It’s time for another review of Once Upon A Time! Here we go!
Underbrooke
Henry and Cruella plot about getting the Author’s pen. As they drive, Henry sees some light in the forest. As he goes to find its origin, he meets up with the Apprentice. The Apprentice’s unfinished business is to keep Henry making good decisions. Henry is told about the Sorcerer’s mansion in the Underworld and that the quill is there. The gang sets out to find the key to the mansion. To do this, Snow and David go to James’ sheriff office to retrieve it. As he poses as James, Cruella appears and after a fake affair, she tells him that James holds a grudge for being given up by their mother.
Meanwhile in the mansion, Killian’s brother Liam has accompanied the group and finds the famed storybook of Underbrooke (which is like the one for Storybrooke). Hades talked to Liam previously and threatened to reveal a secret if Liam did not rip out the pages that are about Hades. Liam also wants his brother to move on and not return to the living with Emma. Eventually, Hook finds out about Liam’s deception. Their old crew has taken Liam to go to the “worse place.” Hades appears to send Liam there too because the deal is off. Liam sacrifices himself and is able to go to the “happy place.” The whole crew is able to go with Liam.
While all this is going on, Henry finds the pen and ink for being the Author. He reveals that he found the pen and the deal with Cruella. The end finds a small scene with Hades where he looks at a page with Zelena and says that their secret remains safe.
Flashback
The main story of the flashback is how Killian and Liam got to the royal navy. They performed a mutiny on Long John Silver’s ship, but it was supposed to sink. Hades appears to Liam in the captain’s quarter and makes a deal to have the brothers survive and Liam obtain the Eye of the Storm, and in return Hades gets the souls aboard the ship when it still sinks. Liam agrees, and this is what Hades calls on to employ Liam to betray Hook and the group.
Review
The episodes are now keeping the story going with some twists and turns. It still was not one of the finer episodes of the season, but kept things hopping well. The family dynamics made for good scenes, and specifically the ones between the brothers.
Having deepening twists may be the episode’s, and season’s one fault. There are many unanswered questions and it keeps piling on itself. We now have issues between James and David. Cruella still is plotting her return, and keeping Henry on a bit of a leash. Hades has a secret and it’s with Zelena. As much as things progressed in The Brothers Jonas, they progressed to still a vague circumstance. Henry has the pen and ink, but what will he do with it? It’s one small step for a big episode.
How does this hurt the season? Well, small steps can make for a big crash at the end. We need some answers, not more questions. As much as it’s fun to revisit past characters, we need more from them. I know we’ll get to the answers and resolution eventually, but it hopefully won’t be the very last episode of the season. That’s the crash that I was talking about.
Still, this was a fun episode with awkward moments, family ties, and secrets galore. It’s helping make this still an entertaining season.
Questions (and an answer…sort of)
- One answered question is how each of the “happy places” pan out. For the crew it was the ship. So, it’s all based on what people find to be happy. But, why does this happen? And where do these places exist, like are they realms?
- So, is the pen the entity of the Author? Does that mean that Henry is holding a person?
- Why is Zelena tied into all of this? And I don’t mean why in a way of finding out the plot. I mean why her and not another character?
- If the Sorcerer’s mansion is down in Underbrooke, is the Sorcerer AKA Merlin?
- Where was Robin and Rumple?
