Siege Perilous

"This is the Siege Perilous. Reserved for the knight with the purest heart... The one destined to carry out the most sacred quests."

- King Arthur to David Nolan

"Siege Perilous" is the third episode of Season Five of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jane Espenson, and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It is the ninety-first episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 11, 2015.

Synopsis
In Camelot, the heroes feverishly work to free Merlin. Determined to help Emma, David embarks on a quest to retrieve a magical relic that Regina could use to communicate with the imprisoned sorcerer, but, when David leaves, Arthur insists on joining him because the dangers ahead are greater than he can imagine. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret discovers the fate of her old friend Lancelot. Back in Storybrooke, Arthur seeks David's help to catch a thief who threatens the safety of the citizens of Camelot. Across town, Emma reaches out to a conflicted Hook as she sets about her plan to draw Excalibur from the stone.

Recap
In Storybrooke, Emma swipes Happy’s ax. The vision of Rumplestiltskin assures her that the tool won’t cut through the magic that keeps Excalibur inside the stone. Only a hero can do so. The dwarfs complain about the stolen ax. This only amplifies David’s frustration over his inability to help his daughter. A short time later, King Arthur reveals that some relics have also been stolen including a magic bean that can take his people back to Camelot in an instant.

David tells the people of Camelot that the Chalice of Vengeance will tell him who the thief is. It’s actually just a cup from Doc’s birthday party, but the worried masses don’t know that. The bluff sends King Arthur’s squire on the run. A great horse/car chase takes place. Once the squire is caught, he reveals that his intent was to hurt the king because of the way he has been treated. He also says he never saw a magic bean.

In Camelot, the heroes realize that Merlin may know how to get himself out of that tree. To communicate with him, they need to find a toadstool called the Crimson Crown. It’s located in the Forest of Eternal Night. David is off to find it. King Arthur joins him. But first, he shows David the “Siege Perilous” seat at the Round Table. It’s reserved for the knight with the purest heart. It’s been vacant ever since Lancelot betrayed King Arthur, who is surprised to hear that his old friend died.

The unquenchable flame, said to be part of the burning bush, is just one of the items in a collection of all the sacred and magical items the knights have recovered. David and Arthur use it as they travel through the Forest of Eternal Night. They bond over their humble beginnings and the fine qualities of the women they love.

Upon spotting the Crimson Crown, David struggles to cross a water-bound bridge. He’s attacked by mysterious phantom knights on his way back. One of the metal-clad figures pulls him underwater. David is in great peril until a hand reaches down. Arthur is able to pull him up to safety. Unfortunately, the Crimson Crown is gone. This is a loss for sure. Nevertheless, David and Arthur know that true heroes never give up.

In Storybrooke, David finds the Crimson Crown. It must have fallen from the squire’s bag when he was captured. Regina realizes they were using it to communicate with Merlin. Perhaps they can do so now to save Emma. Mary Margaret looks upon her husband with pride. He’s truly the hero she always knew him to be.

Emma sends Hook a message. They meet on his ship. Hook wants to know what’s behind the locked door in her house. Emma isn’t saying. She does reveal that she wants them to move forward in a real relationship. Hook isn’t buying it. He knows she needs something. Moments later, Emma disappears in a wisp of blackness.

In Camelot, King Arthur makes David a Knight of the Round Table. He’s told to take his place at the Siege Perilous seat. Applause fills the room. The noise disturbs the baby, so Mary Margaret steps outside. She’s not alone. An old friend steps out of the shadows. It’s Lancelot. He’s alive!

Lancelot warns there’s a dangerous villain in Camelot. It’s not Emma. It’s Arthur. Camelot is not what it seems. Later, Arthur reveals to Guinevere that he has the Crimson Crown. Back in Storybrooke, Arthur’s jailed squire tells his king that he did everything that was asked of him. Motives are finally revealed.

Arthur seeks to protect his kingdom from the Dark One, who happens to be David’s daughter. His plan is to build a new Camelot in Storybrooke. Arthur asks his squire to drink poison so others can’t use magic to make him talk. His loyal subject does as he is asked. For Camelot. Moments later, the squire is gone.

Belle works on assembling items for a healing spell to use on Mr. Gold. The last thing she needs is something that touched him before he became the Dark One. Later, Belle notices that rose is coming back to life. Gold is waking up. However, his body is gone. He’s now with Emma, who found an item that touched him while he was still a man—Hook’s sword. Gold is shocked to hear the plan for him. Emma intends to make him into a hero.

"Dad Duty"
TBA.

"Trivial Pursuits"
TBA.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as David Nolan
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle French
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Rebecca Mader as Zelena
 * Sean Maguire as Robin Hood
 * Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Lee Arenberg as Leroy
 * Giacomo Baessato as Grif
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Liam Garrigan as King Arthur
 * Joana Metrass as Guinevere
 * Sinqua Walls as Lancelot

Co-Starring

 * Michael Coleman as Happy
 * Faustino di Bauda as Walter
 * David-Paul Grove as Doc
 * Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark
 * Mig Macario as Bashful
 * Jeffrey Kaiser (Press release only)

Uncredited

 * Unknown baby as Prince Neal
 * Unknown as Floyd

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The title card features Brocéliande.
 * The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on July 30, 2015.
 * In Arthurian Legend, Siege Perilous is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy Grail. The seat is so strictly reserved that it is fatal to anyone else who sits in it.
 * The herb that Regina is trying to find for a potion to free Merlin, is called witchbane. During the middle ages, witchbane was a nickname for the rue herb, because people carried them to ward off witches. In magic lore, the rue herb is often used in spells of protection against witchcraft and bad luck. It can be used for hex breaking and warding off the evil eye, and is a classic herb for protection magic and to increase one's psychic powers. It is also used in some love spells.
 * The line about Merlin in the tree - "When we snap off a twig and it turns into a finger, who's crying then?" - was pitched in the writers' room by Andrew Chambliss.
 * The design of the Storybrooke Sheriff's Department has undergone a notable transformation since the previous season: The fire exit, which used to be located right next to the sheriff's office space, has been moved several meters to the right, and a kitchenette has been built between the office space and the fire exit.
 * Giacomo Baessato, who plays Grif, also plays Rip Van Winkle in a deleted scene from "Nasty Habits".
 * The scenes between Emma and Hook was supposed to happen on the deck of the Jolly Roger. However, for budget reasons, their scenes were moved to inside the ship.
 * The sentiment of Arthur needing the Round Table to remind him to be humble was inspired by T. H. White's The Once and Future King.
 * In the Arthurian Legend, Grif's original name is "Giflet", and one alternative form of this name is "Griflet". Jane Espenson decided to change it because it "sounded weird".


 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Camelot flashbacks take place after "The Price" and before the flashbacks with the group from Storybrooke in "The Broken Kingdom.
 * The Storybrooke events take place after "The Price" and before "The Broken Kingdom".

Episode Connections

 * Emma glamours herself to appear as a regular person as opposed to the Dark One. Zoso glamours herself in the same way in "Desperate Souls".
 * Emma first began to see the manifestation of Rumplestiltskin in "The Dark Swan".
 * The Storybrooke heroes learnt that Merlin was trapped in a tree in "The Price".
 * Regina began to pose as the savior in "The Price".
 * The dwarves first posed their concerns about the newly-dark Emma in "The Price".
 * David expresses his regret over not trying to stop Emma from absorbing the Darkness, which occurred in "Operation Mongoose Part 2".
 * Leroy and Happy reference Dopey's transformation into a tree, which occurred in "The Price".
 * This is the third time someone tries to use Happy's pick ax on a magical object. Greg used Happy's pick ax to enable the trigger in "And Straight On 'Til Morning", and John attempted to break Pandora's Box using Happy's pick ax in "Dark Hollow".
 * Emma first tried to remove the sword from the stone in "The Price".
 * Regina first rendered Zelena mute in "The Price".
 * Zelena tried to go back to Oz in "The Dark Swan".
 * Zelena was discovered to be pregnant with Robin's child in "Lily".
 * Regina points out that Zelena had a second chance, and a second second chance, referring to events in "A Curious Thing" and "Kansas".
 * David stabbed Percival to death in "The Price".
 * David tells Arthur about Lancelot's supposed death, which was mentioned in "Lady of the Lake".
 * Hook found the locked door in Emma's house in "The Price".
 * Emma and Hook relive their first date, which took place in "The Apprentice".
 * Belle discusses Mr. Gold's coma, a condition he succumbed to in "Operation Mongoose Part 2".
 * Emma says to Hook that she's "an open book" if he is willing to trust her. Hook previously referred to Emma as an open book in "Tallahassee".
 * Hook recounts his relationship with Rumplestiltskin from before he was the Dark One, which occurred in "The Crocodile".
 * The sword that Emma takes from Hook's ship is the one he threatened Rumplestiltskin with in "The Crocodile".
 * Emma asks Hook if he remembers when they were in the storybook and she taught him how to swordplay, which took place in "Operation Mongoose Part 2".
 * David says that his father drank his life away; something that was first touched upon in "White Out".
 * David says that his brother accomplished nothing but evil; a reference to the events in "Tiny".
 * David says that he doesn't want to only be remembered as the man who kissed a sleeping princess awake thirty years ago; referring to the events in "Pilot", "A Land Without Magic" and "Lost Girl".
 * Arthur's past with Lancelot is revealed in "The Broken Kingdom"
 * Arthur's habit of 'fixing things' began in "The Broken Kingdom".
 * Mary Margaret learns that Lancelot is alive, which debunks the notion that he was already dead in "Lady of the Lake."
 * Arthur asks his squire to drink a poison of the Agrabahn Viper, a magical species first seen in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * Belle notices the petals of the rose in a jar are reforming into the rose, which was given to her by Mother Superior in "The Dark Swan".
 * Emma talks about Mr. Gold's heart now being a blank slate, which was discovered in "Operation Mongoose Part 2".
 * Emma's plan to turn Mr. Gold into a hero, is implemented in "Dreamcatcher", and succeeds in "The Bear and the Bow".
 * Mr. Gold is freed from captivity, and reunited with Belle, in "The Bear and the Bow".


 * -|Cultural References=

Biblical

 * The Unquenchable Flame, used by Arthur and David in Brocéliande, is said to be a part of the burning bush itself.

Disney

 * While working down in the mines, the dwarves whistle the song "Heigh-Ho" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Fairytales and Folklores

 * This episode features King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Giflet from the Arthurian Legend, Rumplestiltskin from the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, Robin Hood from the ballad, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.
 * This episode features Brocéliande, a legendary forest in France that first appears in the 1106 verse chronicle Roman de Rou. It has also appeared several times in Arthurian romance.
 * One of the coats of arms in the room with the Round Table is a griffin, a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet.

Popular Culture

 * Emma's line, "You guys sure you don't want me to just wiggle my nose and get him out of that tree?" refers to the classic ABC sitcom, ''Bewitched. The main character, Samantha, is a witch who employs a distinctive "wriggle" of her nose to use magic.
 * The song playing in Granny's Diner when Hook and Robin Hood are discussing about Zelena's sonogram is "Good Love" by The Murmaids.
 * The souvenir from Doc's birthday party says "Doctoberfest". This is a reference to Oktoberfest, a beer festival held annually in Munich, Germany.
 * Every time Jane Espenson made rewrites to the script, she would make sure that the "Doctoberfest" reference was still in it.
 * "The Night That You Left" by Phil Parlapiano is playing in the diner when Hook asks Robin Hood how to break into Emma's cave, and when Belle notices that the last petal of the Magical Rose is falling.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * One of Merlin's Books, the one that Regina opens in Merlin's tower (seen upside-down) is a facsimile of page 392 of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, a work of Protestant history and martyrology by the sixteenth century English historian and martyrologist John Foxe, published in 1563. The opposite page and two other pages also seem to be taken from the book: While the text mostly illegible, the pages have the same layout as Foxe's book (two columns separated by a vertical line).
 * Another one of Merlin's books, the one that that Emma opens in "Dreamcatcher (also seen upside-down), contains a facsimile of page 654 and 655 of Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
 * The illustration of the magical toadstool says vermiculus coronum, which is Latin for "crimson crown".
 * The book about the Crimson Crown, that Regina is reading, says:

The Crimson Crown has as

[four illegible words]

[illegible]at brings

[illegible]rate

[illegible]ad to the

[illegible]ht if

[illegible]minister'd

[two illegible words]

There are other properties

that this toadstool doth

possess magical properties

It is of beneficence when one

has to communicate across

barriers even through

spells. They grow in

Brocéliande The Forest of

Eternal Night.

The Crimson Crown has masculine correspondence and is aligned with the planet Mercury and the air element. It may be used as a fertility charm. Some use this toadstool to aid with astral travel. This can be dangerous.

Some associate this fungus with Dionysus.

There are a number of other folk magic uses for The Crimson Crown, and one may incorporate them at a symbolic level, rather than actually eating them.

In many areas, the appearance of a ring of

Crimson Crowns on the ground is cause for either rejoicing or alarm. In The Northern Lands, these circles are known as fairy rings - and they are where the fae come to dance and cavort after a rainstorm.

Moreover, like many other locations associated with faeries [sic], humans who, perchance, dare to enter such a ring may find themselves asleep for a hundred years, or worse yet, whisked off to the land of the little folk, never to return.

In the Western Mountains, these rings are formed when an ogre sets down his milk churn - once he picks it up, there's a big circle left in the grass.

In some ridings, such as The Enchanted Forest and the wetlands to the East, these rings are associated with sorcery and malevolent magic, and travelers are well-advised to steer clear of them.


 * Some of the text, is adapted from Witchipedia.com's article "Magical and Spiritual Considerations", about the mushroom Amanita muscaria. The original text reads thus:
 * "Magic mushroom has masculine and is aligned with the planet Mercury and the air element. It may be used as a fertility charm. Some use this mushroom to aid with astral travel. However, it should be noted that using chemical assistance is never advised and can be dangerous. Some associate this fungus with Dionysus, mainly because of its intoxicating potential."


 * Other parts of the text, are adapted from the following excerpts from About.com's article "Mushroom Magic and Folklore":
 * "In Holland, these rings are believed to be left when the Devil sets down his milk churn - once he picks it up, there's a big circle left in the grass. In some countries, such as France and Austria, these rings are associated with sorcery and malevolent magic, and travelers are well-advised to steer clear of them."
 * "In many areas, the appearance of a ring of mushrooms on the ground is cause for either rejoicing or alarm. In Great Britain, these circles are known as fairy rings - and they are where the Fae come to dance and frolic after a rainstorm. However, like many other locations associated with faeries, humans who dare to enter such a ring may find themselves asleep for a hundred years, or worse yet, whisked off to the land of the wee folk, never to return."


 * The spell book that Regina is closing in the beginning of the scene where she talks to Zelena, is the same book that Belle and Merida bring to DunBroch and use to perform magic in "The Bear and the Bow".
 * The bottle of poison that King Arthur orders Grif to drink is among the magical things in the reliquary when David opens the chest earlier in the episode.
 * Robin's sonogram of Zelena's baby is green.
 * If you take a look at the dinner table as it transforms, you can see that the diner take-away that Emma had Hook bring to the Jolly Roger is grilled cheese with onion rings, the same food that Emma sent Hook to buy for her in the Season Four episode "Unforgiven". Emma's love for Granny's grilled cheese has also been referred to in the Season One episode "Red-Handed" and the Season Four episode "Darkness on the Edge of Town".
 * Two banners in the room with the Round Table show a tower. The exact same motif is on Snow White's wagon in Isaac's alternate reality in the Season Four episode "Operation Mongoose Part 1.

Set Dressing

 * The skull of a saber-toothed cat is lying on the table in Merlin's tower. The same skull can be seen in the tower when Merlin tethers Nimue to the Dark One's Dagger hundreds of years earlier in "Nimue".
 * A chest covered in rust is sitting on a shelf in Merlin's Tower. It has the same design as the silver chest used by the Evil Queen to store Rocinante's heart in the Season One episode "The Thing You Love Most", a chest which she later retains in the Mayor's office.
 * Pinned to a billboard at the sheriff's station is a piece of paper with the name Melissa Lew, a reference to a production staff member on the show. It reads:

MELISSA LEW Missing from Storybrooke, Maine

Date Missing: 6/7/00 Date of Birth: 4/10/76 Age at Disappearance: 27 years Height: 5'11'' Weight: 145 Ibs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Blonde Sex: Female

Melissa was last seen on the night of June 7. 2009 on her way to a friend's home in the upper area of Storybrooke. Last seen wearing: Blue jeans, a white t-shirt and black and white tennis shoes A $29,000 reward is being offer for the return or recovery of Melissa Lew.
 * Strangely, the wanted poster says that Melissa was 27 years old when she disappeared on June 7. in the year 2000, but if she was born on April 10. in 1976, she would have been 24 at the time. Also, the poster contradicts itself by claiming that she was last seen in 2009, nine years after her disappearance.
 * A poster on the billboard says, "Storybrooke Sheriff's Department invites you to attend the Bike's Safety Fair."


 * As David and Arthur are chasing after Grif, they drive past a billboard advertisement for The Rabbit Hole.

Costume Notes

 * Regina is wearing a Rebecca Taylor Women’s Sleeveless Lace Cropped Top (no longer available).
 * Mary Margaret is wearing a Phillip Lim Sleeveless Pleated Tank Top (no longer available).
 * A member of King Arthur's court is wearing Prince Phillip's chest plate from Season Two and Three.
 * Belle is wearing a Kenzo Box Pleat Skirt (no longer available). She wore the same skirt back in the Season Two episode "The Crocodile".
 * Belle's wedding hat from "There's No Place Like Home" is lying on display behind the counter in the pawnshop, seemingly for sale.
 * -|Goofs=

Goofs

 * To wake Mr. Gold from his coma, Emma needs an object that touched him before he became the Dark One. When Hook tells her about how he threatened Rumplestiltskin in "The Crocodile", he shows her a sword, telling her that he took this cutlass and held it to Rumplestiltskin's head. However, the sword that Hook shows to Emma, is not the sword that he threatened Rumplestiltskin with. The sword that he used to threaten him had a golden handle. When Hook and Rumplestiltskin met again in "The Crocodile", several years later, Rumplestiltskin takes the same sword from Hook and duels him with it. When he vanishes into thin air after cutting off Hook's hand, he takes the sword with him. The sword that Hook shows to Emma, which Emma uses to wake Mr. Gold, has a black handle with a completely different design, and is the one he carried after the other sword was taken from him. This can be seen in episodes like "Queen of Hearts", "Lost Girl" and "The Jolly Roger". This means that the sword Emma uses to wake Mr. Gold from his coma never touched Rumplestiltskin in the past at all, but the spell still works.


 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The Storybrooke camp scenes were filmed in Burnaby's Central Park.