Previously on OUAT: Somehow Hook figured out he needed to send Emma a message about where he was, because obviously the rescue team was not really doing the job, so he freed a prisoner, got himself attack by a three headed dog, and got recaptured by Hades who decided to torture him from the fun. Back in the light section of the Underworld, Snow figured out that the creature guarding Hook could be killed by Hercules whose grave she’d just seen so she knew he was there, and then ensuing the trial and error part of the day, but Hercules, Snow and Megara (girl prisoner) managed to kill Cerberus (Hagrid would not be happy). In the past, Herc once taught Snow how to use a bow, and that failures make for later victories.

Main Story Addendum: Hook as a fate
That was highly short lived as Hook refused to do anything, making Hades angry enough to hang him over the creepy green water that makes lost souls, and then lowering him slowly. Let’s just say, the clock was ticking for Captain Hook, pun intended. 

Note: The Green River and the souls look really, really off. The effects not on point on that. I feel like the problem is contrast. The River colors are too much when compared to everything else… too cartoony.

The Main Story of the Episode: THEY FINALLY ATTEMPTED TO ACTUALLY RESCUE HOOK
It took a couple of episodes but Operation Firebird finally launched an attack, but it was led by the most unlikely of candidates: Rumple. To summarize the plan: they needed a dead person to channel while they crossed the barrier to the entrance of Hades’ lair, and then without using magic, find Hook, and sneak him out. First order of business was to find a dead person willing to help. Rumple decided that the very best person was Milah, his ex-wife, who happens to be Hook’s ex-lover, and also Neal’s mother, who was Emma’s baby daddy. Rumple introducing the two ladies to each other was downright one of the funniest moments on the show in a while; straight out of the soap opera script. Milah’s reaction to it all was amazing to say the least. 

Once we got all the jealousy out of the way, and the plan in motion, Rumple led them to Emma’s Storybrooke house (which Hook picked), and also serves as the gate of Hell (Sunnydale jokes inserted here). Once safely inside, Emma notified that Neal had Ghost-skyped her and that he was happy and ok, making Milah and Rumple be joyful for a second. Milah then joined the rescue party, and led them to the River of Lost Souls. Now, once they got to where Killian was supposed to be, the team split up, as Rumple decided to guard the magical boat that would get them out, Milah decided to watch Rumple from double crossing them, and Emma was left to do all the rescuing. Emma for her part had a pretty simple job: run a few creepy hallways, not use magic, walk a beam over the river that essentially takes your soul, and get the man. The plan actually worked. 

Looking back at the plan, there was one thing that bothered me: it really worked. So until the headstones were revealed, I didn’t pay as much attention to how, Hades let Killian be rescued. 

Side Plot A with Flashbacks: Rumple and Milah have that couple’s time they really needed oh 300 years ago.
Let’s not go too far into why Rumple chose Milah (one person in the Underworld who would WANT to save Hook), or how shocked she was to see him. In the present, while Emma is rescuing Hook, we get to see that heart to heart, where Milah expresses her unfinished business is Neal, and wanting to apologize for being a really sucky mom. This is important especially when looking at the Flashbacks. 

In the flashbacks, we go back between Rumple coming home from the war as the village coward, and Milah meeting Hook. In this particular time, Rumple was doing his best at being a good husband, but failing, thus making Milah aggravated with him all the time. During one incident when Baelfire gets bitten by a poisonous snake and is doomed to die 24 hours later, Milah essentially hands Rumple a dagger and tells him to kill the healer, steal the antidote to the poison; since the healer’s price for the cure was gold they did not have. Let us make the point that while Rumple did do the cowardly thing to get out of a war, Milah’s actual character after the fact is actually pretty bad. Short of torturing the man, she is rude, mean and spiteful. 

The flashback shows us Milah at the tavern, after she sent away her husband to kill a man to save her son, being accosted by a man, and saved by one Killian Jones. Killian tells her about the life at sea, and seeing things, and being free; everything Milah wants but clearly does not have. She tells Killian she is married and has a son, and cannot leave, and he responds that when she does she can find him at the tavern. That’s not even going too deep into the sexual tension between them, like damn. 

On the other half of the flashbacks, Rumple is trying to kill a man and failing. The healer then questions Rumple on what Bae means to him, essentially getting the knowledge that Rumple would do anything regardless of the price (clearly does not know better). Rumple comes back with the antidote, and saves Neal; but, he tells Milah the price: their second born son (Look further down for a note on this). Milah is angry that Rumple gave away her future, and essentially doomed her to be stuck in a village, with the one kid from a man she hates, and no others, only because he made a deal. She leaves for the tavern and hangs out with Killian, and we know where that leads. 

In the present, Hades appears to Milah and Rumple, and freezes Milah, telling Rumple they have to talk. Hades wants to make a deal: he’ll send Rumple back to Storybrooke, if Rumple destroys the boat from the green river, and makes sure the rescue party stays in the Underworld not doing any rescuing. Hades wishes Rumple to stay alive to send more souls down to him. Rumple goes back to burn the boat, and force pushes Milah into the river of lost souls. Emma and Hook get there to find him with a burned hand, and a story of Hades pushing Milah in the water, and Rumple not being able to save her.

In the final flashback, Rumple as the Dark One kills the healer, thus nullifying the contract. 

There is also something else to be noted here: while in Season 1, we did talk about deals and contracts a little more, it has been a while since we’ve since one. In fact, with this contract, it is almost as if we need a reminder of the rules of magical contracts.

Side Story B: Well this came out of nowhere
We knew Regina’s powers weren’t working as well, but it is a shock to see her looking for Daniel out of nowhere, but at least she finds good news there. The plot was set up to explain the importance of the graves in the underworld: upright, they are there; tipped over, moved on to a better place; cracked, went to not so good a place. Why is this important: see below. Let’s note, that until the very end, this side plot seemed to be about just Regina’s magic, not quite about the significance of the headstones. 

Let us also always bring back Cruella. One of the best characters on the show. 

Also, Regina saved an injured horse and got her magic mojo back.

The Main Story: How it all comes together 
Once Emma and Rumple get Hook back to the upper Underworld, and everyone rejoices because their plan actually worked; it is time for the big kahuna. Side note: Killian and Rumple called it even. Now, while they have no way to get back home yet, Regina has her magic and moves in to get Emma’s heart, and try and split it to save Hook. But, she can’t get Emma’s heart. The find at the graveyard the three mastheads Killian refused to carve, now carved by Hades himself (Emma, Regina, and Snow). They are now “bound” to the underworld, for a lack of a better word, and because of that can’t use Emma’s heart to save Killian. 

The crazy cliffhanger time!
Now, as Rumple goes back to Hades to get his ass back to Storybrooke, Hades pulls a sucker punch on him. Remember when we mentioned Rumple dealt away his and Milah’s second born son. Well, Rumple read the contract wrong, because it only dealt away HIS second born son, baby mamma whichever. So, Hades in a very nice Wall Street move, bought up the contract of Rumple’s baby, figured out Belle was preggo, and is now holding the unborn baby of the most powerful Dark One ever hostage, until Rumple does the one thing only he can do (which was not mentioned). Hades has a full house if you will. 

SPECULATIONS AND QUESTIONS

1. With all the half hearts plans here, I remembered Snow and Charming share a heart. If Snow is bound by the underworld, wouldn’t that keep Charming as well? (Emma’s heart couldn’t get pulled out). They have the same heart, so if one half stays, does the other stay too?

2. Charming was given half a heart while dead, but they didn’t travel to the underworld. Couldn’t have Emma done the same for Hook, right after he died in 5x11?

3. If they had no escape plan before, why hadn’t they mentioned it.

4. Couldn’t Henry, as the author, un-write the graves?

RATING: 8.5 Really Good. The introduction of Milah, the rescue plan working, and the Second-Baby-Deal twist at the end, all made for a really amazing story, not to mention how well the Flashbacks served to link the storyline, the full show timeline, and were more than view into the unhappy marriage. Docking points for the weird Hades’ hair and Green River water special effects, they looked off.