Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-24674051-20150721171256

Ok, Here is a place for speculation. I'm putting it in the Spoilers section because I will be using some spoilage. Specifically the fact that the gang is in possession of the apprentices wand.

The end of the Season 4 Finale had the Apprentice revealing that the gang needed to seek out Merlin. Then he closes his eyes. It could have been death, or just passing out from the encounter. I leave that as ambiguous until I am shown otherwise.

However, we now see that, by Episode 2 it appears, Regina and Zelena are trying to use the Apprentice's wand. And I'm not sure that it works for either of them. The fact that they even have the wand, though suggests that the Apprentice, by this point, is either dead or incapacitated.

My theory goes something like this. The Apprentice is still alive at the beginning of Episode 1, regains consciousness long enough to pass important information about finding Merlin, and tells Regina to use his wand, then passes away. Regina trys the wand without success, somhow Zelena forces her way into the group and tries, equally unsuccessful. I think this may be where they wake up Rumple. Even though he does not have his magic any more, he is still quite knowledgable, and is able to somehow help one of the 2 witches control the wand enough to summon a cyclone portal. 