‘Once Upon a Time’ Hero and Villain of the Week: Mother, May I?

Warning: This recap for the “Mother’s Little Helper” episode of Once Upon a Time contains spoilers.

Honor thy mother and father, says one of the 10 commandments. But on Once Upon a Time, what do you do when your mother and/or father is a villain of the worst degree?

This week gives us the first look into the life of Gideon in the realm of the Black Fairy. He had previously intimated that it was a terrible time, but seeing it is really believing it. His grandmother is a horrible, evil person, and it’s easy to get on his side of wanting to fix that for everyone.

Of course, fixing it means killing Emma. Can’t we all just get along? Apparently not. And Gideon’s involvement in Emma’s life creates real barriers in the fellowship of the heroes. Belle, for instance, isn’t necessarily on their side. How will they resolve this? Can they defeat the Black Fairy without murdering Emma? And will Hook ever find his way back to Storybrooke?

Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode…

Villain of the Week: Black Fairy

After Gideon reveals himself as the bartender from last week’s adventures, Emma offers him a deal: She’ll help him defeat the Black Fairy if he allows Hook to return to Storybrooke.

Flashbacks illuminate Gideon’s life as a child. He was held in a dungeon for some period of time, during which he befriended a cellmate named Roger. The Black Fairy took Roger away for torture/death/who knows, traumatizing Gideon.

When he was older, the Black Fairy made a deal with Gideon after finding his copy of Belle’s “Her Handsome Hero” — she wouldn’t punish him if he found the thief in her mines. Well, the thief turned out to be Roger. She didn’t kill him, and now he presses Gideon to rise up against the Black Fairy.

Back in Storybrooke, Gideon and Emma go to the Sorcerer’s Mansion, since it houses so much power. But when they arrive, they have to battle a giant spider. Just when they are about to defeat it, though, Gideon leaves Emma caught in a web. He tricked her! He meant for her to die so he can steal her power.

As Emma gets wrapped up in the spider’s web, Gideon awaits the transfer of the Saviour’s power. But just before she dies, Rumplestiltskin shows up to save her!

He did it not for her sake, but for his son’s — so that he won’t turn totally evil. But even the few moments when Emma was about to die were enough to open a portal for the Black Fairy to travel from her realm to Storybrooke.

Now, she’s here and ready to do harm. And even though Gideon doesn’t want to do her bidding, she was his mother long enough to direct his actions. This mother/son duo will be very difficult to defeat.

Heroes of the Week: Regina and Hook

Elsewhere in Storybrooke, Regina is trying to break the sleeping curse on Snow White and Prince Charming (it’s harder than it looks), when Henry has a stroke! It turns out it has to do with his identity as the Author, so Regina takes him to see the previous holder of that title, Isaac.

Isaac wants to make a deal, of course — he will help them if they allow him to leave Storybrooke. They get him a car, and he reveals that Henry is experiencing this psychic pain because they’ve reached the “final chapter.” Henry asks, “What happens at the end of the book?” Isaac teases that the Saviour fights her final battle… but that nobody wants to stick around to see that. Uh oh!

Meanwhile, Hook is trying to find a way back to Storybrooke. He left Agrabah with a pocket full of gems, which he wants to use as passage with Captain Blackbeard. But Blackbeard doesn’t trust him or his newfound riches, and they play a hand of cards for the deed to the Jolly Roger.

Hook loses, but there’s a catch — the Jolly Roger is in Storybrooke! But Blackbeard has a magic bean. Unfortunately, the portal takes them not to Storybrooke but to Neverland! And when the Lost Boys chase them, Blackheard takes the only rowboat away… leaving Hook to their mercies.

Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of OUAT for free on Yahoo View.

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