Tonight on ABC their fantastical series Once Upon A Time returns with an all new Sunday May 1 season 5 episode 20 called, “Firebird” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, Hades (Greg Germann) proposes a deal with the heroes if they help him rescue Zelena (Rebecca Mader) from Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) and Peter Pan. (Robbie Kay)
On the last episode, Hades wanted his heart healed by Zelena so they could have a future together and trapped the heroes in the Underworld, but Regina uncovered this plan and turns to Cora for help. 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, “Hades proposes a deal with the heroes if they help him rescue Zelena from Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan. Meanwhile, Hook and Emma go to the depths of the Underworld; Cruella De Vil devises a scheme; and in a flashback, Emma looks for info about her family.”
Tonight’s season 5 episode 20 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 Regina arguing with Emma and the gang over Zelena going to Hades. Regina reminds Hook he’s got a cagey history himself. Hades walks up on them and says he came… then he pauses and says help. David asks what he wants.
Hades says Zelena didn’t show for their date and Regina reads the papers. Pan and Gold kidnapped her to force Hades to tear up the baby contract. He says he has no problem doing that but doesn’t trust that they won’t still hurt her. He says the Stilstkins can’t be trusted.
Hades says he will offer them a deal if Zelena survives. Hook doesn’t trust him. Hades tells Emma the family are there because of her and says he will take the names off the headstones. He says Savior, do you want to send your family home or not.
In Maine 2009, we see Emma in her yellow bug. She is looking into her own appearance there 26 years ago. A woman approaches her and asks if she’s the baby in the article. Emma goes to walk away but the woman is a bounty hunter looking for her for a warrant in Phoenix.
Emma runs. The woman booted her car so she couldn’t get away and she’s stuck. Now, Hades hangs a closed sign in the diner and says show yourself. Pan and Gold are there with Zelena. Gold says this is his fault for not ripping up the contract.
Hades magics it into his hand and Rumple says rip it up and you get the witch. Hades does it. Pan says he needs a living heart to walk the earth again and goes to rip it out but Emma is there and magics him away. Emma tells Gold to leave.
Gold says you picked the wrong team. She asks why he’s still there since he got what he wanted. Pan looks at him but he’s gone. Pan is upset that his son left and he also poofs way in magic. Hades runs to Zelena and magics way her cuff. He says he’d do anything for her.
Zelena kisses him. Emma turns away. Magic hits and Hades’ heart starts beating again. The whole place shakes. Emma asks what that is. He says his banishment is over and he can leave for good. He tells Emma to go to the cemetery and take the portal that will open by sunset.
Emma says they all have to go together and tells him to keep his word. The clock from the town square is in the cemetery and the hands are spinning. Hades says it will open a portal. He magics their names off the tombstones and says they’re not tied to the realm.
Emma tells Hook they need to split her heart between them and Regina pulls it out of her chest. She tries to give half to Hades but it won’t work. David says it worked for him. Hades says he’s been dead too long and his soul has been out of his body for a while.
Emma asks Hades if anyone has brought someone back from the underworld. She asks how. Hades says it’s a rumor from long ago. She asks him to tell her everything. We see Emma handcuffed back in 2009 by the bounty hunter who turns on the TV for her then goes to take a shower.
Emma grabs the sewing kit from the nearby table and unlocks her cuffs then checks the woman’s wallet. She sees a photo of Tasha and then takes some cash. She notices a records finder open on the laptop. The bounty hunter comes out of the shower upset.
She panics when she doesn’t see Emma handcuffed, but she’s at the computer and asking about the records she can search. She says help me with this and I’ll go to Phoenix quietly. The bounty hunter says they can go to the courthouse in the morning.
Hades shows them the tale of Morpheus and Euresys. He says they need ambrosia and the elevator is the only way to get to it. He says it’s deep below and even he’s not afraid to get out of it. He says there is a test you must pass and you have to submit your heart to a test.
Hades yanks it out and puts it in a bag and hands it to her. Emma says they’re going. David says they’ll wait here. Regina says she knows the drill and says if she’s not back by sunset, all of them will leave. Emma and Hook get on the elevator with her heart in a bag.
Gold finds Pan in the shop and his father tells him Belle will never accept him like he will. Gold says he just wants to get Belle home so she can wake. Pan says he wants the heart he was promised. Gold calls him selfish and Pan holds out a box – it’s Pandora’s Box.
He says get me a heart or you miss the portal home at sunset. He asks if it’s a deal. Henry talks to Regina about helping the underworld residents. Hades says they can take care of their unfinished business without him here.
He says as the author, he may be able to help them. Robin comes in with the baby and Regina says Zelena is helping them and so is Hades. Zelena asks to see her daughter. Regina says Henry is right and they have time to help the people.
Regina tells Robin to take the baby to the cemetery and he says no. Then she says give her to Zelena. He says he can’t trust Zelena but she says trust me, this is what’s best for your daughter. Robin glares but then hands the baby over to her mother.
Zelena says thank you and hugs her sister. Robin looks uncertain. Hades and Zelena leave with the baby and Robin says he needs a moment. He is clearly upset and then hears a noise. It’s Gold who says don’t worry, you won’t remember this. He yanks out his heart.
Emma and Hook take the elevator to the lowest level of the underworld. They are down in a cave. Back in 2009, Emma and the bounty hunter are at the courthouse. She tells Emma that her jacket is like her armor and tells Emma she’s being too emotional and needs to find armor of her own.
Emma looks at the file and sees the same article and a note about the boy who was with her. Emma rants and the bounty hunter says they did what she promised. She tells Emma to go back pay for your crime and then start over.
The bounty hunter says she kept her word now keep yours. She says they’re going back to Phoenix tomorrow and says it’s Arizona, not hell. Henry hands people out pages about their unfinished business to help then move on.
Cruella comes up ranting and Henry tucks the book away. Cruella says with Hades gone, the underworld needs a new ruler but she can’t let the people go away and can’t let them leave. Cruella brings the diner witch with them and she seals them in the library. Cruella laughs and they walk off arm in arm.
Emma and Hook find a set of scales and Emma says she thinks she needs to weight her heart to see if her love for him is true. Hook panics a bit and says true love is the rarest magic of all. He asks if she’s certain. Emma says they have to try.
Hook says she can only admit how she feels when one of them is facing death. She says her armor has been on so long she forgets she doesn’t need it with him. She pulls her heart out of the bag and puts it on the scale. It doesn’t move.
Emma collapses and says get my heart but when he reaches for it, he goes up in flames. He tells her to get it. Emma staggers to stand and runs for him instead. She tackles him to the ground and a door opens. Hook says it’s true love and says when she chose him, that was the test.
Back in 2009, Emma waited for the bounty hunter to go to sleep then went back and broke into the courthouse. She grabbed the file and then heard a noise. She turned off her flashlight. It’s the bounty hunter who fusses at her.
Emma asks why she’s there and the bounty hunter says it won’t do you any good to know why your parents gave you up. She tells Emma she knows things and she should listen. She tells her to come on. Cops are there and the bounty hunter kicks out a window so they can get away.
Now, Emma and Hook find that the ambrosia is dead. Someone cut it and Hook thinks it was Hades who cut down the tree. They wonder why lie and send them after dead fruit. Hook says Hades doesn’t want them coming back with them.
Regina says this must be Hades since the other witch’s spells aren’t this good. The portal opens and Hades tells Zelena they need to go now but she says she needs her sister. He says they’re heroes, they’ll make it and she agrees to go with him. They step through.
Gold comes back with the heart for Pan but tells him to have patience. The underworld rattles. Emma looks around for seeds or any pieces of ambrosia they can use. Hook says they have to go now. They run as the ground rumbles.
Back in 2009, the bounty hunter is bleeding to death because of a shard of glass in her gut. She tells Emma to run then admits she gave her own daughter up years ago. She dies and Emma runs off and leaves her as she requested.
Emma and Hook make it to the elevator but he says he’s not going up with her. He says there’s nothing up there to save him. Emma says she won’t go back without him but he says they have no choice. He says he wants to say goodbye while they’re alone.
He says let me go – we’ve had more than our share of time. Emma cries and says she doesn’t want to say goodbye. He says don’t then says don’t put the armor back on just because she’s losing him. He holds her close and she promises.
Emma cries and says promise me that I’m not your unfinished business and you’ll move on. She says don’t wait for me to show up and he agrees. He pushes her into the elevator and closes the gate. He says he loves her and they kiss through the bars.
The elevator ascends slowly and he holds her hand as long as he can but is forced to let it go. In Boston in 2010, we see that Emma is now a private investigator herself and she’s just starting out. She follows a young woman into a shop and shows her the photo from the bounty hunter’s pocket.
The girl says that looks like me and asks if she’s in trouble. Emma says she knew her birth mother Cleo Fox and gives her a folder of information about her mother. Tasha asks if she’s looking for her but Emma says she’s gone. The girl thanks her.
Emma decides to buy a jacket from the shop where she works. It’s her read leather jacket – her armor – just like Cleo advised her to get. Emma puts it on and says this can work. Now, Emma rides the elevator up in sad silence all alone.
She comes out and finds the gang all there. She hugs Henry and David asks where’s Hook. Emma says they have to hurry and leave and Regina says they’re trapped. Emma says this was all a set up and says the ambrosia wasn’t there.
Emma says Hook can move on but he can’t leave. She says he wanted to make sure all of them got out. Regina says let’s give him his wish. Emma agrees. She and Regina hit the doors with their combined magic and bust through the spell.
They head for the cemetery. Henry leaves the book behind so people can find their unfinished business. Pan tells Gold it’s time to go. Pan thanks him for the heart and Gold shoves it into his chest. Pan says something is wrong. He asks what he’s done.
Gold says that wasn’t Robin’s heart I put inside you. He says he gave Robin’s heart back and gave him a glamored wine skin filled with water from the river of souls. Gold says villains don’t get happy endings and he’s there to make sure he never gets out.
Pan is consumed by the lost souls and is gone in a puff of green magic. Gold says goodbye for good Papa. He goes to Belle and opens Pandora’s Box. Red magic swirls out of it. He shuts it again once she’s inside it and heads for the cemetery.
The portal is still open and he steps through it. The heroes run for the portal as it’s closing. They leap in and Emma looks back but David grabs her arm and won’t let her turn back. Emma says she can’t lose anyone else and they jump into the portal. It closes and the clock hands stop.
THE END!
