"Last Rites" is the twenty-first episode of Season Five of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jerome Schwartz, and directed by Craig Powell. It is the one hundred and ninth episode of the series overall, and premiered on May 8, 2016.
Synopsis
Emma, David, Regina, Robin and Henry are finally back home in Storybrooke and reunited with Snow, but, unfortunately, they still have to contend with Hades, who continues to deceive Zelena as he lays out his plan to use the all-powerful Olympian Crystal to take over the town. The heroes desperately search for a way to defeat Hades while Hook does the same in the Underworld, looking for those missing storybook pages. Regina and Robin take a more direct approach, which culminates in an epic showdown that will leave our heroes forever changed.[2]
Recap
In Storybrooke
In the hours after Hades and Zelena return to Storybrooke, Zelena goes off to find the others and leaves the baby with Hades. While she is gone, King Arthur, who just escaped from jail and is being tracked down by Mary Margaret, Merida and the dwarves, stumbles upon Hades, but he kills Arthur as he sees him as a threat. Zelena finds Regina and Robin Hood and tries to convince them that Hades has changed his ways. Emma, David and Henry are reunited with Mary Margaret and Merida and explain the details of Hades' deception but Emma's vengeance against Hades is making her too emotional. Zelena and Hades are talking about the others not believing that he changed. Hades gets a weapon, known as the Olympian Crystal (Zeus' thunderbolt), which can kill anybody, even a god. Zelena also suggests that they should leave but Hades say no, stating that they will find them no matter what. As Emma, Merida and David find Arthur's body, David tries to calm down a furious Emma.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gold goes to Belle's father Moe to see if he can give Belle true love's kiss to wake up Belle from the Sleeping Curse she put herself under, but Moe refuses. Emma then shows up asking Gold for help defeating Hades, but Gold declines to help. Gold later calls Hades to offer him a deal by protecting him in exchange for the Crystal, only to have Hades turn down the offer.
Back at Regina's office, Hades is able to put back together the Crystal with Zelena's help. Zelena then sees Emma trying to break the protection spell that Zelena put on the town hall knowing that Emma wants to kill Hades (after she saw a set of new storybook pages appear in front of her in the library), leading to a confrontation between the women. Back inside the town hall, after they entered through a tunnel, Regina and Robin use Zelena's distraction to take the baby, only to be caught by Hades, who wants to use the crystal to destroy Regina. He explains that the crystal will not allow the person to move on to the Underworld but rather simply destroy their very presence. Robin sacrifices himself as he saves Regina from being destroyed by Hades. Zelena comes in and picks up the crystal as Hades tries to tempt Zelena to kill Regina, only to have Zelena realize that Hades never changed. She then kills Hades with the crystal. Later, Emma, Henry, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Zelena and others attend Robin's funeral, as Zelena tells Regina that she has named her daughter Robin, in honor of her father. Emma decides to stay for a couple more minutes, and notices a resurrected Hook, who was brought back by Zeus as a reward for helping to defeat Hades, and the two are happily reunited. Meanwhile, Mr. Gold enters Regina's office, and it is revealed that a piece of the Crystal remains, which Mr. Gold collects for a new plan.
In the Underworld
King Arthur comes inside the Underbrooke diner, confused and not knowing that he is dead, until he is reunited with Hook who after a denial and angry conversation tells him he is in the Underworld now, he asks for Arthur's help in stopping Hades. King Arthur agrees to help him after being told he can either be sent to a better place or worse place or be trapped here forever. Later, Hook and King Arthur searched Hades' lair where they look for Hades' story, when Arthur realizes that the only way that Hades keeps his secrets would be inside his throne just like Arthur would do and find the missing storybook pages. Shortly after that, Hook and King Arthur learn from Cruella that the Underworld storybook is near the River of Lost Souls, and when Hook and King Arthur find it there the lost Souls attempt to take it and Arthur but thanks to Hook he saves both Arthur and the book, where they discover the only way to destroy Hades is by using the Olympian Crystal, and Hook uses the book to magically reach the living successfully (which Emma sees). Later, King Arthur decides to stay in the Underworld to repair it, telling Hook that he was prophesied to repair a broken kingdom, thinking it was Camelot when it was really the Underworld. Hook steps into the light of Mount Olympus and he meets Zeus, who then shows Hook the way back to the land of the living.
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Deleted Scenes
Family Reunion
An extended version of the scene where Zelena talks to Robin Hood and Regina by the pond. After returning from the Underworld, Robin reunites with Little John, who has been looking after Roland. While John is standing nearby, Roland runs up to Robin and jumps into his arms. Roland says "Papa!" and Robin answers "Oh Roland" and spins him around and kisses and hugs him. Roland asks his father about his little sister.[3]
"Belle of the Box"
This scene is included on Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fifth Season.
Upon entering his shop, Mr. Gold talks to Belle, saying that they are home, and once her father wakes her up from the sleeping curse, no one will ever threaten their child again.
"Two Halves"
This scene is included on Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fifth Season.
After Hades hangs up the phone, Zelena asks him what Mr. Gold wants, and Hades answers that he thinks he can threaten them. But he remarks that Gold has no idea what's coming and the sooner he finishes making the Olympian Crystal whole again, the sooner he makes their problems disappear.
Cast[2]
Starring
Guest Starring |
Co-Starring
Uncredited
|
Trivia
Title
- The title card features the Storybrooke Town Hall.[5]
- The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on February 25, 2016.[6]
Production Notes
- REUSED FOOTAGE: The establishing shot of Game of Thorns[7] is stock footage from the shooting of the Season Two episode "The Crocodile," but with a slightly lighter color hue. This can easily be seen from all the plants and flowers surrounding the shop, which are completely identical to the ones seen in "The Crocodile."[8]
- REUSED FOOTAGE: An exterior shot of the town hall[9] is reused for the montage scene where the Black Fairy's curse is broken in the Season Six finale "The Final Battle Part 2."[10]
- ABANDONED IDEAS: In the episode script, after Robin says to Regina, "Our future is not written by our past," Regina responds, "So you think... we might... still have a future together?"[11] This line is not in the final episode.
Event Chronology
- The Storybrooke events take place after "Our Decay" and before "Only You." (For more details, see the Land Without Magic timeline)
- There are Christmas trees decorated with Christmas decorations outside the Storybrooke Town Hall,[12] indicating that the episode takes place around Christmas.[nb 1]
- The Underworld events take place after "Firebird" and 50 years before "Tales From The Underworld: A Knight With Cruella."
- The Mount Olympus events take place before "Leaving Storybrooke."
Episode Connections
- Hades' heart was restarted in "Firebird," and he left the Underworld in the same episode.
- King Arthur was imprisoned in "Birth."
- Hades tells Arthur that he understands what it's like to be unjustly imprisoned; referring to the story he told Zelena in "Our Decay."
- Mary Margaret returned to Storybrooke in "Ruby Slippers."
- Walter fell asleep while on watch duty, just like he did in "Snow Falls."
- Emma and her family left the Underworld in "Firebird."
- Regina gave Robin and Zelena's child to Zelena in "Firebird."
- Hook decided to stay behind in the Underworld in "Firebird."
- Mary Margaret mentions that Emma and the others helped many people move on from the Underworld. This references Regina's father in "Souls of the Departed," Hercules and Megara in "Labor of Love," and Liam in "The Brothers Jones." Other souls that moved on, after Mary Margaret already left the Underworld, include Cora in "Sisters," and presumably numerous people in "Last Rites" after they received their unfinished businesses from Henry.
- Hades' removal of the heroes' names from their gravestones, and his later attempt to trap them in the Underworld permanently occurred in "Last Rites."
- Moe was previously abused by Mr. Gold and his cane in "Skin Deep."
- Hook alludes to being physically tortured by Hades in his lair, and Arthur finds proof in the form of a cat o' nine tails. Hook's torture took place off-screen in "Labor of Love" and "Devil's Due," although the method used is first revealed in this episode.
- Hades removed the pages from the Underworld storybook in "Our Decay."
- Belle went under a Sleeping Curse in "Ruby Slippers."
- Mr. Gold tried true love's kiss on Belle in "Firebird."
- Robin and Regina sneak past Zelena's protection spell by using an underground tunnel, just like they did in "Witch Hunt."
- Cruella ripped out the Underworld's haunting booth in "Ruby Slippers."
- Mr. Gold's reason for wanting a piece of the Olympian Crystal is revealed in "Only You."
- The last time Hook sailed down the River of Lost Souls, was when he was Hades' captive in "Devil's Due." Hook and Arthur find the Underworld storybook over the entrance to the place where Hook was held captive in the same episode.
- The inscription on the gates over the River of Lost Souls, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."[13] This proverb is also written on one of the signs on the road leading to the Black Forest in Wonderland in the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland episode "Who's Alice."[14]
- STORYBOOK CONTENT: As Hook flips through the Underworld storybook, there is an illustration Henry and Cruella De Vil in the Underbrooke town hall in "Labor of Love"[15] and an illustration of Snow White and Hercules in Hercules' camp from a scene in the same episode.[16]
- STORYBOOK CONTENT: The Land Without Magic storybook page of Princess Leia and Prince Charles[17] was an event shown in "Snow Drifts," and the actual page first appeared in "There's No Place Like Home."[18]
Religious
- When Mary Margaret walks away from Emma, a cross-shaped headstone can be seen on a grave in the Storybrooke graveyard.[19] When Emma and Hook are reunited, a Christian cross can be seen etched into another headstone.[20]
Disney
- This episode features Merida from Brave.
- A lost soul crawls out of the Acheron and tries to drag Arthur into the river, similar to the way the lost souls grab and drag Hades into the river Styx at the end of the Disney film Hercules. The soul has a blue tint, just like the lost souls do when they first grab Hades at the start of the film.
Fairytales and Folklore
- This episode features the ugly duckling from the titular fairytale, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, Robin Hood, Little John, and Friar Tuck from the Robin Hood ballads, King Arthur from the Arthurian legend, Hades and Zeus from Greek mythology, the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story, Cruella De Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians story, and the witch from the "Hansel and Gretel" fairytale.
- The Underworld and the Five Rivers from Greek mythology are featured.
- Moe French running a florist is a reference to the "Beauty and the Beast" fairytale, where Beauty wishes for a rose and her father picks one for her in the Beast's garden. Fittingly enough, a rose is pictured on the sign.[21]
- STORYBOOK CONTENT: Kronos, the father of Hades and Zeus in Greek mythology, is mentioned in the Underworld storybook[22] (for a transcript, see "Set Notes"). He is completely rewritten from the villainous Titan that ate his children, was defeated by Zeus, and banished to Tartarus. Instead, he appears to be a loving father to both Zeus and Hades.
- Hook alludes to being physically tortured by Hades, and Arthur finds proof in the form of a cat o' nine tails. Ironically, in the Peter Pan story, Captain Hook threatens the Lost Boys with the same weapon.
- The inscription on archway where the Underworld storybook is hidden reads as, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."[13] This is a reference to Inferno, the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic poem Divine Comedy. In the poem, Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which bears an inscription ending with the famous phrase.
- Divine Comedy features many elements from Greek mythology, one of which is the river Lethe, which Once Upon a Time's River of Lost Souls, which runs through the gates, is based on. In the poem, the stream of Lethe flows to the center of the earth from its surface, but its headwaters are located in the Earthly Paradise found at the top of the mountain of Purgatory. Cerberus, who appeared "Labor of Love," is also featured in the poem.
- STORYBOOK CONTENT: Excerpts from the fairytale of "The Golden Bird" can be seen in the Underworld storybook,[23] and in Henry's storybook.[17]
- An excerpt from "Snow-White and Rose-Red" can be seen in the Underworld storybook when Hook flips through it.[24]
- The same text from both fairytales appears in many episodes; read the trivia section in the article for Henry's storybook for more information and a transcript.
- 🍎 APPLES: A bowl of red apples is sitting in Regina's office,[25] a reference to the poisoned apple from the "Snow White" fairytale.
Popular Culture
- BOOKS AS SET DRESSING: An early twentieth century edition of Modern Eloquence Vol XV: Political Oratory, edited by Thomas Brackett Reed and published circa 1901 - 1903,[26] is lying on a table in Hades' lair.[27]
- BOOKS AS SET DRESSING: When Emma is in the library, looking up information on how to defeat Hades, among the books lying next to her on the desk is a 1976 omnibus edition of Sleeping Murder and Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Cristie (seen upside-down).[28]
Props Notes
- STORYBOOK CONTENT: One of the missing pages from the Underworld storybook reads:[29]
leader's magic. The leader was elegantly dressed in
black, which also impressed Hades. Proper fashion was
very important to him. He noticed that much more that
whatever the leader was shouting about. It was a vitri-
olic tirade about some young farm girl who had offended
the great leader. The leader believed that the blue
villagers were hiding the farm girl. But instead of snap-
ing the necks of the villagers for their heinous crimes
the leader merely went down the line of them, transform-
ing each one into a drooling, screeching beast. This form
of animorphic retribution may have been satisfying to the
leader, but it wouldn't do at all for Hades. He'd have
to somehow convince the leader to go back to plain old
killing. It turned out this leader was one of Hades' larg-
est suppliers of souls, and he couldn't very well having
that supply dry up. He started to think about what kind
of deal he'd offer when the leader tried to turn Hades
into a hairy beast.
Of course this didn't work. The leader had mis-
taken Hades for one of the blue villagers, due to his
outfit. But Hades is a god. Even though he [image ends]
to reside on Mount Olympus, like all the oth[image ends]
- Another page reads:[22]
ness. They smoldered with rage.
"You’re wrong about me, Father. I will make a great
king."
Hades wiped the tears away as he said this, though his
voice was a vacuum of emotion. With cold determina-
tion, he approached a towering pedestal on the far side of
the bed chamber where an ornate filigreed box was left
unattended. Hades face betrayed a slight smile. He
knew this box held the prize he sought, and no one
would stop him from taking it now. He opened the box
and inside was an ancient crystal shaped like a crude
lightning bolt.
"The Olympian Crystal", he said reverently, with more
love than he had ever shown for leathery old Kronos.
"So…" a voice boomed from across the bed chamber.
Hades turned to see Zeus in the room, looking at him in
Judgment while touching the lifeless frame of their father
for one last time. "…your heart really is sickened."
Zeus stepped forward to his brother, in all his chiseled
might. And every inch of his muscle nauseated Hades,
but he maintained an even keel. For now.
"Will you not take a moment to mourn our father?
Zeus felt genuine compassion for his brother. And the
olive branch he offered bore no hidden thorns, only the
promise of reconciliation. That Zeus was capable of such
forgiveness only stoked the flames within Hades further.
"No, Zeus", Hades spat. "He only loved you."
Hades took the crystal into his hands. It was his now,
and no one would take it from him. Not even the
mighty Zeus. The powerful magic within it glowed fora moment.
"That power is not yours to wield," Zeus warned.
"The Olympian Crystal is dangerous. It belongs to the
king."
"I should have been king," Hades said, wielding the
crystal like a scepter. "And once I use this to kill you,
I'll rule any kingdom I desire.
He approached his brother, and for a moment, Zeus
[illegible word] knowing that the crystal was powerful enough
to kill a god, even him. But Zeus bravely, perhaps
[three illegible words] proud. Hades raised the crystal,
had it pointing up at Zeus' chest, looking his
brother in the eye as he prepared to strike him down, by
[illegible word] it right into Zeus' heart, when…
- PAUSE AND READ: The book Emma is reading in the Storybrooke library seems to contain an alphabetical list of various authors of nonfiction.[30] One of the people listed is the political science educator author Clyde Edward Jacobs[31] (note that his name is covered by Emma's hand) and his books Law Writers and the Courts (1954), Justice Frankfurter and Civil Liberties (1961), The Selective Service Act (1967) and The Eleventh Amendment and Sovereign Immunity (1972).
- The paragraph on Clyde Edward Jacobs is followed by a paragraph about Milton Jacobs. While his writings are obscured by Emma's arm, they include the book Study of Culture Stability and Change: The Moroccan Jewess from 1956, and several other titles.[32]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: When Emma opens Henry's storybook, you can see that she has the page with her and Hook bookmarked.[17]
- REUSED PROPS: The torches in the Acheron temple[33] are reused in the Vault of the Dark One in "The Broken Kingdom."[34][35]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: The symbol of Jupiter (♃),[36] the Roman equivalent of Zeus, is printed on the handle of the Olympian Crystal.[37]
- ♃ is also known as the astronomical symbol for the planet of the same name.
- Jupiter's symbol was originally the Greek letter ζ, Zeta (Ζ), the initial of Zeus' name.[36]
Set Dressing
- HIDDEN DETAILS: Inside Game of Thorns, there is a poster that says "Parents bowling for kids to fight child abuse" ... "At the Downtown Bowling Hall."[38] A similar poster ("...preventing abuse and neglect before it starts" – "Downtown Bowling Hall") is pinned to a board outside the Storybrooke Town Hall in the Season One episode "Desperate Souls."[39]
- REUSED PROPS: The poster at Game of Thorns could also be seen in the Storybrooke library in "Broken Heart," but it was unreadable in this episode.[40]
- PAUSE AND READ: A sign next to the Town Hall reads:[41]
Storybrooke Women's Institute in order to build the Town Hall.
The architect was David H. Goodman cousin of Storybrooke
entrepreneur Neil Westlake. The Hall was built and continues
to be owned and maintained by members of the Society; men
planted the apple trees on the north and women planted the
apple trees to the south. The Hall has officially been
designated as a Municipal Heritage Site. It serves the
community as the focal and social center of Storybrooke"
- CREW NAMES ON PROPS: David H. Goodman is an Executive Producer and writer for the show, and Neil Westlake is a graphic designer and production staff member on the show. Neil Westlake's name appears on several props throughout the show:
- As a complainant in a police report in the Season One episode "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."[42]
- As a land surveyor on a document in the Season One episode "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree."[43]
- As a photographer on the front page of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror in the Season one episode "The Stable Boy."[44]
- As one of the reviewers on the book blurb for Isaac's novel Heroes and Villains in part one of the Season Four finale, "Operation Mongoose Part 1."[45]
- As the name of the author of the book Robin Hood: Myth and Legend in the following episode, "Only You,"[46] and the Season Seven episode "The Girl in the Tower."[47]
- The sign is adapted, with illustrations and everything, from the real sign outside Fort Langley Community Hall in Fort Langley, the building that doubles as Storybrooke Town Hall for the show.[48] The real-life version, which features drawings of maple trees rather than the apple tree that emblazons the Storybrooke version, reads:[49]
founded by the Fort Langley Women's Institute in 1924 in
order to build the Community Hall. The building was
completed in 1931. The architect was Archibald Campbell
Hope brother of Fort Langley entrepreneur Charles Hope.
The hall was built and continues to be owned and maintained
by society volunteers. The maple trees were planted by
members of the society; men planted the trees on the north
and women planted the trees on the south. The Hall was
officially designated as a Municipal Heritage Site in 1979. It
serves the community as the focal and social center of Fort
Langley and is available for rental for special events.
Costume Notes
- HIDDEN DETAILS: When Hook returns to the world of the living,[50] he is wearing the same outfit and jewelry that he was wearing when he died in "Swan Song";[51] his Dark One outfit. When Emma healed his injuries in "The Brothers Jones,"[52] his outfit changed into the one he was wearing before he was a Dark One, but when he is brought back to life, he is wearing the same outfit that he died in.
- BRAND INFO: Mary Margaret is wearing[53] an Aritzia Diamond Mosaic Blanket shawl in Birch/Light Grey.[54]
- The outfit Regina is wearing[55] at Robin Hood's funeral is a homage to the style of Alexis Carrington from the television show Dynasty.[56]
Filming Locations
- RECYCLED SET: Some scenes in this episode were filmed at the Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia,[57] a location which has been used in numerous movies and television shows.[58] The tunnels below the hospital double as the secret tunnel beneath the Storybrooke Town Hall,[59] while the scenes at the graveyard were filmed on a set created outdoors.[60]
- The Riverview Hospital also doubles as the Storybrooke General Hospital for the show.[61]
- The same building doubles as Hancock County Courthouse for the previous episode, "Firebird."[62] If you watch the entrance to the courthouse,[63] you can see that it's a redressed version of the hospital entrance from the Season One episode "The Return."[64]
- It also doubles as the Hyperion Heights Hospital for the Season Seven episode "Secret Garden."[65]
International Titles
International Titles | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Title | Translation |
French | "Le Cristal de l'Olympe" | "The Olympian Crystal" |
German | "Götter töten, Götter helfen" | "Gods kill, Gods help" |
Italian | "Gli ultimi riti" | "Last Rites" |
Portuguese | "Extrema-unção" | "Extreme unction" |
Spanish | "Los Últimos Ritos" | "The Last Rites" |
Videos
References
Notes
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