The Time of the Dark Curse
The Jolly Rogers is sailing across the ocean and Hook complains that the crew is slow. One crewman says that the crew is tired, and Hook doesn't recognize him. He has the stowaway brought forward, and the man says that he is simply "no one." The man says that he's only come to ask one question: is taking revenge against the Dark One worth all the time Hook has spent chasing him? Hook says that he'll let him know once he has killed the Dark One, and prepares to run the stowaway through. However, a crewman sights a narwhal nearby.
Hook looks out to see a green-eyed creature off the bow. He orders an attack and throws a harpoon at the creature, but it bounces off the "monster"'s hull. The stowaway says that it's no sea monster and says that he's saving his life. He then shoves Hook over the side and dives in after him.
Storybrooke
Hook looks at the shears briefly and then hides them away in the garden shed.
Regina goes to Zelena's farmhouse and calls to the Evil Queen, saying that they have to talk. The Queen comes up behind her as Zelena walks out and asks why Regina is there. She says that the Queen is her sister and she cares about her, and Regina tells them that the Queen's masquerade failed. Meanwhile, David and Mary Margaret sneak into the house and free Jiminy. As he flies away, the couple see Zelena's baby.
The Queen figures that Regina is up to something and Zelena hears her child crying. She goes in and David says that they just came there to free Archie. Zelena picks up the baby as the Queen comes in and prepares to fireball them. Regina teleports between them and Mary Margaret says that nothing the Queen can do will tear the family apart. The Queen says that exposing Emma's secret was just the beginning, and Regina teleports away with the Charmings.
At the diner, Aladdin and Jasmine have a meal and talk about Storybrooke. She finally says that they have to talk about Agrabah and how it needs his help. Aladdin says that he's not the Savior anymore, and it doesn't matter what happened to the people. He says that he's not the guy she's looking for and leaves.
At the apartment, Hook comes in as Emma and Henry have breakfast. Jasmine texts Emma saying that Aladdin ran off, and Hook offers to watch Henry while Emma tracks Aladdin down. Once she leaves, Hook tosses away Henry's breakfast of Pop Tarts and promises to make a pirate's breakfast. Henry takes the trash out and the Queen says that she knows he's thinking about when Hook will ruin things. She says that eventually Hook will be his father, and Henry insists that Hook would never hurt the family. The Queen opens the garden shed and reveals the shears, and Henry realizes that Hook lied about getting rid of them. She says that she wants to make sure Henry learns the truth about Hook: that he doesn't care about Henry or Emma. The Queen tells Henry to ask himself what he's going to do about it and teleports away.
Emma finds Aladdin stealing a wallet from a car, and he claims that it's his new car. He doesn't want to talk, but Emma says that she wasn't asking.
Hook comes out and sees that the shed is open. He goes inside and discovers that the shears are gone.
The Past
Hook wakes up on a carpeted floor with a man jabbing a harpoon into his chest. The pirate jumps him and his men and goes to the portal. When he opens it he realizes that he's deep underwater aboard a submersible. The stowaway steps out wearing a uniform and welcomes him to the Nautilus, and tells Hook to call him Nemo. Nemo says that the Nautilus is a second chance and shows him an enchanted harpoon that lets him find wayward souls dedicated to revenge. He offers to give Hook the one thing missing in his life: family. Hook insists that no one will replace his family, and Nemo tells him that he lost his family while he was at sea. He spent decades hunting down the men responsible, and killed every one of them with the harpoon. When he was finishes, all Nemo had was an open heart and a bloodstained harpoon. Hook demands that he releases him, and Nemo says that there's an important mission that he needs Hook's help with. Once it's done, Hook will see that the Nautilus is where he belongs.
Now
Hook finds Henry at the dock preparing to get rid of the shears out at sea. The pirate says that he kept them to protect Emma, but Henry says that Hook doesn't get to make decisions about him or Emma. Hook grabs his arm and points out the Nautilus emerging from the ocean. He tells Henry to return, but two Nautilus crewmen are waiting with harpoon and tell Hook that Nemo wants to see him.
The men take Hook and Henry aboard the Nautilus to Nemo's study.
EMTs bring an injured man to the hospital. David and Mary Margaret arrive and David says that he found a refugee badly wounded in the woods, and he would have died in a few hours. He doesn't recognize him and figures that he was never at the diner. Once David leaves, Mary Margaret sees Belle in the waiting room. Belle explains that she's getting her first ultrasound and didn't tell Gold she was coming. Mary Margaret sympathizes, and Belle wonders how she'll ever let Gold be a part of their son's life. Her friend says that she doesn't have to decide for two more trimesters.
Hook tells Henry that he has a history with Nemo, and he couldn't give up the shears that could save her. Henry insists that Emma being the Savior is what she is, and says that Hook isn't a part of the family. Hook warns Henry that Nemo isn't someone he wants to meet.
The Past
Nemo, Hook, and the First Mate go to an undersea grotto and Nemo tells Hook not to step off the path. The First Mate tells Hook that he should listen to Nemo and that he would give his life for the captain. When Hook wonders what Nemo has done for him, the First Mate says that he was an orphan desperate to kill the people that killed his parents, and Nemo found him. Hook tells him when revenge is in his grasp, it won't be so easy to give it up.
The trio comes to a treasure chest, and a Kraken grabs Hook's leg and tries to drag him into the water. The First Mate attacks it and Nemo harpoons it, driving it off. Once it leaves, Nemo tells Hook that whether he believes it or not, it's part of his family.
Now
Gold visits the Queen at the farmhouse she explains that she's trying to divide the Charming family. He says that she's forgotten the most important lesson of all: not to take what's his. Gold tells her that the Shears of Destiny are gone, and she realizes that he wants to use them on Belle and the baby so he can change the fate of his family. The Queen says that she can't help, and assures Gold that she's doing fine without him.
Emma drives Aladdin to the edge of Storybrooke and shows him the sign with the cracked base. She explains that she hit it trying to leave the town, and explains that she got rid of the Shears because she was worried she might use them. Aladdin wonders what he should do now, and Emma says that every time she ran, she came back and tried to make up for her mistakes. He says that what happened to Agrabah is his fault, and Emma points out that he doesn't know what happened and first he should find out what happened to it.
On the Nautilus, Hook tells Henry that he killed his family. That's why he cares about keeping the Charmings together: so that he can have a family of his own. When he killed his father, he had a son named Liam and it was too much for Hook. He left an innocent boy an orphan.
The Past
Aboard the Nautilus, Nemo opens the chest and reveals a key inside. He tells Hook that all they do is sail with no place to go home, and the key opens a gateway to the Mysterious Island. It is a place where Hook can start over. Nemo says that the Mysterious Island is a place where he never has to lose anyone again, and asks Hook to join his crew and see for himself. Hook sees a familiar knife on the table and Nemo says that it belongs to his First Mate. He explains that the First Mate's father was murdered inn his bed, and that the Mate's name is Liam.
Now
Hook says that he's trying to make up to what he did to Liam by starting a new family. Henry tells him that he can pick the lock on the cabin door, and reveals the lock picks he smuggled onboard. They get out and go to the moon pool, and Henry wonders why Nemo is angry with him. Hook gets Henry suited up and says that there's only one helmet so he won't escape. Henry realizes that Hook knew there was only one helmet, and pushes him into the water. The First Mate--Liam--comes in and draws the knife, and says that he's been waiting a long time to face him.
The Past
They go to the moon pool, and Hook tells Nemo that he has to leave so that Liam won't kill him. Nemo insists that Liam has given up on vengeance, and doesn't believe that the man who is like a son to him. Liam arrives and reminds Nemo of how he hunted down the men who killed his family, and he got his revenge. Nemo says that Liam is stronger than he is, and they're close to finally finding a home. Liam tries to stab Hook and Nemo takes the blade meant for the pirate. As Hook prepares to leave, Liam blames him for Nemo's death and vows to make him pay. The pirate says that he deserves better and hopes he finds it, and leaves.
Now
Liam takes Hook back to the study and says that they made it to the Mysterious Island: the Land of Untold Stories. Hook says that Nemo is in Storybrooke with the other refugees, and Liam attacks him. The pirate refuses to fight back, and Liam prepares to kill him. Henry comes in and begs Liam to stop. Hook knocks the distracted Liam out. The teenager says that he couldn't let Hook's death ruin his family. Hook says that he won't use the shears if Henry doesn't want him to, and promises that they'll find another way to save Emma. They go to the moon pool and throw the shears overboard so that they won't be tempted to take the easy way out again.
Later, Aladdin brings Jasmine a cup of coffee and sits down with her. He apologizes for running off and she says that there's more that he needs to tell her. Aladdin says that he's not the Savior but he might be able to help her restore Agrabah. Jasmine says that there is nowhere to go by. She went to a neighboring kingdom to seek help and her return was delayed by a sandstorm. By the time she returned, Agrabah was gone.
Belle approaches Mary Margaret and confirms that the refugee should survive. After a moment, Belle says that they gave her two copies of the ultrasound. She doesn't know if Gold can do to repair what they once had, and doesn't know if she'll give him a copy. However, in her dream their son looked at Gold with hatred. She hopes that things can turn out for them.
Liam wakes up in the hospital bed with Hook sitting next to him. Hook explains that he brought his brother there and that now he has something to live for: Henry. He wonders why Liam hesitated when he saw Henry, and Liam says that he wouldn't leave another boy with a heart of hate. Liam wishes that Nemo can see that they made peace, and the orderlies wheel Nemo in next to Liam. Hook explains that they found him that morning, and Liam takes his hand.
Hook leaves them alone and finds Emma and Henry in the waiting room. He tells them that Liam is okay, and Emma wonders why they were at the docks. Hook tells Henry that he'll tell her, and the teenager leaves. The pirate then says that everything that happened was his fault, and he didn't dispose of the shears. Luckily, Henry made him see the error of his ways and now they're at the bottom of the ocean. Emma tells Hook that it's okay and she would have done the same thing, and they hug.
The Queen visits Gold at the pawnshop, and he realizes that her plan to drive Hook from his family failed. She says that she came there to make amends, and that she has remembered Gold's most important lesson: realize what one wants and go after it. Gold wonders what she wants, and the Queen kisses him.
Belle arrives outside the pawnshop, holding the ultrasound copy, and slips it under the door.
Inside, the Queen tells Gold that she wants something other than him. However, she needs his help to get it and will reveals that she obtained the shears. Gold asks what she needs his help getting, and the Queen says that it's Snow White's heart.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 31, 2016