OUAT 5x07: "Nimue"

This week I'll be reviewing last Sunday's Once Upon a Time episode, "Nimue".

DISCLAIMER: If you have not watched this episode and do not want it spoiled for you, DO NOT READ ON.

So first I'd like to go over my pride and joy, CaptainSwan. Towards the beginning of the episode, Hook saw Emma sitting outside making dream catchers, and he got very defensive, telling Merlin that he wasn't helping her. Emma and Merlin had to go on a quest, so while saying goodbye, Hook gave Emma his ring, telling her that it might be the reason he was alive and it would bring her home to him. They said they loved each other and everything, so basically I was smiling like an idiot for the entire scene.

In a flashback, we saw that Merlin gained his magic and immortality by drinking from the Holy Grail about 1000 years ago. Fast forward about 500 years and you get a maiden named Nimue coming to Merlin for help. Nimue and Merlin fell in love, but Nimue wanted to be immortal like Merlin so that they could spend eternity together. Merlin said no, but suggested that they could forge the Holy Grail into a sword to cut away his immortality so that they could grow old together. Nimue also wanted revenge on a mysterious man who had terrorized her village. While turning the cup into a sword, the mysterious man showed up so that he could take the cup and become immortal. He "killed" Nimue and took the sword, but then Nimue stood up and took his heart. Apparently, Nimue had secretly drank from the Holy Grail. Out of vengeance, she crushed the man's heart and became dark. She broke the sword so that Merlin couldn't use it, and it broke into two pieces: Excalibur and the Dark One's dagger. Nimue was the first Dark One.

Back to Camelot, Emma and Merlin's quest was to get the last ember from the fire that originally forged the sword. With that, they could make Excalibur whole again. Unfortunately, to do so meant that Emma had to summon Nimue because she was the one who had the ember. Nimue tried to persuade Emma to kill Merlin so that she wouldn't go back to being worthless. Emma said, "I am not nothing! I was never nothing! The power you have I don't need!" I am so proud of her. She acquired the ember and Nimue vanished.

Meanwhile, Hook, Charming, Snow, Regina, Robin, and Zelena went to go get Excalibur from Arthur. However, Arthur is now a pretty bad guy. He said to Guinevere, and I quote, "This is war now." Surprisingly, Zelena showed the gang how to get into the castle secretly, and Snow guarded her while everyone else searched for the sword. Zelena tricked Snow and escaped. She teamed up with Arthur and had her magic back. She helped Arthur tether Merlin's soul to Excalibur, so Arthur summoned him and ordered him to make the others go away.

In present time (Storybrooke), Emma used the ember to reunite Excalibur and the dagger. Once she did, she had a memory of Merlin telling her not to take it (we saw this in the beginning of the first episode), but she did anyway. So that's interesting.

Tonight is a 2-episode special so be sure to watch it!! The spoilers are literally eating at my soul. Once Upon a Time is on at 8 PM on ABC!

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

OUAT 5x06: "The Bear and the Bow"

I'm back with my weekly review!! This time we'll be talking about last Sunday's episode, "The Bear and the Bow."

DISCLAIMER: If you have not watched this episode and do not want it to be spoiled for you, then DO NOT read on.

Alright, so I'm just going to jump right in. :)

So we got a flashback to Camelot. Hook, Charming, Belle, and Merlin broke into the castle so they could free Merida and Lancelot. While walking in the woods afterwards, Merida knocked Belle out and kidnapped her. I know that sounds bizarre, I thought so too. In fact, for a few seconds I really hated Merida, but it all became clear. Merida kidnapped Belle so that Belle could help her find her brothers. Merida's brothers had been kidnapped by the other clans because the other clans didn't think Merida was a fit queen and were trying to get her to step down. Merida wanted Belle to help her brew the potion that turns her into a bear so she could battle the clans, but Belle wouldn't let her drink it. Instead, Merida was forced to fight herself and eventually her brothers were freed. That absolutely warmed my heart.

Back in Storybrooke, Rumple escaped and went to find Belle. Emma told Merida to find Belle and try to kill her because that was the only way to get Rumple to be brave. Merida basically chased Rumple and Belle around the town, until Rumple decided that they should leave town. Belle told him that the reason he was a coward was because he kept running away from his problems, so she left him to go by himself. BAM, Merida showed up again, turned into a bear (because Emma forced her to), and started to chase after Belle to kill her. Eventually, Rumple showed up to save her and that's how he became a hero.

After this, he pulled the sword from the stone and gave it to Emma. He told her that she made a big mistake turning him into a hero because now he was heroic enough to take her down. However, I think this is wrong. Rumple's character is not fit to be a hero, and I think that somewhere along the way, the bravery will fade. 

In addition, the original gang tried to contact Merlin using this magic mushroom they found. The message they were given was that the only one who could help was Nimue. Spoiler pictures announce that Nimue and Merlin loved each other, so we'll see what happens with that.

By the way, there have been major events going on in the OUAT world. There have been many spoilers revealed, but I don't want to put you guys on the emotional roller coaster I've been on. If you want to know, you can check all social media and I assure you that you'll find them. Don't forget to watch Once Upon a Time this Sunday at 8 pm on ABC.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts