Emma’s plan is finally revealed on Once Upon a Time season 5, episode 8. The foil to her plan is a darkness no one was expecting!
Two Dark Ones? It’s been teased all season that love is the deadliest weapon of all and Once Upon a Time season 5, episode 8 took that sentiment to a new level, forging both Emma and Killian’s names on the ultimate weapon — Excalibur.
For months we’ve heard that Emma’s selfish act will be the catalyst for the Dark One transformation. What we did not anticipate is that her love for a smoky-eyed pirate would be the source of her action. Let’s retrace the plan from Camelot to Storybrooke and rewrite the narrative from Emma’s point of view.
An ultimatum is issued
Arthur has Emma’s family — David, Mary Margaret, Hook and Regina — in captivity. In order to free them, Emma must hand over the Promethean spark and the dagger. Emma remains fixated on the idea of removing the darkness once and for all, but Rumpel teases that something is holding the Savior back from reclaiming her place on the pedestal of heroes. Henry has an operation, Light Emma, in the works that will hopefully convince her the darkness is something worth giving up. The proposal: A house in Storybrooke overlooking the ocean and a one handed man waiting for her at the door.
Emma’s happily ever after with Hook is only possible if she lets go of the darkness. However, there is another complication in the matter. Emma must use the darkness one last time to free her family and defeat Merlin. As it turns out, Merlin is stronger than he realizes and Emma’s powers of persuasion allow him to overcome the commands of Excalibur.
Hook breaks free from his chains and punches Arthur, using a left hook (a little pirate humor for you), but he gets nicked by Excalibur in the process. A mere flesh wound is instantly healed by Emma, but some cuts are deeper than they first appear.
The Darkness remains
Emma cannot free herself from the Darkness if she does not willingly give it away. So, what is holding her back? Fear of a future with the man she loves? Fear of losing her power? Fear of taking back her red leather jacket? Regina attempts to get to the bottom of the issue by commanding Emma to tell her the truth using the dagger. While this scares Emma, it does chip away at the walls Emma built around her emotional core. The truth is painful, the lure of darkness is comforting, but Regina, more than anyone, knows the work it takes to build trust after you take a few steps too far into the shadows.
Related: The ultimate Once Upon a Time two-hour special breakdown
Hook, however, chooses to speak with Emma. Their conversation reveals that Emma’s emotional walls are made of steel and may take some work to break down. Emma admits the promise of a future with Hook is appealing, but it is a terrifying endeavor. The only time Emma was ever able to admit her true feelings was when someone she loved was about to die or her life was in danger. That is some bomb to drop on the man who was just about to buy a house.
However, Emma is able to recognize that looking forward to a future with someone rather than one without someone is worth the risk. Facing her fear was all it took for Emma to finally find the strength to let go of the darkness. In an odd secret society ritual, Emma holds the flame over the two swords, but something goes terribly wrong. When Excalibur is touched by the flame, Hook’s wound reopens and his life slowly drains from his body. Much like Liam, Hook’s mortal life is now tied to a magical object and once that changes, Hook’s life is lost in the mix.
A selfish act
Hook, and the entire congregation in Granny’s diner (save Henry), all plead with Emma to carry out the job and put an end to the Darkness once and for all. But Emma sees a different way out. If she tethers Hook’s soul to the blade of Excalibur and releases Merlin, Hook will remain alive. But if she carries this out, Emma will create a second Dark One, one with far more history playing on the side of evil than good. Leaving the diner with Hook, Emma transfers his name to the sword and her transformation into the Dark Swan is complete.
Across the forest a new Dark One rises from the vault and his guy liner is intensified by the cloak he now wears.
The truth comes out in Storybrooke
Now that the plot of Camelot is mostly filled in, let’s run down Emma’s plan for Storybrooke:
- Speed up Zelena’s pregnancy
- Aquire squid ink from Gold’s shop
- Keep Hook from getting injured in any way
- Take Zelena away from her child
- Capture Hook
- Use Excalibur to remove the Darkness from herself and Hook
- Transfer the magic to Zelena
- Strike Zelena down with the sword
- End the reign of the Dark One for good
- Try to win the town back to her side
While that may sound like a flawless plan, another Dark One has their own take on the situation. The way Hook sees it, the true Emma is slowly emerging as she leaps to his rescue multiple times in the episode. His radical behavior — desperation, outbursts of rage — are signs of a man fighting something internally. Little did he know it was the dark magic coursing through his veins.
A visit with the crocodile proves to be most useful. Gold recognizes the pain of regret in Emma’s eyes. Hook figures that the only way to find out what Emma is atoning for is to show her the many things he works everyday to move forward from. Each ring on his finger is a token from men he drowned, stabbed, or robbed. When he dwelled in darkness, they were trophies, but now with Emma, they are a reminder of what can be forgiven when someone loves you.
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If their love is strong enough, why can’t Emma admit her plan? Because the truth is ugly and messy and it ultimately pushes them apart. Emma captures Hook and Zelena in order to enact her mission to free them Excalibur. But when Hook uses a bit of enchantment with his Hook, Zelena instantly recognizes what is truly going on with their situation. Paralyzing Emma with the squid ink, Hook demands answers — answers that Zelena is more than happy to offer. Taking a dreamcatcher, Hook watches their Camelot tale play out. CaptainSwan’s future looks dismal when told through a sepia tone.
Now that another Dark One is unleashed, who will prevail in the fight to end the Dark One once and for all? The former hero or the former villain?
Watch Once Upon a Time season 5, episode 10, “Broken Heart,” Sunday, November 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.