With just a week until the mid-season finale, Once Upon a Time sets the final episode of the fall in “Changelings."
The episode opens with a fairy running down a dark basement. She was running from Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) who shows up and ties the fairy up. The Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) appears, and she still hasn’t killed Zelena (Rebecca Mader), as per Rumple’s request. The Evil Queen doesn’t want to kill her sister because she thinks Rumple is going to abandon her when he gets what he wants. Rumple wants to send the good guys a message, so he throws an aging potion on the fairy and sends her on her way. Rumple is going to use the potion to speed up Belle’s (Emilie de Ravin) pregnancy.
In the past in Rumple’s castle, Rumple brings in a stolen a baby and tells Belle to take care of it. Rumple does not plan on getting attached to the baby, so there is no telling what he might do.
Back in Storybrooke, Belle is rummaging through the library to find a book to stop Rumple. She finds a guide on defeating the Dark One, a book she has never seen before. The first page says to “Follow the Strand.” A red ribbon appears and she follows it to the pair of shears. “I’m in the dream world again,” she says. And sure enough she is because her son appear and tells her the red ribbon is “the strand of my fate.” He tells Belle to be careful, but to figure out a way to save him. Then Belle wakes up in the library.
In the meantime, the Evil Queen goes to Zelena’s house because Rumple sent her. They take things outside, and The Evil Queen sends Zelena flying through the air. The Evil Queen goes to kill her, but she experiences a sharp pain in her chest. Behind her is Regina (Lana Parrilla) who is holding her own heart. Regina and the Evil Queen share a heart, so if Regina were to crush the heart, both of them would die. The Evil Queen, feeling threatened, leaves in a fit of rage and frustration.
Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) goes to Rumple’s shop in attempt to talk Rumple out of his plan to age Belle. Hook was the distraction because, at the same time, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) throws squid ink on Rumple, freezing him in place. Emma and Hook look for the aging potion so Rumple won’t be able to use it on Belle. Emma opens a drawer when she has another vision — and this one is debilitating. The camera cuts to Rumple who isn’t frozen anymore, so he walks out of his shop.
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In the past, Belle is reading a book to the baby, when she comes up with the brilliant idea to escape with the baby. Belle’s plan to escape out of the tower, but she stumbles across an incantation that is written in Fairy language. She reads it aloud and Rumple steps out of the shadows. Rumple knew that was going to happen — he wanted Belle to read the spell so he knew what it said. Rumple takes the baby and locks Belle in the tower’s room.
In storybrooke, Rumple goes to the library and locks Belle in the building. He pulls out the aging potion and says to Belle: “I cannot lose another son Belle. Not if I can stop it.” When he has her cornered, he says, “I think I’m a man no one can love. With this son, I can start over. Maybe he can love me.” Rumple thinks by cutting his son’s fate will make his son love him but Belle says, “You’ll lose me forever.” Rumple puts the potion away and walks out of the library. Maybe he doesn’t think cutting his son’s fate is worth losing Belle over.
In the past, Belle tries to escape the room she’s locked in when the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy) comes flying in. She came because she sensed the fairy incantations being read. She explains the spell summons the Black Fairy (Jamie Murray). The Black Fairy, Blue explains, is a bad fairy who stole babies from their mothers. Blue frees Belle and tells her she must be the one to stop Rumple.
Belle goes with Hook and Emma to Granny’s. Belle is relieved Rumple decided not to use the aging potion on her, but when she takes a sip of her tea, her belly swells to full-term pregnancy size. It looks like Rumple lied, which should not take anyone by surprise.
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In the past, Rumple takes the baby to the woods to lure the Black Fairy. He summons the Black Fairy and uses squid ink to stop her from taking the child too soon. Rumple has just one question for the Black Fairy: “Why did you abandon one child who was actually yours?” Her response is: “Sometimes you have to choose power over love.” Rumple is her son, which is yet another explanation as to why he is so evil. Belle, who is hiding in the bushes, comes to take the baby. The baby starts crying and Rumple gets distracted, so the Black Fairy disappears.
In Storybrooke, Emma takes Belle to the fairy hospital so she can give birth to her son. She has another dream and talks to her son. He tells her what she must do, and Belle is troubled by what he is implying. The dream is over and Belle gives birth to her son, Gideon. The Blue Fairy comes in and Belle asks for her help. Belle asks Blue to be his Fairy Godmother — of course she does — and to take him far away until the all of the drama is over. Rumple walks into the hospital right after Blue left. He is very upset and leaves with the final words of “I will find our son.”
Rumple goes back to his shop where the Evil Queen is waiting. The Evil Queen says she put the potion in Belle’s tea, and that causes Rumple to become angry and destroy everything in sight.
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In the final scene, Hook joins Emma at Granny’s. Emma wants to go back to Rumple’s shop and force herself to have another vision: “Let’s go find out what really happens to me.” Emma finds the sword with the red gem from her vision. When she touches the hilt, she has another vision, but it doesn’t show her who kills her. At least she has the sword.
Once Upon a Time viewers are finally getting close to the end of some storylines. Emma is one step closer to figuring out who kills her, and Belle gave birth to her son and sent him away. The episode set up the mid-season finale, which airs Dec. 4. It appears the next episode will focus more on Emma and how she prepares to meet her fate. It seems like the Savior’s time is about to run out.
Rating: 3.5/5
