"Labor of Love" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of ABC's Once Upon a Time, and the one hundred and first episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 13, 2016.
Plot[]
Opening Sequence[]
The cemetery makes an appearance in the red tinted forest.
In the Character's Past[]
In the early days of the Enchanted Forest, a young Snow White is asked to defend her kingdom from bandits who are working with the Evil Queen but flees into the forest, having believed that she cannot help them with her father away. After she falls into a hunting trap, Snow is saved by Hercules, who is on a quest to complete the final part of his Twelve Labors, which is to hunt down Cerberus. He encourages Snow White not to give up, and he even offers to train her for battle, suggesting that she fight the bandits herself. When Snow faces the bandits, she foolishly drops her arrows, then loses her dignity when Hercules defends her. Using his past mistakes and learning from them, Hercules inspires her to try again, and she successfully aims at the bandits' weapons, prompting the bandits to leave the kingdom, and setting up her future as the bandit princess. Snow White thanks Hercules for helping her and says she will make a great Queen and Olympus will have a great hero like him and they kiss each other goodbye.
In the Underworld[]
Deep inside Hades' lair, a injured Hook awakens and notices a woman who is also trapped with him in the chamber. As he struggles to move Hook convinces the woman to run for help and asks for Emma. As they reach the exit, a three-headed creature, Cerberus, chases after the two. Above at the cemetery, Mary Margaret and David look at the gravestones of those who Mary Margaret felt she had failed as alluded in the flashback, But David is confident that they can protect Emma and tells Mary Margaret that she can be able to succeed. When she sees the tombstone of Hercules, David is surprised to learn that she knew the Demi-God, and believes that he has unfinished business with her, which gives them the idea to help him while seeking out Hook. Regina and Robin meet up with Emma and Henry. Regina tells Robin that she has maps at the Mayor's office and Henry and Robin head there but when Regina turns around Emma has took off and calls for her. Emma notices fresh blood and traces the direction, but instead they find the young woman and she says she knows Killian. As soon as they hear the roar of Cerberus, Regina uses her magic to take them to the Underworld version of Emma's apartment. Later on at Granny's, Emma and Regina are joined by Mary Margaret, and thanks to the Blind Witch, they find Hercules, who they hope he will complete his Twelve Labors before he can move on, being Cerberus.
At the Mayor's office, Henry breaks in to get the maps as Robin stands guard. Instead of finding the map, Henry sees Cruella, who explains to him that because he is now the Author, he can bring her back to life, and despite the fact that he broke the Quill, it's still alive in the Underworld as it is part of Cruella's unfinished business. She tells Henry if he helps her escape the Underworld, it will be as if she never died, and therefore, Emma's soul will be pure again. Unfortunately when Robin asks Henry if he found the map as they leave the office, Henry lies to Robin that he didn't find anything or anyone.
As they reached the tunnel with Cerberus waiting for them, Hercules starts to lose his courage in front of Emma, Mary Margaret, and Regina. Hades then appears and tells the women that Cerberus was the creature responsible for killing Hercules (who happens to be Hades' nephew), then gives Emma Hook's bloodied hook as a gift. Back at the apartment, Mary Margaret believes its time for Hercules, who regretted fighting Cerberus alone, to fight the creature as a team. When Cerberus enters the apartment, everyone splits up, leaving Hercules, Mary Margaret, and the woman trapped. Hercules suddenly gives the woman his dagger, then grabs a pipe for himself, and Mary Margaret readies her arrows. The trio then use their weapons on Cerberus and successfully kill the creature.
As everyone meets back at Granny's, they learn that the woman that escaped Hades has revealed herself as Meg. It turned out that it was their "unfinished business" for Hercules to rescue Meg from Cerberus, as he died during his fight with the creature and Meg later died after he failed. The crew takes them to the crossing, and Hercules and Meg ascend together to Olympus. As the clock ticks twice, Hades has decided that it's time for the outsiders to pay by punishing them. He arrives to see his prisoner Hook and tells him that each soul they help escape, one of them will have to stay forever. Hades forces Hook to decide which of his friends will pay for this by creating new graves for him to pick.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
- Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
- Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills/Evil Queen
- Josh Dallas as David Nolan
- Emilie de Ravin as Belle French (absent)
- Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
- Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
- Rebecca Mader as Zelena (absent)
- Sean Maguire as Robin Hood
- Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold (absent)
Guest Starring[]
- Emma Caulfield as the Blind Witch
- Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil
- Kacey Rohl as Megara
- Jonathan Whitesell as Hercules
- Bailee Madison as Young Snow White
- Kerry van der Griend as Peasant
- Teach Grant as Dead Eye the Bandit
- Janet Walmsley as Woman Peasant
- Greg Germann as Hades
Gallery[]
External links[]