Spoilers ahead:
We’re genuinely unsure whether or not we could ever look at Peter Pan the same way again, who’s with us?
Flashbacks: Viewers are at last given Rumple’s family backstory and it’s definitely worse than Cora’s/Regina’s. After Rumple’s father leaves him with two ladies and claims he’s gone off to get a job, they give him a magic bean in order for him to escape from the father who cares very little about him. Rumple finds him back at the pub gambling again and shows him the bean persuading him to run off with him to a place where they could be a family again. Rumple’s father thinks of Neverland and that’s where the bean takes them.
After Rumple’s father attempts to retrieve pixie dust that’s found in flowers, he realizes he still cannot fly and he’s approached by the Shadow. It turns out Neverland is a place that’s simply visited by children in their dreams, and the sole habitant of the island is the shadow until Peter Pan makes it his permanent home. After the Shadow tells him he doesn’t belong, Rumple’s father has the Shadow take Rumple away from him in order to turn back into a child and make Neverland his home.
Peter Pan is Rumple’s father. Let that sink in for a moment.
Modern day: Emma, David, Snow, Hook, Tink, and Neal reunite with Rumple and Regina where Neal reveals the prophecy of Henry being Rumple’s undoing. In order to earn their trust, Neal asks Rumple for the Pandora’s Box and he gives it up proving just how much he truly cares for his son. The group invades Pan’s perimeter and Wendy tells them that Henry will die if Pan succeeds in saving magic. Charming, Snow, Hook, and Tink stay behind as Emma, Regina, Rumple, and Neal go to Skull Rock in order to finally bring Henry home.
Moreover, Pan’s placed a protection spell and the only person who could get in is Rumple because he doesn’t have a shadow. He goes in with the Pandora’s Box hoping to trap Pan and bring Henry to his family, but instead, it’s revealed that Pan’s switched the boxes and he traps Rumple.
Emma and Regina team up to eclipse the moon in order for their shadows to disappear. It’s genuinely nice to see both of them work together again just as they did in the season 2 finale. Their dynamic can be an exceptionally strong one and here’s to hoping that for Henry’s sake they could build a friendship someday. It’s definitely headed there.
The moment they’re finally able to talk to Henry for the first time in what’s now probably 6 days is the most heartbreaking thing we’ve yet to witness. Pan tries to convince him that they’re lying to him because they’re adults and despite their continuous support, Henry believes in Pan’s words more.
Neal: “We believe in you, Henry.”
Emma: ”Because we love you.“
Regina: ”More than anything.“
This truly is an ideal scene as it’s Henry’s immediate family giving him faith. Henry places his heart into Pan and collapses on the spot as magic is reborn, and it seems as though Henry is dead.
Theories + lighter moments under the cut.
If there’s anyone genuinely worried that Henry will die we’re here to reassure you that he won’t. Emma’s, Regina’s, and Neal’s love can and will save him. Along with their unwavering love he also has grandparents that have survived almost every dark thing imagined, and a man who cares deeply about him despite never meeting him.
In last week’s episode, we had Killian reassuring Emma that she’ll find Henry, and this week we have Emma convincing her “infuriatingly optimistic” mother of the same thing. “Maybe it’s just you rubbing off on me but there’s always a way.” Perhaps the dazzling Captain is finally opening her eyes to the beauty of hope and with that, he’s helping her understand her family as well. As her walls slowly come down with her parents, her heart slowly opens up to him as well.
As it turns out after being poisoned by dream shade, Rumple’s figured out how to make an elixir and David’s life can be saved.
Once Upon A Time beautifully illustrated the importance of family in this week’s episode by proving that it doesn’t matter whether you’re blood or complete strangers, when there’s steadfast love, anything is possible. It’s unfortunate that Rumple didn’t have that, but he’s undoubtedly trying to do better now and that’s certainly admirable.
Let’s take a moment to give Robbie Kay a round of applause because not only has his acting been sensational throughout the season, but he’s truly outdone himself in this episode.
Remember, there’s no new episode next week.