Once Upon a Time Season 5 Episode 21 Recap

It seems a common occurrence nowadays that I be torn about my feelings on an episode of Once Upon a Time and this week is no exception. On one hand, we got some great character moments, a tragic death of a well-liked character, a sort-of redemption for a not so well liked character (actually I think we had two of those), and the final defeat of the season’s main villain. But, on the other hand, we had resolutions that seemed forced and plot points that were pulled directly from the writer’s asses. Let’s address the positives first. At the top of the episode, Hades killed King Arthur, sending him to the Underworld. King Arthur didn’t really get a favorable treatment in the first half of the season. While I appreciate the effort to turn an established hero into a villain like they did with Peter Pan in season three, it just didn’t have the same punch and instead of coming off as a powerful mastermind like Pan, Arthur never really amounted to more than a greedy thug. However, in the underworld, you start to see shades of the Arthur that could have been as he helps Hook find the means to tell Emma Hades’ weakness. I especially like the end where he decides to remain in the Underworld thinking that it is here that he may find his redemption.

Speaking of Hook though, I do like that he and Emma were reunited at the end, even if his resurrection was a bit of a contrivance. The two are a great couple and I hate to see Emma go through what she went through with Neil once again. Plus, if he stayed in the Underworld, it would have made the entire season a complete and utter waste of time.

But, let’s address the negatives, and at the center of the bad vibes surrounding this episode is the Olympian Crystal. What is the Olympian Crystal? The hell if I know! This magical macguffin has not been seen, mentioned, explained or alluded to before this episode, but apparently, the Olympian Crystal is the one weapon with the ability to kill a God. Okay, a few things. One, I get that it’ll grant him ultimate power, but Hades seems plenty powerful by himself, so why does he need the crystal, especially when he knows it is the one thing that can kill him. Two, this is some of the laziest writing I have ever seen in my life. If the crystal had been established earlier in the season, then I’d be fine with it, but as it stands, it comes out of nowhere and feels like a cheap resolution to the problem. And while we’re on the subject of Gods, we finally meet Zeus in this episode. Okay, Hercules was bad enough, but if this dude is supposed to be the ruler of Mt. Olympus then I’m Yosemite Sam. Look, I don’t know this actor and I got nothing against him personally, but when I picture the all-powerful thunderbolt wielding king of the Gods of Olympus, I don’t imagine the guy who sits behind a desk at the local branch of Webster Bank.

Finally, there’s Robin Hood’s tragic death. Yeah, my prediction about Henry was proven wrong and I’m none too pleased about it. It’s not just because I like Robin Hood, although I do, it’s the fact that A. we’re once again having one of Regina’s relationships meet a tragic end, B. Robin didn’t become a regular until half way through season three, so the emotional sting of his death isn’t as strong, and C. Robin was the only person who seems to hate Zalena as much as I do, probably because, oh I don’t know… SHE MURDERED HIS WIFE AND RAPED HIM!! And no, I don’t care that Zalena is on good terms with her sister now and that she actually saved everyone by killing Hades, I will not let that go. Worse yet, now that Robin’s gone, SHE is the one who gets to raise her and Robin’s daughter, who is now also named Robin. Though, I will admit, Robin’s funeral is pretty cool, with each of the mourners placing an Arrow on his grave.

We only have two episodes left until the end of the season, so let’s see next week what the ending promises for our heroes.