History Recap / OnceUponATimeS6E20TheSongInYourHeart

** Subverted by Rumple, who {{Troll}}s Regina into thinking he's about to sing (with a melodic version of his leitmotif even appearing for a moment), then reveals that the spell didn't work on him because "The Dark One doesn't sing". Ironic and something of a shame, since Robert Carlyle actually can sing quite well.

* BadBoss: During "Love Doesn't Stand A Chance", Regina kills a couple of her {{Mooks}} for no apparent reason.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Emma is a nice person (provided you don't push the wrong button!) This does ''not'' stop her from unleashing '''''all of the shit''''' on the Black Fairy during her song.

** Flashback!Regina's VillainSong references her (and Cora's) "Love is Weakness" CatchPhrase.

* DoubleMeaningTitle: It's normally a phrase which simply refers to lightness, hope, and joy in an optimistic person, and the Blue Fairy does say the spell's power comes from such things, as well as the belief in a happy ending, which is in the hearts of everyone who loves Emma. But it also becomes literal when Blue reveals that all Zelena's spell did was get rid of the outward manifestation of the wish--the power behind the song could never be taken away, and she had cast it into Emma's heart, where it would give her the magic to withstand the Black Fairy.

* DeusExMachina: Once again, the storybook--Henry, in desperation to find another way for things to end, throws it on the floor, only for a page to fall out, with the picture on it showing Blue using the wish to place the song from everyone's heart in unborn Emma's. He takes this to Emma to show her [[YouAreNotAlone she's not alone]], [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong has had the power in her all along]], and this enables her to free everyone from the time-stop curse. Of course, the method in which the solution is presented uses the same powers the book is known to have, so it remains consistent with the show's canon.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The face Zelena makes at the Black Fairy while she's monologuing is ''priceless''.

** Despite having enough time to conduct a wedding, no one seems to try to stop the Black Fairy's curse despite having a possible method to do so. It's like they assumed the light magic Emma used to free everyone also destroyed the globe of dark fairy dust...but apparently no one bothered to check?

-->'''Gold''': [[WalkInChimeIn He'd say...thank you]]. ''[[OhCrap (conjures potion into his own hand)]]''

* KickTheDog: During "Love Doesn't Stand A Chance", Regina goes around bullying the other characters in petty ways just to make a point.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: The Blue Fairy explains how everyone will forget the entire musical adventure, thus explaining why no one knows about the magic song in Emma's heart, why Hook doesn't remember where the Dark One is being held, why Zelena and Regina don't remember the music box used to snare the enchanted song, why Snow didn't recognize Hook in Season 2, and so forth.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Hook uses Dreamshade on Gold to keep him out of the fight. This backfires when it causes the Black Fairy to come to his aid, capturing Hook and reviving her son. Which leads into the second example, where Regina and Zelena's attempt to use the time-stasis portion of the Dark Curse to block the Black Fairy's new curse ends up being stolen by Gold and used on all of them. As [[SmugSnake the Black Fairy]] herself says, "They did it all ''for'' me."

-->''Now that little bitch will wish''
-->''She never ever knew me''

** Subverted by Rumplestiltskin. It seems like this is about to happen as a musical-y variation of the tune that's been his leitmotif throughout the series begins to swell, then he says he'd rather gouge his eyes out with a rusty fork.
* YouAreNotAlone: Once again Emma has to learn this lesson but this time on a larger scale--that the love of her parents and everyone else who knew her had been in her heart all along, so even while an orphan she was never alone.

** As in ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'', a wish is made on a star. Also as in that film, it's the Blue Fairy who grants it.

* PlotHole: No one thinks of avoiding the new Dark Curse by simply leaving town. The Evil Queen's barrier on the town line was undone by Regina, just last episode David was talking about using magic beans, and Regina had also been urging Zelena to drive to New York with Henry and baby Robin.

* DancePartyEnding: Subverted, as after the wedding, a TriumphantReprise, and everyone dancing at the reception, everything is cut off with discordant notes as the Black Fairy's curse is cast.

* YouAreNotAlone: Once again Emma has to learn this lesson but this time on a larger scale--that the love of her parents and everyone else who knew her had been in her heart all along, so even while an orphan she was never alone.
----

* CounterpointDuet: Between Snow and Charming's triumphant heroic tune about ThePowerOfLove being [[ArcWords "the greatest magic of all"]] and Regina's VillainSong.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Emma is a nice person (provided you don't push the wrong button!) This does ''not'' stop her from unleashing '''''literally all of the shit''''' on the Black Fairy during her song.

* IDidWhatIHadToDo: How Gold justifies siding with his mom to Hook -- he needed so save Belle and Gideon.

* PlotHole: No one thinks of avoiding the new Dark Curse by simply leaving town. The Evil Queen's barrier on the town line was undone by Regina, and just last episode David was talking about using magic beans.

** In the present, it isn't clear exactly how the Black Fairy created her sphere of dark fairy dust tied to the clock tower, when Zelena's use of the Crimson Heart undid the corruption of the fairy crystals in the mine. The only real answer seems to be that Gold did it for her offscreen after joining with her at the end of the previous episode. It was also mentioned in "Mother's Little Helper" that the Black Fairy was gathering black fairy dust while she was banished providing a second way.

** Despite having enough time to conduct a wedding, no one seems to try to stop the Black Fairy's curse despite having a possible method to do so.

* DeusExMachina: Once again, the storybook--Henry, in desperation to find another way for things to end, throws it on the floor, only for a page to fall out, with the picture on it showing Blue using the wish to place the song from everyone's heart in unborn Emma's. He takes this to Emma to show her [[YouAreNotAlone she's not alone]], [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong has had the power in her all along]], and this enables her to free everyone from the time-stop curse. Of course, the method the solution is presented uses the same powers the book is known to have.

** Again we have it stressed for us just how special Emma's heart is.

* AllJustADream: The Blue Fairy explains how everyone will forget the entire musical adventure, thus explaining why no one knows about the magic song in Emma's heart, why Hook doesn't remember where the Dark One is being held, why Zelena and Regina don't remember the music box used to snare the enchanted song, why Snow didn't recognize Hook in Season 2, and so forth.

** Hook uses the same dreamshade from Neverland on Gold.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Hook uses dreamshade on Gold to keep him out of the fight. This backfires when it causes the Black Fairy to come to his aid, capturing Hook and reviving her son. Which leads into the second example, where Regina and Zelena's attempt to use the time-stasis portion of the Dark Curse to block the Black Fairy's new curse ends up being stolen by Gold and used on all of them. As [[SmugSnake the Black Fairy]] herself says, "They did it all ''for'' me."

** Hook can't kill Gold with dreamshade anymore (due to him having the power of all Dark Ones), but he can put him to sleep long enough to keep him from helping his mother. Unfortunately she immediately shows up, not only capturing him but also waking Gold so he can take the time-stop curse from Regina and cast it on everyone.

* DeusExMachina: Once again, the storybook--Henry, in desperation to find another way for things to end, throws it on the floor, only for a page to fall out, with the picture on it showing Blue using the wish to place the song from everyone's heart in unborn Emma's. He takes this to Emma to show her [[YouAreNotAlone she's not alone]], [[ItWasWithYouAllAlong has had the power in her all along]], and this enables her to free everyone from the time-stop curse.

** In the present, it isn't clear exactly how the Black Fairy created her sphere of dark fairy dust tied to the clock tower, when Zelena's use of the Crimson Heart undid the corruption of the fairy crystals in the mine. The only real answer seems to be that Gold did it for her offscreen after joining with her at the end of the previous episode.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: After all this time (and the previous assumption that it was simply being the Savior which explained it), it's finally revealed why Cora could not remove Emma's heart--because of an extremely powerful wish made by Snow White and granted by the Blue Fairy. It also rendered her heart apparently uncrushable.

* WithLyrics: Emma's song incorporates the most memorable part of Snow and Charming's {{Leitmotif}} as its tune. Justified in that it was the love and belief from them that literally put the song in her heart.
** Subverted by Rumplestiltskin. It seems like this is about to happen as a musical-y variation of his leitmotif begins to swell, then he says he'd rather gouge his eyes out with a rusty fork.