OUAT: Sacrifice

Last time on “Once:” Everyone had to figure out what Dark!Hook is doing while Emma struggled with the ramifications of what she’s done. She had alienated herself from her family and had to figure out a way to earn their trust again. Henry was her best hope and he came through, helping her get the dreamcatchers back.

Hook challenged Gold to a duel and he accepted. Though Belle was concerned, Gold said he needed to do it to be a better man. To stop being a coward. He asked Belle to meet him by where they got married after the duel, which she did once Gold got the upper hand against Hook. Belle though didn’t want to get back together with Gold yet. She wanted time to figure things out by herself, breaking 
Gold’s heart.

Robin and Regina agreed to let Zelena hold Peanut and visit her, despite their best intentions and the audience screaming at them not to.

Back in the Enchanted Fores/Camelot, Hook did not react well to becoming a Dark One. Emma, though, managed to get him to believe in her and agree to work to get rid of the darkness. But once he was back with Merlin, he crushed the wizard’s heart in order to enact a Dark Curse. So Emma erased everyone’s memory including Hook so that no one knew he was a Dark One—including himself.

At the end, Hook used Gold’s blood to open the portal to the Underworld. Nimue led the other Dark Ones back to Storybrooke as she and Hook prepared for the next step in their plan.

Looks like I get to use this gif again:

We open aboard a ship being tossed around during a storm. A young boy wakes up and calls for his father, who enters and sees the problem—the lantern hanging above the beds has gone out. He lights it and assures his son that he is braver than he realizes. Dad says that he is helping his son grow up so he can then answer one question: What kind of man does he want to be? The son says he wants to be just like his dad. Dad smiles and promises to watch the light for his son, telling him to go back to bed. He then calls the boy by name—Killian. Yep, this is wee!Killian and that’s Papa Jones! Wee!Killian falls asleep…

(Look at Wee!Killian)

But when he wakes, the lantern is out again. Wee!Killian calls for his father but an older man returns. He tells Wee!Killian that Papa Jones is not the man his son thought he was. Papa Jones was a thief and a wanted man. Because soldiers were waiting for him, he bought the old man’s rowboat and rowed away. Wee!Killian wanted to know why he didn’t take him and Wee!Liam with him and the man replies that Papa Jones traded his sons and the ship for the rowboat. Wee!Killian and Wee!Liam work for him now.

Poor Jones brothers.

Back in the present, Gold and Hook meet up on a deserted road in the middle of the woods. One that is extremely well lit, but I’m just going to imagine that’s Gold’s headlights. After all, he has no magic so he can’t just poof everywhere. Hook says he’s won but Gold reminds him he bested him with Excalibur. Hook counters that he took the dagger from Gold, meaning he took the power. He knows it’s what Gold prizes above all—even Belle and Neal. And now it’s Hook. Gold tells him he’s wasted it but Hook warns him that he’s only just getting started. He will have his revenge and Gold looks worried. As a former Dark One, he has to know what Hook’s done.

(The Dark One and the Crocodile)

Emma leads everyone else down Main Street as they prepare to confront Hook. The dwarfs join the party, Leroy noting there’s now seven more people to fight Dark!Hook. But Happy then reminds Leroy that Dopey is still a tree, so there’s only six. 

(Poor Dopey)

Mary Margaret thinks they can reason with Hook but Regina replies that they have to hit him with everything they’ve got. Emma agrees, surprising Mary Margaret. She reminds her daughter that she loved Hook. Emma says the man she loved died in Camelot and then she turned him into this new Dark Hook. And she’ll destroy him if she has to.

(Group shot!)

Outlaw Queen goes to check the docks. Regina wonders if Hook will really be there and Robin assures her that old habits die hard, take it from a former thief. It’s a nice call back to his conversation with Hook in Episode 3. Zelena then poofs in, startling the couple. Robin even nocks an arrow, ready to fire at her. Yay, they gave Robin his bow back! Zelena says she’s there to talk about her daughter, ignoring when Robin corrects her with “our daughter.” She says she’s making an adjustment to the custody agreement. She’s going to take Baby Peanut, raise her herself without Outlaw Queen being involved, and turn Peanut wicked. Robin says that’s happening over his dead body and Zelena points out that that will happen soon enough. She tells them to turn around and they see Dark Ones approaching. Robin raises his arrow again, ready to protect Regina.

(Protect your queen, Robin!)

David and Mary Margaret head to his truck. As he opens the door, David spots the Dark Ones approaching Mary Margaret and pulls her closer. Meanwhile, the six remaining dwarfs find themselves surrounded as well.

Uh oh.

Emma searches through Gold’s shop but doesn’t find Hook. She decides to check the Jolly Roger instead. Henry, though, calls for help and she rushes outside. Nimue walks through Henry and Emma rushes forward to check her son. He asks what just happened and Regina wants to know that as well.
Gold has the answers. He tells everyone to look at their wrists and they spot a glowing mark on them. Gold says it’s the mark of Charon, who ferries souls to the Underworld. It turns out the Dark Ones are only there temporary. To stay in our world, they have to swap places with someone and send that person to the Underworld. Gold says that when the moon reaches its peak, Charon will come to take them to the Underworld. You have to imagine Robin’s like again?

(Not it?)

Emma is determined to stop them and says she’s not marked. But Gold tells them to use the time wisely and set their affairs in order.

Uh oh.

(DeathEaters on parade?)

As Dark Ones roam the streets of Storybrooke like some Ringwraith convention, Hook is down by the docks. Looks like Robin was onto something. Regina finds him and begs him to reconsider, even calling him “Killian.” That gets his attention and he asks where her usual nicknames are for him. She says that she knows he thinks Emma betrayed him but that dragging her family to hell isn’t the answer. Hook points out that she’s the woman who casted a Dark Curse because Snow White couldn’t keep a secret. Regina says she’s not that woman anymore but Hook notes that won’t matter to all her victims in the Underworld. Regina says he’s changed too and isn’t the man she recruited to kill her mother, isn’t the man she tested…Hook silences her and says they promised to never speak of that again. He releases her and is pretty determined to continue on his plan.

(Poor Regina)

We flashback to the Enchanted Forest, where the Evil Queen’s carriage rolls up to Hook as he stands in the middle of a field, sipping from a goblet. As Regina emerges, he sasses that he would’ve had more wine if he knew she would take so long. She asks him about their agreement—he says he will kill her mother if she will take him to a land without magic so he can get his revenge on the Crocodile. This…doesn’t jive with the second season episode where we saw Hook make this deal with Regina. Everything happened pretty quickly and Regina was wearing a different Evil Outfit. But whatever, she says she needs to test Hook first to see what type of man he is. To see if he can avoid being manipulated by her mother. Hook is up for it and gets in the carriage.

(All hail the Evil Queen)

Down in Regina’s vault, the Charmings try to find something to save their lives. Or at least Henry and Emma do. David and Mary Margaret put aside the books and decide that they aren’t going to do much more. Emma is surprised by how easily her parents—especially her mother—has given up and wonders where the Hope Commission is. Mary Margaret assures her daughter that she still has hope but would rather spend her last moments with her family rather than researching. Henry suggests dinner at Granny’s, which is a change. Usually they go celebrate at Granny’s and something bad happens. This time something bad has happened and they are going to Granny’s to spend their last moments. Emma asks about Neal and Mary Margaret says he’ll have her. She asks Emma to stop by Granny’s and say goodbye to her family. Emma agrees and they leave.

(Emma needs a vacation)

Regina enters her vault and asks if they are really giving up. Emma says no and reminds her of her promise in Camelot. Regina already doesn’t like where this is going. Emma wants to go through with the plan of putting all the darkness in one person and using Excalibur to kill that person. So who will their victim be? While I would love to volunteer Zelena, this show does need her special brand of crazy. So I volunteer King Shady himself, Arthur. It’ll help with my Save Guin 2k15 campaign.

But no. Emma’s referring to herself.

Of course.

At least think about using King Shady?

We return to Gold’s shop. Belle enters and she reminds Gold that she wants time to herself. He gives her a trinket and says that it will help her cross the town line. Belle wonders why and he says he wants her to go explore the world like she’s always wanted. She can even take his car. Belle asks what’s wrong and he lies that nothing is wrong. He just wants her to live her dream. She can go explore the world beyond Storybrooke and if she wants, she can come back. Belle thanks him and rushes off to pack.

Gold hears someone else enter his store and goes out to yell at them about the meaning of a closed sign. It’s Emma and Regina, who inform him that they are not going to give up. They ask him for Excalibur and he realizes that they intend to use it to strike down someone filled with darkness. Emma says she’s volunteered for the role. (KING SHADY IS STILL TOTALLY AN OPTION). Gold gives it to her, telling her that she’s a far braver person than him. But he warns her that Excalibur is temperamental about who it finds worthy. Emma is determined and decides to go spend her last moments with her family. She asks Regina if she’s coming but Regina says she and Robin need to protect Roland and Peanut from Zelena.

(Cue inspirational music)

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina brings Hook to a tavern. He says he has to just kill a man and asks for any more clues. Regina says he’ll know the man when he sees them. A large, almost giant, man declares that pirates aren’t welcomed there and goes to intimidate Hook. He believes this is the man he needs to kill and begins to taunt him. Regina rolls her eyes and snaps the giant’s neck. She says that’s not the man and points Hook in the right direction—toward the bar where Papa Jones wipes down some mugs. Yep, Hook has to kill his father.

(Hi, Papa Jones)

Regina and Robin storm her office, finding Zelena behind the desk. She’s already changed all of Regina’s red apples to green ones and is going through paint swatches to determine what to paint the walls once Regina is gone—kelly green, hunter green, pistachio green…She notes that they all work as baby names. Regina throws away the paint swatches and Zelena reminds her that she’s going to get everything Regina has…and the baby. Robin says that their daughter deserves the best chance while Regina notes it’s not with Zelena. She pulls out the wand the Apprentice gave them and Zelena reminds her that she couldn’t use it last time. The wand glows purple and Regina says that actually, she didn’t believe in herself last time but now she does.

(Look how proud Robin is!)

Actually, she wasn’t EVIL enough to use the wand. It had nothing to do with belief, writers.

As Robin looks on proudly at his girlfriend, Regina takes her and Zelena to the clock tower. Zelena asks if she’s going to use the wand and Regina tells her to hang on. A green twister damages the clock as it pulls Zelena in. She yells that we will see her again and Regina says “Somewhere over the rainbow?” With one final parting line that allowed me to have a quote of the episode for the first time in forever, Zelena is whisked back away to Oz.

Emma shows up at Granny’s and watches as the Charmings and Henry eat and laugh together. She leaves a note on the jukebox and heads off without speaking to them. Outside, Hook watches her and Nimue tells him he knows what he has to do.

(Family dinner!)

Back in the Enchanted Forest, the pub is empty save for Hook. So Papa Jones has to throw him out, saying he doesn’t want any trouble. Hook asks if he’ll make trouble because he’s a pirate or because his father abandoned him on the high seas. Papa Jones recognizes him as his son Killian and Hook confirms it, mentioning his name change. Papa Jones asks how Hook is still alive and Hook notes that he could ask his father the same. He then confirms that Liam died and that he’s been biding his time in Neverland. But he wants answers from him father. Namely, how could Papa Jones abandon him and Liam as children.

Papa Jones admits it wasn’t his best moment. He says he was scared but was captured shortly after abandoning Wee!Killian and Wee!Liam. And he was placed under a sleeping curse. For stealing something? Anyway, Hook notes his father is clearly not under a sleeping curse and Papa Jones says he fell in love with his nurse. And she fell in love with him, breaking the curse with True Love’s Kiss. He says that her love made him into a new man, a man he wishes he had been earlier for Killian and Liam’s sake.

Hook asks where his new stepmother is and Papa Jones reveals she died a few years prior. Understanding the pain of losing love, Hook says he is trying to get his revenge on the person who took his love (Milah). So he’s not going to kill his father but smuggle him out so the queen thinks he is dead. Papa Jones thanks him before revealing something big: He and his True Love had a child—a son. He’ll need safe passage for the boy as well.

(Hook needs to process all of this)

Emma returns to her house and is surprised to see Hook. He asks her for Excalibur and says she can’t kill herself. Emma asks if he really does care for her. He thanks her for making him the man he was always meant to become and that he’ll at last get his revenge. She says that’s not what he really wants and Hook tells her she shouldn’t have changed him. But Emma couldn’t stand to lose another person she loves. Hook points out she’s about to lose them all. She says she’ll protect her family even if it means killing Hook. She lunges at him with Excalibur but he Cora’s her, turning into Henry to trick her into getting the sword.

(Now it's Henry)

(Now he's Hook)

Oh, Emma.

At the diner, Henry and Neal have a cute moment before Mary Margaret discovers her daughter’s note. She shows it to David, who says they need to stop her. Nimue shows up to tell them that Hook already saw to that. She says there’s no preventing their trip to the Underworld. Their marks light up and transport them to the lakeside.

Regina hugs Henry as Mary Margaret worries about Neal. David asks about Roland and Peanut and Robin replies that he and Regina arranged for the fairies to take care of them. He assures the Charmings that they will take in Neal as well. Emma runs in, hugging her family as she apologizes. Hook comes in and says that the “SS Purgatory” is coming for them.

(Weren’t the dwarfs marked too? Where are they?)

Regina approaches Hook and reminds him about what he did to his father, even if they promised to never speak of it again. She says he needs to face it and ask himself the same question as that night: What kind of man does he want to be?

Hook waits outside the cabin Papa Jones lives in with his son and watches as Papa Jones tucks the boy in. Little Boy Jones says he’s scared and that he doesn’t want to leave. Papa Jones assures him that they will be fine as long as they are together. He tells Little Boy Jones the same thing he told Wee!Killian before abandoning him. That gets to Hook but it really burns him when Papa Jones calls Little Boy Jones “Liam.”

Uh, what?

(Papa Jones and Replacement Liam)

Hook calls his father out on it when Papa Jones emerges. Papa Jones says it was to honor Liam and Killian, to remind himself to be a better man. Still not cool, Papa Jones. It spurs Hook to make his choice—he burns the letter and run his father through, killing him and orphaning his half-brother. As Papa Jones lays dying, he tells Hook to be a better man.

(Poor Papa Jones)

We return to the present as Hook seems pretty determined to destroy them all. Regina holds Henry and Robin close as Emma swears she won’t let them hurt her family. Nimue silences her, choking her with the Force and says she can keep Emma at bay until everything is said and done. As Hook watches her struggle for air, something clicks inside him. He remembers the man he wants to be and tells Nimue that. She says he can’t stop them and he raises Excalibur, taking all the darkness into himself. The Dark Ones—and Nimue—vanish.

(The moment Hook remembers himself)

Hook turns to Emma, who pleads with him not to do it. He says it’s the only way and that they don’t have much time. Emma says it should be her. Hook replies that if anyone deserves to go to the Underworld, it’s him. He says he was weak and now begs her to be strong. It reminds me of Clara in “Doctor Who” to be honest. Anyway, Emma gives him one last kiss and after they say their “I love you’s,” she runs him through with Excalibur. A bright light engulfs Emma and when it dies down, she’s back in her familiar red jacket and natural blonde hair. Hook collapses in her arms and she holds him as he dies.

Paramedics take Hook away as everyone mourns in the background. Emma is inconsolable and her parents have to hold her back as Hook is wheeled away. Mary Margaret comforts her daughter as the scene ends.

(Poor Emma)

And so Emma is no longer the Dark One. Storybrooke can breathe easily now.

Gold has a drink in his shop when someone enters. He yells that he’s closed but Belle calls for him. She finds him in the back and says that Henry called her, telling her what was going on. She says that he lied to her and before he can stutter out an explanation, she kisses him. Belle says that he was truly selfless and she no longer wants to travel the world. She knows what she wants—him. They share another kiss.

(Congrats!)

Emma’s returned to her house and she lies around, holding Hook’s ring against her chest. Whispers surround her and she sits up, concerned. Meanwhile, Gold leaves his sleeping wife when he gets a text to meet Emma at his shop.

(By the way, congrats on the sex, Rumbelle!)

(Her Spidey sense is tingling)

At the shop, Emma says the dagger is calling to her and says that its in his shop. He first tries to make her think she’s hearing things but when she doesn’t back down, he pulls out the dagger—with his name once again on it. Yes, Rumpelstiltskin is the Dark One again. He explains that he used some handy magic to turn Excalibur into a conduit. Rather than taking all the darkness into himself, Hook just channeled it back to Gold.

(dun dun dun!)

Emma is outraged. Gold’s trick means that Hook’s sacrifice was for nothing. She lunges for him but he freezes her, reminding her that he now has all the powers of every Dark One—including her. Emma realizes he exploited a loophole for his own gain and then demands he do something for her. Gold’s not in the mood…until Emma points out that she still does have magic. She doubts he can kills her before she can tell Belle that Gold is up to his old tricks again. That gets to him and he asks her what she wants.

She wants to go to the Underworld to bring back Hook. David points out that it’s dangerous and usually a one-for-one trade. Mary Margaret worries this might lead Emma down a dark path again. Emma assures her parents that she’s doing this the right way and that she’s relying on love. She points out that they share a heart and so she’s going to share one with Hook. After a moment’s silent, Regina tentatively agrees it could work. Robin then asks how one gets to the Underworld.

(Family meeting!)

They stand by the lake as Gold cuts his palm. He asks if Emma really wants to do this and she nods. So he drops some blood in and the ferryboat returns. Everyone wades to it and I note that only Robin seems to have had the forethought to bring a weapon. There was also a cut scene that explained why Henry was going—pretty much he’s more stubborn than both his mothers combined. As they head to the boat, Emma promises to find Hook. Always.

(All aboard?)

And so that ends Season 5A. There’s a lot I want to say so I think I’ll use a separate blog post to do so.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and will have a happy 2016!

Next time: Once Upon a Time celebrates its 100th episode! The Underworld contains some old faces for our characters to encounter.  

Screen caps from here.