Swan Song (Once Upon a Time)
Hook is redeemed and dies; the heroes journey to the Underworld.
Swan Song, the midseason finale of Once Upon a Time’s fifth season, aired on December 6, 2015. In it, Hook and the Dark Ones attempt to seize Storybrooke, but Hook finds redemption and perishes. The episode concludes with Emma, her parents, Regina, Robin, Henry, and Mr. Gold journeying to the Underworld to retrieve Hook. Flashbacks show Hook reuniting with his father.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Once Upon a Time
- Season
- 5
- Production
- 511
- Episode
- 11
- Air date
- 6 December 2015
- Director
- Gwyneth Horder-Payton
- Writer
- Edward Kitsis; Adam Horowitz
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Eleven resurrected Dark Ones, their forms cloaked, appear in a forest. In an Enchanted Forest flashback set years before the events of "The Brothers Jones," a young Killian is comforted by his father Brennan, who tells him he will become the man he is meant to be. Brennan then abandons Killian and his brother, selling them into servitude because he was a wanted man and his ship was stolen. Later, in a flashback during "Queen of Hearts," Regina recruits Hook to kill Cora and brings him to a tavern, ordering him to kill its owner—his father.
After closing, Hook confronts Brennan, who explains he was placed under a sleeping curse, fell in love with his nurse, and married her after she woke him with a kiss; she died after giving birth to their son. Hook follows Brennan home, watches him with the boy, and hears him repeat the same promises he made to Hook, calling the child Liam. Furious, Hook kills Brennan, who tells him it is never too late to change. The Storybrooke events occur after "Broken Heart" and before "Devil's Due."
The final scene, where everyone departs for the Underworld, happens after Mr. Gold says goodbye to Belle in "Souls of the Departed."
Reception
The episode received positive reviews, with many critics praising both O'Donoghue and Morrison's performances. Fan reception was rather negative, especially regarding the development of Rumple. Nick Roman of Rickey.org wrote that the winter finale incorporated a climax straight out of Return of the Jedi and was remarkably powerful, but also frustrating in how it restored the status quo. Andrea Towers of Entertainment Weekly noted that the show has never sustained itself when set simply in Storybrooke, and that moving to the Underworld opens up options for characters and plot in 5B.
Amy Ratcliffe of IGN said the twists in Emma's and Hook's paths carried the episode, and that Hook's sacrifice had an impact; she gave the episode a 7.9 rating out of 10. Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, calling it one of the series' best half-seasons. Christine Orlando of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.6 out of 5.
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