We are here! The home stretch! And I should be so emotional, however, this week’s twists and turns were incredibly surprising!
We begin with a flashback to the wish realm where Henry Mills is riding to rescue the princess from her otherwise eternal slumber, but he’s beaten to the job of slaying the dragon and left loveless once more. However, now that the Hyperion Heights curse has been lifted for practically everyone, he is free to enjoy his family.
Back in the wish world, Rumple has laid the foundation for something very sinister to follow the young hero later on. He offered Henry a chance at true love and a castle, but there was a price. Thankfully, Henry knew better than to make a deal.
Now, everything seems great for Henry and the others, but as they blow out their candles to keep Lucy happy, Lucy and Ella disappear and Rumple is there to antagonise Henry instead. He’s sent them back to the wish realm and won’t let them return until he’s obtained the Dark One’s dagger. Rumple has to stop Gold from giving the source of their power away to the Guardian.
Regina also gets some news when she goes to visit Facilier to find his place trashed with Gold locked away and with the news that he is gone and her worst enemy has joined their realm to ruin everything. Henry alerts Regina and Gold about Ella and Lucy’s disappearance and they form a plan. They won’t give up the dagger because they don’t negotiate with villains and they decide to return to the wish realm along with Hook. They find themselves separated after going through the portal, but Rumple anticipated this move and sent Hook and Gold to Gold’s former home, which is so full of terrible memories. Meanwhile, Regina and Henry find themselves in Rumple’s castle and warned by a locked-up Peter Pan that they won’t make it out alive.
Hook takes Gold to his old stomping grounds and remembers when he too was facing difficulties and only made it through thanks to a friendly neighbour. He summons Ariel to ask for some spare squid ink, but she’s upset to see Gold standing there, unaware there’s a version of the Dark One who isn’t a mass murderer. Luckily, she gives them the goods and sends them on their way.
Henry and Regina ignore Pan’s warnings and search the place for Ella and Lucy, but run into Cruella who’s laid a trap. She takes a shine to Henry, but she’s also insulted by his rejection and challenges him to a duel. Henry easily disarms her and they learn that his family are down in the dungeon, but there’s a catch. Ella and Lucy are trapped in a snow globe and Rumple arrives just in time to let Henry and Regina know that no amount of magic will get the girls out without his help. He starts filling the globe with actual snow and if the Dark One doesn’t get his dagger, they’ll either be frozen or buried by the night’s end
Regina’s magic doesn’t work, and luckily Hook and Gold arrive to stop Henry from handing over the dagger. Henry calls out Gold for his unwilling to make a sacrifice for Lucy when he would have done the same for Gideon. While Regina sends Henry and Hook off to the library to look up spell, Gold returns to his childhood home and confronts Rumple.
Gold tricks Rumple into believing he’ll hand over the dagger in exchange for setting him free to be with Belle. Gold reasons that he’s never been able to defeat Rumple, and it seems almost genuine, but the piece has been covered with squid ink to paralyse the Dark One temporarily. Killing Rumple may cost Gold his future with Belle, but getting rid of his darkness is a favour to all the world, so that’s the price he has to pay.
Timing is everything and Regina runs in just before Gold can plant the piece into Rumple’s heart and the Dark One frees himself and steals the dagger. Despite his victory, there’s still one thing he needs, and it looks like he’s already got Henry well on his way to completing his plan, whether the kid knows it or not.
Henry grows frustrated with homework and sees a quill, which reminds him of his place in the world as he’s the storybook writer. After knocking Hook out for threatening to join him on this next leg of his journey, Henry ventures out into the woods and convinces the old blind pen-keeper that he’s the true author and deserves the instrument. Upon touching him and reviewing his memories, the old man gives the pen to Henry. The man warns Henry that his job isn’t to create stories, but to record them. Boy, these timelines are confusing!
Henry steals the ink he needs and goes to pen a new chapter to the story and finds himself face to face with himself as Rumple introduces him to the wish realm version of Henry. That earlier scene with Rumple taunting young Henry was actually the present too—I know, confusing.
Rumple’s status as an eternal figure is now no longer threatened by Gold’s do-gooder personality. Despite winning, he still vanquishes Hyperion Heights Henry and everyone else into the snow globe with Ella and Lucy and leaves Regina in the castle. She’s been spared because it was wish realm Henry’s request. This Henry recognizes her as the Evil Queen who killed off his family, and he’s ready to avenge their deaths.
Back in Hyperion Heights, Alice feels something has happened to her father, and she and Robin rally the help of Tiana. Tiana hasn’t been feeling very queenly, but she rises to the occasion of summoning her people to help. As it turns out Remy has a little bit of magic saved up in the form of a bean and with it, Alice and Robin are able to ride off into a magic portal using the now-unnecessary food truck and they head to Storybrooke to recruit old friends.
Final Thoughts?
I am so excited for the reunion of everyone in Storybrooke. That being said, I am also confused with all the Henry’s so I hope everything works out. Also, this is the second last episode of Once Upon a Time ever!
