
Emma makes a deal: She won’t tell Belle if Rumple helps her get to the underworld. And with that, he uses the dagger to call the ferry. Emma, Snow, Charming, Rumple, Henry, Regina, and Robin all get on board to find Hook.
Poor Belle — wonder what she’ll think when she wakes up?
Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.