The Once Upon a Time season four midseason finale, which aired on December 14, 2014, finished up one storyline while introducing another. The folks from Arendelle bid goodbye to their new friends in Storybrooke, heading back home so that Anna (Elizabeth Lail) and Kristoff could begin their happily ever after together.
Meanwhile, Rumple (Robert Carlyle) found out he’d messed with the wrong beauty when Belle (Emilie de Ravin) took charge of her destiny and protected the citizens of Storybrooke. And as episode 11 of season four titled “Heroes and Villains” drew to a close, Rumple (who’s back in full-on villain mode now) began to build a new team of baddies to assist him in his evil ways.
Here’s a look back at “Heroes and Villains:”
The episode kicks off with Elsa announcing it’s time to bring down the wall of ice that surrounds the town. Unfortunately, the Snow Queen’s curse is still in place and no one will be able to leave the town unless they don’t plan on ever returning. Anna is desperate to leave but Elsa (Georgina Haig) cautions her to be patient as Arendelle will still be there waiting for them and they don’t need to rush. Seems Anna and Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster) forgot to mention Hans and his 12 brothers have taken over ruling Arendelle…a fact that when brought up prompts Elsa to turn into the one impatient to return home.
Heartless Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) visits Rumple to tell him the town line is still holding people in and that Elsa and Anna haven’t left Storybrooke yet. Rumple’s holding his heart and causing him pain as Hook gasps and groans, barely able to say that once Rumple leaves, there’s no coming back. Hook also says the folks from Arendelle are still looking for a way out, which is a major problem for Rumple since Anna knows he’s trying to cleave himself from the dagger in order to leave with his power. Rumple tells Hook to watch Anna and make sure she doesn’t come near the shop or near Belle. Hook has a few more hours to live since Rumple still needs him.
Back in time, Belle explores Rumplestiltskin’s house and picks up a sword. Rumple scolds her for not cleaning but Belle’s not affected by his anger and wants to know all about his travels. Rumple calls her mouthy and foolishly brave, but she’s undeterred and continues to ask questions. She asks about his travels and he even tells her about a gauntlet he has in his possession that can find any person’s greatest weakness.
Flash forward and Rumple wakes Belle with breakfast in bed. He says they’re going away on a honeymoon to New York and that it’s time for her to see the world.
Robin and Regina (Lana Parrilla) visit Marion in her mausoleum where she lays waiting to be awakened. Regina gives her back her heart (now that the Snow Queen’s gone she’s free of the spell) and Marion wakes up and hugs Robin.
Shortly thereafter, Regina’s sitting at the counter of the diner when Marion shows up and sits behind her. Regina would rather be alone, but Marion needs to thank her for saving her life and that she understands the way Regina and Robin look at each other. She knows his heart has moved on.
Regina believes it doesn’t matter because Robin’s a man of honor and will keep his word. Marion doesn’t want him that way and knows it’s been years since she and Robin were actually together, even though to her it feels like just yesterday. Marion wants to be chosen or not with Robin at all and reveals that she’s willing to step out of the way.
Back to Rumple and Hook: The broom walks in front of them as they make their way into the house where Rumple was staying. Hook asks whose house it is and Rumple says it was a powerful sorcerer who brought the Snow Queen to this world, which means his magic can move between both worlds. Rumple needs a portal and the broom makes it appear.
Henry (Jared Gilmore) puts in an appearance, asking Belle if she’s taking a trip and Belle explains she’s going to NY. Henry says that’s impossible as the Snow Queen’s spell means if you leave you can’t return, and Belle thinks Rumple must have a way around that. Henry shows her the book that started it all, and Belle says it doesn’t mean things will always happen that way for Regina.
As she’s packing, Belle figures out she needs another suitcase, and the two search the room where they discover the gauntlet Belle remembered from Rumple’s house years before.
Back in time, Belle has figured out that Rumple has a hole in his heart and that’s why he collects objects. He sends her out to do the laundry where she spots a Dalmatian puppy. It’s adorable and she follows it into the woods where someone grabs her.
Anna, Elsa, Emma (Jennifer Morrison), and Kristoff are at a table at the diner. Hook comes in and tells Swan they need to celebrate. “While I might not be the savior, I’ve just saved the day,” says Hook. She asks what they’re celebrating and he tells her he found the portal to Arendelle, but it’s actually Rumple using Hook’s heart to make him say things. He says all Elsa and Anna have to do is walk through the portal to return home.
Emma knows there’s something wrong, they kiss, and Hook tells her it’s nothing. He grabs her arm hard with a shaking hand, and Emma knows there’s something up even though he’s not talking.
Rumple goes in search of Belle, finds a sand dollar, and Belle magically appears as a hologram (think Princess Leia’s message to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars) with a message to bring the gauntlet he took from Camelot to the base of Demon’s Bluff at midnight or she’ll be killed
Robin and Regina watch Marion play with Robin’s son, Roland, and Robin lets Regina know he chooses her over Marion, even with Roland. He can’t live a lie with Marion and he pulls out pages from the Once Upon a Time book that show Regina kissing Robin. Just then, Marion suffers a relapse of the Snow Queen’s spell. Regina can’t save her again but says if Marion leaves Storybrooke the magic spell will be broken. Without magic, her heart could mend but that would mean Marion would have to cross the town line and she’d never be able to return. It would also mean someone would have to go with her or else she’d be stranded in an unknown world all alone. Robin has to go and once he leaves, that’s it.
Regina parks at the town line and watches Robin, Marion, Will Scarlet (Michael Socha), and the dwarves through the window. Rumple appears and Regina tells him not to gloat. Rumple informs her he’s taking off with Belle and Regina asks him if he knows about the curse that won’t let people back in. Rumple knows that and asks her to pass along a message to Henry that he’ll miss him. Regina says Henry was looking for her happy ending and wanted to find the author of the book, but Rumple doesn’t know who wrote it.
Regina wants to know how he managed to get a happy ending and he says he just took it, and tells her if Marion died all would be well with her. Regina says that’s just not her and she thought Rumple changed. He says he evolved and no one is the author of his fate.
Regina says goodbye to Robin and Marion who are shivering and near death. She crosses the line with her son and is instantly cured. They look back waiting for Robin but he stops to kiss Regina one last time. He’s torn up about having to leave her but does, slipping over the town line and into the outside world. Regina takes the page from the book out of her pocket and tears it into little pieces.
Rumple discovers Belle’s being held by Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten), Cruella de Vil (Victoria Smurfit), and Ursula the Sea Witch (Merrin Dungey) who wraps her tentacles around Belle and starts squeezing. Rumple’s surprised but not frightened by the threesome and wants his maid back, while the three evil ladies want the gauntlet in exchange for Belle’s release. The women want the gauntlet to reveal their enemies’ weaknesses. As Ursula crushes Belle’s heart, Rumple gives in and gives back the gauntlet. Belle wonders why Rumple would make a deal and why he would care that she’s killed.
Rumple prepares for the final part of the spell that will end the dagger’s control over his actions, taking Hook up to the clock tower where when the stars on the hat align with those in the sky the final element of the spell will begin. Hook knows that means his death is near and Rumple’s impressed Hook isn’t crumbling in fear. Rumple prepares to crush his heart…
Henry, Snow, Emma, Elsa, David, Anna, and Kristoff arrive at the portal and Anna is anxious to go home, but takes the time to thank Emma and the group for taking such good care of her sister. Anna’s ready to knock Hans off the throne, and Kristoff’s ready to get married. Emma opens the portal door and Elsa and Kristoff step through, but Anna stops and says she wishes she could have met Mr. Gold (they haven’t called him Rumple).
She thinks he must have been a fairy godfather in the other world, but David says, “Not exactly. He was an evil sorcerer you’re lucky you never met: Rumplestiltskin.” Anna is shocked because she actually knows him, but Emma says Gold told them he didn’t know Anna. Anna’s not surprised and tells them all he does is lie so she’s not surprised he said that. Emma figures out Rumple was playing them the whole time. But why?
The hat starts working and Hook is preparing for his death. Rumple sets down the dagger, the hat rises to the roof and the stars spread out. Emma and Snow rush in and try to stop him but he freezes them before they can act. Rumple begins crushing Hook’s heart but it doesn’t work. Rumple doesn’t understand why and Belle appears over his shoulder saying, “Because I commanded you not to.” She has the dagger and won’t let him kill Hook. Belle makes him drop the heart and release everyone. She then commands him to take them to the town line because she wants them to be alone for what comes next.
Rumple magically transports himself and Belle to the town line where she says she’s finally facing the truth. He wants her to put the dagger down so he can explain, but she says it’s her turn to talk. She asks him if he remembers the first time he saved her life. He traded for her and she thought he was good, but after she found the gauntlet today she realized all the signs she’d been seeing are correct. She knows he wouldn’t give up power for her now and never will. She used the gauntlet to find out Rumple’s weakness – the thing he loved the most – and it led her to the real dagger. His true love is his power. He admits he loves it but thinks there’s nothing wrong with that. She wanted to be everything for him, and she lost her way trying to find herself.
He swears he can change because he has before, but she says he’s never changed. “Once I saw the man behind the beast, now there’s only a beast,” says Belle, crying. She commands him over the town line. He says he won’t be able to come back and that he doesn’t want to lose her, but she says he already has. On opposite sides of the town line, both break down crying. He begs her, but it’s no use.
In Arendelle, Elsa looks at a painting of the three sisters Anna found in the East Wing before turning around and gazing with love at Anna’s stunning wedding dress. Anna is ready to get married but Elsa wants to know why she postponed her whole wedding just to find out the truth. Anna says she couldn’t walk down the aisle unless she was as happy as she is. They hug and then they both smell chocolate and giggle. The door opens, Anna and Elsa grasp hands, and Anna walks down the aisle.
Emma is holding Hook’s heart and as he’s asking her to be gentle, she slams it back into his chest. They kiss and share a private moment.
Regina’s back at the diner, depressed and sitting by herself at the counter. Emma sits down and Regina tells her she’s not in the mood for a “hope” speech. Emma says she doesn’t need a speech, she needs a drinking buddy. They order shots and Emma tells her she did the right thing, but Regina says she doesn’t need her validation and she knows she did the right thing because she’s miserable. Emma says, “Well, if it makes you feel any better, so is Gold.”
They clink glasses and Regina replies, “It does.” Henry rushes in and says he found something big. He’s found a secret room at the house with the portal and in the huge library are hundreds of books like Once Upon a Time. All the books in the library are blank and they figure out that maybe this is the author’s house. Regina has a huge smile and is so proud of Henry for figuring it out. They let Emma in on their secret mission, and Emma likes the idea of Operation Mongoose. “Everyone deserves their happy ending,” says Emma.
Six weeks later in New York, Rumple steps off a bus using a cane. He’s remembering back to the day he saved Belle and when, after she was gone, he told the three women he wanted his gauntlet back. They said he made a deal but he said demanding ransom from the Dark One is not a deal, it’s a death wish. Even without their permission, he got his gauntlet back. Cruella tells him no matter what he’s up to, he won’t win; villains never win. He tells her they’ve severely underestimated him. “I always win, and I win alone,” replies Rumple. He doesn’t need to join them. But in NYC, he catches up with Ursula who’s working at an aquarium. He wants to tell her a story about heroes and villains, and that villains always lose. He wants them to go see the author to change the rules, and he tells her they’ve got two more stops to make.
The Bottom Line:
Once Upon a Time finished the first half of season four strong, and the second half looks to be just as engaging – judging solely by the final minutes of episode 11. Hopefully, the writers won’t forget that Once Upon a Time works best when Emma, Hook, Belle, Regina, David, and Mary Margaret are featured and that it’s not all about the new bad guys introduced to throw the Storybrooke folks into a tizzy.
With Rumple teaming up with Cruella, Maleficent, and Ursula, our favorite townsfolk might get lost in the mix. However, the Once Upon a Time team of Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz didn’t let us down with the first half of the season, wrapping up the Frozen storyline in a timely manner and not dragging it out so long that the Arendelle characters had worn out their welcome.
GRADE: B+
