Non Spoiler Review- A mixed bag of an episode in my opinion. This was a great episode that had some insane twists that were unfortunately undercut by some mind blowing reveals. I enjoyed the episode and it was very emotional and I will discuss in more detail what I exactly disliked as there were a few things that bugged me in this midseason finale. However I'm very excited for the rest of the season and can't wait for the show's returning March.
*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******
Highlights of the episode
1. Trip to the Underworld- The end of the episode sees Emma wanting to bring Hook back from the Underworld with plans to share her heart with him like Snow and Charming. The promo for the next episode showed a few dead characters that the gang will come across and it got me thinking and I really think that each character will run into someone and be compelled to bring them back or it will complicate relationships. I wouldn't be surprised if Emma runs into Neil and he is confused why she didn't come for him and Hook instead. I also think this means Hades will be the main villain for the rest of the season since he is the ruler of the underworld and Hercules and Meg have both been cast for the show. One thing that bothered me about this was that I didn't understand why they would allow Henry to accompany them into the Underworld. That just bothered me as it seems like awful parenting. But in all seriousness, they should be looking for Henry's safety and best interests and there's not really a reason he needed to tag along. Another thing that bothered me about this was that this totally undercut the importance of Hook's death and I like Hook's character but I feel like there are no stakes for the characters if they can just journey to the Underworld to save someone. I'm glad Hook won't be gone for good though.
2. Rumplestiltskin tricks everyone- The huge twist that I feel a little mixed about in this episode was Rumple's big reveal that he turned Excalibur into a conduit and somehow re retrieved the Dark One Dagger, which doesn't make sense to me since it was a part of Excalibur and vanished with the sword, and he is the Dark One again with the power of all the previous Dark One's so he is significantly more powerful than ever before. Once again I felt that this undercut Hook's sacrifice as he dies to stop the darkness and really died for nothing. This also seemed to contradict the direction of Gold's character arc as he was becoming a hero and seemed to finally fill that void and just became a villain again unexpectedly. It didn't feel natural for the story and his character given the recent episodes but I personally prefer Gold as a villain and Rumpelstiltskin is one of my favorite character so I'm glad to see him back as the villain but didn't feel that it progressed with the story.
3. Hook's death- The big moment of the episode that was undercut by the above highlights was Hook's sacrifice. This moment was very emotional and it made it even more emotional when Emma had to be the one to put Excalibur through him. I thought he had a very noble sacrifice and it worked effectively for the episode and wish that at least one episode had passed before they decide to try to bring him back.
4. Belle and Rumple- Another crucial heartbreaking part of the episode was the drama between Gold and Belle. First Gold does the noble thing and provides Belle with a means to travel the world and leave the town as she's always desired. I liked this as it contributed to Gold's hero arc that was unfortunately undercut by the twist later. She then returns after learning the truth and says she wants to stay and be with Rumpelstiltskin. I'm curious to see how she will react to the truth about Gold's schemes and if it will continue this cycle between them where she constantly changes her mind.
5. Hook's strained past with his father- A very interesting piece of the episode were flashbacks that delved more into Hook's backstory. I was surprised to see Hook choose to kill his father as Regina made it seem as though Hook made the "right choice". I feel as though this may return to be part of the larger story arc for the rest of the season especially since a majority of the cast is currently in the Underworld.
6. Regina sends Zelena back to Oz- This episode also had Regina send Zelena back to Oz. Hopefully we will see Zelena in a future episode as I quite enjoy her as a villain for the series and would be interested to see if she makes her way back for her daughter, which still is un named for some reason.
Promo
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