OUAT: Mysterious Fathoms

Last time on “Once:” Regina infiltrates the Queens of Darkness and survives their tests: getting drunk, destroying public property, nearly getting run over by a train and kidnapping Pinocchio. David and Mary Margaret tells Emma about the undercover plan and Emma immediately deems it a bad idea. She agrees to help Regina but Regina shakes her off since Emma sucks at being covert. Hook tells Belle about the Queens of Darkness and warns Rumple may come back. So he has her hide the dagger, except it’s really Gold so he has his dagger back. He then meets up with the Queens and turns Pinocchio back into August.

And in the Enchanted Forest past: How Maleficent Got Her Groove Back.


We open on board the Jolly Roger, back when Hook was still a pirate in Peter Pan’s employ. (No, Robbie Kay does not appear). Smee is at the helm as a fog engulfs the pirate ship. He and the crew hear some singing that’s familiar to anyone who has ever watched “The Little Mermaid.” Even Hook’s entranced…until the singing stops, the fog recedes and he sees they are heading for rocks. He shouts orders and the crew is able to save the Jolly Roger from sinking.

By the rocks, Ernie Hudson…I mean, Poseidon…demands to know why his daughter didn’t lure the pirates to their deaths. 

(Hi, Ernie!)

Ursula says she doesn’t want to use her singing voice for that and she doesn’t think her mother would’ve wanted her to either. Poseidon reminds her that humans killed her mother and so they should all die, apparently. Ursula disagrees so Poseidon breaks out that old parental standby—“As long as you live in my ocean, you live by my rules.” So Ursula says she doesn’t want to live in his ocean anymore.

In the present, Ursula is listening to music when Cruella calls her inside. They are preparing to torture August. Regina stops them from using a knife on him but deflects their suspicion by conjuring a fireball. She threatens to use it on August and he caves, saying he does remember something about the Author. He says he has some research he stole from the Dragon, the healer he visited way back in Season 2. Gold goes to search August’s old trailer, leaving the Queens to watch August. Regina tends to the fire.

(I may now be questioning my sexuality)

Out in the woods, Emma, Hook and the Charmings look for Regina and Pinocchio. Emma hopes nothing happened to the boy once Regina ditched her. A black cloud races toward them and takes over Mary Margaret. When she speaks, it’s with Regina’s voice. And it’s strange. She tells them that everyone is fine but Gold is back. He turned Pinocchio into August and is pressing him for answers. She pulls out of Mary Margaret and everyone hurries back into town.

They visit Belle, who is not happy to hear her husband is back in town. They ask her for the dagger but Belle says she gave it to Hook to hide. Everyone looks at him but he’s confused. Belle keeps insisting that they met the night before in the park to hide the dagger. So much for that pirate’s oath, huh? Hook swears it wasn’t him and thankfully, Emma believes him. She immediately realizes it was Gold and he has the dagger.
So how are they going to find out what he’s up to? Hook says he knows a way. He tells Emma he’s going to talk to Ursula because he has something she wants—her happy ending. That’s their history—he took it from her.

At least it wasn’t a romantic entanglement.

We find past!Hook in a pub as young Ursula sings “Fathoms Below” from The Little Mermaid. You’ll remember it as the song that opened the movie. It makes sense that they would have her sing that one from the movie—it’s really the only one not associated with a particular character. And she’s not evil yet, so there’s no reason for her to sing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” yet.

Ursula and Hook have a bit of a chat. She reveals she was once a mermaid but she found a bracelet that allows her to walk on water. Urusla explains that her mother taught her to sing. It was something they did together. But once her mother was killed, Poseidon ordered her to only sing to lure sailors to their deaths. She didn’t want to do that anymore—she knows her mother wouldn’t want her to use her voice like that. So she’s running away to a place she heard her mother mention once. Hook offers to take her as a thank you for sparing his ship.

(New friends...)

In the present, Ursula excuses herself from the cabin. Why? Because she hears Hook calling her with her shell. He offers to get her her happy ending in exchange for information about Gold. She accepts. Hook tells her that her happy ending is at the harbor.

When they get there, Ursula is confused. She only sees water. Hook explains they need to get the Jolly Roger, but it’s still in the Enchanted Forest. But as a former mermaid and current sea witch, Ursula is capable of opening a portal between the worlds. She does so and uses a tentacle to get the Jolly Roger. But it’s not in the same condition as when Hook sold it to Blackbeard. In fact, it’s in a bottle. Hook is not happy.

(Well, that complicates things)

Meanwhile, the moment Outlaw Queen fans have been waiting for! Regina goes for a walk in the woods, holding Page 23 with her. She pauses and soon hears her name being called. Looking up, Robin emerges from the mists and races toward her, shouting her name. She says his in return, surprise and happiness in her voice. She asks him how he got back and he tells her it doesn’t matter—he’s there now with her. They then kiss:

Excuse me while I explode.

As Regina and Robin rest their foreheads together, Regina realizes something’s wrong. She tells him they are being watched. They turn and Regina’s voice drops into a lower register as she asks whoever it is what they are doing there.

Place your bets—Ursula? Maleficent? Cruella? Gold? Emma? Zelena? Cora? Marian? The author?

It’s the Evil Queen! She comes stalking toward them, conjuring up a fireball. The Queen tells Regina to get away from Robin before hurtling the fireball at the couple.

Regina wakes up in the cabin to find Maleficent and Cruella watching her. Maleficent offers to give her something to help her sleep but Regina says she’s fine. She then jumps as the door opens. Gold has returned for round two of August’s interrogation. Regina goes over to August and asks him about page 23, saying someone important to her had found it. “You mean Robin Hood?” August asks. At her look, he reminds her that he still has all his memories as Pinocchio. It’s not like she and Robin were discreet, even when Marian was back.

Gold reveals he didn’t go to August’s trailer. He doesn’t believe there’s anything there and that August was leading them on a wild goose chase. So he went to the convent and raided the fairies’ store of magic. He had a potion that would turn August wood again. Though August struggles, Gold forces it down his throat and they watch as he becomes a wooden puppet.

(This was kinda horrifying)

It doesn’t last long. August is back to being human in a few seconds. Gold reveals though that it left behind one thing: his nose will be able to grow if he tells a lie. August doesn’t believe him and tries to insist he doesn’t know any more about the author. But his nose grows longer. Gold isn’t bluffing.

(Taking cues from the Inquisition?)

So August admits that there’s a page with a door on it. It’s a clue as to where the Author is. He looks up at Regina and says he knows she’s seen it because it was in the papers Marco gave her. She tells the others she gave it to Henry. A look crosses Gold’s face and you know it means he’s not going to go after his grandson. So he suggests they look for the door at the Sorcerer’s house. Regina volunteers to stay and watch August but Gold gives the task to Cruella.

Hook prepares his ship for the voyage when he discovers Poseidon on deck. Poseidon reveals he knows about Ursula’s deal with Hook. He forbids her from leaving but Hook’s not willing to budge. Poseidon then tells him about squid ink, which could stop the Dark One’s powers. Then Hook could kill the crocodile at last. Poseidon’s willing to give it to him, but first Hook has to capture Ursula’s voice in a seashell. You know, like another little mermaid…


But Hook doesn’t uphold his end of the bargain. Instead, he tells Ursula what’s going on. Ursula is surprised he’d give up the chance to seek revenge against the Crocodile. He tells her he’s not and she realizes that he wants her to steal the ink for him. She agrees and heads down to her father’s underwater storage unit.

In Storybrooke, Hook takes Ursula to Gold’s shop. But not to talk to Belle, but to talk to Will. They hope he has some growing potion from Wonderland on him. He does and he hands it over, despite the bad blood between him and Hook.

(Michael Socha's only appearance!)

Is that it for Will? I’m seriously considering redoing my old Glee drinking game. Instead of taking a shot whenever Damian was in the episode, I think I’m going to do the same for Michael Socha.

Anyway, they return to the harbor and Hook uses the potion on the ship in the bottle. It works, restoring the Jolly Roger to normal size. Welcome back, Jolly Roger!

The two board the ship and Hook looks like he needs a moment alone with it. But Ursula wants her happy ending. So Hook goes to his safe, opening it with a key he keeps on the other side of his hook. That’s…awesome. Props to whoever thought that up! He pulls out the conch shell and gives it to Ursula. She tries to get her voice back but it doesn’t work.

(No, really. That's cool)

Angry, Ursula turns on Hook. He doesn’t know why it didn’t work but insists on her holding her end of the bargain. She disagrees. So Hook pulls a gun on her, demanding to know what Gold is up to. Ursula tells him he hasn’t changed. She uses her tentacles to disarm and knock him out. Then she throws him overboard.
Before he could sink to the bottom of the harbor, Ariel pops up holding him. She tells his unconscious form that he can thank her later.

(Welcome back, Ariel!)

In the past, Ursula manages to get the squid ink. But before she can turn it over to Hook, Poseidon intervenes. He’s angry that Hook didn’t honor their agreement. Hook is all supportive of Ursula…until Poseidon takes the ink away, supposedly destroying it. Angry, Hook uses the shell on Ursula for…reasons. He then gives the mermaid back to her father and pretty much wishes Daddy Dearest luck.

(Poor Ursula)

Hook wakes up on board his ship, surprised to see Ariel. He thought she was off having her happily ever after with Prince Eric on that deserted island. She explains that for some unknown reason, she went for a swim around Arendelle. If we recall, Blackbeard had made a deal with Hans and sent Anna and Kristoff to their deaths. Upon her return, Elsa was none too pleased about that. So she shrunk the Jolly Roger and stuck it in the bottle. Ariel was caught in the spell. I’m not sure about Blackbeard. Is he roaming Storybrooke unchecked?

He thanks Ariel and then asks her for a favor. She agrees to do it.

Ursula sulks as she sits next to her father under the water. She decides it’s time to really rebel. With little fight from Poseidon, she steals his trident. She tells him that he named her after the sea goddess (so Merrin Dungey is not playing the same character Nicole Yvette Brown played in season 3A) but she is going to be more powerful than that Ursula. She uses the trident to give herself tentacles and she goes to terrorize the seas.

(A villain is made)

Emma and her parents go to rescue August. I guess Regina somehow gave them a signal that it was safe to do so. David and Mary Margaret worry about Hook, afraid that maybe Ursula has managed to turn him. Emma tells them to trust him, like she does. He isn’t going dark again. But they aren’t sure since he expressed a desire to plunge the dagger into Gold’s heart. Emma says she doesn’t blame him. This troubles her parents even after she clarifies that she wouldn’t do it. She just understands his feelings.

Emma storms into the cabin and Cruella is ready to take her down. But Mary Margaret beans her with a frying pan (Tangled shout out?). She tells Emma that she learned as a bandit that backdoors are usually unlocked. They try to undo August’s binds but Ursula returns, interrupting their plan. She wraps Mary Margaret in her tentacles, threatening her life if Emma uses her magic.

Hook comes in and tells Ursula he has a surprise for her. Poseidon follows him. He apologizes to Ursula, saying he should have never made her use her singing for evil. It was the only thing they had of her mother and he used it the wrong way. He asks her to forgive him and he gives her her voice back. Ursula reconciles with him and agrees to go home with him.


Emma goes and unties August with her magic. He’s impressed and she tells him she’s been practicing. August tells her that he’s always believed in her. She says it’s good to see him as August again and not in 20 years. He agrees.

And I’m suddenly remembering why I shipped Wooden Swan back in Season 2.

Emma then tells Hook he did good in getting Ursula her happy ending back. But he reveals he almost didn’t and that it was so easy to slip back into the darkness. She tells him that he didn’t and that says a lot. An upset Hook says there’s an elephant in the room—and it’s not Emma’s chemistry with August, though hold that thought. He reminds her that he was a villain and the Author has determined villains don’t get happy endings (despite Ursula seemingly getting hers seconds prior). He worries his happy ending could be taken away. Emma says that for that to happen, he had to have his happy ending. Hook tells her that she is his happy ending. Touched, Emma kisses him.

(Captain Swan fans are lucky this half of the season)

The little search party leaves the Sorcerer’s house empty-handed. Cruella shows up and says the heroes rescued August. She says they have a traitor in their midst and Regina tenses up behind Gold. No one notices as Cruella tells them that Ursula’s gone to have her happy ending with her father. So Gold tasks Regina in getting the page from Henry.

Hook escorts Ursula to the docks. She agrees to tell him Gold’s entire plan. While they are looking for the Author, she says the only way for the villains to truly have their happy ever afters is to get rid of the Savior. But not by killing her—Gold is going to turn her dark. Like the villains. Hook understandably looks worried.

At the loft, Regina walks in to check on August. He’s resting on the couch, Henry by his side with the book. Regina talks with Emma, telling her about the dream. Emma wonders why the Evil Queen would attack Robin but Regina thinks she was trying to protect him. Protect him from what though? She asks Emma to locate Robin and get her some way to contact him. She wants to make sure he’s okay. Emma agrees to do so.

Henry tells them that August is coming round. They ask him more questions about the Author. He says he wasn’t lying when he told Gold he didn’t know where the Author was. The reason being—he didn’t know where Henry had the page he took from the book. Because you see, it’s not a drawing of a door. It is a door. The Author is trapped in the book!

(August--Moving the plot along!)

I have to admit I was not expecting that twist. And I like it. It makes sense to me. Of course there are questions that still need to be answered. But this season is progressing quite nicely.

This seems to be the last we’ll see of Ursula in the present. But there’s still flashbacks! How will Cruella survive without her though?

Next time: What happened to Maleficent’s baby? Emma learns the truth!

Screen caps from here.