It was a convoluted road bringing him into the fold, but since his introduction, Wish Hook has been one of the highlights of Once Upon a Time season 7. Yet as fun as the character has been, he hasn’t had many episodes focused purely on him, although that could be because his cursed persona is duller than Prince Charming after an all-nighter of smoldering. In this episode, “Knightfall,” Once Upon a Time tries to correct things by giving an episode focused completely on Hook in both realms. It’s a bumpy road, certainly in the Rogers half, but because Colin O’Donoghueis leading it, there is the usual Hook charm at play that makes up a lot of slack.
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Captain Hook Gets His Swagger Back (And Loses His Daughter)
In the flashback part of the episode, the show gives us some much-needed answers on Wish Hook’s backstory. It’s a bit bizarre that Once Upon a Time extended out this temporary universe that was never meant to exist for more than a couple episodes. Yet with all the craziness of season 7, getting more of the universe where Emma never came to our world is hardly the worst thing.
These flashbacks pick up years after Alice and Hook have been stuck in the tower. Like the good father he is, Hook decides it’s time to get his daughter out of the tower. So, he goes to the only man / monster who can help, the wish version of Rumple that is still locked away in his magic dampening prison. Robert Carlyle is always a delight but this seriously deranged Rumple continues to be as much campy fun as he was during his first appearances in season 6. The crazier Dark One Rumple becomes, the more fun he is to watch.
Hook, though, isn’t delighted to be working with Rumple. Although Rumple sends Hook to find a magical fish hook (which will look very familiar to fans of Moana), he instead finds a new rival. Captain Ahab has been ruling the seas in Captain Hook’s absence and he’s not too impressed to find the grayer and softer Hook. (At least there’s confirmation that some adults do age after they’ve fathered children on Once Upon a Time.)
Ahab continues to taunt and ridicule Hook. Eventually, Hook gets fed up and challenges Ahab to a duel. It’s like the end of Hamilton, except with much worse music and almost no stakes. Hook wins the duel, but in doing so, gets distracted from his mission of trying to save Alice from the tower. For this sin of pride and selfishness, Gothel curses both of them making it so Hook can’t be physically close to his daughter without causing them both extreme pain.
Yup, the origin of Hook and Alice’s previously seen curse is a morality lesson from Mother Gothel, which is pretty hypocritical considering her own actions. It’s far from a satisfying answer to the mystery curse but it’s at least an answer.
The Mother Gothel Goose Chase
In Hyperion Heights, Rogers and Weaver/Rumple are hot on the trail of Eloise Gardner and her cult. Well, Rumple is. Rogers remains mostly clueless about everything. Although he is (finally) convinced that something’s up with Gothel’s alter ego. However, it’s precisely because Rogers is so unaware of what’s going on that Gothel enters the police station and requests to talk to Rogers, and only Rogers, about the serial killer that’s on the loose.
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This launches an episode long series of interrogations where Gothel tries to further manipulate Rogers and it continues to work. Despite warnings from Rumple and Tilly, Rogers gets sucked in again by Gothel. Gothel sends Rogers on a weird goose chase explaining that each victim received marzipan in a heart-shaped box before they were attacked. This is a clue that ends up not panning out.
It’s definitely frustrating to see Once Upon a Time do nothing with Rogers than have him be a pawn in Gothel’s game, especially since Rumple is with him nearly the entire time and does nothing but scold Rogers as interference. At the same time, there is something magnetic about Gothel in her interactions of Rogers. She’s disgustingly smug but in a charismatic villainous way.
While Gothel does nothing to help solve the witch-killing mystery, Once Upon a Time does offer a potential new lead. Fed up with Gothel’s running around, Rogers and Rumple go to check on the last attempted murder victim, the blind baker. When they arrive in the baker’s hospital room, they find her dead on the floor with a disturbed Tilly standing over her with a scalpel. Tilly upon seeing the two detectives, flees and there’s evidently no way for the two grown men to find her.
Neither Rumple or Rogers seriously consider that Tilly is the murderer. Let’s face it, she isn’t the killer; even if, as Rumple later points out, she has more reason than anyone to want to kill witches. But tying Tilly directly into the murder spree plot is a good idea because more Tilly is always a good idea, especially if Rogers is involved.
A Pair of Exciting New Duos
Tilly getting involved in the witchy serial killer isn’t the only new development of the episode. Ivy finally returns and is determined to pick up the pieces of her life. She tries to go after Henry, romantically, and it fails big time. Although, even in rejection, Henry and Ivy have more chemistry than Henry and Jacinda do in general. Yet, Henry convinces Ivy that she has to do something to help herself heal after her mother’s death.
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After a conversation with Jacinda (Ivy and Jacinda really do need more scenes together) Ivy makes her decision. Enlisting the help of Henry, Ivy determines to honor her mother’s legacy and attempt to find and rescue Anastasia. This kills two birds with one stone. It allows Once Upon a Time to believably drag out the stalled relationship between Jacinda and Henry, while giving us more Ivy and Henry who have always been the more compelling duo.
Perhaps the most exciting development of the episode is an even newer duo that forms at the very end of the hour. After realizing that her parents can’t be together without Henry dying, Lucy goes to Regina for help. Yet, unlike the last time Lucy tried enlist Regina, Lucy’s grandmother doesn’t turn her away. Regina tells Lucy that she believes her and together, they will help Henry and Ella get the “happy ending they deserve.”
Since Regina woke up, Once Upon a Time has been strangely quiet about dealing with Regina’s feelings and relationship with her granddaughter. This new partnership should more than make up for the lost time.
What do you make of the Hook-heavy episode? What connection, if any, do you think Tilly has to murderer? Which pair are you more excited to see more of? Henry and Ivy or Regina and Lucy?
Once Upon a Time season 7 airs at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our OUAT Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
