"Once Upon a Time" Recap: "Operation Mongoose"

Written by Shae

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

What if there is a world where everything is reversed? The heroes we once loved are now the villains of the story, and the villains? Some are heroes and some are...just trying to survive. In the world Isaac created everything is, well, weird. One thing is for certain, those who desired their happy endings the most, certainly got it. Isaac is now a world's best selling author of a book aptly named "Heroes and Villains". Within the book, everything has changed. Regina is no longer the evil queen we all feared. Instead, the enchanted forest is ruled by Snow White and her puppet Prince David. 

Does this mean StoryBrooke no longer exists? No, it's still there, and Henry has been left behind. Thankfully he has the key, and the door, and the ability to lock the author inside. Before anything happened, however, the Fairies were able to rescue the sorcerer's apprentice from the hat. He told Henry how to lock the author away, and then, like magic, everything was changed. Henry finds our author, living high off of his success. He's changed everything so much, that his dream has finally come true. His happy ending has been achieved, which is something that wasn't supposed to happen. Because of this, the pen is just a pen, and Isaac is technically not the Author anymore. But, Henry has a key, and with it, he's able to open a portal in the original book Isaac wrote, and the two are sucked in. This world is completely different than the real enchanted forest. Henry wasn't born with magic, or in the magical world, so he couldn't have been written into the story. 

When Isaac leaves Henry to be eaten by ogres, all seems lost, except for a knight in shining armor. Literally, he's saved by a white knight known as Rumplestiltskin. Did that freak anyone else out? I'm just kidding, it had me laughing, because, really? Come on now, this is just ridiculous. Then again. If he could be bad, why can't he be good? The idea isn't so farfetched. Now free, Henry sets off to find his mom, well, one of them. Regina is busy plotting her next heist. Guess she and Snow switched places quite literally. Snow full on wants her dead, and really, the evil Snow is pretty awesome, I'm just saying. She carries around David's heart, forcing him to bend to her every whim. 

Which, at the moment, might be killing Isaac. He is trying to warn her about Regina, and he does know exactly where Regina will be. So does Henry, he has a copy of Isaacs book, and tries convincing his mom that he's her adopted son. She's not buying it, and storms off without him, and almost gets caught, Robin Hood, however, saves her. They're so cute together! It almost works out. She almost falls for him and almost gives in to Henry's ramblings about Robin being her true love, but Robin is busy marrying Zelena later that day. Talk about a blow to the feels, right? I guess Regina doesn't get a happy ending in Isaac's book.

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In order to get the help he needs and convince Regina he's telling the truth, Henry heads off to find Hook and find Emma. Hook isn't what they want him to be, but he does help Henry, and they do get Emma free. Along the way to meeting Regina, however, they're stopped by Snow and David. Hook sends Emma to protect Henry while he fights David, and then is stabbed and dies. In front of Emma. That was uncalled for, but whatever. They do get away and Emma talks sense into Regina. Says she needs to go and kiss Robin so that this world can be undone. But things aren't always so simple. Isaac goes to Rumple and says the only way to keep his happy ending is to kill Henry. 

Which Rumple goes off to do. Just as Regina is about to go in and kiss Robin, Rumple shows up. Emma loses that fight, but Henry is saved by Regina. She gives herself up to save Henry. Isaac is there to gloat, because he's a dick, and Emma punches him, like we have all wanted to do since he appeared. The pen falls from his bag, and Henry sees it. It calls to him. When he picks it up, we learn that our Next Author has been chosen. He can undo all of Isaac's work, he only needs ink. It's the blood of the savior of this world, Regina, that allows this story to never even happen.

In the real world, with everything set right, everyone seems fine and happy. Emma finds Hook alive and well, and she even almost admits that she loves him. But she doesn't say it, yet. David arrests Isaac, and all is almost right with the world. Belle runs to Rumple, and it's adorable and she admits she still loves him. Sadly, he's still dying. It's the apprentice that takes the darkness and pulls it into the magical hat of the sorcerer. The hat, rejects it, and the darkness is free, but so is Rumple. The darkness goes after Regina, but it's Emma that sacrifices herself in order to save her friend. She tells Hook she loves him and then pulls the darkness into herself, becoming the new Dark One.....her only hope is for them to find the sorcerer, Merlin.

What a season finale! Right? Damn. All the feels and everything that happened! I can't wait for the next season!

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