So much went down in Storybrooke in the mid-season finale, I can’t get over it! Let’s start with Hook’s daddy issues…
(ABC/Eike Schroter)
Flashback to Papa Hook checking in on his son Killian who has a nightmare in the middle of the night. He assures his son everything is alright, he needs him to be brave and decide the kind of man he wants to be. Young Killian tells his father he wants to like him and falls back asleep. Awaken suddenly once again, his father is gone, having sold both Killian and Liam into the service.
Slight fast forward to when Regina hired Hook to kill her mother. Regina needs to see if he’s the right man for the job so she puts him to the test – she tells him to kill his estranged father. Hook confronts his father about how he left years ago. Papa Hook says he is no longer that man and that true love changed him. He even has another son, whom he named Liam in Hook’s brother’s honor. Hook is about to send Papa packing if he leaves town with his half brother, but Hook overhears his father telling Liam #2 the same speech he gave Killian before he left them. Hook stabs his father, believing Papa Hook will never change.
Back in Storybrooke, Hook still hasn’t let go of the Darkness. He fights briefly with Gold, where Gold tells him that “power is only as good as the one who wields it”. The heroes are off to see Hook and Emma has decided that she will stop Hook, no matter the cost. However, the stakes are raised when all the heroes are marked by the Dark Ones. They will soon be taken to the Underworld in exchange for the Dark Ones taking over. Rumple tells everyone there is no hope and to spend time with their loved ones while they can. Snow, Charming and Henry take off to hang out together in Granny’s Diner and Rumple sends Belle away to travel (without telling her the reason). Emma and Regina agree that the only way to stop this is for Emma to take all the Darkness and kill herself. She takes Excalibur to find Hook but he tricks her, becoming Henry, and taking the sword from her. The Dark Ones summon all the heroes to the lake and as Nimue and her Dark Army are about to send our heroes to the Underworld, Emma runs in and Hook recognizes he doesn’t want to be this man. He wants to die a hero. He takes all the Darkness and puts it in the sword and Emma tearfully stabs him. The Darkness is gone and Hook passes away. Emma is back to her blonde hair and red jacket, she is once again in Savior mode.
The paramedics take Hook away as Emma is crushed. She lies at home and hears the voices of the Dark Ones again. It leads her to Gold’s shop where Rumple confesses he seized the opportunity to take the Darkness for himself. He is once again the Dark One, now with more power than ever. Emma blackmails him into helping her and the heroes go to the Underworld to find Hook. Since Belle came back to Rumple and professed her love, he doesn’t want to lose her again so he obliges. The blood of Rumple opens the boat to the Underworld and our heroes take off to the next adventure…
Holy cow you guys! Hook died! Well…for the time being. I have so many feelings about all of this and how it went down. I can’t believe Rumple though, who saw that coming?!?! I certainly did not! If he doesn’t think Belle will find out, he’s learned nothing. I really thought he had changed this time because the Darkness was officially out of him. Not to mention he became a hero! I know the power of the Dark One is intoxicating but he found a new sense of self, of strength. He became the Dark One because he couldn’t be brave and now he was having become a full fledged hero. And he threw it all away. I’m really disappointed. And poor Belle cause I have a feeling she’s pregnant. We left her scantily clad (Get it Rumple!) in bed as Rumple was leaving. Guess the honeymoon period isn’t over.
Although can we all make a sigh of relief that all the Zelena nonsense is gone! Hooray! Once Zelena turned on the heroes again (I’m beginning to lose count how many times she’s done this), Regina is like BYE FELICIA! And conjures a green tornado that takes her back to Oz…I know this isn’t the end for her (the EP’s even said we’ll see her again) but I’m so glad we have a break. I really needed one and so did Regina. Regina wasn’t able to hide her eye roll anymore when Zelena was around.
And of course Captain Swan broke my heart a little bit in the final scene of them together. I have a new respect for Emma cause that has to be one of the hardest things to do. She had to watch another love interest die in her arms. I loved her line as they go into the Underworld, it’s the same one Snow and Charming always use, “Hook we will find you, I will always find you”. I believe she’ll find him and save him somehow, but not before running into past friends and of course lots of enemies.
What did you guys think of the mid-season finale?! Will the Underworld lead to the appearance of Hades, Hercules and Meg? Which past villain are you most excited to see when the show returns? Comment below and tweet me @kristincarole13 on your thoughts!
