Subtitle: Emma’s issues on parade
Everything Emma does in this episode is in character. Especially given the earlier assertion that being the Dark One makes her the Most Herself. This is Extreme Emma but it is 1000% Emma.
In Storybrooke of the Present Emma:
1. Saves Hook from Evil Arthur with Excalibur.
Emma is always a Gryffindor and now she has a sword with her name on it. The theatrics are the Dark One but the saving-people-thing is all Emma.
2. Speeds up Zelena’s pregnancy so she use Zelena as a vessel to store all her Darkness.
Remember how Emma spent most of the second half of last season mad at her parents for storing all of her Darkness in an innocent baby? Here Emma chooses an Evil adult for Dark storage and ‘saves’ an innocent baby in the process. Of course it is all from her point of view: Emma uses the fact that Zelena killed Neal to justify her choice and the removal of Evil from the universe (lol, ok) to justify her actions. This is all Emma Logic (and OUAT Logic).
In Camelot of the Recent Past Emma:
1. Saves Snow, Charming, Hook, Regina and Merlin from Evil Arthur and Zelena with (Dark?) Magic.
Emma is always a Gryffindor. And she believes in herself. It is her biggest strength – and here she is able to free Merlin’s mind as well as all her trapped friends with little more than willpower – and her biggest weakness.
2. Turns Hook into a Dark One in order to save his life.
Two things happen immediately after Emma decides to make a life with Hook. First, her flame in a box ignites and she is able to reforge Excalibur. Second, Hook collapses with what Merlin confirms is a magical and fatal wound.
Remember when Emma chose to pursue a relationship with Graham and then he immediately died? Remember when Emma told Neal she loves him and he immediately died? And that happened twice? Remember when Emma told Hook she was afraid to pursue a relationship with him because the men she loves die? Emma Swan, hyped up on Dark Powers, is not going to let the man she loves die again.
This decision has nothing whatsoever to do with Hook or what Hook wants. He explicitly says not to do it, to let him go. He has spent hundreds of years pursuing The Dark One, dedicated his life to killing The Dark One, he hates The Dark One. Emma doesn’t care. She’s not thinking about Hook, she’s thinking about Emma. Lonely Lost Girl Emma who lost her parents and August and Lily and Ingrid and Neal (a total of three times) and Henry and Graham and Walsh and her memories and her identity and her Light and she couldn’t stop it before but she can this time and she will and she does.
Etc:
- Hook throws himself from a roof to get Emma’s attention which is, um, not good. Like Romeo and Juliet suicide is not romantic levels of not good.
- Belle’s Amazing Ability to Book misleads the heroes and the audience and I think that is actually wonderful? It’s so much her thing it can be used as a distraction!
- Robin Hood’s daughter should be named Gwyn and should be baby Prince Phllip’s True Love™.
- Dr. Whale tho:
I missed you, bb.
- Regina supports and encourages Emma through verbal abuse which says everything you ever needed to know about Regina’s upbringing and experience with friendship.
- So…..what happened to Merlin???
- Pink camellias represent longing and devotion…
