Once Upon a Time‘s season 4 finale is ready to shake up everyone’s favorite ships. Which ones will survive the rewrite and which ones will follow Ursula’s call?
Sunday’s two-hour finale is about to sail into uncharted waters. The Author, under the guidance of Rumpelstiltskin, will pen a new book entitled Heroes and Villains, featuring The Dark One as none other than a knight in shining armor. What does this new book mean for the heroes and villains of Storybrooke?
Creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kistis released some information regarding the status of the show heading into a yet to be confirmed season 5 next fall. Kitsis confirms to TVLine, “This [top secret scene] will be much more like season 1 in that it’s a condition of the show that changes and has ramifications for everyone.”
There is plenty to speculate on that one sentence alone, but let’s turn our focus to the relationships that are in jeopardy. No two words have come up more in Once Upon a Time‘s fourth season than “Happy Ending.” With the Author rewriting the tales, how sure can we be that our favorite couples will survive the rewrite?
Let’s take a look at where our favorite ships are docked right now, where we expect them to sail on Sunday night.
Captain Swan: Emma Swan and Killian Jones
Sailing into uncharted territory:
Hook and Emma had their fair share of roadblocks this season. What with Rumpel taking out Hook’s heart, a Snow Queen stealing Emma’s magic, and the fact that Emma still lives with her parents in a very open loft, their life together in Storybrooke has not been an easy one to navigate. Through it all CaptainSwan has sailed along in the background. They trust that their ability to bring out the best in each other can overpower any darker temptations.
Odds of surviving: 7/10 Once they are sent back into the Enchanted Forest, however, it will not be the ball gowns and fixing of timelines they are used to. We hope that somehow their love has grown strong enough to intertwine their fates somehow. Considering Rumpel and Hook’s past, we are not holding our breath for an easy reunion. If Gold has the opportunity to inflict pain and torment upon Hook, odds are he will do so and it will not be fun to witness.
Rumbelle: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle French
Happily never after:
Let’s face it, Rumpel and Belle are going to live happily ever after. Or at least they will for a portion of Sunday’s episode. In last week’s episode, Gold returned Belle’s heart after Regina stole it to manipulate him into leaving the Savior out of his plans. Lingering feelings tugged at Belle’s freshly installed heart strings as she watched Rumpel leave his shop and her life once again.
Odds of surviving: 8/10 After everything Rumpel has done in favor of power over love, Belle had some time to take a good look at a life without Rumpel in it. But as we saw, that little glimmer in his heart is enough to call her back and we expect that this ship is prepared to weather a few more stormy nights at sea in the finale and beyond.
ScarletBeauty: Will Scarlet and Belle French
Following Ursula’s call to the rocks:
Sorry, Will Scarlet fans, another let down is coming your way. Even with Rumpel’s blessing over their union, Belle and Will’s relationship will not endure for much longer. Beyond the fact that Kitsis had this to say about the pairing, “I would say that’s a rebound. Even fairy tale characters have rebounds, people,” these two were never meant to last. When Will Scarlet arrived in Storybrooke he brought a load of Anastasia shaped emotional baggage. (A story we still have not heard. *cough*comeonguys*cough*)
Odds of surviving: 1/10 In all fairness to Will, Belle is not over Rumpel either. Their relationship arose out of convenience and proximity. Flashbacks are an important part of the Once Upon a Time universe and viewers never saw anything that brought the two together during the six week time jump. No history, no significance.
Outlaw Queen: Robin Hood and Regina Mills
A sunset cruise:
Regina and Robin’s relationship rivals some daytime soap operas by now. Kicking off with a dead wife’s return, then Marian enters a coma, then Marian reveals that she is actually Zelena, then Zelena turns out to be pregnant, Regina has kept a brave face on for more than her fair share of troubles. Finally convinced that her happy ending does not require a rewrite or the removal of her wicked family foe, Regina and Robin plan to make due.
Odds of surviving: 9/10 That is, of course, until Regina becomes a runaway bandit in the Enchanted Forest and Robin is unaware, yet again, that his true love is mere acres away from him. The finale does seem to tear even the most stable couples apart, but Regina and Robin keep finding a way back to one another despite the odds working against them. Their chapter is one that even a being higher than the Author is looking out for and we have faith that their fates are intertwined in some deeper way.
Snowing: Snow White and Prince Charming
A course that leads to familiar waters:
We’re not sure any amount of rewriting can truly separate a heart split in two. But then again, that was a version of a completely different story. This season has not tested Mary Margaret and David’s relationship so much as it has tested their trust with Emma. For the most part it has been smooth sailing for the happily-ever-after couple and their bundle of off-screen joy.
Odds of surviving: 10/10 From what we have seen of Gold’s rewrites, Snow lost her happy ending with James, not David in this land. Our Prince Charming turns out to be nothing more than a henchman with a killer sword twirl in his repertoire. We do not anticipate Prince Charming and Snow White to keep their heavy eyeliner on for too long. Especially if Henry is out in the world working to set things straight.
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So, that leaves us with one final question. What will the final plot twist be for Once Upon a Time‘s fifth season? If things are going to change forever, does that mean Gold’s story is set in stone? We do not anticipate losing Storybrooke entirely, but maybe two characters bound by twists of fate have something to do with altering the world that exists within this fairytale drama.
Watch Once Upon a Time season 4 finale, “Operation Mongoose Part One and Part Two,” Sunday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.