Season 5 Episode 15: The Brothers Jones Review

Flashbacks: Hook and Liam's relationship is tested.

Underbrooke: Hook reunites with Liam, Henry searches for the Author's Quill, David learns something about his twin brother.

Flashbacks:

The flashbacks start with Killian and Liam cleaning on a cargo ship. They say they won't be on the ship much longer because Liam will get positions at the royal navy

Captain Silver tricks Killian into giving up his money so he has to stay. Liam decides to stay as well.

Captain Silver wants to sail in to the storm to find the gemstone "the Eye of the Storm" The crew stages a (very quick) mutiny over him. Liam goes to the Captain's room and runs into Hades who says that if Liam sails the ship into the storm killing the crew, Hades will make sure that Liam and Killian survive and Hades will also give him the Eye of the Storm gemstone.

Killian tells the crew they can trust Liam. Later, the brotherss land on an island with a naval captain, who after Liam gives the genmstone to, allows them access to his ship the Jewel of the Realm

Underbrooke:

The episode starts with Henrry and Cruella driving around looking for signs to where the Pen could be. Henry sees a bright light and they stop and go into the woods. Henry goes a little further and runs into the Apprentice. The Apprentice tells him he shouldn't resurrect Cruella. Henry wonders why the Apprentice told him that he coudn't bring back the dead with the pen. The Apprentice explains that
'up there' you can't but the rules are a bit more flexible in the Underworld. Henry is tired of being on the sidelines and not being able to do anything when his mom became the Dark one and when Hook died. The Apprentice tells him that the pen is in the Underworld version of the sorceror's mansion down here. He says that his unfinished business is Henry and the only way for him to move on is if Henry makes the right choice.

At Emma's house, she heals Hook with her magic and he wonders if he deserves saving. He mentions that Emma was the Dark One for 6 weeks and only gave in for love but he dived right in for revenge. They are then greeted by a vsitor: Liam.

Later Emma, Hook, and Liam are sitting at the kitchen table. Hook wonders why Liam is down here since he hasn't donee a bad thing in his life. Liam says he doesn't know. They tell him that they want to defeat Hades and ask Liam if he knows a possible way. Liam mentions that there are talks about a book that had Hades weakness in it. Emma and Hook realize it's the Underworld version of the storybook from Storybrooke.

At the apartment, Snow looks in a box from her closet since that's were they found it in Storybrooke and it's not there. They all split up around the apartment to look. While Emma is upstairs, Liam comes up and wants to talk to her. He says that he knows Emma isn't good enough for Killian because she didn't let him die a hero and move on. He says that after defeating Hades, he'll have another chance to move on and to let him.

After coming downstairs, Henry comes in and asks what everyone is doing. After explaining, Henry says that he knows where it is. He says he saw the Apprentice at Granny's and he said the Sorceror's Mansion is down here and it has all his stuff down here like the storybook, but the sheriff has the key. Snow and David leave to go get the key.

At the sherrif's office, Snow realises it's in the exact same place that David keeps the keys in Storybrooke. They then hear Cruella come in thinking James is in there.

At Liam's bar, Hades appears and asks him to tear the pages of his story out of the book. Liam wonders why Hades can't do it himself and he says that the sorceror's mansion is protected by light magic which doesn't agree with him. Liam asks what would happen if he refused. Hades says that he'll tell his brother why he's really down here.

At Granny's, Emma and Regina are waiting and Regina realises that Liam doesn't like Emma. Emma says he doesn't think he's good enough for Hook and should let him move on and that Hook agrees. Reginaa says it's because he hasn't forgiven himself. She says that because she knows she and Hook are alike and forgiving yourself is the hardest thing to do. Henry then comes in with the key.

At the sorceror's mansion, Liam says he should be the one to use the key since he's been dead the longest and has the least to lose. After going in they all split up and Emma and Regina tell Henry to stay in the main area. After they leave, Henry goes off also to searh for the pen.

Liam comes across the book first and rips the pages out. They all come to the room as welll and discover the pages were ripped out. Liam saysthey must have fallen out and are still here somewhere. After Regina and Liam leave to keep searching, Hook confronts Emma and she thinks that Lim is hiding something. Hook disagrees and says that his brother wouuldn't lie.

Back at the sherrif's office, David is still pretending to be James with Cruella. He then stops pretending and realises Cruella new the whole time. She says that James is resentful that their mother chose David instead of Jmes to keep.

At the well, otside the mention, Liam drops the pages down. emma comes over and shows Liam that Hook gave her Liam's ring saying it belonged to a better man then him. Hook comes over and thinks Emma is accusing Liam of being a villian so he feels like less of one. He says he doesn't want to return to Storybrooke and wants his fate to be chosen here. Emma says he just  has to forgive himself and walks away. Hok realizes Emma was right because Lima has ink from the pages on his hand. Then the old crew with Captain Silver show p to tell Hook what Liam did to him.

Captain Silver reveals that he was listening in on Hades and Liam interaction at the bar and then kidnaps them and takes them to the cliff where you can either move on or fall to a worse place. Hades shows up and blows Catain Silver down into the fire pit. He says that Liam kept up his end of the bargain and gets to stay but Hook escaped his prison and has to pay. Lia says he won't let him hurt Killian. Hades then blows Liam offf. Hook catche him adnn tels him that he needs to forgive himself. Liam says he can't after what he did to him and lets go. That sacrifice was enough to let Liam move on with the crew. Liam tells Killian that he was wrong and Emma does want what's best for him

Back at the sorceror's mansion Hook tells Emma what happened and that he decided that he would come back to Storybrooke after it's all over.

Alsewhere in the mansion, Henry searches around and sees a glowing light. He goes over to it and takes sheets of it and sees the pen and ink under a lampshade.

Back at the apartment Regina, Snow, Emma, Hook, and David are lookin through the book and realise Liam ripped out every page about Hades. David says Henry knows the most about storybooks and asks where he is. Emma says he's upstairs going full emo teenager and Regina adds that he doesn't want to talk to anyone. David says maybe he just doesn't want to talk with his mothers.

Upstairs, David asks what Henry's doing. He says he's just thiinking. David asks what he's thinking about. Henry doesn't want to talk about it. David says that he realized his brother resented him his whole life. Henry knows that he grew up as a prince. David says maybe he wanted what he ha, a loving mother. He tells Henry that people would give everything to have a family like Henry because no matter what, he has someone to talk too. When he leaves, Henry decides to tell him something.

Back downstairs, he shows everyone that the Author's Pen is down here. Regina says she thought he destroyed it. He says that just brought it down. He says he wants to be the hero instead of the persen the hero saves. He says it was Cruella that made him want to use it. She wanted him to bring her back to life. He says that he wanted to help to help Emma because Cruella said she has this guilt about killing her. Emma says she unstertands him wanting to be a hero, but that' s not the way to do it. Henry says he knows and wants to use the pen the right way and write Hades' story. They wonder what Hades could be trying to keep from them

At Hades' lair, he rabs the pages and it shows that the secret has to do with Zelena

Favorite Moments From Starring Characters:

Snow: Her saying how alike David and Janes are.

Emma: Trying to convince Hook he deserves saving, and scenes with Regina and Henry

Regina: Her scenes with Emma and Henry and admitting that she and Hook are a lot alike

David: His reaction to the revealation about Janes and his scene with Henry.

Belle: (Wasn't in Episode)

Hook: Him doubting himsekf then realizing he does deserve saving.

Henry: The opening scenwith Cruella and the Apprentice, findin the pen, scene with David,, and deciding to come clean and write Hades' story

Zelena: (Wasn't in Episode)

Robin: (Wasn't in Episode)

Rumple: (Wasn't in Episode)

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed it more for Henry's part of the episode. zthe flashbacks didn't interest me that much and it was a little hard for me to understand some of the dialogue with the sounds of the wve and storm and loud music. To me it seems like they tried to cram a Henry centric and Hook centric into one episode. The stories didn't seem to mash up together that well.. Maybe they were trying to connect them because both Henry and Hook/Killian talk about wanting to be a hero. I'll give this an 8/10 mostly for the Henry aspects of the episode.

Season 5 Episode 14 Devil's Due Review

Enchanted Forest: Rumple and Milah deal with a life/death decision facing Baelfire

Underbrooke: Emma and Rumple rescue Hook with Milah's help, Rumple learns news about Belle.

Enchanted Forest:

Milah and Rumple are walking through the forest with Baelfire and she gets mad that Rumple isn't helping her work. He says he's chasing dragonflys with Baelfire While they are arguing, Bae gets poisoned by a snake.

They go to a healer who says the snake that poisoned him has a 24 hour poison. The magic cure for it would be 100 gold coins. They leave and Milah says she wants Rumple to go back and steal the cure and killing the healer.

At a pub, Milah buys a dagger for Rumple to kill the healer with. After Rumple leaves, Milah meets Killian who she at first declined his offer to go with him since she has a husband and son.

Rumple goes to the healer and is about to kill him but can't, the healer says they can make a deal instead of paying for the cure.

At their house, they give Bae the cure, and Rumple reveals the deal was to ive up his second born child. Milah gets upset and walks out.

Much later as the Dark One, Rumple goes back to the healer and kills him, saying he can't pay a debt to a dead man

Underbrooke:

Regina, Cruella, and Snow Story

Regina goes to the diner and the Blind Witch isn't there but sees Cruella. Cruella and Regina sit down and she asks her how the tombstones work. Cruella says there are three settings: Upright - in Underbrooke, Tipped Over - moved on to a better place, Cracked - moved on to a worse place. Regina reveals that her magic isn't working.

Snow goes with Regina through the gravetard and come across Daniel's and it's tipped over. After a scene there, they walk off and there's a horse lying on the ground hurt. Regina saves it with her magic and checks to make sure her magic's back.

Emma, Hook, Hades, and Milah Story
Down in Hades lair, Hook refuses to write any of his friends names on the tombstones. Hades takes him to a boat on the River of Lost Souls.

Rumple goes into the pawnshop and sees a note from Pan saying that he's letting Rumple have the shop and his offer is still available if he wants it. He creates a crystal ball and says "Show me who I seek" and it shows Belle having lunch with Leroy at Granny's. He freaks out and drops and breaks the crystal ball.

He goes into the Underorld apartment where the rest of the group is and they are getting ready to go save Hook. Rumple says that it would be too much people to go into Hades lair saying their will be barriers for living people. Rumple says that he will help Emma with the hel of a dead person's aura.

Rumple goes to reunite with Milah who is a crossing guard down here. He convinces her to help them save Killian. He introduces Milah to Emma in probably the most awkward scene this show has had.

They go to the Underbrooke version of Emma's house and hold hands to pass the barrier to the basement. Emma tells Milah abou her vision/dream appearance of Neal/Baelfire. Milah says that she will help Emma save Hook.

Rumple, Milah, and Emma go on a boat over the The River of Lost Souls. Emma goes out to save Hook. Rumple says he'll stay with the boat and Milah decides to stay with him just in case he does something.

Emma saves Hook from being dropped in the Lost Souls River.

Milah and Rumple talk about how Milah's unfinished business is saying sorry to Baelfire. She gets out of the boat and looks at the souls. Hades shows up and freezes her. Hades asks Rumple about making a deal.

In Hades lair, Hades tells Rumple he wants him to destroy the boat he finds and he will let him go home. When he goes back to where Milah is, He destroys the boat and then throws Milah into the river. Hook and Emma come back and Rumple lies that Hades destroyed the boat and pushed Milah in.

He poofs them back to the apartment. Everyone congratulates Emma on saving him. Regina says now that her magic is back they can do the heart split between Emma and Hook. She tries to take Emma;s heart out but it doesn't work.

They all go to the graveyard and see that Hades went ahead and choose three names to put on the tombstones since Hook didn't: Regina Mills, Snow White, and Emma Swan. So thhose three are now stuck in Underbrooke.

Rumple goes back to Hades lair so Hades can let him go home. Hades says he realized Rumple was hiding something and brings up the crystal ball from the beginning of the episode and says Rmple wasn't wanting to see Belle in the ball, he was looking for his son. He asked the crystal child to show him his child. It's revealed that Belle is pregnant, and the healer from the Enchanted Forest just signed over the contract to Hades. So now Rumple works with Hades

Favorite Moments From Starring Characters:

Snow: The scene with Regina at Daniel's grave

Emma: The akward introduction to Milah and reuniting with Hook

Regina: The scene with Snow at Daniel's grave

David: (Was only in the background)

Belle: (No Speaking Lines)

Hook: His suprise at Emma's plan abot heart splitting

Henry: His pride of Emma rescuing Hook, and reaction to the gravestones.

Zelena: (Wasn't in Episode)

Robin: (Was only in the background)

Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold: Him introducing Milah to Emma, Milah and his scene about Baelfire in the boat, His reaction after throwing Milah in the river

Final Thoughts:

This episode was okay. I enjoyed the akward introduction with Emma and Milah. Regina not being able to use her magic came out of nowhere, especially since Emma was able to use hers the previous episode just fine, I liked the scene with Regina and Snow at Daniel's grave, but the rest of her story; her scene with Cruella,her magic not working, and the horse, seemed really unnecesarry and shoe-horned in just to fill up time in the episode. I like Cruella's character but she really wasn't needed in this episode. Anyone else could have told her about the setting of the gravestones. I'll give this episode a 6/10. There were things I did like, but there were a good amount of moments where I was looking at my phone wondering how much longer the episode was

I'll explain why I didn't like Cruella in this episode. If you've read my posts before, you can probably tell that my favorite character is Henry. I was worried when I saw the writer of this episode, because her 2 episodes of 5A didn't feature Henry. I got my hopes up a little too much when I saw the press release mention Cruella was in the episode. My thoughts were 'Why would they set up a plot between Henry and Cruella, have Cruella in the next episode and not continue it'.

I admit in her last two episodes, I'm not sure when you could write Henry in, but he could have been a big part of this episode since he's blood-related to Milah. They could have worked something out so that Milah could meet Henry and that would have been enough to let her move on to the better place to reunite with Baelfire/Neal. So, see tommorow for the 5x15 Review.

New Schedule:

April 7th: 5x15 The Brothers Jones Review

April 8th: 5x16 Our Decay Review

April 9th: 5x17 Her Handsome Hero Press Release/Sneak Peeks/Promos Discussion

April 10th: New Episode Airs

April 11th: 5x17 Her Handsome Hero Review

Season 5 Episode 13 Labor of Love Review

Enchanted Forest: Hercules teaches Teenage Snow White how to stand up to bandits attacking the villages

Underbrooke: The group has to defeat Cerberus and they ask Hercules to help, Henry runs into Cruella when searching the Mayor's office.


Enchanted Forest:

The flashback starts with townsfolk telling Regina that there are bandits attacking the town. Regina says that Snow will help them. Snow doesn't know what to do and runs off.

Snow falls into a hole and is pulled up bu Hercules. Hercules tells Snow that he'll teach her how to fight off the bandits. Hercules tells her about his labors he has to complete before he is able to join his father on Olympus

She goes off to face the bandits and ffails. Later, Hercules tells Snow that you have to fail to succed. She goes to face the banndits and wins. Snow and Hercules kiss and Hercules goes to face Cerberus, his last labor.

When facing Cerberus, Hercules rubs into a scared girl.

Underbrooke:

The episode starts with Hook waking up in a unbarred prison. He helps a scared girl escape the prison who is woried abou the beast that guards the prison. Hook tells her to go find Emma and tell her to find him. while he holds of the beast.

Mary Margaret and David are looking through the graveyard and come across Hercules' gravestone.
She realises that they can get him to help.

Emma, Hook, Regina, Robin and Henry are searching the woods for Hook. Regina tells Robin to go to the Mayor's office to look for maps of the town and says to bring Henry with him since he knows the office.

Once Robin and Henry leave, They run into the girl Hook freed from the dungeon and hear the roar of the beast. Emma uses her magic to poof them to her parent's apartment.

Once there, they realize that the Underworld apartment is waiting for her parent's to die so they can move in.

Meanwhile, at the mayor's office, Robin seees that there's a protection spell over the door but notices there's a vent behind the couch. Henry says he should go through because someone needs to stand guard and he's the only one that knows his mother's office. Henry goes through and is greeted by Cruella.

Back in the apartment, the girl explains how horrifying the beast that guards the dungeon she was in is. Mary Margaret recognizes the description and knows who they can find to help. They go to thw diner and ask the Blind Witch if she knows where Hercules is. She says he works at the docks.

At the docks, Mary Mararet reunites with Hercules and asks him to help them defeat Cerberus. Reina, Emma, Mary Margaret, and Hercules goes to the mines. Hercules goes ahead of them to fight Cerberus. When he hears Cerberus roar, he gets scared and runs back to the others. They hear a whistle and Hades appears to tell them that Hercules died to Cerberus in the Enchanted Forest.

Later back in the apartment, Regina talks to Mary Margaret about how she made her her friend. Regina says they need Snow White not Mary Margaret.

Back at the mayor's office, Cruella tells Henry she wants to go back to the real world. Henry says no she's already dead and no one can change that. Cruella says that the Author can and knows Henry is the Author now. He says he destroyed the quill. She says that the quill is a living being and when he broke it, he sent it to the Underworld and says she wants him to help her find it. She says that if she comes back to the real world, Emma wouldn't have murdered her.

Later, Henry lies to Robin about not finding anything.

Mary Margaret is at the docks again and convinces Hercules to try to beat Cerberus since they are going to be working together.  Meanwhile in the apartment, Cerberus tracks them down there. They run out and the girl is behind the fallen clock tower. Mary Margaret, Hercules, and the girl run into the library and face and defeat Cerberus all together. The girl reveals herself to be Meg.

At the diner, Herc and Meg talk and Mary Margaret says she wants to be Snow White again. Hercules and Meg move on to Olympus.

In Heades lair, Hades tells Hook that from now on everytime one of his friends helps someone move in one, one of them will have to stay, and Hook gets to decide who

Favorite Moments From Starring Characters:

Snow: (Young Snow in Flashback) Liked hher relationship with Hercules
            (Underbrooke) When she wanted to be Snow again

Emma: Her reaction to seeing the hook

Regina: Her scene with Snow and moment with Robin

David: His scene with Snow at the beginning

Belle: (Wasn't in Episode)

Hook: The end scene with Hades

Henry: His scenes with Cruella and Robin

Zelena: (Wasn't in Episode)

Robin: His moment with Regina and his scenes with Henry

Mr. Gold: (Wasn't in Episode)

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this episode. I liked how they connected Hercules to the story. I've seen a lot of complaints about how Meg was portrayed and how Herc and Meg should have stayed longer. But I'm glad they were only one episode characters, because they're able to focus on the core characters more. Like everyone else, I'm impressed with how well Bailee Madison plays the young Snow White.

I'm glad they decided to bring the Author plot for Henry, though it is a little weird that a pen is alive and has unfinshed business, since it's been a little while since he's had his own side plot from everyone else. This episode gets a 9/10 for Henry and Cruella & Snow and Hercules. The one point of was I do agree that they should of wrote Meg differently.

Schedule I'll try to keep for this week:

April 5th: 5x14 Devils Due Review

April 6th: 5x15 The Brothers Jones Review

April 7th: 5x16 Our Decay Revie

April 8th: 5x17 Press Release, Sneak Peeks, and Promo Pictures Discussion

Season 5 Episode 12 Souls of the Departed Review

Opening Scene: Emma gets a suprise warning from Neal about going to the Underworld

Enchanted Forest: It's the Evil Queen's birthday and the only present she wants is Snow White's heart.

Underbrooke: Emma, Regina, Henry, Mary Margaret, David, and Mr. Gold enter the Underworld to try to rescue Hook. Regina reunites with Cora and Henry Sr, Mr. Gold meets up with Peter Pan.

Opening Scene:

Emma wakes up in her car at some amusement park. She looks around and Neal pops up from the back seat. He asks about Henry and says they can't see him in the Underworld because he has no unfinished business. He says that he's happy and just came to warn Emma about going to the Underworld.

This is the one thing I didn't like. I don't see how Neal doesn't have any unfinished business with either Henry or Rumple,

After Neal leaves the car, Emma wakes up in the boat with them arriving in the Underworld.

Henry Sr will be referred to as Henry (in Enchanted Forest plot), Henry Sr (Underbrooke)


Enchanted Forest:

The Evil Queen shows up in a village. A villager gives her some pie because it's her birthday. She says the only thing she wants for her birthday is Snow White's heart. Another villager says he knows where Snow White is but wants something in return. She kills him and Snow and Charming show up behind her.

Back at her castle, Regina's father comes in to say that she should'nt blame Snow for Daniel dying. He said that if she should blame anyone, she should blame Cora. Regina doesn't listen and storms off after he accuses her of Cora controlling her. After she leaves, Henry asks the Magic Mirror to summon Cora. Henry asks Cora to tell Regina to let her revenge on Snow go. Cora says that they should help her with it. Henry leaves the room  saying he's going to talk to Snow and Cora walks through the mirror.

Snow is meeeting Henry in the woods, then it's revealed that was Cora in disguise and takes Snow's heart.

Later, Reina blows the candle out of her cake and kills the Jester. Cora comes in and brings the heart. They bring the Magic Mirror over to show Snow White. Regina starts crusing the heart and it seems like something's happening but it's actually only one of the guard'shearts. Henry switched the hearts out.

Regina shrinks her father in puts him inthe bow that contained the heart. She sends Cora back to Wonderland throught the mirror and seals the portal. Cora takes Henry away to Wonderland with her

Underbrooke:

Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Mr. Gold, and Henry arrive in the Underworld and see that it looks just like Storybrooke. Mr. Gold reveals that everyone here has unfinished business. Emma sees Cruella drive by. They split up to search more ground to look for Hook. Someone is watching Regina closely.

This unamed man goes to the Mayor's office and tells someone Regina's here and it's revealed that Cora is the mayor of Underbrooke.

Snow goes to "Granny's" which is run by the Blind Witch. Snow sees 'David' come in and he kisses her and it's actually David's twin James who is the sheriff down here. David comes in right as James leaves. Emma and Mr. Gold come in to say no one has found Hook yet. Mr. Gold says he might have something to help. Henry comes out from the back of Granny's saying he was looking for his father.
Emma tells him he's in a better place now. I don't now she didn't tell Henry that he came to her in a vision/dream to tell her. 

Mr. Gold goes to the Underworld version of his shop and sees his father: Peter Pan. Pan says that he wants to go back to the real world and says he can if he trades places with someone living. Pan gives Mr. Gold what he was looking for.

Robin and Regina talk about why the Underworld looks like Storybrooke and notices the man who has been following them. He takes Regina to reunite with Cora. Cora tells Regina that she should get out of the Underworld. Regina says she's going to stay to help Emma find Hook/ Cora brings Regina and the man to a rock cliff over a sea of lava/fire. Cora burns and send the man down into the pit of fire. Cora tells Regina that here there's only 2 ways to leave: to a better place or a worse place. She says that if Regina doesn't leave, she'll send her father down into the pit.

Mr. Gold comes back to Granny's with a potion from Dunbroch that can let you talk to people at their gravestones

They go to Killian's grave. Emma uses the potion and he comes up bloody. The spell isn't working properly so they can't talk to each other.

Later, Regina takes the ale/potion to her father's grave and uses it. He appears and he convinces her to stay to help her friends. He mentions that she has put vengeance aside to be a hero. Later, Regina and Henry meet Cora back at the cliff with her about to throw Henry Sr. in the fire he seems to burn, but after Cora leaves, a light appears and a door opens up. Henry Sr. says that heis unfinfished business was Regina and now that she's become a hero, he can move on to a better place. Regina introduces him to Henry. Henry thanks Henry Sr. for believing in her like he does. Henry Sr. thanks Henry for being there for her when he couldn't and then walks into the light.

Henry and Regina walk back to the street to meet back up with everyone else. They realize that while searching for Hook, they can help other people move on. Henry comes up with the operation name "Operation Firebird". As everyone walks on, Regina looks back at the clock on the ground and it ticks.

Right behind the clock, Cora walks into the library and down the elevator and meets up with Hades. Hades reveals that every clock tick means someone has moved on and left his domain. Hades mentions that Regina is going to regret her decision to stay. Cora says to not threaten her. Hades is suprised that Cora cares about Regina, considering what she did to Zelena. Hades turns Cora into a miller's daughter (for eternity?) for failing to get Regina to leave. The episode ends with him (activating?) his blue hair.

Favorite Moments From Starring Characters:

Snow: Her scene with James and David in Granny's

Emma: Her scene with Henry.

Regina: Her scenes with Henry Sr. and Cora

David: His scene with Snow

Belle: Her short scene with Mr. Gold

Hook: (Only had one 3 second appearance)

Henry: His scene with Emma about Neal  & his scene with Henry Sr. and Regina

Zelena: (Wasn't in Episode)

Robin: His scene with Regina when they were discuusing why the Underworld looked like Storybrooke

Mr. Gold: His scene in the shop with Pan

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this episode. It was a little weird to me to have a Regina centric on the landmark 100th episode of the show. I enjoyed all the returning characters. Having Henry and Henry Sr. meet is a moment that I never thought could have happened. I didn;t think we were ever going to see Pan again, or the Blind Witch. I give this episode a 9/10. 1 point taken out because I believe Neal would have unfinshed business. I'll try to post these review daily so I'll be posting the 5x13 review tommorow

5A Overall Thoughts

I know I haven't done reviews for E8-11, but I didn't enjoy the episodes enough to reallly have enough to say about them individually for reviews. So I decided I'd do a post on how I felt about 5A and then go straight to reviewing 5B Episodes.


I enjoyed 5A until they gave Merida a full episode with no core characters and then revealed Hook has a second Dark One. The arc just seemed to go downhill from there. Those episodes didn't excite me at all. If I had renewed them, it would just be a straight recap since I didn't have anything really to talk about those episodes. I got into this show because it focused on family and not romance like most other drama shows. After Hook was revealed as a Second Dark One, the show started becoming like those other dramas, too much focus on romance. The family aspect was pretty much thrown away in those episodes except for maybe a few scenes.

I'm not an avid Captain Swan, I personally liked Emma better with Neal, but I'm able to tolerate it since there's no changing it.


Things I enjoyed abou 5A:
I enjoy Emma and Regina's friendship and both of their relationships with Henry, but I don't shipp Emma and Regina romantically.

I enjoyed Henry's story with Violet. I liked Dark Swan. I liked Merlin. I liked all the references to Neal. One big missed oppurtinity was to have Henry have a scene with Merlin about being the Author.

My favorite episode was E5 "Dreamcatcher" because it had everything I got in the show for. The main focus of the episode was family

Things I didn't like about 5A:

Hook as a Dark One

The focus on romance from the last few episodes

Merlin's story wrapped up too quick

No mention of Camelot characters at the end


Any Other Thoughts
Overall, I think this arc gets around a 6/10. It started great but really went downhill when Hook became a Dark One

I have enjoyed these first few episodes of 5B, so I'm excited to review them. I think I'll try to get 5x12 Review up later today/tonight

*SPOILERS* Season 5 Episodes 8 & 9 (2 hr Special) Press Release/Pictures/Sneak Peeks

1st hour

“Birth” – tensions in Camelot come to a head when Merlin, now under Arthur’s control, delivers an ultimatum to Emma: hand over the Dark One dagger and the Promethean spark or he will kill her entire family. Refusing to give in, Emma and our heroes face off against Arthur, Merlin and Zelena in an epic battle of magic and will. Just when the end is in sight, Emma is forced to make a gut-wrenching choice that no one saw coming. Back in Storybrooke, Zelena’s pregnancy mysteriously accelerates and Hook goes to new and desperate lengths to get answers from the Dark Swan.

Guest cast includes Beverley Elliott as Granny, David-Paul Grove as Doc, Micahel Coleman as Happy, David Anders as Dr. Whale, Ingrid Torrance as Nurse Ratched, Elliot Knight as Merlin, Liam Garrigan as King Arthur and Joana Metrass as Guinivere.

5x08 "Birth" Photos

The one thing I'm wondering about is the fact that Henry is nowhere to be seen in this pictures. The entire rest of the main cast is in the woods scene except for him

5x08 Sneak Peek 1 (Camelot): Emma, Arthur, Merlin, Zelena (Snow, David, Robin, Hook, Regina in background chained up to trees)

This is the beginning of the scene where the majority of the photos came from. So where's Henry during this?

5x08 Sneak Peek 2 (Storybrooke): Hook, Arthur, and Emma

I think Emma probably is manipulating Hook here. That's all I have to say about this clip

2nd hour:

“The Bear King”– Zelena and Arthur journey to DunBroch on a mission to retrieve an enchanted relic that will provide the advantage they need to vanquish Emma and our heroes. Their path will cross with Merida’s, who is on a journey of her own to pay a debt that her father, King Fergus, owed to the Witch when he died. Merida enlists the help of two friends, Mulan and Ruby, but, in order to satisfy the Witch and save DunBroch, she first must discover the identity of the knight who killed her father. In flashbacks, Merida learns about bravery and honor as she trains for combat and rides alongside Fergus into the infamous battle that claims his life

Guest Cast includes Meghan Ory as Red/Ruby, Beverley Elliott as Granny, Jamie Chung as Mulan, Amy Manson as Merida, Glenn Keogh as King Fergus, Caroline Morahan as Queen Elinor, Lily Knight as Witch, Richard Stroh as Edgar, Paul Telfer as Lord Macintosh, Marco D’Angelo as Lord MacGuffin, Josh Hallem as Lord Dingwall, Matthew Olsen as Brother #1, Jordan Olsen as Brother #2, Colton Barnert as Brother #3 and Liam Garrigan as King Arthur.

5x09 "The Bear King" Photos

Looks like this episode's going to be a breather episode after a lot of reveals in 5x08. This looks like it's going to be very little main cast in it.

5x09 Sneak Peek 1: Merida, King Fergus, and Mulan

The only thing I have to say about this one is it's good to see Mulan again


Upcoming posts:

5x08 "Birth" Review

5x09 "The Bear King Review

Season 5 Episode 7: Nimue Review

1000 years before King Arthur: Merlin gets immortality and magic after drinking from a chalice.


Many years ago: Merlin meets Nimue and wants to get rid of his immortality to be with her

Camelot (Past 6 weeks): Zelena devises a plan for Mary Margaret, David, Hook, and Regina to break into the castle while Merlin takes Emma to face the 1st Dark One to reunite Excalibur.

Storybrooke (Present Day): Emma reunites Excalibur



1000 years before the Age of Arthur

Merlin and an unnamed character (credited as "Young Man" in credits) are running in a desert and see a chalice on a stone. The "young man" touches the chalice and turns into smoke. Merlin looks up to the sky, asks permission, and then picks up the chalice. He is able to pick it up. Merlin drinks from the chalice and realizes it gave him magic.



Many years ago:

500 years after getting magic, Merlin is helping people in a small vilage by seeing their future with his young apprentice. There is a woman who Merlin says he can't see her future. She introduces herself as Nimue. She says someone named Vortigan destroyed her village and she brought flower seeds. Merlin makes the flowers bloom immediately. After they fall in love, Merlin tells Nimue that he got magic and immortality from the Holy Grail. He says he wants turns the chalice into a sword to get rid of his immortality to stay with Nimue because he doesn't want to watch Nimue grow old and him continue on. Merlin and Nimue go past her burned village to get to the original fire. Merlin realizes Vortigan is looking for the Holy Grail. Merlin turns the Grail into Excalibur but then Nimue is held captive by Vortigan. VNimue tries to get free but Vortigan stabs her with the sword. Then when Merlin is facing Vortigan, Nimue appears with Vortigan's heart in her hand. Nimue reveals that she drank from the Grail. Merlin tells her that if she crshes the heart, she will go down a dark path. She crushes it and her skin becomes (scaly?). She breaks Excalibur so that no one can get rid off her immortality. Merlin puts the sword in the stone and creates the Dark One Dagger by using a tethering spell on the broken half of the sword. His apprentice asked him if he knew how Nimue was going to end up, would he have not talked to her. Merlin says that all life is made up of moments and he had some of the best moments of his life with her.


Camelot:

This is going to be styled differently. I'll do the beginning of the Camelot plot where everyone isin the diner and right before Emma and Merlin leave, then I'll  do Emma and Merlin's plot, then the other plot

  Intro:

 Merlin is telling Snow, David, Regina, and Robin thhat to get the darknes out of Emma, they need to reunite Excalibur. Merlin says he will take Emma to get what they need to reunite them while the others get the sword from Arthur. Hook is getting annoyed that Merlin isnt saying anything straight. Merlin goes to Emma and tells her that the need to get the spark from mankind's original fire. Merlin tells Emma that she will have to face the 1st Dark One who has the spark. Hook comes to tell her to be careful. He gives her a ring that he believes is why he's alive. 

 Emma and Merlin:

Emma tells Merlin that she hurt her son with her magic. When they get to the place they need to get the spark and Merlin gives Emma the dagger. Emma calls up the first Dark One. Emma asks if Merlin can see him too. Merlin says yes, but it's not a him. The Dark One dagger shows the name "Nimue" and she takes off her mask.

Nimue tries to persuade Emma to kill Merlin. Emma is able to mentally beat Nimue and get the spark from her. Nimue reminds Emma that she's not dead, she will be in Emma's head if she needs her.

Merlin and Emma are walking back from the encounter with Nimue Emma asks Merlin what happened after Nimue became the Dark One. Later Emma is telling Merlin about how fast Henry's growing up when he just vanishes

Zelena, David, Hook, Mary Margaret/Snow, Regina, Robin, and Arthur.

David, Hook, Snow, Regina, and Robin are talking about how they can break into Arthur's castle to get Excalibur.  Daid says they shoul take them by suprise and go in the front gate. Hook says they should create a diversion. Regina says she can just poof into Arthur's bedroom. Regina gives Zelena her voice back. She says going in the fromt is suicide, with a diversion Arthur hides the sword, and Regina could poof right in front of a blade. Zelena says they have to sneak in so quietly they won't even know you're there.  She says that when she was a mute handmaiden, she was plotting an escape and found a way out. If she knows a way out, then she knows a way in.

They make it to a guarded gate. Regina says she will get Zelena's magic cuff off once they get the sword and is safe. Regina assigns Snow to guard Zelena while the rest go get the sword.

In the castle, Arthur is making something in a cauldron. Arthur brinngs some guards in nd asks one of them to give him his helmet. He pours some of the liquid on the helmet and it melts completely. Arthr tells the guards to pour it on any stranger they see.

Regina, Hook, Robin, and David sneak in and see the guards carrying the cauldron. Regina wonders if it's for them. Robin says they probably don't want to find out. Regina mentions that Zelena hasn't screwed them over..yet.

Outside the castle, Zelena is having a fake tantrum which Snow fals for. Zelena knocks Snow out and ties her up.

Back inside the castle, the rest of the group go into the room where Arthur is. Regina freezes him, then Zelena comes up with a tied up Snow and unfreezes Arthur. Zelena uses a tethering spell to make Arthur's half of Excalibur able to control Merlin. Arthur summons Merlin. Arthur is mad that the phropecy Merlin said would happen didn't. Merlin responds that it hasn't happened yet. Arthur commands Merlin to make Regina, David, Hook, and Robin dissapear

Storybrooke:

These were the first and last scenes of the episode:

Opening scene:
Emma is looking at the two halves of the full sword now on the stone. "Spirit" Rumple pops up to tell her that Excalibur's promiise was made eons ago

Final scene:
Emma and  Spirit Rumple looking at the sword. Spirit Rumple says that we have been waiting for this moment. Nimue shows up with all the Dark Ones of the past. Emma tells Nimue that she tried to stop her from merging Excalibur in Camelot. Nimue says back then she might have used it to take the darkness but now she can use it to snuff the light instead. Emma takes the ember and reunites the sword. She's about to touch it but remembers Merlin's warning when she was a kid. The other Dark Ones convince her to take it.


Favorite Moments From Each Starring Character:

Snow: Saying she'd give pregnancy tips to Zelena

Emma: (Camelot) Her goodbye scene with Hook and her confrontation with Nimue
           (Storybrooke) her remembering Merlin's warning and reuniting Excalibur

Regina: Remarking how Zelena hadn't screwed them up yet and her reaction when Zelena came in with a tied up Snow

David: His sarcastic choices about how to get in the castle

Belle: (Wasn't in Episode)

Hook: His goodbye with Emma

Henry: (Wasn't in Episode)

Zelena: Liked all her scenes

Robin: (Can't think of a moment)

Spirit Rumple(Storybrooke only): Liked both of his very short appearances.

Final Thoughts:

Good episode, but issues with the timeline hurt it hust like Episode 4. Emma mentioning Henry after dealing with Nimue seemed ot of nowhere. On the one hand, I liked that they mentioned him, but it didn't have anything to do with that part of the episode.

One thing I forgot to put in the review was before Emma's encounter with Nimue, she asked Merlin if there could ever be someone that could use the Dark One power for good. The first person that came to mind for that was Henry. He would make the most sense to be the person that could hold that power and use it for good. Thiss episode gets a 8/10 from me

Upcoming posts:

Preparation for the 2 hr event

5x08 "Birth" Review

5x09 "The Bear King" Review