I liked this one more than I thought I would. But that’s mainly because of one specific thing and if that gets reversed in future episodes, it will change my opinion of this episode.
LIKED
– They FINALLY left the underworld. Here’s to no more red tint!
– Hook is still dead. Personally I like sticking to “dead is dead” and “whatever happened, happened”, even in fantasy. It keeps things meaningful. I just hope it stays that way, although I have serious doubts.
– Hook and Emma’s goodbye. This was a moving scene, which will lose all meaning if Hook returns.
– Cleo and the flashbacks. It was nice spending time with pre-Storybrooke Emma. I liked Cleo as a character and also the message she was trying to impart.
– Pan is gone. I half-thought he’d make a comeback and I’m glad that’s not the case. He was great but he’s had his time, let’s move on.
– Rumple returning Robin’s heart. How surprisingly compassionate.
– Hades remaining a manipulative, deceitful jerk. He’s the Lord of the Underworld. Let’s not try to reform everyone.
MIXED
– Rumple’s kiss not being a TLK. I’m so confused about what constitutes TL at this point that I don’t know what to say about this.
– Everything was a bit rushed. But I liked that things moved along, so I’m not really complaining.
DISLIKED
– Portals appearing without explanation, like trains at a train station. All we needed was a voiceover – “Next portal from Underbrooke, nonstop to Storybrooke will depart from the clocktower in 1 min. Passengers for this service please pass through now.”
– Operation Firebird. The underworld has existed since the dawn of time (I think) and yet Henry thinks it’s up to him to help because people might not know what their unfinished business is? Talk about having a hero complex.
– How easy it is to rip out Emma’s heart these days. ‘Queen of Hearts’ never happened.
– Emma’s heart being filled with ‘true love’ for her boyfriend. No. Emma is the product of True Love. Hook has nothing to do with it.
– Zades TLK. She trusts him, he’s lying to her, so how can this be true love? I guess that it can be love, since he obviously cares about her, but calling it the highest form of love is an honour the relationship doesn’t deserve IMO.
– Emma’s goodbye with Henry at the elevator door. She was potentially going to her death!! Henry used to be Emma’s TL and this goodbye had all the emotion of a documentary on drainage systems.
– Regina’s treatment of Robin. She was pressuring him to hand his baby over to his rapist!!! It’s great that she trusts Zelena, but Robin doesn’t, and he has every right not to. I mean, he doesn’t have a television in the woods, so he couldn’t tune in to ‘Sisters’ last week. Regina should have been more understanding. Also, we see that Robin was right. Zelena didn’t reform Hades and they almost got trapped in the underworld while Zelena left with Hades, taking the baby with her.