Dreamcatcher (Once Upon a Time)

Plot

In Camelot, about 500 years before the present, Merlin walks through a forest and calls out The Dark One with the Dagger of Kris. When the original Dark One appears, Merlin declares he will destroy the being for destroying the only woman he ever loved. Merlin fails to stab the Dark One, dropping the knife and saying he cannot do it. The Dark One picks up the dagger, holds it to Merlin's neck, and Merlin says he misses her.

The Dark One uses the dagger to collect a teardrop from Merlin, causing the dagger to glow purple and turning Merlin into a tree. Emma witnesses these events through a dreamcatcher while standing near the tree. Meanwhile, David and Mary Margaret, under King Arthur's command, convince Regina to hand over the dagger to Arthur. Regina instead takes them to the treestump where it is hidden.

Emma places a freezing spell on her parents and tells Regina that Arthur is using Mary Margaret and David to unite Excalibur with the dagger and kill Merlin. Emma wants Regina to work with her to free the sorcerer, but Regina is skeptical, believing Emma's darkness is speaking. Emma shows Regina the dreamcatcher, and Regina explains that the device catches more than dreams because it is dark magic and dangerous. Emma believes her dark magic is stronger than she thought.

Reception

The episode received a 1.6/5 rating among 18-49s and 5.12 million viewers, remaining steady for a fourth week. Reviews were positive, with praise for character dynamics, acting, and the surprising plotline. Andrea Towers of Entertainment Weekly noted her appreciation for the Camelot outfits and the wardrobe choices of Regina in red and Emma in white, reflecting their intentions from the first season. Amy Ratcliffe of IGN gave the episode a 6.5 out of 10, describing the dialogue as flat and sometimes ridiculous, with delivery and flow feeling off.

Ratcliffe observed that Emma's gradual succumbing to becoming the Dark One is well shown and that Merlin is already free, but found the Henry and Violet scenes distracting and the love-curing-a-spell plot familiar. Nick Roman of Rickey.org wrote that the season explores what happens when the best of heroes turn evil, and called "Dreamcatcher" a compelling depiction of the corruption of a hero.