So far this season, Emma’s fated nemesis has been named as Belle and Rumple’s grown son Gideon, Snow and David are still under the alternating sleeping curse, and Regina is dealing with her warring emotions and broken heart. What could go wrong next?

Spoilers ahead, dearies.

Neverland

Trapped on Neverland without a functional portal, Hook is running for his life from the Lost Boys when he is rescued by Tiger Lily (Native American actress Sara Tomko). Well, when I say rescued… At first, Tiger Lily is distrustful of the ex-pirate, but they come to an agreement when they realize that they both have the same goal of reaching and helping the Savior. Tiger Lily admits to Hook that she was once a fairy who gave up her wings—but despite leaving that life behind, she has the remnant of the most powerful wand in existence. In the hands of Emma Swan, it could save the world from the Black Fairy.

Hook sends his shadow to deliver the wand to Emma, along with his hook so that she’ll know the message is from him, across the realms.

Storybrooke

Back home in Storybrooke, Emma is attempting to prepare for whatever Gideon has planned next. David grows concerned that his daughter won’t be able to fight the final battle without both her parents and her fiance there to support her. Since they are unable to reach Hook, he decides that they must double their efforts to break the sleeping curse that bind him and Snow.

After Regina and Zelena’s attempt to break the curse with a potion fails, Snow remembers something that had happened back during the years of the Dark Curse. A small pink flower had lifted the curse from her and David, enabling them to remember their real lives and attempt to escape to find Emma. Long story short, that didn’t really work out—but if they can find the pixie flower again, they can break this curse, too. Emma and Snow find a field full of the pixie flowers, only to be waylaid by the Black Fairy and Gideon, who reveal that it is the mother of Dark Magic who will face off with Emma in the Final Battle. Gideon destroys the field of flowers, but leaves one.

The flower contains just enough pixie dust to break the spell, but just before the Charmings can use it, Hook’s shadow appears. Realizing that Emma needs Hook more than she needs her parents, Snow insists that Emma use the flower to create a portal to rescue Hook. She does, and the pair are reunited (bonus: Hook proposes again), but now Snow and David are both asleep. Regina devises a plan to dilute the spell by having as many people as possible drink the sleeping curse potion. It somehow manages to work, and Snow and David are finally together again.

Wait, what?

1.) Things are truly a complicated family affair at this point. Not only is the Black Fairy Rumple’s mother and Gideon Rumple and Belle’s son, but let’s not forget that Rumple is Henry’s grandfather. And it’s Emma, Henry’s mother, that the Black Fairy wants to kill. Will Rumple rise to the occasion and help his grandson’s mother, or will he only use his powers to save his own son?

2.) How much more fairy lore will come to light? We’ve not only learned that the Black Fairy practically invented Dark Magic (and is likely older than Nimue, the first Dark One), but we now also know the Tiger Lily used to be a fairy. What power does the fragment of the wand possess, and can Emma use this remnant of fairy magic to save Storybrooke?

Until next time, dearies.

-The Collected Mutineer