Tonight on ABC their fantastical series Once Upon A Time returns with an all new Sunday May 8 season 5 episode 21 called, “Last Rites” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, the heroes reunite in Storybrooke, but they must deal with Hades, (Greg Germann) who’s now in their town and plans to take it over.
On the last episode, Hades proposed a deal with the heroes if they helped him rescue Zelena from Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan. 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, “the heroes reunite in Storybrooke, but they must deal with Hades, who’s now in their town and plans to take it over. Meanwhile, Hook searches for the missing storybook pages in the Underworld; and Regina and Robin devise their own scheme for Hades.”
Tonight’s season 5 episode 21 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!
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#OnceUponATime starts with Hades in Storybrooke and thrilled to be in the land of the living. He’s with Zelena and her daughter. She looks worried and says Regina should have been here by now. She leaves Hades with the baby and goes looking for her.
King Arthur runs up to him and Hades introduces himself as the God of Death. Hades comforts the crying baby and says he needs his help ruling this kingdom and snaps his neck with magic. Merida complains about the dwarves sleeping on guard duty as Snow comforts Neal.
Snow is happy to see David and Emma. Zelena finds Regina and Robin and says Hades has changed. Regina says he tried to trap them and was putting on a show for them. Zelena says he’s different now that his heart is beating and says he’s changed.
Regina says the truth hurts then asks where he is. Zelena asks what they’ll do to him. Regina says they have to protect the town. Regina says he’s not who she thinks he is. Zelena says he’s a God and they’d better not try and hurt him. She poofs away.
In the underworld, dead Arthur comes into Granny’s diner and takes a seat by a kid. He asks where he is. The witch says he stopped talking centuries ago. Hook is there and Arthur threatens him but he says you can’t kill a dead man. Arthur is horrified.
He says he had so much to do and Hook says he does too and asks who killed him. Arthur is in denial and Hook asks again who killed him. He says Hades. Hook asks if anyone up there knows how to stop him. The witch says Hades never reveals his weakness.
Hook tells Arthur they should go on a quest. He says Arthur is a terrible king with loads of unfinished business and says he can go to heaven or hell. Arthur asks what they’re questing for – they need to figure out Hades’ weakness.
Emma, David and Merida find Arthur’s body and Emma says they have to kill him. David says he’s a god and they don’t know how to hurt him. David says she needs to see clearly and says she needs to deal with Hook’s death in a normal way – he tells her to grieve.
Zelena tells Hades that Regina threatened him and Hades says he can’t let anyone hurt her or the baby. He says he can turn himself in. She says she can’t lose him again. Hades is playing her like a violin. He says they have to defend themselves and she agrees at once.
Zelena says she’ll put a protection spell up and she says we’ll fight back if we have to. He says he has the Olympian crystal that belonged to Zeus and says they can use it if they have to. He seems excited about using it on someone at long last.
Regina sees that Zelena has put a protection spell on town hall and Regina says there are tunnels they can use to sneak in and talk to Zelena and try to get Robin’s daughter back. Emma wants to go in and Regina says she’s too emotional right now.
Regina and Robin head into the tunnels. She tells him she was wrong to trust Zelena and she says she was trying to give her a second chance. She says her sister wants what she has. Robin says she’s not sorry and is defending her sister instead. He says he has to save his daughter.
Belle’s dad Maurice is not happy to see Gold in his shop. He says Belle needs him to wake her. Maurice says no he won’t do it for her. He says he won’t wake her until Gold is gone for good. Gold pulls out his cane and threatens him.
Maurice says he’ll die first. Emma barges in and tells Gold to stop it. She tells him Hades is there and she needs to know how to kill Hades. He asks why he’d tell her since she got them all into this mess. Arthur and Hook go to Hades’ throne room. They look around.
Arthur says it sounds like Hades was a worse king than him. Hook says they need pages from a story book and says he hid them from all of them and he thinks they’ll expose his weakness. Arthur says maybe he’s wrong but Hook says he has to save Emma.
Arthur says this all about a woman. Hook says she risked everything for him and he can’t move in like he promised while she’s still in danger. Hook says when you were a king, where did you hide your treasure. Arthur says he hid it where no one would dare touch it – his throne.
He touches the throne and a compartment pops open and the pages are there. Hook says he has to get this to Emma. He says these pages tell you how to destroy a God.
Hook and Arthur come back to the diner looking for Cruella. They ask where’s the phone booth and she says they are both hot. Cruella says she destroyed it. She says she can’t have anyone resolving their unfinished business.
She says if she’s trapped, everyone is too. Hook asks where the book is and she says in sight but out of reach in the river of souls. Hook whispers to Arthur if they get the book, he can get the pages to Emma. Merida, David and Snow are hitting the books.
They ask Emma to hit the books with them but she refuses impatiently. She says this is not about revenge against Hades but about helping Hook move on. Hades works magic on the two halves of the crystal. He says his brother Zeus broke it and stopped his heart beating so he wouldn’t have the power to mend it.
Zelena looks a little worried. Hades says once it’s whole, they can show everyone they were wrong and can live any life they want. Hades says they could rule this place together. She says she thought they were just going to live there.
Hages says these people are leaving them no choice and they may need to make a show of strength to survive. The phone rings and Hades answers it. It’s Gold. He asks if he wants to make a deal. Hades says he doesn’t need a deal from him.
Gold says he can protect him for a piece of the crystal. He says you can’t smuggle magic like that into Storybrooke without me knowing and tells Hades it’s his kingdom. Hades says not for long and Gold says he warned him.
Regina tells Robin again that she’s sorry Zelena has his daughter. She says she wants to make up for it. Robin says they owe Zelena another chance. He says being with her has taught him that we’re all capable of change and the past doesn’t determine the future.
He says she is his future and kisses Regina. She smiles and calls him thief then asks what’s the plan. He says don’t go into a job without a good plan to get out. He says this time, though, he has no plan. She says she’s with him and he says let’s go save my daughter.
Hook and Arthur go looking for the book. A soul tries to drag Arthur into the water and he yells go for the book and to not help him. It’s in the hands of a gargoyle. Hook ignores him and comes to help, driving the creature back with a torch.
Another goes for the book and Arthur yells for the torch. Hook throws it and Arthur takes out the demon soul. They barely save the book before it falls into the river of lost souls. Hook explains the pages cross realms.
Arthur asks how do you kill the god of death. He says it’s the Olympian crystal. He says the power inside can obliterate him. Hook slides the pages into the book and closes it. He hopes she opens the book on the other side. The book is right by her side.
But Emma is flipping through another. Finally, she picks it up and leafs through. She looks at a couple with their happy ending then slams the book shut and sets it out of the way. The book opens on its own and pages flip to the new ones Hook just put in there.
Emma stares at the crystal shows in the illustration and gasps. Hades restores the crystal and is thrilled it’s whole again. Zelena says why don’t we leave Storybrooke and he says they’ll hunt them so they need to be safe and strong.
Robin and Regina lurk outside the door and Robin says they need a distraction. It’s Emma. Hades says they’re coming for them. Hades and Zelena go look around. Hades walks out while Zelena poofs away using her magic. Robin and Regina go for the baby.
Zelena comes out to talk to Emma and says you can’t defeat a God. She tells Zelena she knows he has the crystal and what he can do with it. She hands Zelena the pages from the book. Zelena accuses her of trying to kill the man she loves then asks if Regina agreed.
Hades creeps back in while Robin is talking to his daughter. Hades says the baby is not the one in danger. Regina says if you kill me, you’ll lose Zelena. He says this won’t kill you, it will wipe out completely out of existence.
He says that’s what you get for trying to end me. Hades goes to take out Regina and Robin leaps in front of him. The bolt hits him and his spirit is there as his body collapses. His spirit reaches for Regina think winks out of existence.
Regina glares at Hades who says don’t worry, you won’t be apart long. Zelena comes in and accuses Regina of trying to kill Hades. Regina says Hades has been lying to her. Zelena asks if she tried to trap them in the underworld.
He says the only way they can be safe it to use the power to create a new kingdom. He says they have to get back at the ones who didn’t get back at them. Regina tackles Hades and Zelena grabs the crystal. Hades tells her to use it and end Regina.
Regina tells her she believes in her and wanted her to find love but says sometimes love doesn’t work. She says Robin died protecting her and that’s true love – sacrifice. She says Hades won’t give up anything for her. Hades tries to convince her to kill Regina.
Zelena lights up the crystal and stabs Hades with it. He screams her name and is gone into a pile of dust. Regina sobs and Regina runs to Robin. She lifts his head and holds him tight. Zelena is there and the two sisters hold each other and cry.
Arthur thanks Hook for taking him on the righteous quest. He asks Hook how he knows if it works and he says he knows Emma did what she needed. The bridge for him to cross over appears and Hook says perhaps this was your unfinished business too.
He asks him to come along. Arthur says there was a prophecy that he was to inherit a broken kingdom and says now he thinks it was the underworld. He wishes Hook good luck. Hook crosses over. A man waits there for him and greets him.
He says those above have finally destroyed the misguided god of death, his brother Hades. It’s Zeus. He says he’s there to escort him onward and asks Hook if he’s ready. Hook says he is. Zeus says it’s time to take him where he belongs.
Hook walks into the light. Emma is at the cemetery and puts a flask on Hook’s grave. She thanks him for the pages and says Hades is gone now and she says she hopes he’s in a better place. She says she feels like now he’s really gone. She sobs.
She says she misses him. Now we see Robin’s funeral. The Merry Men and everyone else places arrows with roses tied to them on his grave. Poor Roland is an orphan now. Zelena steps to the grave with the baby and Regina says he never got to name his daughter.
Zelena says they’ll call her Robin. Regina likes that. Mourners stream away and Zelena comforts her sister. Emma and Henry approach the grave and then Snow stands with her while David takes Henry. Snow says she hopes they never have a day like this again.
Snow tells her this is not her fault. Emma asks her to have time alone. Emma stands at Robin’s grace then a wave of magic hits her. It’s Hook. He says Swann. She turns and runs to him and kisses him. She asks how and he says Zeus sent him back as a reward.
She says she doesn’t care how he’s back and kisses him. She tells him not all of them made it through and he sees Robin’s grave. Gold is in the Mayor’s office and looks at the pile of dust that was Hades. He says – you should have taken my deal.
Gold digs into the dust pile and pulls out a hunk of the crystal. He says I told you this was my kingdom.
THE END!
