Tonight on ABC their fantastical series Once Upon A Time returns with an all new Sunday October 11 season 5 episode 3, called, “Siege Perilous” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode Arthur (Liam Garrigan) joins David (Josh Dallas) on a quest to obtain a magical relic Regina (Lana Parrilla) needs in order to contact Merlin. (Elliot Knight)
On the last episode, a royal ball was held in Camelot, but a dark turn of events forced David and Robin to take action. Meanwhile, Regina’s fortitude was tested as she tried to safeguard Emma; and back in Storybrooke, Hook attempted to bring Emma back to the light. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the ABC synopsis, “Arthur joins David on a quest to obtain a magical relic Regina needs in order to contact Merlin. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret learns about Lancelot’s fate; and back in Storybrooke, Hook is wary when Emma asks him to help her remove Excalibur from the stone.”
Tonight’s season 5 episode 3 looks like it is going to be as magical as ever so make sure that you tune in to our live coverage of Once Upon A Time at 8:00 PM EST!
#OnceUponATime begins with the dwarves whistling and mining. Leroy says even though Dopey’s a tree they need to focus. Emma is there and steals an ax from Happy and tells him she’s learned as the Dark One if your name is on something, hang onto it. Back in Camelot, Regina, Belle and Mary talk about freeing Merlin. They need witch bane. Emma says she can wiggle her nose and get him out but Regina says the dark magic isn’t worth it. Arthur shows up and asks how the “savior” is progressing.
Regina says slow but sure and Belle says it’s nice to have access to Merlin’s books. Mary wonders what if they could talk to Merlin. Regina flips through a book and shows them a mushroom sketch and says it’s used to communicate across barriers. She says it’s called crimson crown and Arthur says it’s in a dark forest a half day’s ride and protected by magical forces. David says he’ll go try and find it since he’s no use there. Arthur tells him he will come along and assist him – he says they can quest as brothers.
Six weeks later, back in Storybrooke, Regina shows the others the book with a question mark page in it and wonders what it means. The dwarves show up then and Happy tells David that his kid took his ax. Leroy tells Mary to do something about her daughter or they will. They tell David to do his job as sheriff. Leroy rants and says it’s an insult they will swallow for now. They head out angry and David goes into his office and slams the door. Mary asks why Emma would need an ax.
They wonder what she needs an ax for that she can’t just use her powers for. David is upset and says he can’t help her and says it’s his fault. Mary says Emma made the choice but David says he’s her father and now he’s paralyzed and he can’t help anyone. Mary says he’s helping the people the best he can. David is disappointed in himself but Mary says he’s her hero in any world. He kisses her and says she can go. David looks at photo of he and Emma then Arthur comes in and says still no luck with his sword.
Arthur says they’ve been robbed of magical objects and says a magic bean that could take them home was stolen. David pledges to help him. At Emma’s, she studies the sword and Gold tells her that the dwarf ax won’t help. She tries it anyway and it breaks. Gold says go get a hero to pull the sword from the stone and says they both know who that is. Back in Camelot, Robin reassures Regina that shell figure it out then she glares at her mute sister and restores her voice.
Regina tells Zelena she can’t take the child from Robin but Z says they would take the child from her. Zelena reminds Regina she got a second chance and Regina tells her she has had many second chances. Regina takes her voice again and says to remember she’s the evil queen and can be a nightmare to her if she wants. Regina says she will make sure her baby is fine, loved and safe but that won’t be true of Zelena. Arthur takes David to the round table room and opens a cabinet of weapons.
David asks about Percival’s chair and he says he’ll find someone worthy to fill it. Then he says one chair will remain empty – he says it’s called the siege perilous and for the knight of the purest heart. He says Lancelot sat there but betrayed him now the chair is vacant. Arthur says it’s a tough situation then David says they met Lancelot but heard that he has died. Arthur says he was a good knight but failed to resist temptations. He says Lancelot tormented himself more than Arthur would have.
Arthur shows David the reliquary of magical objects. One is an unquenchable flame that they take on their quest with them. Now, David goes to look at the reliquary in the woods and Arthur shows the lock was pried open which means it’s not the Dark One. David has an idea. Hook finds Robin at the diner looking at a sonogram photo of the baby. Robin says he knows the woman that carries the child is evil, but he can’t stop from loving the child. Hook tells him that Emma is not the same.
He says there’s a door in the house Emma doesn’t want him to open. Granny hands Hook a takeout order with a note from Emma that says to meet her at his ship. He does. He’s mad when she appears and startles him. She asks if they can talk and have lunch like old times. He says it’s not like old times. She magics a table and herself into a pretty dress with her old look. She takes his hand and says he can trust her. Back in Camelot, David and Arthur are in the dark woods.
They left the horses with Grif and David says his squire works hard. Arthur says he doesn’t thank him enough. Arthur tells him he was born a peasant and David says he was born a shepherd and they clasp hands to salute their common roots. They talk about their wives too. He says Gwen is a mean shot with a bow and arrow and he says they should get their wives to compete at a tourney. Arthur offers his canteen and they discuss competitive natures.
Arthur says Lancelot and Gwen weren’t the only ones to blame for what happened between them and says he was more difficult back then. They come up on a bridge that goes out into a swamp. David uses a spyglass and spots the mushroom and smiles. The bridge is sunk down into the water and David says it can’t hold them both and he’ll go on alone. He stops on the sinking wood slats and tries to make it there but then trips and falls. He recovers but we see a gauntlet in the water.
Now, Belle stares nervously at the falling petals of the rose and Belle says she has a healing spell and needs one ingredient – something that touched Gold before he was the Dark One. David offers to help but she says no. Arthur asks her if someone has come in to pawn a bean. David notices a silver goblet and Belle says it’s not magic. David says it will help them catch the culprit. David then shows it to the people of Camelot and says it’s the chalice of vengeance that will reveal the thief. He tells them to line up to drink to reveal the truth. One man runs off.
Arthur and David get in the truck and race after the guy who rode off on horseback. It’s the squire Grif. David tells Arthur to take the wheel and he climbs in the back. He tells Arthur how to drive it. David grabs a board out of the back of the truck and he’s using it like they’re jousting and knocks Grif off his horse. Back in Camelot, we see David make it to the mushroom and he cuts it from the stem. He tucks it into his pouch and heads back. There is more armor in the water.
The armor assembles into a guardian with a sword who fights David. There are two of them – sentries that he has to fight. He defeats them and goes running but one grabs his foot and trips him. David goes into the water. The knight grabs his leg and drags him under. David loses his grip and goes down. He struggles for the surface then sees Arthur reach for him. He pulls David from the water and he thanks the king for the assist.
Now, Hook asks Emma what she has behind the locked door and says he wants to trust her. She says she could hide anything from him she wanted to and he says she’s not the same because Emma didn’t play games. She agrees that she’s different but says she’s better. She says she used to be so closed off but now she sees things clearly and isn’t scared anymore. She says she’s an open book if he will just accept her. She says Gold and Belle loved each other and he says the crocodile is a bad example.
She says Gold didn’t find true love until he was Dark. Hook reminds her he was the villain with Gold who was a good man back then. He says he’s the only one there that changed for the better and Gold became an evil killer. Hook says he just wants her honesty and he is done humoring her. He says this is not the her he knows and asks why she brought him there. He says she needs something and calls her Dark One. He asks what it is that she needs. She says just his trust.
Hook says he liked her the way she was with her walls that he could break down. She says it’s still her inside here. She asks if he loves her. She says if he doesn’t, she’ll let him go. He says he did love her then says he’s steering home or swimming home then asks which. Emma says the ship is his and she puffs away in magical smoke looking sad. Back in Camelot, David says the toadstool is gone and the phantom knights took it. Arthur looks out over the dark lake and says in a quest, the seeking matters.
Arthur tells David he’s sorry and they share a laugh. David says his brother was evil and his father a drunk. He says he wanted to change the world and he doesn’t want to be remembered as the man who kissed awake a princess. Arthur says a rock decided he was a hero and says he’s had victories and losses since then and the losses make him brave. He says being a hero is not giving up. David pulls Arthur to his feet and Arthur says he has a seat for a man like him.
Now, they have Grif seated near the reliquary. They ask why he took the objects. He says he was tired of how they were all being treated in Camelot by Arthur. He says he wanted to hurt Arthur and the king tells him they needed the bean to get home. Grif says he didn’t see a bean. Arthur tells David he’s always betrayed by those closest to him. They wonder who has the bean and David says they need to put Grif in a cell. They find the mushroom and David says he recognizes it.
He takes the mushroom to Mary and Regina and she says they were looking for it in Camelot and Regina says they were probably going to use it to talk to Merlin about Emma. Mary tells David that he did it, but where did Grif get the mushroom. Back in Camelot, David is in golden armor and Arthur knights him to the round table. David tells him he’s honored and he is told to take a seat at the table. Arthur puts him in Lancelot’s chair. Arthur says he never thought he’s trust anyone else enough to seat them there.
They put David’s coat of arms on the chair and Arthur says it’s not bad for a shepherd. The people of Camelot applaud him. Mary steps out because the baby is crying and sees Lancelot in the halls. She says they thought he was dead. He says there’s a terrible villain in Camelot and says it’s Arthur. He says Camelot is not what it seems. Arthur tells Gwen that today was difficult and we see that he has the mushroom. She says he lied to David and he says he has to think of his kingdom first.
Gwen agrees that he must. He says that’s the burden of the king and he locks it in the reliquary. Now, Arthur comes to see Grif who says he followed his orders and said there was a bean even though they know there was not one. He asks Arthur to let him out but Arthur says they can’t let the locals know there was no bean. He says these people threaten their kingdom. He says David thinks his quest is noble but says they lied in Camelot and his daughter is the Dark One.
Arthur says they can’t get back home and have to build a new Camelot in Storybrooke. Grif says he would do anything for him and is ready to help. Arthur says he knows and needs him to drink this and offers him a vial of poison. Grif says he won’t tell but Arthur says these people have magic and can get him to tell the truth. Arthur says he will die in service of Camelot and will help them build a great new kingdom. Grif takes the vial and says – for Camelot – then drinks it down.
He hands it back to Arthur and then he seizes up and collapses. Green smoke takes him over and his body is gone. Arthur whispers – for Camelot. Hook finds Robin at the diner and says he has to know what’s behind the door at Emma’s place. He says he needs a thief but Robin says he’s a former thief. Hook says he’s a former pirate. Belle panics when she sees there’s one leaf left. But then the other leaves restore and she thinks he’s waking and runs back to the shop.
Gold is not on his cot. Emma stole him and she has a scabbard that he touched as a man – she got it from Hook. She crushes it with her magic and the powder falls on his chest. Belle stares at the rose under glass with tears in her eyes. Gold wakes and asks what she wants from him. He says she’s the Dark One now. She says that’s right. She says he’s not dark or light – he’s a blank slate and that makes him useful to her. She says now she can make him into the purest hero that’s ever lived. She says then she has a job for him.
