OUAT: *Sobs. Uncontrollably*

Last time on “Once:” The heroes busted Lancelot and Merida out of prison. Impressed by Belle’s knowledge of magic, Merida kidnapped her and took her to Dun Broch with her. She told Belle that she refused to marry one of the clan leaders and so they took her brothers from her. But she was determined to get them back. She took Belle to the witch’s cottage and they used a spell to see that the clans were going to put her brothers to death to punish her. She asked Belle to make a spell, which turns out to be the one that turned Queen Elinor into a bear.

Merida then revealed that their land came under attack and she went to fight alongside her father. He was caught by a soldier and the only way to save him was to shoot an arrow at the soldier. But she missed and she believed that’s why the clans didn’t trust her to lead. She and Belle went to rescue her brothers, Belle switching the potion out. Merida had to rely on her own skills and managed to save her brothers, earning the clans’ respect. Yay, Merida!

In Storybrooke, Emma sicced Merida on Belle. She hoped putting his wife in danger would force Gold to be a hero. When he didn’t do so fast enough—and just as he tried to flee Storybrooke—Emma ordered Merida to take the potion to become a bear. She chased Belle into the woods and Gold saved her, turning Merida back into a person. He then went to Emma’s secret lair and pulled out Excalibur.

The heroes asked Arthur to talk to Merlin but he tried to destroy the toadstool. They realized he was shady but not too smart. The toadstool was safe and they got Henry to summon Merlin, only to get his voicemail. They were more confused than ever.

What now?


Emma and Rumple are still in the Secret Lair. She puts down the dagger and Excalibur. Rumple says all she has to do now is fuse them to make the ultimate weapon.

We cut to a desert 2000 years before Arthur. Because that’s now how we’re marking time, I guess. Anyway, two men ran through the sand dunes in search of water. One of the men is Merlin and he spots something glowing in the distance. His companion is convinced it’s just a mirage but Merlin thinks it’s worth checking out. So they head on to the oasis.

(I totally understand)

There isn’t a well but there is a goblet filled with water on a stand. How convenient. Merlin is now hesitant, realizing the goblet is the Holy Grail. Uh, one question—the Holy Grail is supposed to be the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Religion’s always been a bit fuzzy in this world—Snowing seemed to be married by an archbishop and Robin has Friar Tuck but there seems to be no set religion—so how does the Holy Grail fit in?

Anyway, Merlin’s companion pushes him aside and reaches for the Holy Grail. Like Sir Kay in the premiere, this poor soul goes “poof.” They are killing a lot of people…and none by Dark!Emma’s hands.

(We hardly knew ye)

Merlin decides he’s probably going to die either way. He prays to some gods and then grabs the Holy Grail. He doesn’t go poof and he drinks the water, relieved. When he puts his hands down, the desert turns into a green field. Merlin realizes he now has magic.

(The hills are alive...)

Emma sits outside Granny’s in Camelot, making her dreamcatchers. Hook watches from inside and wonders how Merlin is going to get the darkness out of her. He says he needs two things—the flame of Prometheus, the first fire, and Excalibur. Merlin and Emma are going to get the flame which leaves the others to get Excalibur. Robin notes that they are pretty much at war with Arthur and Hook asks if Merlin has any idea how they are going to get it. He doesn’t and Hook lets loose on him. The others tell him to cool it.

(Team Hero meeting)

Centuries pass and a village now thrives where once there had been desert. Merlin uses his magic for good—to see the future, to heal, etc. He has an apprentice and can I say that Wee!Apprentice is absolutely adorable? The apprentice says there’s a young woman waiting for Merlin and he sends the boy on ahead while he talks with her.

The woman is Nimue and she is the sole survivor of an attack. She rescued some seeds of the flowers that used to grow in her town and asks Merlin to take care of them. He does so, growing them into those beautiful roses we’ve been seeing all season long. Nimue is thrilled and he invites her to stay in his village. Instead of seeking the revenge she wants.

Maybe she’ll find love instead.

Merlin approaches Emma and asks if she’s ready. Emma looks like she’s ready so she can finally get a good night’s sleep. He tells her they need to find Nimue. But it’ll be a long and possibly treacherous journey. Is she really ready?

She is.

Hook approaches Emma and she says that they’re getting closer to removing the darkness from her. She quotes a Four Seasons song but Hook only knows she’s making a reference. Emma teases him and he reminds her to come home to him. She tells him that she’s immortal but he reminds her that she’s not. He then pulls out a ring and Emma’s taken aback. Hook assures her he’s not proposing and that the ring is for luck. It’s the reason he’s still alive and he hopes it’ll work for Emma as well. Or at least serve as a reminder she has a pirate who loves her waiting for her. Emma smiles and kisses him. 

(Here you go, Captain Swan fans)

She tells him she loves him too. Hook pulls away to head back inside while Emma puts the ring around her neck. She plays with it before spotting Merlin, who tells her it’s time.

We return to his time with Nimue. Some time has passed and the two have fallen in love. He promises to spend the rest of his life with her and gives her a ring, made out of a flower. But there’s just one thing—he’s been granted immortality along with his magic. He tells her they have to retrieve the Flame of Prometheus in order to use a sword that will make him mortal again. She suggests using the Holy Grail to make her immortal. But he says that being immortal is a burden and that life can lose its joy. He doesn’t want that for her. So they agree to go get the Flame of Prometheus.

(This is going to be painful)

Inside Granny’s, the rest of the main cast tries to plot their way into Arthur’s castle. Each of their plans is met with an eye roll from a growingly infuriated Zelena. Her fidgeting catches Regina’s attention and she gives her sister her voice back. Zelena says that her time playing mute handmaiden left her time to explore the castle. She says she found a tunnel that led out of the castle, which she was going to use to escape. But now they can use it to get in and she’ll show it to them in exchange for getting her magic back. She promises she’s learned her lesson. While no one really wants to trust her, they have no choice.

(Almost as untrustworthy as Rumple)

She leads them outside Arthur’s palace and points a tunnel that leads inside. So far, so good. Zelena holds up her arm, asking to be freed. Regina says she won’t do that until they are back, safe with the sword. Instead, Zelena’s going to spend time with Snow. Snow says they can exchange baby tips and Zelena looks ready to kill someone. Charming pulls his sword, leading them inside the tunnel.

(So far, so good)

Inside, Arthur is preparing for an attack from the heroes. Guinevere watches as he brews something. He pulls out a helmet and pours his concoction over it. It melts and he orders his men to use it against our heroes. Guin looks really concerned for her husband’s mental state now.

Save Guin 2K15!

Merlin and Emma walk through the woods. She talks about what she did to Violet and looks for forgiveness from Merlin, saying that she needed to get the tear. He’s pretty much “The ends don’t justify the means” and Emma realizes that she knows that. Merlin says he understands the pull of the darkness but Emma just has to be stronger than it. She can overcome it and stay good.

(Oh)

Back in Merlin’s past, he and Nimue come across the ruins of a town. Of course, it was Nimue’s. She wanders around the place she once lived, trying to recall where her house had been. Merlin focuses on the cups that litter the ground. Nimue says the villain who destroyed everything wanted them and made everyone bring them out. Merlin realizes he was looking for the Holy Grail.

(That was some party)

Nimue asks about the Holy Grail and Merlin reveals that he has it. It’s part of his plan to get rid of his immortality. Makes sense. Nimue still is focused on vengeance and imagines what she can do with the power the grail could give her. Merlin still thinks it’s too dangerous and he won’t let her take such a dark path.

Our heroes have made it into Arthur’s castle without detection. They spot Arthur’s guards walking with the vat of acid and Robin wonders if it’s for them. Regina doesn’t want to find out. She wants to press on before their luck runs out and/or Zelena tricks them again. Everyone agrees.

Meanwhile outside, Snow wonders if the sun hurts Zelena since she can’t turn green anymore. Does…does the green skin serve as sunscreen? Or is sunlight her weakness instead of water? Did I miss something, show? Hello?

Zelena starts crying, saying that Regina is going to win again and take her baby. Thankfully, the writers didn’t have Snow act all indignant about this because, duh, Zelena stole Baby Neal from her. But she is worried that Zelena is in physical pain, which is just the opening the Wicked Witch needs. She knocks Snow down and subdues her, having undone her bindings.

(Oh, Zelena)

In the past, Merlin and Nimue find the Flame of Prometheus. He takes the Holy Grail and uses his magic to turn it into a sword. Yes, you guys—Excalibur was made from the Holy Grail and forged over the Flame of Prometheus. So is it also the Sword of Damocles? I mean, if we’re going for Greek mythology references…

(Insert sword joke here)

Excalibur made, Nimue and Merlin are interrupted by a masked figure. It looks like the person who put Merlin in the true. Gasp! Could this be the first Dark One? Nimue reveals that this is the person who destroyed her village and she wants vengeance. He removes his mask and…wait, is he the guy that went poof earlier or am I making a connection that doesn’t exist? Nimue is nothing against him and she’s wounded, dying in Merlin’s arms.

Rip my heart out, OUAT. Just rip it out.

Emma and Merlin make it to where the Flame of Prometheus is supposed to be but it’s not. He says they have to summon the very first Dark One to get it. Emma takes her dagger and he tells her to go through all the Dark Ones in her head to find the very first one. She concentrates and names start flashing on the dagger until it stops at one.

Nimue.

The robed figure appears in the glen and removes the gold mask, revealing Nimue. Except now she has blue-green skin and isn’t as warm as we’ve seen her be before. She is a Dark One.

So, how did she get like that? Let’s find out!

Merlin squares off against the scarred man until the man gasps, collapsing to the ground. Nimue stands there, holding his heart. Merlin wonders how this happened and she admits that she drank from the Holy Grail when he wasn’t looking. So she has magic and immortality too. She has the power to exact her revenge. Merlin tells her not too for it will take her on a dark path. But she crushes the man’s heart, killing him. Her skin then transforms and she becomes the Dark One.

Merlin wants to stop her and to take their immortality. They struggle and Nimue absorbs the Flame of Prometheus. She also breaks Excalibur in the struggle, leaving the half sword and the part that would become the dagger. She flees, leaving Merlin behind.

(And thus the sword is broken)

Now, Nimue replaces Rumpelstiltskin as the one trying to lure Emma to the Dark Side. She tells Emma that if they are rid of Merlin, they can have all the power they desire. Emma is forced to watch the two former lovers squabble, no doubt just wanting to be far away from there. But she is thrust between them when Nimue uses their shared darkness to try and get Emma to kill Merlin. She tells Emma that they don’t have to give up the power, that she doesn’t have to go back to being nothing.

But Emma remembers that she was the woman who told a pregnant teenager that you just had to punch back and say, “No, this is who I am.” She releases Merlin from her chokehold and yells that she was never nothing. Twirling on Nimue, she pulls out the flame and banishes Nimue back into the recesses of her mind. She helps Merlin up and he praises her, saying she’s ready to be rid of the darkness.

(Determined Emma)

As they walk away, Merlin explains how he put Excalibur into the stone so Nimue couldn’t use it against him. He knew one day someone worthy would come along and be able to destroy the darkness. Then with the help of his Apprentice, he bound Nimue to the dagger so he could prevent her from killing others. Wee!Apprentice asks if he knew Nimue would become evil and Merlin says our fates are not so clear cut. He says hers was never clear. Wee!Apprentice then asks if Merlin would still have fallen in love with her if he knew about her darkness. The answer is pretty much: Yes.

In the castle, the heroes storm the room with the Round Table. Arthur is there but Regina freezes him. They go to grab Excalibur but there’s a surprise—Zelena comes in with a tied up Mary Margaret. She reveals that she’s working with Arthur, who removed her cuff. Regina conjures a fireball but Robin reminds her that Zelena is (unfortunately) carrying his child. She lets it dissipate and the heroes are frozen while Arthur is unfrozen. Zelena uses her magic and binds Merlin to Excalibur as the heroes plead for her not to.

(Are they even surprised?)

Out in the woods, Merlin and Emma head back to Granny’s. Emma is lighter than we’ve seen her all season and she’s talking about Henry, saying how much he’s grown up. (Which, hello, he has. Jared’s now taller than most of the cast with the definite exceptions of Colin and Sean). When she looks around, she realizes Merlin is gone and wonders what happened.

(Bueller?)

He appears in the Round Table Room and pleads with Arthur not to do the dark thing. But Arthur is gone and has it out with his mentor. He is going to control the man and jeez, Arthur is just too far gone. Arthur orders Merlin to get rid of the heroes for him. With a wave of his hand, they disappear, leaving only Arthur and Zelena behind.

In present-day Storybrooke, Emma lays Excalibur and the dagger on the stone. She also pulls out the Flame of Prometheus, igniting it. Rumpelstiltskin pops back up but this time he’s joined by Nimue. They call forth the robed figures of past Dark Ones, all gathered to witness this momentous occasion. Emma uses the flame and reforges Excalibur.

(Nazgul?)

As the sword floats over her head, Emma recalls her strange trip to the movies as a little girl. She recalls Merlin telling her to not claim Excalibur as her own. Rumpelstiltskin and Nimue wonder what is wrong, urging Emma to take the sword. She does and things are about to get a lot worse, aren’t they?

Oh, Storybrooke:

(Hee, got to use that gif again!)

So we were introduced to a new relationship and it turned me into a blubbering mess in one episode. I think that’s a new record for this show. (Of course, OQ is still my OTP when it comes to this show). Now Zelena is free and working with Arthur in Camelot, so how did she end up back in Granny’s? What’s Emma going to do with Excalibur?

So many questions!

Next time: Arthur vs. Emma! Dark Emma continues with her plan! What does it have to do with Hook?

Screen caps from here.