OUAT: Dark Hook May Be the Worse Villain Yet

Last time on “Once:” We took a side trip to Dun Broch for a little trip with Merida, Mulan and Red that really had no bearing on the current plot and killed the momentum.

Last time on the other episode of “Once:” Emma rescues Merlin from Arthur’s control when he and Zelena make the miscalculated step of threatening her loved ones. Hook’s belief in them and their future helps her light the Flame of Prometheus. But when a wound he suffered from Excalibur proves to be fatal, Emma sacrifices everything to save Hook.

In Storybrooke, Zelena’s pregnancy was accelerated and she gave birth to a daughter. It was feared Emma would use the baby to destroy the light but she actually wanted to capture Zelena. She planned to put the darkness in Zelena and kill her. Hook and Zelena escaped as the Nolans and Regina tried to stop Emma. Zelena revealed Emma’s deep dark secret—the way she saved Hook? She turned him into a Dark One too.

What a twist!

We open where we left off in Episode 8, with Emma frozen with squid ink and Dark!Hook ready to burn Storybrooke, it seems. He works with Zelena and she uses her cuff on Emma before they blow that popsicle stand, despite Emma begging Hook to listen to her and to let her help him. But Hook is having none of it. Not when she turned him into the one thing he detested most of all:

The Dark One

(Zelena is enjoying this)

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?