Two themes for first half of Season 5: "Sometimes things aren't what they appear to be, and...love is a dangerous weapon." ღ
Welcome to Storybrooke, Maine, a small town that probably won’t show up on your GPS, but it’s a magical place to visit. Reality and myth merged after Emma broke Regina’s curse, which had deprived the fairy tale characters of their memories and trapped them in our modern world. When they finally regained their identities, our heroes were dismayed to discover that they weren’t transported back to Fairy Tale Land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin – aka Mr. Gold – decided to escalate his power struggle with Regina by introducing magic into the town. But this is our world, and magic always has a tendency to yield unfathomable consequences.
“Once Upon a Time” returns to the ABC Television Network for its fifth season and master storytellers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (“Lost,” “Tron: Legacy”) invite everyone to join Emma Swan, Snow White, Prince Charming, The Evil Queen, Hook and all the other resident fairytale characters as they cope with Emma’s new role as The Dark One and begin the search for Merlin. This is a journey that will take our heroes from the Enchanted Forest to Camelot and along the way bring many surprises, including encounters with a brave and headstrong Scottish princess named Merida.
As the season continues, new fairy tale characters will be revealed and old acquaintances will be revisited. Not everyone can be trusted but one thing remains true — you never give up on the people you love…
“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood, Rebecca Mader as Wicked Witch/Zelena and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.
Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are creators and executive producers. Steve Pearlman, David H. Goodman and Andrew Chambliss are also executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios. Once Upon A Time - Season 5 - Synopsis
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Upcoming Episodes
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5.21 - "Last Rites" written by Jerome Schwartz, directed by Craig Powell | Airdate: May 8, 2016
DANGER LOOMS IN STORYBROOKE AS HADES GROWS MORE POWERFUL, BUT CLASHING WITH HIM MEANS LIVES WILL BE LOST – AND SAVED – ON ABC’S ‘ONCE UPON A TIME’
“Last Rites” — Emma, David, Regina, Robin and Henry are finally back home in Storybrooke and reunited with Snow, but, unfortunately, they still have to contend with Hades, who continues to deceive Zelena as he lays out his plan to use the all-powerful Olympian Crystal to take over the town. The heroes desperately search for a way to defeat Hades while Hook does the same in the Underworld, looking for those missing storybook pages. Regina and Robin take a more direct approach, which culminates in an epic showdown that will leave our heroes forever changed, on “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, MAY 8 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network.
“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood, Rebecca Mader as the Wicked Witch/Zelena and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.
Guest stars include Lee Arenberg as Leroy/Grumpy, Beverley Elliott as Granny, Emma Caulfield as the Blind Witch, Amy Manson as Merida, Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil, Liam Garrigan as King Arthur, David-Paul Grove as Doc, Gabe Khouth as Sneezy, Faustino Di Bauda as Sleepy, Michael Coleman as Happy, Mig Marcario as Bashful, Eric Keenleyside as Moe French, Raphael Alejandro as Roland, Michael P. Northey as Friar Tuck, Jason Burkart as Little John, David Hoflin as Zeus, Kiefer Bahrich as Sad-eyed Boy and Greg Germann as Hades.
“Last Rites” was written by Jerome Schwartz and directed by Craig Powell.
scene 1: JMO and Lana filming xx
scene 2: portal door - Amy, Jason, Raphael, Josh, Ginny, Colin, Bex and Camelot peeps xxxx
scene 3: portal door - Bex, Colin, Josh, and Ginny x xfan set report: scenexx
scene 4: evening Colin and Jen walking outside of diner xxxxscene
Camelot cast on set x
Mar 16 - Location filming w/Josh: "favorite trees, very large, old trees. Magical, and spooky" x
Casting for Episode 15 the role of Captain Silver, the commanding (and sometimes bullying) boss of a merchant ship. TVLine 12/15/2015
Dorothy Gale returns (midway through Season 5B), late 20s to early 30s and will have evolved from “the iconic, pig-tailed girl from Kansas” into “a brave warrior for good.”OUAT to Bring Back Dorothy Gale as an Oz-some Warrior
Once Upon a Time’s Belle said she tainted her soul because she saved Rumple. Does she regret it? Does protecting oneself or family really taint their souls? —Rebecca
I hand-delivered, as I do, your salient Q to the series co-creators, and Eddy Kitsis answered, “Belle is very distraught because she did something that she never ever really wanted to do,” accidentally damning ex-fiance Gaston to the River of Lost Souls. “In that moment, when it was life or death, she chose Rumple, which obviously says something — but whether she wants to admit it or not is another situation. She doesn’t like being put in that situation and she’s upset that she couldn’t figure a way out, because she reacted in a moment and now has to deal with that for the rest of her life.” As for whether having “tainted” her own soul a smidgen might help foster an eventual reconciliation with her Dark One husband, since Belle now stands on less-high ground, Kitsis says, “We are going to have to wait and see what happens to her.” ~ TVLine 04/26/16
PRE-FINALE: With Emma ever “emotional” about the situation she put loved ones in, the May 1 episode flashes back to “a time in her life we haven’t visited since the pilot,” meaning her days as a bail bondsperson, says co-creator Eddy Kitsis. Alas, despite having stormed the Underworld with a very specific plan to save Hook, “what Emma is going to have to face to get him back is very different than what she thought,” says co-creator Adam Horowitz. Elsewhere as the Underworld arc comes to a close: Rumple explores both leverage and a loophole to nix Hades’ contract; Regina and Robin “team up to take someone down” on May 8; Henry’s power as the Author “plays a huge part” in the proceedings; we meet Hades’ brother Zeus; and a current coupling “maybe” won’t last the season.
SEASON FINALE (MAY 15): In addition to tying up loose ends (including “What happened to the Camelot people?”), the two-hour season ender (airing at 7/6c) introduces Sam Witwer (Smallville) and Hank Harris (Popular) in a storyline that tees up “something new for Season 6,” including “ominous threats that are different from ones we’ve experience before,” Horowitz says. | TVLINE - 4/25/16
Any news on how Once Upon a Time‘s Emma feels about Regina actively choosing to stay in the Underworld to help her find Hook? —Amanda
All told, save for Rumple’s bailing on Operation Firebird, you’re going to see among Emma, Regina et al a greater unity than during their Neverland adventure. “We’re a closer unit now,” says Jennifer Morrison. “We’ve been through a lot more at this point, and in coming across these people in the Underworld, we’ve returned to the situation of being heroes that can help. So whereas in Storybrooke we were helping return happy endings, we’re now helping people overcome their unfinished business, so there are callbacks to what we saw in Seasons 1 and 2.”
What is the story with Once Upon a Time’s Hades and Hook? –Emily
“Theyyyyy… are very much aware of each other,” Colin O’Donoghue allowed, when I asked about Hook’s dynamic with the Underworld overlord. “And that’s about all I can say! But they definitely are aware of each other.” TVLine ~3/10/2016
Question: Do you have any Once Upon a Time spoilers? —Jackie
Ausiello: I have not just “any” spoilers, but a bit of a sneak peek at Season 6! For the final two episodes of the about-to-premiere Season 5B, the ABC series is looking to cast the recurring roles of two brothers — one who is physically imposing, brutish, morally corrupt and willing to destroy his family in the pursuit of power, and the other who is weaker and desperate to escape his older bro’s sinister shadow. Should Once get picked up for the fall, these two newcomers would spill over into next season, as well. Cain and Abel? An anthropomorphized Scar and Mufasa? TVLine ~ 3/2/16
Anything Once Upon a Time related? — Kirsty
The mission to save Hook from the Underworld will quickly be expanded once Emma and the gang reunite with both friend and foe alike. “The second half is going to be very similar to the first season in that we’re going to see Storybrooke as a place of people with unfinished business,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “We have to wonder if we can’t help them find their happy endings even in the afterlife.” EW Spoiler Room ~ Feb 26, 2016
Did you get an answer from Once Upon a Time‘s Sean Maguire about the rumor that he’s leaving? —MRiku
As promised in Ask Ausiello, I did ask Maguire about this at the 100th-episode party, and he was (alas) expectedly spoiler-free on his status — though he did acknowledge that dangerous times are ahead for Robin and the other heroes. “We’re going to the Underworld, so I don’t expect much good stuff is going to happen! But as to where it’s going to lead [for Robin], I can’t say,” he hedged. “There are obstacles everywhere — a lot of bad people from the past are coming back and they are not too happy with our heroes. If Once Upon a Time was the Star Wars franchise, this would be Empire Strikes Back. It’s going to get dark, it’s going to be scary, and there will be surprises.” Is Operation Light Swan still on when Once Upon a Time returns? –Allison
No, it appears Operation Light Swan has served its purpose, to be replaced by a new mission Henry dubs “Operation Firebird.” TVLine ~ Feb 23, 2016
Is there anything you can tease about the Underworld on Once Upon a Time? — Tanya
“It’s a place that, once they get there, they’re going to discover that possibly some of these people can be saved and brought out of there, because maybe they’re misplaced in this world,” Dallas says. “We’re going to meet some people down there that maybe you don’t expect or you haven’t seen in quite a while — maybe a family member of David’s we might see down there. There is definitely a particular person down there for David that he’s going to come across, and Mary Margaret will come across that person too.” Sppiler Room ~ 02/05/16
I was wondering if you could share any information about Once Upon a Time’s Belle and the challenges she might be facing in Season 5B? –Todd
In addition to the flashback featuring (a new) Gaston and leading right up to the events of Season 1’s “Skin Deep,” “We have plans to keep Belle busy,” co-creator Adam Horowitz assures. “Although she didn’t get on the boat [to the Underworld] with our heroes, she’s important to the story and becomes very involved.” As for her rekindled romance with Rumple, “We left them in a place where that relationship was evolving” — though unbeknownst to Belle (played by a pregnant Emilie de Ravin), her husband has gone darker than ever. “We’re not abandoning any of those story threads,” says the EP, “and we’re hoping to pick up on them in an unexpected way.” TV Line ~ 02/01/16
Question: I love Once Upon a Time and I’d love any scoop about Milah’s return. —Audrey
Ausiello: Being the dearly departed ex of both Rumple and Hook, Milah “has a big connection to two of our main characters,”co-creator Eddy Kitsis reminds. As for how she folds into the heroes’ trip to the Underworld, “We don’t want to spoil anything, but… wouldn’t it be weird if she met Emma? She and Emma might be an awkward meeting.” Just as fun is the prospect of long-dead Milah getting the 411 on the fantastically twisted family tree that branched off of her. Hints co-creator Adam Horowitz, “I love the idea of Milah learning just how she is connected to all our characters!” TVLine 1/22/16
On Once Upon a Time, is there going to be any mention of Neal possibly being in the Underworld? –Shannon
Though Season 5B will quickly lay out the rules for who is and isn’t lingering in the Underworld, “I would think that it would be very disappointing for Emma to go down there and not have somebody talk about Neal,” says co-creator Eddy Kitsis. ~ TVLine 1/19/2016
Do you have any scoop on the Regina and Hook adventure we were promised on Once Upon a Time? —
It’s coming sooner than you think … like this week! “She puts him up to a test,” says Lana Parrilla, who teases that there’s a surprising connection between them and events that took place ahead of season 2 that we were previously unaware of. Make of that what you will! | Spoiler Room -~ EW 11/27/2015
Regina’s been pretty quiet on this season of Once Upon a Time; any scoop on what’s in store for her? –Rachel
Between now and the end of the mid-season finale (airing Dec. 6), expect to lay witness to a new piece of Regina’s of past — and in turn learn that she shares a secret with another major character, one that will reverberate into the present. Also: As if the birth of Zelena’s child hasn’t already drummed up drama, you can be sure the wee one will cause some fireworks between the wicked one and her sis! | TvLine 11/22/2015
I need any spoiler about Dark Killian/Hook from Once Upon a Time! — TrueLove
In short, he’s not going to be struggling with the Darkness like Emma was. “As soon as the Darkness is within him again, he goes straight back to his vengeful pirate-y self, pre-Emma Hook, basically,” Jennifer Morrison says. “He’s operating from the Darkness, instead of the goodness that he’s fought for for so many hundreds of years. In the immediacy of it, he’s very resentful, but he’s operating out of that Darkness that’s within him.” | Spoiler Room ~ EW 11/20/2015
Did Emma have to crush a heart to cast this new curse on Once Upon a Time? — Kat
“Yes,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “Can’t make a dark curse without crushing the heart of the thing you love most.” Which begs the question whether someone in Storybrooke pulled a Snowing and split their heart. “There’s other stuff going on than what appears on the surface right now,” EP Adam Horowitz says. Adds Kitsis: “The question you’re asking is whose heart is it and is someone going to die? We’re not going to answer that, but we will say the information you need to guess has not appeared yet … or has it.” | EW Spoiler Room 10/30/2015
Any clues as to whether Once Upon a Time viewers are literally going to “hell” aka the Underworld, and if so, as a whole cast? Or is it possible it comes to Storybrooke? –Karen
Details — on any confirmed trip to Hell or otherwise – are scarce thus far, but this much I can share: For an early Season 5B episode, the ABC series is guest-casting the roles of a “dashing, strapping young man” who is “single-minded in his pursuit of his destiny: to be the greatest hero who ever lived” and a “plucky, 18-year-old female adventurer with a sly sense of humor and a tough, no-nonsense spirit.” TVLine 10/29/15
Question: Any new Once Upon a Time scoop? —Patti
Ausiello: The show is casting a mysterious, dangerous and vindictive God-like figure known obscurely as “Distinguished Gentleman” or “DG.” Given that series co-creator Eddy Kitsis summed up Season 5B as “hell,” which quickly sparked speculation that the ABC series next will brave the Underworld, one must wonder if they’re thusly casting a very dapper Devil. TVLine 10/22/15
Do you have details on the Once Upon a Time episode featuring Merida, Mulan and Ruby? — Natasha
Much will be revealed during the outing, which takes place during the two-parter slated to air during November sweeps. “We’re going to get to see more of Merida’s backstory in it,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “It’s an epic adventure.” As for how Mulan and Ruby factor into that, Horowitz teases coyly, “You will have fun and adventure,” he says. “We do address where Ruby has been all this time, and that’s part of the story.” | EW Spoiler Rm- 10/16/2015
Now that Once Upon A Time is delving into Camelot and King Arthur, will we be meeting Morgan Le Fay? —Joe
Ausiello: Matt Mitovich made a point to ask your question at Once’s New York Comic-Con panel on Friday, and sadly the answer was a firm no. “There is only so much we can fit in,” said co-creator Adam Horowitz. “We’re telling our spin on the Camelot story, but it’s really about our core Once Upon a Time characters.”
Will we be seeing Lily back on Once Upon a Time this season?
Like Eion Bailey’s August, who also was in the mix as Season 4 came to a close, Lily (played by Agnes Bruckner) is theoretically “hanging out there somewhere [in Storybrooke],” series co-creator Adam Horowitz tells me. “We have a plan to pick up her story, though it’s not going to be right away. It may be the second half [of Season 5].” Will Once Upon a Time‘s 100th episode be the conclusion of the [Dark Swan] arc, or will it be more of a retrospective clip episode?
The ABC series’ milestone hour in fact will kick off Season 5B, in the spring. | TVLine 10/15/2015
Will Once Upon a Time explore any storylines for Belle outside of Rumple this season? — Kelley
If you’re wondering whether we’ll see any flashbacks to Belle in her pre-Rumple days, “That might happen,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “I would say that the second half of the season is looking a lot like some of our past will come back to haunt us.” EW Spoiler Room 9/11/2015
Is there any hope that we will see Once Upon a Time‘s Robin Hood in a new adventure? When I heard Merida was coming (played by Amy Manson), I immediately thought that she would somehow end up related to him. – “We are going to see his adventure side,” series cocreator Eddy Kitsis answered when Matt Mitovich delivered your Q. As for the other ace archer entering the series’ mix, “Robin does not have a connection to Merida,” Kitsis said, “but he will intereact with her.” | TVLine - 8/24/2015
JMO:"They do establish with all of the Dark Ones in the past, which they kind of go back through in the beginning of the season this year, that everyone takes the Darkness for a good reason. Rumpel takes it because he wants to be braver for his son. Emma takes it because she's saving the whole town from being destroyed by the Darkness. Before that, they mention some of the earlier Dark Ones, and their good reasons for choosing the Darkness. I think there's something really interesting about this idea that people make bad decisions for good reasons sometimes, and how far down you can end up in the rabbit hole for having made a bad decision but for a good reason. That happens in life, so there's an incredible life lesson that they're telling with these stories. It's so easy to justify something when you don't know the domino effect of how far that can take you in life." | PopSugar 7/26/2015
How much will we see Maleficent and Lily on the new season of Once Upon a Time? — Jaimie Because the focus is on Emma becoming the Dark One — did you see the awesome shots of the Dark Swan? — the hunt for Lily’s father will take a backseat for at least the first five episodes. “We intend to tell that story at some point this season,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “We set it up for a reason. That is one we are definitely intending to do.”Spoiler Room ~ July 3, 2015
Adam Horowitz, executive producer and writer | twitter
Andrew Chambliss, writer | twitter
Tze Chun, writer | twitter
Jane Espenson, writer | twitter
David H. Goodman, writer
Brigitte Hales, writer | twitter
Dana Horgan, writer | twitter
Robert Hull, writer
Paul Karp, writer | twitter | sdcc
Scott Nimerfro, writer | twitter
Daniel T. Thomsen, writer
Bill Wolkoff, writer | twitter
Mark Isham, composer | twitter
Stephen Jackson, production Dir. photography | twitter
Sarah McCulloch, production Leaf Lady | twitter
Jerome Schwartz, production | twitter
Helga Ungurait, production | twitter
Character posters: Snow and Charming | Emma | Hook | The Evil Queen | Rumple and Belle | Henry
future thread titles
"Tell your timbers to stop shivering, pirate." ~ Regina
Arthur, please, you can't see a way out, but there is one. You can start over. We've all started over." ~ David
"'Look at the half-man with his half-sword solving riddles from a tree.' I bet you laughed." ~ Arthur
Come hell or high water, we are going to put our nonsense aside, and find my daughter.
Everyone who sips from this well enjoys the taste too much.
We've been on the sidelines too long, sister, missed too many adventures. Now it's embarrassing.
"Camelot is a place of love" - Eddy Kitsis
"Exactly what I need, the tear of someone who faced their inner darkness and turned away." ~ Rumplestiltskin
"I thought you said you could outrun a storm. This isn't a storm. It's bloody damnation!"
“No one’s ever done anything like this to me before. No one’s ever been willing to die for me. - Snow White”
Emma: "There's nothing wrong with being cautious." Mary Margaret: "It may keep out pain, but it also may keep out love."
“Never underestimate the power of a guilty conscience.” — Rumplestiltskin to Snow White and Prince Charming
I see it, but I don't believe it... Actually, the fact that you can see it tells me that you do believe.
The cardinal rule of The Authors is don't write your own happy ending. As you can see I broke that rule
"What magic are you going to hide behind today?" ~ Hook
"No need to yell, Snow. I will always find you."
Hook: "How do you know how to sail a ship?" Henry: "I had a great teacher. You."
"Love is a part of all happiness and you have to be open to that."
"That's what villains do, they make themselves happy at the expense of others, but it just makes them more unhappy." ~ Snow White
It is tempting is it not, the power of the quill?" ~ The Apprentice
"Not eve an Author can bring back the dead, no matter how much he may wish it." ~ The Apprentice
"The truth is what you must write. I hope you can resist the temptation of the quill." ~ The Apprentice
"It would seem at this time, we have found the right person for the job." ~ The Apprentice
"At least in the end, I got one last taste. We were happy in there, we were in love." ~ Mr. Gold
"I was already in love. Everthing we had in the book, you could have had here." ~ Belle
"Go far away, when the man is gone only the Dark One remains, and that is more dangerous than you can imagine." ~ Mr. Gold
"You figured out how to take the darkness out of me once. You need to do it again, as heroes." ~ Emma
"I love you." ~ Emma Swan
Long before your stories began, [Merlin] battled the darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming realms. He tethered it to a human soul that could be controlled by the dagger…. - The Apprentice, 4.22
"The Sorcerer is the only one with the power to destroy the darkness once and for all, before it destroys everything."
"You must stop the darkness." ~ The Apprentice
, Once Upon A Time: Journey to Neverland
“This is about family…and that’s what saves you in the end.” x
"Our show is for believers. We wanted to make this show about hope and not be cynical—which is tough in today’s world when usually anything that is cool is cynical. We wanted people once a week to feel the way I felt when I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the boy got the golden ticket. For me that personally was important. I like that feeling and it’s important. Henry embodies that."
- Eddie Kitsis from Neil Landau’s 'The TV Showrunner’s Roadmap’
"Once Upon A Time is, at its core, a story about hope. For us, that’s what a fairy tale is. It’s that ability to think your life will get better."
"Adam and I just wanted to write about something hopeful that for one hour a week allows one to put everything aside and have that feeling that your dreams just may come true." - Edward Kitsis
Me neither bit apperantly according to someone who was on set during the funeral, Hook appears during Hood's funeral (I also noticed the stone that's at the funeral doesn't look like Hook's one). Of course, there's no more.proof besides this person's words.
And Tftnt
__________________
I would see you kept safe from the sad havoc of this world. I will not bring my ruin upon you.
You do not bring ruin! You bring hope. You are naught but hope and life. You saved me, first time I ever laid eyes on you. That's who you are to me, who you'll always be.
One of the Photos is of Emma and i'm assuming she is at Hook's grave. Maybe that is the shot we saw of her crying- and the funeral for Robin is at the end of the episode.
It also looks like Zelena is upset about some pages from the Book.
There is a picture of her on the page, so maybe they are trying to tell her not to side with Hades and sheLs showing then their history or something?
I'm also glad the macguffin of the week is not a mushroom
__________________
I would see you kept safe from the sad havoc of this world. I will not bring my ruin upon you.
You do not bring ruin! You bring hope. You are naught but hope and life. You saved me, first time I ever laid eyes on you. That's who you are to me, who you'll always be.
Me, too ...
bit apperantly according to someone who was on set during the funeral, Hook appears during Hood's funeral (I also noticed the stone that's at the funeral doesn't look like Hook's one). Of course, there's no more.proof besides this person's words.
Bennett 
