Once Upon A Time – Last Rites

By: Stacy Miller

“Once Upon a Time” is coming down to the final episodes of the season and in the episode Last Rites a hero paid the ultimate price while a surprising new hero joined an unlikely companion on an important quest. And Zelena’s eyes were finally opened to Hades’ true motives.

In Storybrooke Present, Hades and Zelena are back. “The land of the living, I’d never thought I’d see this world again,” says Hades (Greg Germann) happily. Zelena (Rebecca Mader) is worried about her sister, but Hades assures Zelena that Regina (Lana Parrilla) and the others made it back. But he is probably thinking, “You’ll never see them again because I made sure they were trapped forever in the Underworld.” Zelena asks why they are still in the woods and Hades reminds that Snow White still thinks he’s a villain and these people are always after villains. Zelena gives him the baby. “You’d trust me with your child?” asks Hades. Zelena tells Hades she trusts him with everything and then leaves to look for Regina and the others.

A man runs up to Hades begging for help. He explains his name is King Arthur (Liam Garrigan) and he was wrongly imprisoned. Hades introduces himself as the “King of Death” right before he kills Arthur. “You’ll do nicely,” Hades says looking at King Arthur’s dead body.

Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) can’t believe Merida (Amy Mason) and dwarf Sleepy let Arthur escape. I don’t know about Merida, but putting Sleepy as a guard was a bad move, after all while watching Arthur he probably got sleepy! Snow tells them to get the other dwarves to help in the search. After Merida and Sleepy leave, Snow is happy to see David (Josh Dallas), Emma (Jennifer Goodwin) and Henry (Jared Gilmore) have escaped the Underworld and returned to Storybrooke. She learns that Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) didn’t make it back and tries to comfort Emma by reminding her of all the people they helped move on. They have to stop Hades.

Zelena is happy to see Regina and Robin Hood, (Sean Maguire) that is until Regina tells her that Hades is still evil. Zelena doesn’t believe her. Even if she did, Zelena reminds Hades is a God and they’re no match for him.

King Arthur comes to Granny’s diner in the Underworld and wonders what strange land he’s in. It is Hook that drops the bombshell that he’s dead and clues him in on his current location. Hook tells Arthur that he’s trying to figure how to move on. Hook asks Arthur who killed him. “He said his name was Hades,” Arthur answers. Hook realizes they have to find Hades’ weakness. “He never shows his weakness,” says the diner witch (Emma Caulfield). Hook thinks he knows a way to find it and asks Arthur to join him on his latest quest.

In Storybrooke, Emma, David and Merida find Arthur’s body. They know that Hades is the only one who could have killed him but wonder why. I actually wondered that, too. Maybe Hades wanted Arthur to be the new king of the Underworld? He probably just killed him because he’s the King of Death and killing is what he does!

Zelena tells Hades her sister and the others don’t believe her that he’s good now and will come after him. Hades tells Zelena he’ll go to them because he doesn’t want her or the baby to get hurt. Zelena says she can put up a protection spell. Hades shows Zelena the powerful weapon he has: The Olympian Crystal. He took it from his brother Zeus. The Olympian Crystal is a pretty scary weapon. It seems that if it is used on you, there’s just nothingness…You don’t go to the Underworld or move on. Zeus had broken The Olympian Crystal so Hades couldn’t get his hands on it. Hades couldn’t put it together and use it because he was heartless. Now, even though he has a heart, he’s still heartless. Hades has reunited the pieces and plans to play ‘Zapper McZapper’ with the crystal against his enemies.

Even though there is a protection spell on the town hall (where Zelena and Hades are at with the baby), Regina says she can get inside through the tunnels underneath. After all, she lives there and knows all the secret passageways. In the meantime, Emma will work on trying to knock down the protection spell barrier.

In the Underworld, Hook tells Arthur he is looking for his ‘Holy Grail,’ something that will reveal Hades’ weakness. The pages from the story book that Hades ripped out…Arthur knows where he’d hide something that he won’t want anyone to find. And Voila! Arthur finds them hidden inside Hades’ chair on his throne. Hook tells Arthur they have to find a way to get the pages to Emma.

Gold (Robert Carlyle) contacts Hades and offers him a deal to join forces with him because he knows the people in Storybrooke and can be of use to him. The only thing he asks for in exchange is The Olympian Crystal. Oh, is that all? Hades respectfully declines. Yes, if I were a mega-villain with a powerful weapon I’d hang onto it, too!

Back in the Underworld, Hook and Arthur learn that Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) threw the phonebooth in the River of Souls. If she has to be trapped forever in the Underworld, there was no way in Hell (no pun intended) that she was going to allow others to learn their unfinished business so they could move on. She tells Hook and Arthur that the book is located in a place in the River of Souls that is in plain view, but out of reach.

Hook and Arthur travel down The River of Souls, which has many lost souls floating in it. They reach a temple with a sign saying ‘Ye Who Enter Here Abandon All Hope.’ That doesn’t sound encouraging, but Go Team! A stone gargoyle is holding the book. Hook gets out of the boat, but when Arthur attempts the same he is attacked by one of the lost souls. Hook uses fire to draw it away from Arthur. When he tries to grab the book, another lost soul tries to stop him. Luckily, Arthur is able to help him so they now have the book and have to get the pages to Emma.

Arthur tells Hook that he will stay and rule the Underworld while Hook moves on. He ends up in Mount Olympus where he meets Zeus (David Hoflin). Zeus thanks Hook for helping to end his brother Hades’ reign of terror and tells him he’s going to send him where he belongs.

In Storybrooke, Emma is distraught over the loss of Hook. Suddenly, pages of the Once Upon a Time book begin turning on their own. When Emma looks at the book closer, it now has the new pages that Hook inserted. And they have a way to defeat Hades!

Regina and Robin are able to get inside the town hall via the tunnels and get his daughter. Zelena hears Emma outside trying to break the protection spell. She reminds Emma that she can’t defeat a God. Emma shows Zelena the new pages, but Zelena is angry that Emma is trying to kill the man she loves.

Before Regina and Robin can leave with the baby, they are caught by Hades, who now has the fully assembled Olympian Crystal and plans to use it on them. Robin jumps in front of Regina to protect her and is zapped! His spirit smiles at her before disappearing. Poor Regina. Every man she falls in love with is killed. It’s enough to make a woman turn into an evil queen! Oh yeah, she already did that. When Zelena returns to the room, Hades tries to convince her that Regina doesn’t care about her and they can rule Storybrooke together. Zelena gets her hands on the crystal. “Kill her or I will,” Hades orders. “All I ever wanted was love,” Zelena cries before using the crystal on Hades after realizing that he never really loved her, only power. With that, Hades is turned into a pile of ash. The sisters comfort each other over their lost loves.

Later, Emma mourns Hook and places his flask at his grave. Suddenly, Hook appears behind her. The two lovers passionately kiss and Hook tells her Zeus sent him back.

Regina and Zelena are at Robin’s grave and decide to name his daughter Robin in his honor. At the town hall, Gold sees Hades’ ashes and coldly says he should have taken his deal.

Next week is the Season Finale! How will it all end for the residents of Storybrooke?