ABC’s Once Upon a Time continues season five with an episode that finds David and King Arthur searching for a rare toadstool, Hook confronting Emma, and the surprise reappearance of a character everyone assumed was dead. Airing on Sunday, October 11, 2015, season five episode three revealed all is not as it seems and there are villains disguised as heroes…
Recap of “Siege Perilous:”
The dwarfs are whistling while they work in the mines and along comes the Dark Swan (Jennifer Morrison) who steals Happy’s axe and magically disappears.
In Camelot, Regina (Lana Parrilla), Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), Belle (Emilie de Ravin), David (Josh Dallas), and Emma are looking for a way to free Merlin from the tree. Regina’s convinced they need witchbane, but they have no idea where to get some. Although Emma volunteers to get him out of the tree by wiggling her nose, they all say no way. In comes Arthur (Liam Garrigan) to find out how they’re progressing. Mary Margaret suggests they ask Merlin how to get him out of the tree since they have his books, and Regina compliments her for smart thinking. Regina says they can use a spell to talk to Merlin to get him out. They need to find a special toadstool, the Crimson Crown, and David volunteers to go fetch one. Arthur wants to go with him so they can “quest together as brothers” since the location of the toadstool is treacherous to reach.
In Storybrooke, the gang examines the book they were using in Camelot for answers. The dwarfs come show up at the sheriff’s station to complain the Dark Swan/the Dark One took their axe. They don’t get satisfactory answers and huff and puff but leave. David and Mary Margaret want to know why their daughter needs an axe, and they’re both incredibly angry over not knowing how to save her. “I am her father and now I’m paralyzed,” says David. But Mary Margaret assures him he’s doing the best he can. “In any world, you are my hero,” she says and leaves.
Next up it’s Arthur’s turn to call on David for help. He still can’t find Excalibur but he’s actually come to the sheriff’s station to report someone stole his trunk filled with magical relics. There was a magic bean in it that could take his people home. David swears they’ll find it and get them all back to Camelot.
The Dark Swan is back at her house with Happy’s axe ready to hit the rock holding Excalibur, but Rumple (Robert Carlyle) tells her it won’t work. He suggests a kiss, since that always seems to work (he’s joking). Then, he says she needs a hero to do it and that isn’t her anymore since she’s gone dark. He tells her to stop messing around and go get a hero. “And you and I both know who that is,” he adds.
In Camelot, Regina slams a book shut and Robin (Sean Maguire) gives her a kiss and tells her to calm down. In pops Zelena (Rebecca Mader) who’s still mute and Regina gives her back her voice so they can clear the air. Regina’s still pissed Zelena wanted to escape back to Oz, but Zelena says the child could have been her only chance for someone to love her. They argue over second chances and being painted as victims. Regina’s had enough and takes away her voice again. She reminds her she’s the Evil Queen and can be a nightmare if she wants to. Regina tells her she’ll make sure her baby is loved and safe, but Zelena won’t be. Oh no, that threat will surely come back to bite her in the butt.
David and Arthur chose swords from Arthur’s armory, and Arthur explains the seating at the Round Table. He tells him about the Siege Perilous chair, reserved for the knight with the purest heart. “It belonged to a man I trusted more than a brother, but he betrayed me,” says Arthur. David knows he’s talking about Lancelot and reminds Arthur they’re all legends. David is happy Guinevere ad Arthur are back together following Lancelot’s betrayal, and David reveals that Lancelot is dead. Arthur says he was a good man and he didn’t wish him dead. In walks Arthur’s squire, Grif (Giacomo Baessato), with a torch that’s the Unquenchable Flame, said to be part of the Burning Bush. They’ll use it as they hunt for the toadstool.
In Storybrooke, the trunk that held the relics is returned to Arthur and David in the woods. The locked was pried open, so it wasn’t stolen by the Dark Swan.
Into Granny’s Diner walks Hook who greets Robin who’s looking at a picture taken up inside Zelena. “Whoa, mate,” says Hook, clearly disgusted. But Robin explains it’s a sonogram. “Mixed emotions, I bet,” says Hook. Robin is happy but knows it’s painful for Regina. Hook understands it’s a complex situation. Robin acknowledges Hook’s is equally complex, and Hook starts to talk about the room in Emma’s that’s locked when Granny gives him an order to go with a note from Emma to meet her on his ship.
On his ship, Hook’s pissed at Emma for appearing out of thin air. She apologizes and wants to talk but Hook says, “It’s hardly like old times,” when Emma wants it to be like it was before. He sets down the bag and, poof, Emma’s turned into her old self (clothing and hair-wise). “You know you can trust me,” she says, taking Hook’s hand.
David and Arthur are walking through a forest that’s eternally night, even though it’s midday. Arthur talks about his upbringing. He was a peasant and David is happy because he was a shepherd. They discuss their wives and how much they’re alike. Arthur says they should have a tournament so they can show off their skills, but David doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Arthur says he was a difficult man to live with back before Lancelot and Guinevere had their fling. Amid all the talking they’ve stumbled on a rickety bridge and can see the toadstool on the other side. David volunteers to go across the dangerous bridge. There’s a piece of armor under in the water that David doesn’t see.
In Storybrooke, Arthur and David visit Belle who’s looking for something to make a healing spell with. Gold isn’t doing well. They want to know if anyone has pawned a magic bean. No one has, but David asks to borrow a silver cup that will point them to culprit. It’s not magical but David’s going to say it is in order to find the person who stole the bean. Back in the woods, he tells the folks from Camelot it will point to the guilty person. Tricky, David, very tricky… If they drink from the chalice it will tell them who is the thief. Off rides the squire, the same person who said he found the chest already pried open. David and Arthur chase him in David’s truck which easily catches up with the horseback riding thief. Arthur takes over the wheel even though he has no idea how to drive while David climbs into the back. Using a piece of wood, he knocks the thief off his horse like a joist, but with less fair odds.
Back to the toadstool, David reaches it and starts back. Empty armor starts putting itself together underwater and attacking David on the bridge. He thinks he’s done fighting his way through them when he’s knocked off and dragged underwater. Arthur reaches down and saves him.
On the ship, Hook wants to know what’s behind the locked door. Emma won’t tell him. Hook knows this isn’t the same Emma because the old one didn’t play games. Emma says she’s better now, and she’s not scared anymore. She says she’s an open book and wants them to be in a real relationship. She says Belle and Rumple found love, and it could happen again. Hook’s done with Emma and he wants to know why she brought him there. “You need something, Dark One. Tell me what it is,” says Hook. “All I need is your trust. I promise,” says Emma. She can’t convince him she’s still the same inside and asks if he still loves her, and if he doesn’t she’ll let him go. “I loved you,” he responds, and Emma poofs out.
Off the bridge, David can’t find the toadstool. The phantom knights took it and now it’s gone. “The word ‘quest’ means to seek, not to find. It’s the seeking that matters,” says Arthur, but he admits he doesn’t really believe it. And David confesses he doesn’t want to only be remembered as the man who kissed a sleeping princess awake. The two continue to bond over the fact they don’t give up, even after a loss. Arthur offers him a place at the Round Table!
Captured, Grif says he didn’t see a bean. He only took the chest because he wanted to hurt Arthur because of how he treats him. They have to tell the Camelot people they’re sticking around for a while, and as they go off to do that David spots the toadstool from Camelot.
David shows the toadstool to Regina and she says it’s the one from the book from Camelot and that they must have been trying to communicate with Merlin. They think they can use it now to talk to Merlin to save Emma from being the Dark One.
In Camelot, David is dubbed Sir David of the Enchanted Forest, now of the Round Table. David’s honored and takes his place at the table. Arthur gives him the special seat reserved for the bravest and most trustworthy. The seat will bear his coat of arms. “Not bad for a shepherd,” says Arthur, laughing. David sits, there’s lot of applause, and he’s visibly touched.
Mary Margaret leaves the room to quiet the baby and out pops Lancelot. Mary Margaret tells him they thought he was dead. He says there’s a villain in Camelot and it’s Arthur. “Trust me, Camelot is not what it seems,” says Lancelot.
Alone, Arthur and Guinevere discuss the day and Arthur reveals the toadstool. “I must think of my kingdom first,” says Arthur. He says he didn’t want to lie to David.
In Storybrooke, the squire is in jail. We find out that Arthur’s pulling all the strings. The squire did everything Arthur asked, even down to there not being a bean, and Arthur says he can’t let him out. Arthur is furious they brought the Dark One into Camelot and he’s ready to build a new Camelot in Storybrooke. The squire will do anything for his kingdom and so would Arthur, and Arthur needs to kill him using poison. The Storybrooke people will make the squire talk and Arthur says there’s not choice but to die in service of Camelot. “Your death will be the cornerstone of a great, new kingdom, if you take this,” says Arthur. The squire does, saying, “For Camelot.” Arthur watches him evaporate in a green fog.
Hook meets Robin back at the diner. He wants to know what’s behind the door and he needs a thief. Belle sees the petals falling off the rose and knows that means Gold’s taken a turn for the worse. But then they come back together and Belle rushes home thinking he’s waking up. He’s gone. The Dark One took him and will use Hook’s sword (because it touched him when he was human and good) to wake him and free Excalibur. Gold wakes and Emma tells him, “You are not dark and you are also not light.” She’s going to make him into a hero the purest who’s ever lived and then she has a job for him.
Once Upon a Time Season 5 Recaps: Episode 1 The Dark Swan / Episode 2 The Price
