In a strange coincidence, two shows have named their title “Swan Song” and ended with some pretty important characters in hell.

*major spoilers, of course*

With the past Dark Ones returning I wasn’t sure how this would end and I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this.

The Dark Ones have returned but not 100%. In order for them to become their alive selves they must trade places with someone living, so most of our main characters were marked for death. According to Rumple, there is no way out of it and the Underworld is calling their names.

Emma breaks down over the thought of losing her family and decides to do something about it. She plans on sacrificing herself and becoming the Darkness “vessel.” But first she has to get to Hook who isn’t so easy  to persuade anymore. He’s so hell bent on getting revenge and doesn’t care that he’s sending lots of people he cares about to hell.

Meanwhile Regina knows a secret about Hook that no one else does. Before the curse was enacted, she went to Hook and wanted him to kill her mother (which is when they eventually became allies.) Before that she wanted him to kill someone else to prove himself…that person being his father. Wait Hook’s father is still alive? Apparently like father like son because he too found a way to cheat death.

When Hook and his brother Liam were young boys their father sold them and Hook is more than willing to get his revenge, until his father tells him about meeting his true love and Hook sympathizes with this after losing his true love not that long ago. He agrees to get his father out of there so Regina thinks he’s dead, but his father admits he has another son.

To be honest I thought this son would be someone we already know (because on Once it happens all the time) but instead he was named Liam and this angers Hook. Why name your new son after the one you gave up? It is like a kick to the balls and Hook kills his father, believing he never changed.

Meanwhile, Regina is getting rid of Zelena by sending her back to Oz after she threatens to take her baby after they die. Zelena, not being my favorite person at all, is gone and I’m pretty happy about it. However, why do I get the feeling she might have been transported somewhere else?

With seconds to spare, Emma gets to her family before they’re about to be sent to the Underworld. She tries to get to Hook, telling him this isn’t the man he became. And when Nimue shuts Emma up by choking her this gets to Hook and he commands Nimue to let her go. I guess seeing his true love being hurt while thinking about what he did to his father and remembering that Emma was the reason he gave up being that person changed his heart.

Hook decides to tell Emma to kill him and in a very emotional scene, Emma does. Not going to lie I was crying through most of it. Not only are these two characters I care deeply for but they’re also one of my favorite couples and Emma got the real Hook back before he died. The darkness was taken out of Emma, who returned to her normal self, and Killian is gone. Damn. I did learn before watching the episode someone was going to die and with the flashbacks to Hook I figured it would be him, but it still wasn’t easy to watch.

Oh yeah there were some moments between Rumple and Belle when she forgave him and realized he changed, but this happened after Hook’s body was taken away and I wasn’t for it that. To me their relationship is so messed up and I just feel Belle deserves better even if Rumple has changed…which he hasn’t.

Emma seems to hear something: the dagger and she doesn’t get why because Excalibur was destroyed after killing Hook. She figures out it’s in Rumple’s shop and he confesses he has it. Emma doesn’t understand why but we get the big reveal: Rumple is the Dark One again.

Before Emma used the sword to kill Hook Rumple used a spell to switch out blades and instead of the Darkness being destroyed when killing Hook, it was sent into him. Of course this pisses Emma (and everyone else) off. She threatens to tell Belle and makes Rumple tell her how she can save Hook.

And how can she save Hook? By going to freaking Hell. My god we’re getting into Supernatural territory now.

They all meet at the lake and Emma, Rumple, Snow, Charming, Henry, Regina, and Robin are going to Hell. Oh my god this is actually happening. That wasn’t an ending I was expecting. After every mid season or season finale we’re introduced to a new villain or new world the characters will go to but this? This wasn’t even on my mind.

Apparently casting Hercules and Megara is making sense now. Oh! Are we going to be introduced to more Greek Gods? I’m sure Hades will be there but Zeus?

And! Hell is Storybrooke in the Underworld and it looks like many people we believed to be dead are there too. We’re talking Peter Pan, Corra, and the Blind Witch who was from the first season. And I’m sure there’s more surprises to come.

I did find it ironic they spent the whole episode trying to stay out of Hell and now everyone is willing to go there. If I’ve learned anything from Supernatural (can’t believe I’m comparing the two) but it’s not just a quick road trip. There should be shit down there that will change a person forever and ALL of these characters going there is going to ruin someone. This is HELL and hopefully it’s as twisted and scarred as it should be.

I also assume we’ll resume the rest of the Camelot storyline when they get back, but hopefully they break the spell Arthur has on Guen and she can be with Lancelot and Merida will kill Arthur because that’s all I really want. Mulan and Red are supposed to return so hopefully that storyline continues as well.

Overall…I enjoyed this episode, but poor Emma. Are we supposed to believe that being the savior is going to send you to hell and back (literally) while Rumple is over here deceiving everyone and always getting what he wants? I hope seeing Pan down there screws him up, because I’m pretty done with him. Rumple being the Dark One again doesn’t bother me, but him getting no repercussions for all the bad shit he’s done is annoying. This is not how it should work.

It is nice to know Emma’s family will follow her through everything, even into Hell.