Once Upon a Time Recap: Creepy Hollow
This week on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Ariel dropped anchor (or whatever merpeople do) in Storybrooke, where stranger danger awaited her and Belle. Meanwhile in Neverland, Snow threw shade and Emma and her men sought a shadow.
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IN STORYBROOKE…. | In flashback, we see Belle enact the cloaking spell but not before two mysterious blokes just barely squeeze their Pontiac Parisienne past the closing “dome,” which totally “pulled a cow” on their fender. Days later, just as Happy is remarking on how quiet life is without the Charmings bringing wraiths and what not to town, Ariel surfaces at seaside, to present Belle with an enchanted sand dollar that, Princess Leia/R2D2-style, will lead her to the gizmo Rumple needs to defeat Pan. But just as the gals track down the AllSpark Pandora’s Box, the mystery men arrive toting guns, and tie them up.
Soon after, Ariel transforms back into a mermaid, to use her fins to wrest them free, and the ladies track down the guys in the Driveshaft mineshaft, where they intend to use a dwarf’s pickaxe to destroy the box. Why? Because they too have someone they love under Pan’s thumb. After Belle uses a mine cart to KO the fellas, they explain that their sister Wendy is being held by Pan (in the second cage; 75 TVLine Power Use Points for those that guessed right!), and that Pan kept them alive and hipster-y for a century to do his bidding. Ariel promises that, in bringing the box back to Rumple in Neverland, she’ll deliver their message to save Wendy — which she does, while Regina supercharges her bracelet.
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IN NEVERLAND…. | Neal reveals the key
to getting off Neverland after finding Henry: capturing Pan’s shadow. Thing is, the inky imp resides in Dark Hollow, which — sorry, Emma — is just as it sounds, the gnarliest nook of the island. While gathering supplies (including the coconut lamp/map needed to trap the shadow) from Bae’s cave, Hook “lets slip” that he and Emma had a “dalliance.” Neal plays it cool, saying their focus is to “save Henry” blah blah blah hashtag hashtag, but later it’s obvious he’s irked, when he sees that Hook gave Emma his old sword to remember him by. (“Oh, thanks — she’s got me now.”) Hook then pulls Emma aside to assure, “When I win your heart, and I will win it, it wont be because of any chicanery, but because you want me.” He then expresses his confidence that she will #SaveHenry, “and when you do, that’s when the fun begins!” And how.
In the Dark Hollow, the boys (lamely) bicker over a lighter, leaving the trio susceptible to an attack by the shadow and two friends. Hook and Neal’s shadows are about to be ripped from them when Emma uses Regina’s teachings to ignite the candle via magic, and thus lure/trap Pan’s shadow. She then notifies the guys who nearly got them all killed: I choose Dylan Brandon me Henry.
Rendezvousing with the Charmings (who did bickering of their own, over David’s secret-keeping, the net-net being that Snow would gladly stay on the island with him), Neal/Bae convinces his old friend (and more? Oh, I’m just making trouble) Tink that they have what it takes — Pan’s shadow — to enact their plan. But is it too late? Because elsewhere on the island, Pan tricked Henry into “finding” Wendy, who pretended that she is deathly ill, because the island’s magic is dying. Pan then reiterated to Henry that only he, the truest believe, can save that poor girl (and the island, and magic). Is Henry up to the task? Yep! So, next stop: Skull Rock.
Notable quotables:
* “He’s really into being cryptic, isn’t he?”
* “You came to Neverland on a pirate ship through a portal. You’re gonna draw the line at a magic coconut?”
* “I’m not afraid of you or your gun. And not just because I don’t know what it is.”
* “Now you can have legs whenever you want. Or a fin. Whatever Eric’s into these days.”
What did you think of this week’s episode, “Dark Hollow”? Excited to see Skull Rock?
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