Some shows are more personal than others. Such a show for me is Once Upon A Timewho celebrated its 100th episode Sunday evening. It’s personal because it’s my daughter’s favorite show of all-time. So much so, that we’ll be going to the Once Upon A Time convention in June that I’ll be covering as well. Now, let’s talk about the 100th episode and all the surprises and heartache that it had. Warning, spoilers ahead…
The true measure of a successful series is how emotionally vested we are even after 5+ seasons and 99 episodes. After Emma made the ultimate sacrifice during the mid-season finale by killing Captain Hook and thus thinking the dark power had vanished, only to find out that it only relocated itself with Mr. Gold, Emma sets out for the Underworld to save Hook. Emma convinces a reluctant Gold to take her, Mary-Margaret, David, Henry, Regina and Robin to the Underworld. The episode opens with Emma waking up in her yellow buggy, (she is actually dreaming), where Neal appears to her. For those new to OUAT, Neal is Emma’s her former love and Henry’s father. It is a one of many touching scenes throughout. Neal offers Emma a warning that entering the Underworld and saving Hook will be more difficult than expected and as he put it, “This won’t end the way you think it will.”
The Underworld isn’t quite hell but it’s a far cry from heaven. It’s a place for people who have unfinished business left. Knowing Emma as well as he does, Neal realizes she will do anything to save Hook. Instead, he kisses her forehead and tells Emma he loves her. Emma and the others finally arrive at the Underworld and it strangely looks like Storybrooke. As it would turn but, Cora, Regina’s mother is the Mayor and Peter Pan, Gold’s father runs the pawnshop. The two of them agree to let the past be the past. However, Peter is desperate to return to the living and make his way out of the Underworld, but the only way to do that it to take someone else’s place. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Gold is eager to get down to business and leave the Underworld as quickly as they arrived.
True to form, we are treated with a series of flashbacks of the past. These flashbacks are significant as they mainly revolve around Regina and her evil ways. It would be her thirst for revenge against Snow White that led to her father’s demise, even though he had begged her to let go of her hate for her sake above anything else. Cora meets with daughter and offers her a way out of the Underworld. She uses Regina’s father, who happens to wander throughout the Underworld, as a pawn. Regina represents the unfinished business for both her parents but for very different reasons. Cora shows Regina what her fate would be if she stayed. Knowing that she was the one responsible for her father’s fate, Regina considers leaving but her friends urge her to stay and help them. They need her and her strength in order to save Hook.
Gold provides Emma with magical ale that could help bring Hook back. The gang gathers around a cemetery and Emma pours out the ale over his grave. At first, it seems to work as Hook begins to appear. He looks physically hurt and bloody. His appearance is only temporary as he ends up disappearing. Seeing him that way and knowing how close they are to getting him, Emma is determined to stay and finish this.
Afterwards, Emma urges Regina to take Henry back home along with Robin Hood. Regina has unfinished business of her own involving her father. She finds her father and tells him of Cora’s intentions of using him and tells him she will leave in order to save him. Her father wants her to stay and help her friends. Cora intervenes and tries to send him into the pit of fire that represents Hell. However, she fails to do so. Instead, a bright light and a bridge of sorts opens up that will allow the elder Henry to live in happiness. As you see, being able to help his daughter and seeing his grandson and namesake Henry, is the unfinished business that he needed to fulfill. He believes in her. He believes in his daughters goodness and what truly lies in her heart. Always did, always will. Yet another tender moment in an episode filled with such moments. After elder Henry leaves, the Underworld’s clock ticks a single click signifying his departure and that anyone residing in the Underworld can be saved.
 |
| Beware of HADES! |
Emma and the gang launch Operation Firebird to save Hook and face what will be their biggest foe to date… Hades. Speaking of Hades, Cora goes into the library and takes the elevator down to Hades’ lair. Her failure to rid Regina and the subsequent loss of elder Henry from the Underworld. Hades does not like to lose thus he punishes Cora by making her a Miller’s Daughter again.
This 100thepisode was a great way to please its devoted fandom known as “Oncers” with surprise appearances and wonderful, heart tugging closure involving beloved characters. A few days prior to Sunday’s mid-season premiere, ABC had announced that Once Upon A Time had been renewed for a sixth season capping off a magical weekend with a bright future ahead of them.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
