Once Upon A Time Recap ~ The Dark Swan Has Risen
***Warning this recap contains spoilers – if you have not seen tonight’s season 5 premiere of Once Upon A Time, do not read, turn around and just walk away!! For the rest of you, go ahead and click below to to read away!***
Well Oncers we made it, we survived the OUAT summer break and now we have been reunited with our Storybrooke OTP’s. Now, let’s recap shall we.
Opening Flashbacks: The season 5 opener hit us with not one but two flashbacks. The first featured our first look at young(er) Emma, who starting her pick-pocketing a few years before meeting Neil. Besides showing us kid Emma, we also got a quick peek at Merlin, and I’m not talking about the animated version showing in the background. Elliot Knight actually got a few minutes of screentime to give our young saviour a warning “Don’t Do It”. The second flashback put us in Camelot with a pre-King Arthur and his to-be Knight of the Round table. Arthur managed to pull Excalibur from its stone, but a good chunk of it was missing and low and behold, it looks like Merlin went and created the Dark One’s dagger out of pointy end of the famous sword.
Storybrooke: Picking up where we left off (and as seen in the D23 teaser), the Storybrooke Avengers gathered around the dagger and yelled at each other, then went to the Apprentice to bark at him for a bit before once again turning the insults onto each other. Emma really was the glue that kept everyone together wasn’t she. Despite his weakened state, the Apprentice managed to give the gang his wand that when mixed with a little dark magic would open up a portal to the E.F. Only one problem, Regina is fresh out of dark magic and Rumple is still sleeping it off, leaving Zelena as the only person in town who can wield the wand.
Does she help? Kinda. After a botched plan from Hook & Henry, she managed to escape her cell and tried to blackmail her way out of town. Either she kills Robin OR everyone lets her hitch a ride on a twister back to OZ. Since Regina isn’t stupid, she got both Robin back AND hijacked her wicked sister’s ride. We all know from the books, you ride a twister in a house but why take a house when you can take a diner? Granny’s To Go is now a real thing and managed to transport the gang (plus some) back home.
Enchanted Forest: Emma is now the Dark One, which means she gets to re-emerge in that freaky little vault we saw Neal use to bring back Rumple in season 3B. How does look? Like regular old Emma who is in need of a blow-dryer. Now, for those wondering how Rumple was fitting into all this back off the stills released over the summer. He is representing the voices of all the past Dark One’s. Turns out that when you become the new D.O., you get all the tips/tricks/thoughts of the ones that before you.
Emma is dead-set on not using magic and hunting down Merlin. Rumple points her into the direction of a Willow of the Whisp who can point her in the right direction. It is here that we first meet Merida, OUAT’s first Pixar character. Merida’s storyline looks to be picking up at some point after the movie and she talks about her mother once being a bear. Merida and Emma’s journey with Emma pulling a Dark One classic and ripping her heart out. Thankfully before she can crush it, Hook & Co stop her and talk her down off the “must kill” ledge.
Some hugs are passed around and some “you shouldn’t have come” statements were made, but instead of keeping the dagger herself, Emma gave it to her BFF Regina, knowing that if push came to shove, Regina would do what needs to be done.
Camelot: Before Granny and get the stovetop fired up for some grilled cheeses, King Arthur and his crew ride on up like its nothing. Basically Merlin knew Storybrooke Avengers were coming and made sure King Arthur would be around to greet them.
The Dark Swan: Season 5A is going to mimick the OZ storyline in that there is a 6-week time jump and once again no one can remember what happened. Sneezy and Sleepy (acting as sheriffs) find Granny’s has re-landed in Storybrooke with the gang inside dressed in E.F. clothing and the last thing they remembered is walking into Camelot, but where is Emma?
Emma, in full on Dark Swan couture, appears informing the group that they failed and for what they did to her, they are going to be punished. She also managed to get her dagger back and has declared “there’s no savior in this town anymore” right after turning poor Sneezy into stone (perhaps he should ask before borrowing her red leather jacket).
Mentionable’s/Quotable’s:
“Secure the condiments” – Granny
“You’ve got the bite, but not the heart. How’s this for irony, you’ve done too much good” – Killian/Hook
“You should get a hobby. Do you like knitting?” – Rumple
“What was that? A wee magical love tap?” – Merida
“Someone’s gonna get a right good punch to the gut” – Merida
“Well, you don’t look like a crocodile.” – Killian/Hook
“You’re ruining my Chi.” – Zelena
Don’t forget to catch my Let’s Chat OUAT on YouTube, going live every Sunday right after the east coast airing.
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