TV Recap: Once Upon a Time 3-7 - Dark Hollow

We got the answer to who is in the box last night.  And, frankly, when I figured it out, I felt stupid for not even thinking about it before.  After all, they had all but spelled it out by the time I got it.

Also, there was no flashback portion of the episode last night.  Yes, they’ve done that before, but I appreciate them not feeling like they have to follow formula.  We still had story going on in two places, but it is all current stuff.

Okay, okay, so the first scene actually takes place 5 days ago.  That’s how long we’ve been in Neverland – only 5 days.  Because that opening scene starts with Gold and Belle’s goodbye.  As the ship sinks below the waves, the dwarfs, Dr. Hopper, and Mother Superior show up rejoicing that they and the town have been spared from the self-destruct device.  Belle fills them in on what has happened and then shows them the cloaking spell, which they help her enact.  However, a car carrying two men manage to get through down just before the spell cloaks them.  In fact, it cuts off the back bumper of their car.

Gold won’t tell Ariel what he wants her to bring back, but he gives her a sand dollar to give to Belle.  Regina enchants a bracelet to give Ariel legs, but only for 24 hours.  If Ariel returns with the item, then Regina will make the magic of the bracelet permanent.

Pan knows when Ariel leaves.  He lets her go, but he also sends word to someone to be on the look out for her.

So Ariel arrives in Storybrooke.  The dwarfs are the first to spot her, and they are having a very funny conversation about how, while they love Snow, it’s been nice not having anyone try to kill them since she and the others left.  Grumpy quickly takes Ariel to find Belle, who is pining for Gold.

Belle gets the sand dollar to give  the message from Gold, but all it says is that the sign of their love is the key.  So Ariel and Belle start searching the shop.  When Belle sees Chip and puts it on his saucer, a door in the floor is revealed.  Inside it is a box – Pandora’s Box, which Belle immediately recognizes from her books.

But then the two young men in the car show up.  They are from the home office, and they know exactly who they are working for – Pan.  They tie the two women up and take the box so they can destroy it.

By taking off the bracelet and briefly giving Ariel back her fin, she and Belle manage to escape.  They follow the two men down to the tunnels where they are going to use a pick to magically destroy the box.

And that’s when we learn who they are.  They are working for Pan because Pan has kidnapped their sister.  (My friend and I immediately turned to each other and said, “the Darlings!”).  Yes, these are John and Michael, and Wendy is Pan’s prisoner.  If they don’t do his bidding, Pan will hurt her.  He’s magically kept them from aging so they can continue to do his dirty work.  Ariel and Belle are able to talk them into giving them the box with the promise that Ariel will tell Gold about Wendy.

She returns to Neverland the gives them the box and the message.  Regina then keeps her end of the bargain enchants the bracelet to work whenever Ariel is wearing it.

Meanwhile, Neal has shared his idea of how to get off Neverland – Pan’s shadow.  The star chart coconut?  Actually, it’s a magic coconut that will trap the shadow.  But that means they have to go to Dark Hollow to get it.  Neal, Hook, and Emma set out to get it while Mary Margaret and David set out to find Tinker Bell and let her know they are almost ready.

While they set out, Neal and Hook start fighting to get Emma’s attention.  Hook tells Neal about the kiss (I guess he didn’t hear it in the cave), and that sets them off.  When they get to Dark Hollow, they start fighting over a lighter to use to light the candle that will help trap Pan’s shadow in the coconut.  When they lose the lighter, Pan’s shadow appears with two others who are under the original’s control.  They start stealing Hook and Neal’s shadows while Emma is fighting off Pan’s shadow.  Finally, she gets enough time to light the candle using magic.  It works.  Pan’s shadow disappears into the coconut and the other two vanish as well.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret is still so angry with David that she’s not speaking to him.  Finally, he gets her to unload.  She’s furious that he kept his poison from her and wasn’t quicker to tell her of the cure.  He explains he didn’t want her to have to make any choices.  But she does.  She intends to stay with him in Neverland when this is all over.

They find Tink and tell her they are close to having a way off the island.  She’s not ready to act until she sees proof.  Just then, Neal, Hook, and Emma walk in with the coconut.  Tink’s now on board.  Everything is a go to rescue Henry.

Speaking of whom, he’s become very suspicious of Pan, so when he overhears Pan telling Felix (his second in command) to move the supplies and not let Henry know about it, he starts following him.  Pan then goes to the second cage to reveal Wendy.  No, she isn’t being released, but she is being allowed to “play.”

Felix leads Henry to a hut where Wendy is lying in bed faking being sick.  The magic on the island is weakening and if it isn’t restored in time, her mysterious illness will kill her.

Henry sets off determined to help her, which is exactly what Pan intended.  Pan then shows Henry where he will have to go to store magic – Skull Rock.  It will be painful, but Henry is ready to go.

End of episode.

So, Pan is manipulating everyone into doing his bidding.  I’m not sure he can be stopped.  Okay, okay, so we know he will be, but how?  And what about the prophecy?  Gold sure doesn’t seem worried about it now.  How will they find a way to get David off the island?  Pixie dust maybe?  Are John and Michael going to be stuck in Storybrooke now?  Will they get Tink and Wendy off the island with them?

So many questions and only four episode left in the Neverland arc.  This is going to be quite the ride I have a feeling.

Meanwhile, they are setting up Regina’s love interest story line a bit more with the conversation she had with Gold about being jealous.  I wonder how they will work Robin Hood into things.

These are going to be jam packed episodes for the rest of the year.  I don’t have any theories on how Pandora’s Box can help them defeat Pan (maybe because I don’t know enough about Greek mythology).

Any theories about what is coming next will be welcome and entertained.  Hit me up in the comments.