Birth

"Your insane girlfriend sped up my pregnancy, kidnapped me right after giving birth, and separated me from my little girl. And they say I'm wicked."

- Zelena to Hook

"Birth" is the eighth episode of Season Five of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by David H. Goodman & Jerome Schwartz, and directed by Eagle Egilsson. It is the ninety-sixth episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 15, 2015.

This episode was the first one of a two-episode night.

Synopsis
Tensions in Camelot come to a head when Merlin, now under Arthur’s control, delivers an ultimatum to Emma: hand over the Dark One dagger and the Promethean spark or he will kill her entire family. Refusing to give in, Emma and our heroes face off against Arthur, Merlin and Zelena in an epic battle of magic and will. Just when the end is in sight, Emma is forced to make a gut-wrenching choice that no one saw coming. Back in Storybrooke, Zelena’s pregnancy mysteriously accelerates and Hook goes to new and desperate lengths to get answers from the Dark Swan.

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

 * David Anders as Dr. Whale
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Liam Garrigan as King Arthur
 * Elliot Knight as Merlin
 * Joana Metrass as Guinevere

Co-Starring

 * Michael Coleman as Happy
 * David-Paul Grove as Doc
 * Ingrid Torrance as Nurse Ratched/Severe Nurse

Uncredited

 * Unknown baby as Zelena's daughter

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The title card features the Vault of the Dark One, with darkness emerging from it.
 * "Birth" and "The Bear King" were filmed simultaneously.
 * The reason why Dr. Whale's hair is blond in this episode, is that David Anders bleached his hair for the television series iZombie. Whale's and Regina's comments about his hair, are a nod to his character on the show.
 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Storybrooke events take place after "Nimue".
 * The Enchanted Forest events take place after "Nimue".

Episode Connections

 * Arthur lied to David about his failed attempt to summon Merlin using the Crimson Crown in "The Bear and the Bow".
 * Emma made Excalibur whole using the Flame of Prometheus in "Nimue".
 * Hook apologizes to Emma about what he told her on the Jolly Roger, something that took place in "Siege Perilous".
 * Hook asks Emma about Nimue, a character who first appeared in "Nimue".
 * Emma asks Henry about the heroes' quest to steal Excalibur and about Merlin who disappeared during their return, both events took place in "Nimue".
 * Merlin poofed the heroes away in "Nimue".
 * Gold looks at a Storybrooke snow globe, something that was first seen in "The Snow Queen".
 * Gold recounts that he became the Dark One to save his son, something that occurred in "Desperate Souls".
 * Arthur and Zelena teamed up in "Nimue".
 * Hook gave Emma one of his rings, which originates from one of his sad stories, in "Nimue".
 * Zelena mentions that she was a fake midwife, something she posed as in "Witch Hunt", "The Tower" and "Quiet Minds".
 * Zelena mentions that Emma gave her onion rings (this being the reason for her accelerated pregnancy) in "The Bear and the Bow".
 * Dr. Whale recalls Zelena magically throwing him across the room, which occurred in "Kansas". He wishes to not be attacked this time. Ironically, Emma does the same.
 * Regina promised to keep Zelena's baby safe, which happened in "Siege Perilous".
 * Emma reminds Hook that Zelena killed Neal and Marian, which occurred in "Quiet Minds" and "Heart of Gold" respectively.
 * Emma recounts the first time she admitted her true love for Hook, which happened in "Operation Mongoose Part 2". She also recounts admitting her feelings for Neal when she thought she was going to lose him in "Tallahassee" and "Second Star to the Right".
 * Hook recalls being betrayed by Zelena the last time he helped her, which took place in "The Dark Swan".
 * Regina reiterates Emma's request to do what is necessary when she was entrusted the dagger to Mary Margaret and David, which took place in "The Dark Swan".
 * Zelena shows Hook his stolen memories from Camelot using a dreamcatcher.
 * Emma tries to make Excalibur whole in the same process that was first seen in "Nimue".
 * Merlin states that Excalibur's purpose was to cut immortal ties, something that was first established in "Nimue".
 * Emma tethers Hook to Excalibur, just like Zelena tethers Merlin to it in "Nimue".
 * Hook is emerges from the Vault of the Dark One, a location first seen in "Quiet Minds".
 * -|Cultural References=

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features King Arthur, Merlin, and Guinevere from the Arthurian Legend, Robin Hood from the ballad, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, Rumplestiltskin from the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.
 * Zelena reads the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel to her unborn child.
 * The showdown between Emma, Arthur and Merlin, takes place in the Fairy Tale Land version of the Caledonian Forest. In Arthurian lore, the forest is the site of one of King Arthur's Twelve Battles. In Geoffrey of Monmouth's work Vita Merlini (The Life of Merlin), Merlin retreated to these woods in his madness after the battle of Arfderydd.
 * -|Props Notes=

Props Notes

 * Granny's entrance key to the diner has an engraving of a swan.
 * The room keys to the inn have the same design.