‘Once Upon a Time’ Season 5 Episode 17 Recap: Her Handsome Hero

By
Rebecca Murray
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Once Upon a Time Emilie de Ravin and Wes Brown
Emilie de Ravin and Wes Brown in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)

Gaston flashes a gorgeous smile, we find out if ogres are evil, Hades plays Let’s Make a Deal with Belle, and Emma’s nightmare springs to life in Once Upon a Time‘s season five episode 17 titled ‘Her Handsome Hero.’ Airing on April 10, 2016, ‘Her Handsome Hero’ also revealed Hades hates flowers and the Regina and Hook show is just as entertaining in the Underworld as it was in Storybrooke. It’s good to have Hook back getting on Regina’s nerves and vice versa, and it was also good to see another familiar face show up at the very end of the episode.

The Recap:

Belle (Emilie de Ravin) is deeply unimpressed when her father sets up a date with Gaston (Wes Brown). Although she doesn’t want to be wooed by him, her father says a war is brewing and they’ll need Gaston’s family’s support. In walks Gaston – handsome and charming – and he wins her over by asking if she hates meeting potential suitors as much as he does. He even offers to head back home if she doesn’t want him to stick around. Belle falls for his charm, and they head out on a walk.

In the Underworld, Belle tells Rumple (Robert Carlyle) she’s not about to give up her baby and he better fix the whole ‘Hades has rights to her child’ situation. But, he can’t use dark magic to fix it. She still thinks he can be good and not use dark magic. Belle basically says it’s her way or the highway.

In the graveyard, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) tries to use magic to wipe their names off the headstones. Before they can see if it’s actually going to work, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) figures out (by the whipping winds and approaching funnel cloud) that a storm is coming. Hook, Emma, and Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) run for safety. Just as quickly as it approached, the storm is gone but in its place is a beast who snatches Snow!

Fortunately, it’s all a dream and Emma wakes up calling her mother’s name. In reality, she’s actually on the roof of the library with Hook who reminds her it’s the first time she’s slept in days. They see the signal and head inside, joining up with Snow, Regina (Lana Parrilla), Henry (Jared Gilmore), and David (Josh Dallas). Hook asks if the squiggly lines Regina’s working on on the wall is her plan to get them home. [It’s great to have Hook and his dark wit back!] Regina explains the squiggly lines are the only way to break the protection spell Hades put on the elevator. Emma and Regina work their magic together and the elevator opens, only to reveal a break wall. Emma then asks Regina if burning the names off the gravestones would work and Regina confirms it would but that the spell to do that doesn’t exist. Emma lets her know it does – she saw it in a dream. Hook’s learned not to question her, delivering his first huge smile of the episode. Snow wants in on the adventure and Regina heads out to find Zelena (Rebecca Mader) to learn Hades’ weakness.

Once Upon a Time Season 5 episode 17
Colin O’Donoghue, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Jennifer Morrison, Jared Gilmore and Lana Parrilla in ‘Once Upon a Time’ (Photo by Jack Rowand / ABC)

Zelena walks through the street, with Hades moping around a corner watching her walk away. Then he notices a flower sprouting through the destruction of the pavement, plucks it, and walks away.

Hades goes to visit Gaston at Storybrooke’s Pet Shelter and reveals Belle and Rumplestiltskin – the man who killed Gaston and sent him to the Underworld – are now in town. Hades offers Gaston a chance at revenge and Gaston wants to know why Hades would help him. Hades says it’s because he’s been finding flowers all over town and things aren’t supposed to be growing there. Thanks to the Storybrooke folks “hope has taken root” and Hades can’t have that. He needs Gaston to kill the Dark One by using special arrows.

Back in time, Gaston and Belle flirt during their walk, with Gaston saying none of the stories she’s heard about him are true. He says his love life has been empty and he’s spent his life looking for someone like her. Just then he hears something in the woods and takes off, bow ready, to shoot it. Belle runs after him and finds him at the edge of deep pit. Gaston sees an ogre in the pit and tells Belle that means war is closer than anyone thought. Ogres aren’t ever found this close to the castle. The ogre, on the floor of the pit, comes into the sunlight and Belle sees he’s just a child. She thinks he might have just wandered off from his home, but Gaston thinks he might just be a scout. If they bring him back to the castle, Belle says the soldiers will torture him and she can’t let that happen. Gaston trusts her – even though they’ve just met – and off they go to find a different way of getting the info from the ogre.

Back in the Underworld, Rumple’s getting frustrated trying to find white magic to defeat Hades. “To be able to turn darkness to light is a fool’s errand,” says Rumple. “To use darkness for light, that may be possible.” Belle refuses to let him use darkness and storms out of the shop. Rumple chases after her and just then an arrow flies by. They spot Gaston across the street taking aim. Belle can’t believe he’s there and Gaston explains he’s there to kill Rumple because Rumple killed him. He fires an arrow and Rumple catches it, quickly realizing the arrows where created by Hades. Belle pleads with Gaston that there must be another way, but Gaston says he can’t let the Beast go free. He shoots again and Rumple uses magic to move he and Belle to the docks out of harm’s way. There, Belle yells at Rumple for never telling her he killed her fiancee. Rumple says one scratch from the arrow and he’ll be trapped there forever, and that means he can’t help their child. He wants to use dark magic to defeat Gaston and Belle says nope, they’ll help Gaston move on and that might actually help them defeat Hades.


Emma tries to work the spell at the cemetery and has a severe case of deja vu when Hook warns of a fast-approaching storm. Emma’s freaked out, they run for shelter, and it’s just like her dream. Snow wants to take a look but Emma stops her, telling Hook and Snow they have to make a run for it.

Regina finds Zelena at the diner and tells her her daughter’s safely hidden in the woods with Robin. Zelena says if Hades wants something, he’ll never give up which makes Regina curious as to how she knows that. Regina wants them to try and act like sisters, asking what happened between her and Hades. Zelena reveals Hades fell in love with her. Regina figures out Zelena, who’s crying, loves Hades, but needs her to tell them how to get out of the Underworld. Regina needs to know his weakness and Zelena says as far as she knows, she’s his only weakness.

Emma, Hook, and Snow hide in Regina’s vault, with Emma finally letting them in on the scoop that in her dream Snow died.

Belle’s looking through drawers at the pet shelter and wants Rumple to use his magic to open Gaston’s locker. That prompts a discussion about Belle being a hypocrite and deciding when it’s okay for Rumple to use dark magic. Looking through his locker, Belle finds a book titled Her Handsome Hero and figures out she’s his unfinished business. She sends Rumple off, saying she can get through to Gaston.

Back in time, Belle and Gaston are in the library and she shows him a book that should tell them what the ogre is after. Gaston compliments her and tells Belle her mother must have been special to raise a daughter with so much fire. Belle hands him Her Handsome Hero, the first book her mother gave her and the one that made her fall in love with reading. Belle says it’s not a cheap romance but is about compassion and forgiveness – the things that make a hero. She offers it to him and he says he’ll read every word, twice. Calling her a woman of substance, they lean in for a kiss which is interrupted when she spots the answer to how to find out what the ogre wants. They need to use the Mirror of Souls and if there’s evil in their soul, their eyes will glow with fire. If not, then the ogre means them no harm. Belle heads out to get the mirror and Gaston makes her promise that if the creature is evil, she’ll tell her father.

In the Underworld, Hades shows up at the pet shelter and tells Belle he wants to help. He offers her a deal: she can keep her baby if she lets Rumple face Gaston. If one throws the other into the River of Souls, she can keep her baby. She turns down the offer and Hades leaves, telling her to let him know if she changes her mind.

Back in Regina’s vault, Hook thinks the monster’s gone when they hear something. He picks up a knife and stops just short of stabbing Regina. “I’m glad your reflexes are better than your sense of style,” says Regina. [It’s so good to have them back together trading quips.] Snow explains why they’re hiding and Emma tells them it’s because she saw her mother die in the dream, and Regina says maybe the dream is actually about Emma working out some issues. Hook, reluctantly, agrees. He wants to know what’s going on and Emma says she feels like she failed everyone. He reminds her she saved him, and she reminds him they’re all still trapped in the Underworld and she’s the one who brought them there. Emma thinks she should have done this alone and she’s always scared now someone will die. Snow says no one was forced to go there, and love is worth it – even though it’s hard. Snow says, “If you want to get home, let’s do what works. Let’s face this monster together.” That actually makes Emma smile – sure it’s a little smile but it counts.

Gaston goes to Rumple’s shop, arrow ready to shoot him. He thinks he sees Rumple but it’s a dummy that he shoots. In walks Belle who says now she knows for sure Gaston would kill Rumple if he had the chance. “Seeing him dead is the only thing I care about anymore,” says Gaston. Belle answers by throwing the book on the table and asking if he’s sure that’s all he wants. She tells him she wants to help him move on, asking why he still has the book. Gaston says he has the book because no matter how many times he throws it out, it always reappears. The book is a constant reminder of why he died, saying she made him weak. Gaston says being a hero isn’t about compassion; being a hero is only about strength. He’s angry when she defends Rumple, reminding her Rumple kidnapped her. She then confesses that Rumple’s her husband. Gaston can’t believe it. “Good old Belle, you always did have a soft spot for a monster.”

Back in time, Belle and her dad have the mirror and are going to hold it up to the ogre when they come across Gaston knocked out and laying by the tree. He was supposed to be watching the ogre but it escaped. He apologizes for letting the ogre escape and Belle’s dad says he’ll hunt the ogre down, but Gaston wants to do it himself. Belle wants to go with him because she still wants to use the mirror to check his ogre.

In the Underworld, Rumple wants to know the deal Hades offered Belle and she makes him promise he won’t hurt Gaston before telling him. She tells him and Rumple is surprised she turned Hades down. Rumple breaks his promise and takes off to find Gaston.

Back in time, the ogre is being chased by Gaston and his men on horseback. Belle’s following behind and isn’t there when they catch up to him with Gaston shooting him with an arrow as he hides up in a tree. The ogre falls to the ground and hides behind a rock. Gaston’s about to shoot again when Belle races up with the mirror. She stands in between Gaston and the ogre, and Gaston shoots anyway shattering the mirror but not completely. There’s a shard left which is enough for Belle to see Gaston’s eyes are glowing red. Belle confronts Gaston, telling him he tortured the ogre while she was gone and that’s why it attacked him. Gaston says he’s only trying to protect the kingdom, but Belle says he’ll have to shoot her first if he wants to kill the ogre.

In the Underworld, Rumple’s at the docks holding Gaston up by the neck using magic. Rumple lefts him higher and Belle races in and asks if she can say one thing before he throws Gaston in the river. “I have always known who you really are. That’s why I love you,” says Belle, kissing him. Then she pulls out the Dark One dagger and commands him to not hurt Gaston. Released, Gaston picks up his bow and arrow and is about to shoot Rumple when Belle pushes him into the river.

Back in time, Belle’s father tells her ogres have breached the eastern region. He blames her and says they’re now at war. He tells Belle they have to do what it takes to save the kingdom. They need Gaston’s family’s army but they won’t help unless she marries Gaston. Belle would be a hero if she marries him. In walks Gaston and he tells her they’ll rule side by side. He kneels before her and asks her to be his queen. Belle, taking a deep breath, agrees.

In the Underworld, Belle can’t believe she killed Gaston. Rumple comforts her, telling her at least their baby is safe and in pops Hades who says that wasn’t the deal. The deal was for Rumple or Gaston to throw the other into the river, and Belle calls him a monster and says she’ll have her baby freed from the deal. She killed Gaston because Hades forced her into it. Bending down, Hades watches as a flower shrivels and dies. He picks it, saying, “This is a beautiful flower imbued with my favorite scent – hopelessness.”

At the diner the shriveled flower is delivered to Zelena, complete with a pretty bow. She smiles as she picks it up.

Out in the woods, Hook, Snow, Regina, and Emma track the creature Emma dreamed would kill her mom. They spot it and Emma zaps it with magic. Snow gets there first and stops them before they can harm the creature again. It turns out to be Red! Welcome back again, Meghan Ory.

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