"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
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 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.
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
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Trivia
Title
- The title card features the Underworld's fallen clock tower.[3]
- The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on October 29, 2015.[4]
- MUSICAL INSPIRATION: Adam Horowitz is a fan of the singer Bruce Springsteen.[5] This episode shares its name with a song from the rock star's 1992 album Lucky Town.
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
- The Enchanted Forest flashbacks occur after "Lost Girl" and before "Hat Trick." (For more details, see the Enchanted Forest timeline)
- These events take place on the Evil Queen's birthday, on February 1.[14]
- The Storybrooke quick-scene take place during "Swan Song," before the group's departure for the Underworld. (For more details, see the Land Without Magic timeline)
- The Underworld events take place after Hook's death in "Swan Song," and before "Labor of Love."
Episode Connections
- Neal sacrificed himself in "Quiet Minds."
- Neal surprises Emma by popping up in the backseat of the car, exactly like he did when they first met in "Tallahassee."
- When Emma asks Neal "Am I dreaming?" he responds "No. If this were a dream, there'd be, like, talking doughnuts or something weird like that." In the Season Six episode, The Black Fairy, when Emma enters the Dream Realm with Rumplestiltskin she says she thought there would be "talking doughnuts or something."
- Emma and her family traveled to the Underworld in "Swan Song." They leave the Underworld in "Firebird."
- Emma wants to split her heart and give it to Hook in order to save him. This plan was first established in "Swan Song."
- Emma killed Cruella De Vil in "Sympathy for the De Vil."
- The Blind Witch was killed by the Evil Queen in "True North."
- Prince James was killed by Behemoth in "The Shepherd."
- Prince James is mistaken for David in this episode. David was previously mistaken for James in "Tiny."
- Neal's room key number is 8. Neal previously stayed at room number 8 at the inn,[15] which was established in "The Evil Queen."
- Cora killed Daniel in "The Stable Boy."
- The mirror Cora comes out of,[16] is the same mirror that Regina sent her through in "We Are Both."[17]
- Peter Pan was killed by Mr. Gold in "Going Home."
- It was revealed that Peter Pan was Rumplestiltskin's father in "Think Lovely Thoughts"
- Peter Pan mentions his last words to Mr. Gold before their deaths in "Going Home."
- The reason why the Underworld looks like Storybrooke is revealed in "Our Decay."
- Cora was previously killed by Mary Margaret in "The Miller's Daughter."
- The Valet was killed by Regina in "The Thing You Love Most."
- After the Valet is taken prisoner by Cora, the Evil Queen travels to Wonderland to rescue him, an event shown in "Hat Trick."
- Merida had previously used the Ale of Seonaidh in "The Bear King."
- Hook escapes from captivity in "Devil's Due."
- Cora and Regina mention Cora's last words before she died in "The Miller's Daughter."
- This is the second time that Cora visits her daughter Regina. The first time was in "Mother."
- The Magic Mirror tells the Evil Queen, "You always have me," an event shown in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree."
- The war between the Evil Queen and Snow White began in "Lost Girl."
- This is not the first time that the Evil Queen visits a village to learn Snow White's whereabouts. She did it again in "The Evil Queen," "Snow Drifts" and "Page 23."
- When Regina decides to stay in Underbrooke, the fallen clock tower begins to tick. The same event happened with Emma in "Pilot" when she decided to stay in Storybrooke.
- Hades turns Cora into a miller, just like how she was in "The Miller's Daughter."
Biblical
- Several of the headstones in the Underworld cemetery are shaped like a Christian cross.[18]
Disney
- Hades' hair turns to blue flames just like in the Disney film Hercules.
- This episode contains a number of other references to Disney works. See the list of Disney references for more.
Lost
- Neal's room key number is 8,[19] the second Lost number.
- This episode contains a number of other references to ABC's Lost. See the list of Lost references for more.
Fairytales and Folklore
- This episode features the ugly duckling from the titular fairytale, Charon and Hades from Greek mythology, Snow White, the prince, the evil queen, the magic mirror and the seven dwarves from the "Snow White" fairytale, the miller's daughter from the "Rumpelstiltskin" fairytale who also serves as the Queen of Hearts from the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story, the prince from The Prince and the Pauper story, Captain Hook and Peter Pan from the Peter Pan story, the witch from the "Hansel and Gretel" fairytale, Robin Hood from the ballads, Cruella De Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians story, and the talking Cricket from The Adventures of Pinocchio.
- This episode introduces the Underworld from Greek mythology. The five rivers of the Greek underworld can be seen in Hades' lair.
- 🍎 APPLES: A girl presents the evil queen with a blueberry pie, but the evil queen says that she prefers apple, a reference to the evil queen's weapon of choice in the fairytale. Also, while the queen is sitting alone at the table in her dining room, she is playing with the red apples in the fruit bowl.
- Prince Henry addresses the magic mirror as "Mirror, mirror on the wall," just like the evil queen's does in the "Snow White" fairytale.
- Cora leaves Wonderland by passing through a looking glass, just like Alice does to enter the looking-glass world in the novel Through the Looking-Glass.
- Emma uses ale of Seonaidh to try to contact Hook. Seonaidh is a Celtic water spirit from the Isle of Lewis, who had to be offered a cup of ale in hope of prosperity in the forthcoming year.
- When Henry names Operation Firebird, Emma wonders if he is referring to the mythological bird; a reference to the firebird from Slavic mythology.
- HIDDEN DETAILS: This episode features the first view of the flags in Hades' lair, one of which shows Cerberus,[20] the three-headed dog from Greek mythology.
Popular Culture
- While walking through the Underworld for the first time, Regina says, "I don't think we're in Maine anymore," a reference to 1939 film The Wonderful Wizard Oz where Dorothy says, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
- When Henry names Operation Firebird, Emma wonders if he is referring to the "muscle car"; a reference to the Pontiac Firebird automobile.
- ♫ MUSIC: The violin music playing in Hades' lair is Niccolò Paganini's composition "Violin Concerto No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7, Ms 48." He also says to Cora that he wouldn't expect a miller's daughter to "appreciate a virtuoso like Paganini."
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
- HIDDEN DETAILS: The apples in Cora's office in the Underbrooke Town Hall are black,[26] instead of Regina's red ones.[27]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: In the Season Four episode "The Apprentice," it was revealed that Mr. Gold kept Hook's severed hand in his pawnshop. In the Underbrooke version of the pawnshop, a severed hand can be seen lying on a pedestal.[28] It can also be seen in "Firebird."[29]
- A severed hand was also sitting on a shelf in the real pawnshop in the Season Two episode "The Outsider," while Mr. Gold conversed with Belle on the phone.[30]
- A severed hand was also on a pedestal in Rumplestiltskin's castle in the Season One episode "Skin Deep." The hand is most noticeable when Belle walks away from the cupboard after she takes out the vase.[31]
- It can also be spotted in the background when Emma and Hook return to the castle in the Season Three finale "There's No Place Like Home,"[32] when Ingrid and her sisters pay a visit to Rumplestiltskin in the Season Four episode "The Snow Queen,"[33] in Belle's dream in the Season Six premiere "The Savior"[34] and when Rumplestiltskin shows up with Jack and Jill's infant son in the Season Six episode "Changelings."[35]
- The prop hand can be seen in close-up on a Flickr set photograph from the pawnshop set from Season Five.[36]
- REUSED PROPS: As Snow White and her friends are celebrating, the sign on the building behind them[37] is decorated with a face made of leaves (an ornamental motif known as a Green Man). It is the same sign that was used for the tavern where Queen Regina found her soulmate in the Season Three episode "Quite a Common Fairy,"[38] and the tavern Robin Hood takes her to in Isaac's storybook in the Season Four episode "Operation Mongoose Part 1."[39]
- 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]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: There is a statue of an eagle in Hades' lair.[41] The eagle is the symbol of Zeus, who is Hades' brother in Greek mythology and on the show.
- HIDDEN DETAILS: Cerberus is pictured on a flag in Hades' lair.[42]
Costume Notes
- SECONDHAND CLOTHING: One of the villagers[43] is wearing the same cape that Grace wore in the Season One episode "Hat Trick."[44]
- SECONDHAND CLOTHING: Blacktooth's coat[45] is the same garment worn by Malcolm in the Season Three episodes "Think Lovely Thoughts"[46] and "Going Home."[47]
- BRAND INFO: The necklace and earrings the Evil Queen is wearing during her birthday party[48] are a LuLu Frost black Radiant Necklace[49] and black Radiant Earrings[50] (both are no longer available).
Filming Locations
- Although Emma's dream/vision with Neal was filmed indoors on a soundstage,[6] Vancouver's Playland amusement park was used as a background plate. The roller coaster "The Revelation" can be seen in the background.[51]
- RECYCLED SET: The scene with Emma and Neal at the Portland amusement park in the Season Three finale "There's No Place Like Home,"[52] and the scene with Ingrid and young Emma at the Minnesota funfair in the Season Four episode "Shattered Sight,"[53] were filmed in the same amusement park.
- The scene where Cora exits the looking glass was filmed on a green screen stage at The Bridge Studios.[7]
- Vancouver's Stanley Park doubles as the Enchanted Forest for the scene where Snow White, Charming and the dwarves "celebrate" the Evil Queen's birthday.[54]
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
International Titles | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Title | Translation |
Finnish | "Keskeneräisiä asioita" | "Unfinished Business" |
French | "Une Chance de Rédemption" | "A Chance at Redemption" |
German | "Hades und die Seelen der Verstorbenen" | "Hades and the Souls of the Deceased" |
Italian | "Le anime dei defunti" | "Souls of the Departed" |
Portuguese | "Almas dos que partiram" | "Souls of those who have departed" |
Spanish | "Las Almas de los Difuntos" | "Souls of the Departed" |
Videos
References
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