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They're not the dearly departed. They are dead, wretched souls.

Mr. Gold


"Souls of the Departed" is the twelfth episode of Season Five of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It is the one hundredth episode of the series overall, and premiered on March 6, 2016.

Synopsis

Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Robin, Henry and Gold arrive in the Underworld, on a mission to rescue Hook, only to discover that their search will be more difficult than they had anticipated. The inhabitants of the Underworld—all souls with unfinished business and many with quite personal vendettas—hound our heroes at every turn. Meanwhile, in an Enchanted Forest flashback, a familiar face from the Evil Queen's past returns to present Regina with the perfect birthday gift.[2]

Recap

This section is a detailed recap of this episode. There are major spoilers. Click to expand.
In the Past

In the Enchanted Forest, Prince Henry is trying to convince his daughter, Regina, still after Snow White's heart, to give up vengeance, but she is unable to let go of her anger. He turns to the Magic Mirror in desperation to speak with Cora, believing that the best way to force Regina to get over Snow White is to just help her complete her plot, which Prince Henry is not in favor of. Unknown to Prince Henry and Regina, Cora has managed to enter the realm of the Enchanted Forest through the mirror again. Later on, Prince Henry meets with Snow White in the woods. The real Prince Henry comes up behind her, and Snow realizes that the first Prince Henry was actually Cora, who rips out her heart while she is distracted. Cora takes Snow's heart to Regina as a birthday present, only to then learn that Snow's heart was switched out with that of a guard. It turned out that Prince Henry saved Snow White by switching the hearts. A furious Regina then shrinks her father and condemns him into the very box that was holding the heart. Regina confronts Cora and sends her mother back into the mirror and seals it forever. At the last minute Cora takes the box containing her husband so Regina will be truly alone.

In the Underworld

In what appears to be a dream, Emma wakes up in a car and is greeted by Neal, who tells her that he's just sending her a "long distance call from an old friend." He explains that he personally isn't in the Underworld, as it is only for those who have unfinished business, and that once they arrive, it's very hard to leave. Neal warns Emma not to go, but she refuses to listen to his advice and he knew she would and so he tells her he loves her and kisses her goodbye on the forehead and Emma wakes up. As Emma, Gold, Mary Margaret, David, Henry, Regina, and Robin Hood arrive in the Underworld in their quest to find Hook, the ensemble comes across a brimstone-hued version of Storybrooke. Gold tells them that every soul with unfinished business lives here until it is fulfilled, and since they have arrived that means they are ready to finish it as they were responsible, as Emma sees Cruella's car that serves as an example.

As they split up Regina and Robin are being followed by a resident, the person that Regina choked back in the Enchanted Forest, who leads them to Cora, who is the mayor of the Underworld Storybrooke. Cora offers Regina a way out, telling her she has one hour to leave on the ferry with Henry and Robin. She then takes Regina to a ledge over the Phlegethon, the River of Fire. She threatens to send Regina's father to the worse place if Regina does not comply, and she uses her messenger as an example by sending him off into the flames. Around the same time, Mary Margaret enters an Underworld version of Granny's and is recognized by the Blind Witch by her smell, and is then encountered by David wearing different clothes and proceeds to kiss her, as she realizes it's James, who is the "Sheriff" in this world. Gold goes to the Underworld version of his pawn shop and encounters his father Malcolm, whose soul must live as Peter Pan. Knowing already what Gold wants, Pan is willing to make a deal with no strings attached. However, he urges Gold to leave the Underworld, telling him that the others aren't his real friends, but Gold ignores his plea, accepting some sort of potion. Pan ominously adds that he himself would be able to leave, if only he could trade places with a living soul, although Gold refuses this. As everyone meets up again, Regina tells the others about Cora's warning, while Gold gives Emma the potion he obtained, which is from DunBroch, and can be used to summon the dead by pouring it over someone's grave. Gold explains it can be used to summon Hook and ask him where he is, but will not join them as he has decided that he is returning to Storybrooke.

The group travels to the site of Hook's grave everyone in the underworld has a grave site and Emma pours the ale of Seonaidh potion on the ground but lacks the power to bring him back, although they get a glimpse of an injured Hook before the potion wears off. Regina uses the potion and finds the soul of her father Prince Henry. Prince Henry tells Regina she has come too far to betray her friends now and tells her she must stay. Regina races to the banishment site with Henry as Cora attempts to banish the elder Henry, only to see the flames die down and a pathway to heaven open up. Since Regina has chosen to stay, remain a hero, and is no longer under the influence of her mother, Prince Henry's unfinished business is resolved. With his soul at peace, he is accepted into "a better place," and departs the Underworld after saying goodbye to Regina and Henry, who meets his namesake for the first time. The heroes realize they could potentially rescue all the souls here, and continue their quest to find Hook with this in mind. Cora meets with the ruler of the Underworld, Hades, who wishes the heroes gone, and the clock on the broken tower will tick each time a soul leaves the Underworld, so he punishes Cora for her failure with an eternity as a miller's daughter once again.

This episode summary is adapted from Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


Deleted Scenes

"Another Option"

This scene is included on Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fifth Season.

As Regina, Robin and Henry arrive at the docks with the others to leave the Underworld, Regina admits that she doesn't want to leave them, which makes Mary Margaret become upset and hug her. As they walk, Henry tells Regina that her father is the only person she ever loved once and that now she's trying to make up for she did to him, which Regina says that what she did she can never make up for. Henry then asks her why he is named after her father. Regina explains that it was never about her, it's about her father himself. Out of all of her bad life, her father is the only person who believed in her and gave her hope. And Henry showed her that she can find happiness again, just like her father did. After a brief moment, she decides to not leave, because that's exactly what her mother wants. After they hug, Regina explains that she's helping her new family.

Cast[2]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Uncredited


Trivia

Title

Production Notes

  • The opening scene with Neal was not filmed during the original filming schedule of this episode, which occurred in November 2015. Instead, Michael Raymond-James filmed his scene indoors on a soundstage three months later in January 2016. The actor went through great lengths to keep his return a secret.[6]
  • HIDDEN DETAILS: The birthday theme of the episode's flashback is in celebration of the show's 100th episode anniversary.
  • CUT CONTENT: A segment where Cora picks up and holds a black flower from Regina's vanity table after she comes through the looking glass (the same flower Regina was holding and put on the table at the start of the scene), was deleted from the episode.[7]
  • CAST NOTES: Jiminy Cricket appears in this episode, but Raphael Sbarge did not return to voice him.
  • The idea of Hades getting a pedicure was pitched by Greg Germann.[8]
  • HIDDEN DETAILS: The floor in Hades' lair has a pentacle motif.[9] The edges show the pitchfork-like motif from one of the flags in the lair.[10] The floor of the Ambrosia Temple from "Firebird" has the same design.[11]
  • REAL WORLD FACTS: Fittingly enough, the pentacle and the pentagram are often associated with evil and the devil. However, they are also seen as positive and spiritual images. These symbols have been used by major world religions, and can be found in ancient scriptures of Christianity and even Judaism. In earlier times, Christians have widely used the pentagram as a personal charm and a protective amulet, and at one time, the pentagram was used to symbolize the five wounds of Jesus when he was hanged on the cross. The pentagram and the pentacle have also been used by occult faiths and magicians, and today, the pentagram is used as a symbol for Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. It is also said that the five points of the pentagram represent the five elements, fire, earth, water, air and spirit.[12]
  • The platform over the River of Lost Souls from "Devil's Due" is also shaped like a pentacle.[13]

Event Chronology

Episode Connections

Biblical

Disney

Lost

Fairytales and Folklore

Popular Culture

  • HIDDEN DETAILS: Paganini[21] (or his mother)[22] was often thought to have "sold his soul" to the Devil, due to his extraordinary talent.

Props Notes

  • HIDDEN DETAILS: If you look at the villagers standing in line, you can see that all of them are holding birthday presents for the Evil Queen.[23]
  • HIDDEN DETAILS: The frosting on the Evil Queen's birthday cake[24] shows a crown and Regina's coat of arms.[25]

Set Dressing

  • The same sign appears on a drawing on the bulletin board that David puts together when investigating his father's death in the Season Six episode "Murder Most Foul."[40]

Costume Notes

Filming Locations

Goofs

  • In the close-up of the Blind Witch's eyes, you can see the contact lenses used to hide the actor' pupils.[55]

International Titles


Videos

References

  1. Porter, Rick (March 8, 2016). Sunday final ratings: 'Madam Secretary' adjusts down. TV by the Numbers. “Once Upon a Time (ABC) (...) 4.01”
  2. 2.0 2.1 LISTINGS: ONCE UPON A TIME. The Futon Critic. “Air Date: Sunday, March 06, 2016. Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST on ABC. Episode Title: (#512) "Souls of the Departed"”
  3. File:512Title.png
  4. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Here's another #OnceUponATime #titlespoiler -- it's a special one -- #100thEpisode -- hope to see ya Sunday! (October 29, 2015). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  5. Dove, Steve. Storybrooke Secrets: Welcome to Storybrooke. ABC. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. “And while Owen is a Star Wars fan, his dad Kurt later tells Regina he's from "New Jersey, home of the Boss." Adam Horowitz is a big fan of Bruce Springsteen.”
  6. 6.0 6.1 Blind Item: Which Drama Is Plotting an Actor's Improbable, Surprise Return?. TVLine (January 22, 2016). “Although a cynical few might have thought such a homecoming would never happen, the truth is that the returning star quite enthusiastically went to great lengths to disguise his/her identity while en route to the set, where the hush-hush scenes were filmed under close guard, and strictly indoors.”

    Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 22, 2016). Once Upon a Time Season 5B Brings Back Michael Raymond-James as Neal. TVLine. “As teased by this TVLine Blind Item, Raymond-James last month sneaked back to Vancouver to shoot a scene for the Season 5B premiere (airing Sunday, March 6 on ABC), in which Neal's one true love Emma braves the Underworld… to save freshly deceased Hook's life. And when we say he "sneaked," we mean it. I hear that because of the mutual admiration he shares with Once creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, MRJ gamely traveled with a group and incognito, especially as he deplaned in Vancouver. And rather than hole up at one of the usual hotels where guest actors passing through town are spied on the regular, he bunked with friends outside of the city. As a final safeguard, Raymond-James' scenes were filmed indoors on a soundstage — away from the ever-looming paparazzi known to spoil many an outdoor shoot.”
  7. 7.0 7.1 InstagramIcon Craig Clarke (@vfxsup) on Instagram: Behind the boom on Barbara Hershey ;) (Bridge Studios) (November 25, 2018). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  8. Nilles, Billy. Once Upon a Time's Greg Germann Teases Hades' Surprisingly Electric Love Connection. E!. “But for now, he's just enjoying getting to put his spin on a character that dates back to Greek mythology—a spin that began with that surprising pedicure in his first episode. "I called up Adam and Eddy and I said, 'You know, this is where I live. I think I should be doing something that Hades has done, like maybe he's getting a pedicure.' They jumped on that idea and so, it's things like that. They're really open to that," he shared.”
  9. File:512CoraLeaves.png
  10. File:520SheDied.png
  11. File:520CutTree.png
  12. Difference Between Pentacle and Pentagram. DifferenceBetween.com. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
    Kraig, Donald Michael (June 4, 2010). Is the Inverted Pentagram Evil or Satanic?. Llewellyn Unbound.
  13. File:514ReachTheWater.png
  14. TwitterLogo Lana Parrilla (@LanaParrilla) on X, formerly Twitter: @TigeyGirl She's an Aquarius Feb 1st #OnceUponATime #PanNeverFails #EvilRegals (December 15, 2013). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  15. File:220LikeYoureBored.png
  16. File:512ThroughTheLookingGlass.png
  17. File:202Push.png
  18. File:512Waiting.png
  19. File:512Room8.png
  20. File:512DidYouHear.png
  21. Goran Blazeski. Niccolo Paganini the violin virtuoso was so good that people thought he sold his soul to the devil. The Vintage News. Retrieved on August 10, 2020. “[...] There were many extraordinary violinists in the 19th century but Paganini was so beyond his peers that it was rumored by his contemporaries that he had sold his soul to the devil.”
  22. Melissa Blevins. A Violinist and the Devil. Today I Found Out. Retrieved on August 10, 2020. “[...] It is said that Paganini’s mother had her heart set on him becoming a famous violinist, and from this, a rumor later arose that she had made a deal with the Devil, trading her son’s soul for the chance to be the greatest in history.”
  23. File:512ShesBeenHere.png
  24. File:512BirthdayCake.png
  25. File:116ClearTheRoads.png
  26. File:512Teleported.png
  27. File:422TheseStories.png
  28. File:512GoesToSafe2.png
  29. File:520GoodbyePapa.png
  30. File:211YoureBreakingUp.png
  31. File:112WhenYouArrived.png
  32. File:322TeleportedAway.png
  33. File:407IcePowersYouSay.png
  34. File:601ThereWasASon.png
  35. File:609WhyWouldI.png
  36. FlickrIconTemplate Lawrence Andreutti. IMG_2447 (March 5, 2016).  (archive copy)
    FlickrIconTemplate Lawrence Andreutti. Creation Once Upon a Time Set Tour March 5, 2016 (March 5, 2016).  (archive copy) (archive copy part 2)
  37. File:512ToTheQueen.png
  38. File:303LookingThroughWindow.png
  39. File:421ReginaLeavesTavern.png
  40. File:612TellMeIfYou.png
  41. File:512DidYouHear.png
  42. File:512DidYouHear.png
    File:513OneOfThem.png
  43. File:512MyQueen.png
    File:512ICanHelpYou.png
  44. File:117NoseOfYours.png
  45. File:512ICanHelpYou.png
    File:512SomethingInReturn.png
  46. File:308LookAfterYou.png
    File:308FatherYouNeedMeToBe.png
  47. File:311TransformedBack.png
  48. File:512AmusingJester.png
    File:512HeartCrushing.png
  49. RADIANT NECKLACE - BLACK. LuLu Frost. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved on November 29, 2018.
  50. RADIANT EARRING - BLACK. LuLu Frost. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved on January 28, 2019.
  51. File:512IAlwaysWill.png
    Revelation. Theme Park Archive. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  52. File:322HopOn.png
    'Wave Swinger' Amusement Park Ride at Playland, Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), Vancouver, BC, British Columbia, Canada. Alamy. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  53. Gittins, Susan (October 21, 2014). SHOOT: ONCE UPON A TIME Goes Back to the 1980s with the Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) in Gastown Tonight. Hollywood North Buzz. “Is Salmgundi in Gastown a 1980s/1990s flashback like earlier scenes on Granville Street [when the Snow Queen arrives in Boston], at the Playland amusement park [with Mitchell as Sarah Fisher and teen Emma] and at a bus stop in east Vancouver [with Mitchell as Sarah Fisher and teen Emma].”
  54. InstagramIcon Craig Clarke (@vfxsup) on Instagram: just another crazy night shooting on location ;) (Stanley Park) (November 25, 2018). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  55. File:512BlindWitchEyes.png

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