Because, I’m the Dark One.

OH MY are we finally returning to the Once Upon a Time that captured our attention but with something more now that Emma has become the Dark one. I was expecting this season to be a good one, but now that we’ve gotten right into the action, it seems that it will be better than we thought.

*spoilers, of course*

I’m so happy to say how awesome the first episode of the season was. It wasn’t perfect, but there’s still so much to rave about.

We start out in Minneapolis 1989 where a young Emma is seeing The Sword in the Stone (very fitting) when a strange usher comes up to her who is obviously someone from Camelot (if you’ve seen the casting you know he’s Merlin.) He stops Emma from stealing some candy (and yet it did not apply to her later in life) while also telling her to “leave the sword alone.”

Now we’re in Camelot where a living Lancelot and Arthur are after Excalibur. A fellow knight tries to grab the sword but is crushed to dust. Arthur pulls the sword out to find part of it is missing. Where is it?

This part I’m still geeking out about. The screen then goes back to Storybrooke where the Dark One’s dagger (with Emma’s name on it) is laying on the road. The dagger is part of Excalibur! I’ll give Once credit for still pulling out those damn twists because that was a good one. What does this mean for Emma or even Arthur looking for it? We’ll find out.

Hook is trying to summon Emma with the dagger but they realize Emma is no longer in their world. Instead she’s back in the Enchanted Forest where darkness is born. This is where we meet an older Merida. Her father has passed and she is now ruling the kingdom, but not many people are happy that a girl is (of course.) She and Emma are both after the Will O’ Wisp that can answer their questions. Emma wants to kill Merida thanks to her hallucination of Rumple, but doesn’t.

Back in Storybrooke Hook and Regina are at each others throats, David has yet to have a damn line, and Snow is still reminding us that Emma is her daughter (yes we freaking know.) The Apprentice gives them a wand that could take them across realms but someone with darkness has to use it. Regina tries but she’s too good now so they want to use Zelena. After a whole getting Zelena out thing, she opens the portal, but Regina tricked her so they’re able to use it to get to Camelot.

This next part made me laugh. They want to use Granny’s Diner to travel through the portal when some of the dwarves come in, complaining they have been on the side lines recently and want in on the action. It’s funny because I recently said in a post the side characters (dwarves, Granny, etc.) have barely been there. At least the writers also know they’ve been ignoring them for too long.

The group is able to find Emma before she crushes Merida’s heart and tell her they will help get the darkness out. Emma then gives Regina the dagger, “I saved you, now save me.” I’m sure the Swan Queen shippers are going nuts at this point. Any way, Emma says Regina will have to be the one to kill her if things get out of hand, knowing Regina could do it (but could she? Regina def. seems to care about Emma a lot.)

This is when King Arthur comes by although not surprised Emma is there. Apparently Merlin prophesied them coming and Emma would help them reunite with Merlin. Everyone (Granny, Zelena, the dwarves too) go to Camelot.

Finally “Six Weeks Later” shows up across the screen and the diner has returned to Storybrooke with everyone dressed in Camelot clothing. Sneezy comes in to tell them they’ve been gone for six weeks, but all they remember is walking into Camelot (yes their memories have been wiped, again.) At first Emma is missing, but then we see her in the doorway looking rather dark in her clothing.

They didn’t get the darkness out of her and Emma obviously embraced it. She turns Sneezy to stone to show how dark she is (you know she could have killed him.) Regina tries using the dagger, but Emma has it now. Emma’s plan is to punish everyone for not saving her and says, “There’s no savior in this town anymore.”

Why is Emma doing this? Well, because she’s the Dark One.

Wow that was good. I was surprised how much better it was than what I thought. We’re getting right into it, no waiting for Emma to turn dark, she’s already there. I’m assuming we’ll get flashbacks throughout the season of how they failed to save Emma while still being in Storybrooke and Emma is punishing them. In previews it looks like Regina is trying to be the new savior (!)

There were times it was a bit meh. Snow and David were kind of thrown in the back. Like I said, David barely had any lines and all Snow does is remind us Emma is her daughter. Also, it seems that Emma spends too much time with Hook and less with her parents. When she’s reunited with them I thought Emma would run to her parents, but instead goes to Hook. It’s like Snow tells us Emma is her daughter so we’re reminded she is, because based on actions, you wouldn’t believe it.

I’m also over the whole Zelena storyline. I’m sure many people like her, but after the whole thing with Robin, neither of them are on my good side. Robin was too willing to hook up with his wife despite having feelings for Regina and yet says he wasn’t willing. Shouldn’t that classify as rape? He didn’t consent to sex with Zelena, but don’t worry neither of them enjoyed it so it’s okay. Every time I see Robin with Regina I just roll my eyes. Last season I loved them together, but now…

Overall, I liked the episode. It’s awesome seeing Merida there and hopefully she’ll be back. Also the Camelot stuff I’m excited about. What happened for Emma to turn dark? Why couldn’t they save her? Oh it was so cool seeing Emma as the Dark One at the end.

We’ll see how this season goes. How long will Emma be dark? (Hopefully longer than Dean was in Supernatural.) How can they possibly help her without Merlin and where the hell is he? Still ushering people at movie theaters?

And will Snow continue to remind us Emma is her freaking daughter?