Season 5, Episode 12:
Souls of the Departed
Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Robin, Henry and Gold arrive in the underworld, on a mission to rescue Hook. Meanwhile, in an Enchanted Forest flashback, a familiar face from the Evil Queen's past returns to present Regina with the perfect birthday gift.
Tropes
- All Myths Are True: While the Underworld as we have seen it in the past is clearly based on Greek mythology, complete with Hades ruling it, this episode also makes it into a place similar to Purgatory. It is also shown that a Heaven and Hell equivalent exists.
- Bait-and-Switch: It looks as if Snow White is clutching her chest and reacting to Regina crushing her heart. Instead, Jiminy Cricket pops from Snow's coat as Regina and Cora realize Henry Sr. switched the hearts.
- Barred from the Afterlife: How the Underworld works, souls with unfinished business forced to reside until they can find a way to cross over.
- The Bus Came Back: Given this is the 100th episode, it's no surprise we see slews of past faces.
- Neal makes a brief appearance, saying he was allowed to give a message to Emma, warning her not to go to the Underworld.
- Cora is also shown to be the "mayor" of this version of Storybrooke.
- While she doesn't appear in person, Cruella is seen driving her car down the street.
- The witch from Hansel and Gretel works the counter at this version of Granny's.
- David's twin brother, James, is the sheriff of this town.
- Sidney returns in a flashback as the Magic Mirror.
- Gold discovers Peter Pan in the Underworld version of his pawn shop.
- Jiminy Cricket also makes an unvoiced cameo in the flashback.
- Come Alone: A disguised Cora uses this in flashback to trick Snow White; from the fact the real Henry Sr. shows up just seconds afterward, the meeting must have been a genuinely-arranged one on his part which she co-opted.
- Continuity Nod:
- Emma "wakes up" to meet Neal on the way to the Underworld—and finds herself in the yellow VW they shared.
- It's finally revealed that Henry Sr. was in Wonderland because he'd been trapped in a box by Regina, which Cora took with her when Regina exiled her back to Wonderland. The fact the Magic Mirror was involved can even retroactively explain some of her maliciousness and disdain toward him later on, chronologically.
- Related to this, it's also revealed why Regina needed Jefferson and his hat to get her father back—because as she had the Magic Mirror banish Cora, she made it so the portal would be sealed and no more regular crossovers could occur. (That she didn't do this until now also explains how Cora could return for the flashback in "Mother", as well as in this episode.)
- When the group decide to help others in the Underworld cross over, Regina sees the hand on the fallen clock tower click forward. Her smile shows she knows exactly how significant this is.
- The potion Gold gets from Pan for Emma to use on Hook's grave is the same one the Witch gave to Merida to speak to Fergus.
- The elevator in the Underworld library still leads to a cavern beneath the town, but instead of Maleficent it's Hades who dwells there.
- Couch Gag: The title card features the fallen clock tower in the Underworld.
- Equivalent Exchange: Once again the idea of one of the dead trading places with the soul of a living person so as to return to the mortal world appears, this time with Pan demanding that Gold help him switch with one of his companions. Gold says he'd never do such a thing, but Pan chillingly replies, "Not yet."
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Even Hades is disgusted that Cora gave up Zelena for the sole purpose of climbing her way up the social ladder undeterred.
- Cora herself seems to be working with Hades out of fear of what he would do to Regina and the others.
- Eviler than Thou: Cora of all people is nothing when compared to Hades.
- Evil Twin: James, David's twin brother, kisses Snow before revealing who he truly is and clearly wants some payback on his brother.
- Evil Counterpart: Some of the dead characters (at least of those who returned from previous episodes and are given screen time) are one of these to a character who came from the world of the living. Many of them have taken up similar, if not the same, position as the characters they have business with.
- Mr. Gold's father is a pawnshop dealer, presumably not making many sales in Purgatory. Emphasized by the fact he wears a suit identical to Gold's.
- Regina's mother is the mayor, but also a servant to the Big Bad
- The Witch from Hansel and Gretel is a dark version of Granny.
- James is now the town sheriff instead of David.
- And the environment is a dark and twisted version of Storybrooke, that still follows rules and shows progression via a clock.
- Fate Worse than Death: After she fails him, Hades ensures Cora endures a true idea of Hell: Spending eternity as a simple miller's daughter and working in rags.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: The hell is a fiery pit.
- Forgiveness: Regina's father Henry bestows this on her for her past actions. As it turns out, this was the unfinished business holding him back and he's allowed to cross over.
- Go into the Light: How Heaven is depicted; Henry Sr. gets to finally do this once his unfinished business is resolved.
- Glamour: Once again Cora pulls this, this time disguising herself as Henry Sr. to get Snow White to agree to Come Alone so she could steal her heart.
- Irony: Even after shrinking her father, Regina insists she would never hurt him. Setting aside how she ends up crushing his heart to enact the Dark Curse, almost immediately after she makes this pronouncement she uses the Magic Mirror to banish Cora back to Wonderland—only to have her mother drag the box with her father in it with her.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Hades punishes Cora by forcing to work as a peasant girl in a mill for all eternity. It seems fitting in light of all the horrible things she did to escape that fate.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When asked why the Underworld looks like Storybrooke, Hades says, "I have my reasons."
- A Man of Wealth and Taste: Hades turns out to be this—fitting, considering his Roman counterpart Pluto was god of wealth.
- Milestone Celebration: This marks the series' 100th episode.
- My God, What Have I Done?: As seen by Regina's actions in "Hat Trick", these are her thoughts as Cora steals Henry Sr.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Henry Sr. tries to talk to Cora via the Magic Mirror to help Regina. Cora uses the connection to cross over from Wonderland to the Enchanted Forest through the mirror, and then steals Snow's heart, mocking Henry for "playing with magics you didn't understand."
- Not in Kansas Anymore: Regina says "we're not in Maine anymore" as the gang arrive in the Underworld version of Storybrooke.
- Operation: [Blank]: Henry comes up with "Operation Firebird" as the name for the gang's plan to help souls find forgiveness.
- Passing the Torch: In terms of the role of Morality Chain, Henry Sr. does this to Henry as he departs for Heaven—Henry thanks his grandfather for believing in Regina the way he does, and Henry Sr. tells him to keep doing that, to be there for her when he could not and cannot.
- Revenge: The gang has put plenty of people in the Underworld ... and now those people like James and Cruella are in a position to get some payback.
- Shout-Out: The five rivers seen in the overhead shot of Hades' chamber bear a familiar WUBRG color scheme and order.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Gold tells the gang that no matter what else, he's getting on the boat out of the Underworld and doesn't care who comes with him.
- Sore Loser: Hades doesn't like losing souls, doesn't matter if they cross over, or if someone rescues them.
- Unfinished Business: The spirit of Neal explains this is why souls are in the Underworld as they left something behind. He had none, which is why he's not there.
- Wham Shot: Just to make clear who Cora had been dealing with, and who the heroes will now have to outwit, the last shot of the episode is of Hades' blue fire-hair igniting.
- You Have Failed Me:
- Hades punishes Cora for failing him by turning her into a simple working girl at a mill for eternity.
- Regina punishes her father by locking him in a box. "Hat Trick" showed that she ultimately regrets this decision.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!:
- Emma uses the potion given her by Gold on Hook's grave so they can find out where he is and immediately rescue him before the next boat departs. Of course it's not that easy—he appears but only as a bloody, shimmering image that can't hear or be heard, and disappears back to wherever he's being tortured without anything being learned.
- Cora makes good on her threat to send Henry Sr. into the fire to "save" Regina by making her leave the Underworld, but she really should have stayed to make sure it stuck—because he resolved his unfinished business by helping Regina stay true to her heroic path, the fire cannot touch him and disappears, the path to Heaven opening for him instead.
