All Good Series' Must Come to an End

Hello fangirls and /or fanboys! I have exciting news, which is both good and bad.

First off, I finished Jessica Jones!! It ended really surprisingly, and I've got to say that although Kilgrave had his definite cons, I still already miss David Tennant's appearance. I mean, Tennant really acted so well once again, truly bringing life to his character. Although it's unfortunate that season 1 came to an end, it's been confirmed that season 2 is in progress! So I'm no doubt ecstatic for that.

Second order of business: Doctor Who. I also happened to finish season 9 (including the Christmas special) very recently. There were many moments when I gasped in astonishment throughout the season, especially
when (SPOILER ALERT) it turned out that it was the Doctor who forgot Clara, not the other way around. However, now there's a hole in my heart, seeing as season 10 won't come until 2017, which will be Steven Moffat's last season. Fear not, Whovians, for I have contacted Netflix Support at least a billion times, attempting to bring back our beloved Whoniverse so we can relive the old days in these times of pain.

As for Once Upon a Time, well, what else can be said there? I'm still hanging on tight until March 6 to see what will become of our Storybrooke civilians. There's a bunch of pictures of season 5B circulating, which you can find out about at this Instagram page. 

Third of all: Harry Potter. Yes, I'm that person who is still not over the end of the series, but can you blame me? But I do have some uplifting news! First of all, I'm sure you've all seen the trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a spin off movie in the set Wizarding World. If not, I'll put the link on my page for you. Second of all, JK Rowling has written a play that will be performed in the UK this summer. For all of us who can't go to London, I believe a book will be released of the script/story line. I'll talk more on the casting and info of the play another time. Third of all, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is due to open this spring at Universal Studios in Los Angeles! Now, I've been to the one in Orlando, which was amazing, so I'm hoping that the one being made in LA is just as good, if not better. You can even see the castle when you drive by!

Lastly, I think it's fitting to talk about Sherlock. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to finishing it just yet, but I'll get there soon! Between my other fandoms and school, Sherlock has been neglected for a while. :(

As nostalgic as this post was, it was nice to get all the excitement out. I found it only fitting to let you guys know of my fandom status, seeing as this is a fandom blog. I hope all of you have a great week!

May you find peace in your fandoms.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

More Fandoms!!!!

Hello, my lovely viewers!! I'm back again with even more new arrivals!!

Recently, I got into Jessica Jones. I will admit that I was a little confused at the beginning, but it all got sorted out and now I'm really into it. I've got to say that I don't know what to think of Kilgrave. Sometimes I feel bad for him, but other times I really believe that he is a psychopath. For example, the whole fiasco with his parents threw me for a loop; it was truly a roller-coaster of events and emotions. His lust for Jessica is super creepy, especially the part when he made an exact copy of her childhood home, complete with all the knick-knacks.

I've also been persuaded to watch Sherlock, which I'm pleased to say is a fantastic show. It's very complex and intricate, and very very impressive. Sherlock's powers of deduction amaze me, however I am a bit disappointed that he didn't figure out who Moriarty was earlier. I had a feeling that "Jim from IT" was actually the mastermind, but it seems that Sherlock didn't catch on as quickly. As a fangirl, I'm ecstatic to announce that I officially ship JohnLock (John Watson and Sherlock). I find it absolutely hilarious when common people frequently mistake them as a couple as John frantically rushes to correct them.

Well, this has definitely made me happy to write about. It's so nice to be able to share my thoughts on various fandoms and I hope that you guys can somewhat relate. I'm always happy to read comments below if you want to take the time to talk about your fandoms. Gradually, I know I'll be sucked into even more.

May you find peace in your fandoms.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

My Doctor Who Inspired Story

Hello again! This will probably be my last post of the month, but I just wanted to share a short story that I wrote for class. As you can tell by the title, it was inspired by the Doctor Who 2x11 episode, "Fear Her." Enjoy!

I woke up in a daze and looked at the clock. It was 9:00! Why didn't my alarm go off for class? Exhausted, I rolled over in bed and buried my head in my pillow. It was too late to get up and put an effort into getting ready, so I decided to give up and miss class for the day.

After an hour of laying in bed, I got up and brushed my teeth and tamed my wild bed head. I ate some cereal and sat in front of my laptop watching Doctor Who. I was currently rewatching the episode in which an alien possessed a little girl and made drawings that came to life. About twenty minutes in, I dozed off in front of the laptop.

I opened my eyes and found myself in the middle of a quaint little street. The lawns of each house were evenly cut and each house looked surprisingly similar. I knocked on the door of the first house I saw.

A dark skinned woman answered and nervously asked, "What is it? What do you want?" in a thick British accent.

"Can you tell me where I am?" I asked politely.

The lady looked very irritated. "What are you, daft? Just run along." The door slammed in my face.

I shook off the woman's rudeness and continued down the street. Suddenly, a blonde haired girl, I'd say about 20 years old, and a man in a suit ran past me.

"I'm telling you, Doctor!" the blonde girl exclaimed. "It's that girl in the house over there!"

In a defeated tone, the man replied, "You might be right, Rose. I say we pay the little girl and her mum a little visit."

The pair continued running, leaving me bewildered in the middle of the road. Doctor? Rose? It couldn't be. Suddenly, a short stick figure walked up to me and pulled on my jacket. "Excuse me, miss. Do you know where I can find a little darks skinned girl. She's about twelve years old."

I began to shake my head when I looked up at the window of the house that I had visited before. A girl that matched the description the stick figure gave me was looking straight at me. I turned to tell the figure but it had disappeared before I could say anything. I walked up to the house for the second time and knocked on the door. This time, the man who I'd seen running down the street answered. I took a closer look at his face.

"No way," I muttered.

The man looked at me in confusion. "I'm sorry?" he said. "Did you need something?"

"A-are you the Doctor?" I stuttered in disbelief.

The man's face lit up as he replied, "Yes I am. How can I help you?"

I couldn't believe this! I was meeting the Doctor! But how? As much as I wanted a Time Lord to whisk me away into his TARDIS, I knew it was just sci-fi. It couldn't be real. Or could it? 

"Um...Hello Doctor. My name's Kimia and I'm 23 years old. Could you help me with something?" I said, pausing occasionally between words.

The Doctor smiled. "I'm always happy to help. Well, not always-most of the time though. Well....." he trailed off in deep thought.

I couldn't help but smile. This is the Doctor I grew to love in the show. And I was actually talking to him!

"Oi! Who's that you're talking to?" A female voice shouted from inside, getting closer with each growing footstep.

It was her! Rose! This all seemed too unreal.

"Rose, this is Kimia. Kimia, this is my...uh..my friend, Rose," the Doctor introduced, scratching the back of his neck nervously. 

Rose and I shook hands. I turned to the Doctor and said, "Doctor, I really do need your help."

"Here, take this," he told me, handing me a key. "Go down the street and turn a corner. You'll find a blue box at the end. This key unlocks it. Let yourself inside and go downstairs. Wait for me for about an hour or so. I'll come back."

I nodded in understanding. On the inside, I was containing my excitement. He gave me the key to his TARDIS! I, Kimia Abbassi, was actually holding the key to the Doctor's TARDIS!

As I walked away, I heard Rose say, "Are you sure about her, Doctor? There's something that seems...I don't know...off."

Shaking it off, I walked to the end of the street and immediately spotted the blue police phone box that was the TARDIS. I stepped inside and looked around. I couldn't help but run all over the place in glee. I ran down the stairs and encountered two doors. One was regular and one looked like a child's drawing. Surprisingly like something I had drawn as a child. I opened the unusual door and out scattered all kinds of bent and scribbled figures. I jumped back and closed the door. How was this possible? Then I remembered what happened in the episode of Doctor Who I was watching. I remembered what the Doctor had said. 'If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things.'

After an hour of waiting, I heard the Doctor and Rose's voices, as promised. But they were talking to each other about something, as if they'd forgotten I was even there.

"The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people," I heard Rose try to explain to the Doctor.

"It's a child," the Doctor replied. "That's why it went to Chloe. Two lonely, mixed-up kids." 

Rose and the Doctor continued speaking. I thought it would be best to stay out of it until they were done. A few minutes later I heard the door open and close, so I ran upstairs. The Doctor and Rose were gone. A split second later, I got a sudden headache, as if my mind was being forced somewhere. I pulled open the door of the TARDIS and stepped outside. It was like I was enclosed in a white space with no end. I spotted a few children huddled together in fright. After a while of looking for God knows what, I caught sight of a man in a suit, pulsing a sonic screwdriver all over the place.

"Doctor!" I yelled, loud enough for the man to turn around.

All of a sudden, the information came flooding back to me. In the episode, right after the Doctor and Rose exited the TARDIS, he had disappeared on the spot, along with the TARDIS itself. And I was inside the TARDIS, so I got zapped into this nothingness with it. Think, Kimia: why are you here? I asked myself. Of course! Chloe, the little girl in the episode! She could make things appear or disappear just by drawing it. She'd drawn the Doctor and his TARDIS.

"We're in a space of nothingness, a void if you will," the Doctor began to explain."The Isolus inside Chloe must've drawn me, but why you?"

After a few more moments, he said, "Ah of course! She drew the TARDIS and you were inside! I'm terribly sorry I forgot about you, what with everything that's happening. Oh my bad, you don't know what's happening. Maybe I should expl-" I cut him short.

"I know more than you think, Doctor," I told him. "Let me explain." 

The Doctor shut his mouth and listened. I told him all about how I had woken up in the street and about how this was all just part of the episode for me. I told him that it wasn't a dream, it couldn't be, and that a bunch of figures that I'd drawn as a child so many years ago were turning up all over the place. I also secretively implied that he should make a move on Rose before it was too late, but that's not the point.v

"Well..." the Doctor said after I finished speaking. "Seems to me that the Isolus dragged you into this parallel world, which explains what it could be other than a mere dream. Chloe Webber, the little girl hosting the Isolus, targeted you for some reason, making copies of your childhood drawings. The question is why? What makes you so special?" He put on his glasses and examined my face.

I pushed him back. "I don't know," I admitted. "And frankly, Doctor, I don't care. Please just get me back home."

The Doctor looked at me sadly. "Are you sure you don't want to come along with me once all this is over? All of time and space. I'm sure Rose wouldn't mind,' he pleaded.

"I'm sorry," I shook my head. "But after I'm gone, I need you to do me a favor. You need to take me out of Rose's memory. I can't linger there and mess up your future."

"Time can be rewritten," he tried to tell me, sounding like a few of his future companions.

Quoting the great River Song, I plainly said, "Not those times. Don't you dare."

He nodded. Suddenly, a scribble monster started to attack us. The Doctor looked into my eyes, grabbed my hand and whispered, "Run."

Together, we sprinted to the TARDIS and locked ourselves inside. The Doctor walked up to the TARDIS console and typed some things in. The lights dimmed as these sparkly substances came down on me and encircled me.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" the Doctor asked once more.

I nodded. "Forget me, I'll be ok. Rose needs you and you alone. And you need Rose."

I placed my hand on his shoulder and spoke my last words to him. "Good luck, Doctor. I'm sure you'll be fantastic."

Before I knew it, there was a blinding gold light and I was back in my room, exactly in the same position I was before. The scene playing on my laptop was the end of the episode. For a split second, I could see a look of sadness on the Doctor's face, as if he remembered me. But it disappeared when he saw Rose, which couldn't make me happier. Quite right too, I told myself happily.

As I watched the Doctor's face fade on my screen, I whispered, "Run you clever boy, and remember me."

The end.

Well I hope all you Whovians enjoyed all of the Doctor Who references. It's probably easier for you guys to understand the story than for my teacher, haha. Until next time!

May you find peace in your fandoms.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

Eccleston, Tennant, Smith, and Capaldi (aka Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve)

Hi, I'm back! This time I'll be talking about the four actors who play our beloved Doctor in the new version of Doctor Who (running for about 10 years). I'll go through each individually so I can attempt to thoroughly explain my feelings for all of them.

Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor):

• I loved Christopher Eccleston's performance so much. How couldn't I? He was the Doctor that I first met and grew to adore. The Ninth Doctor is the one who kicks of the series and resumes the adventures through time and space. 
• I'd have to say that my favorite moment shared between Rose and Nine was in 1x10 "The Doctor Dances", where Rose tried to teach him how to dance properly. Obviously, this episode was also packed with our favorite Torchwood star, Captain Jack Harkness.
• I don't think words can describe how funny and adventurous I find the Ninth Doctor. Obviously, he couldn't have been given that personality without the charisma of Christopher Eccleston.
• It was heartbreaking for me to see our beloved Nine leave after one season. For me, it was all very new as it was the first regeneration I'd seen in the show, so that made it all the more painful. I loved Nine so much and think he deserved another season, but I've been told that Christopher Eccleston quit the show, resulting in the loss of the Ninth Doctor.

David Tennant (Tenth Doctor):

• The most important thing I have to say about the Tenth Doctor is that he had, by far, the most heartbreaking and dramatic impact on the show. This all comes from David Tennant's beautiful acting, so I daresay he deserved the Special Recognition Award for TV.
• As we see in season two, Ten's relationship with Rose develops much farther than that of his former persona. One of the top saddest moments of seasons two-four was his goodbye scene with Rose in 2x13 "Doomsday", in which the Doctor didn't have the chance to say goodbye to Rose.
• Before I go any further, I have to admit something very tragic. At the beginning of season 2, I was wary of the Tenth Doctor, because it was new and unusual to me. Naturally, this happened to the rest of the Doctor's regenerations, but I end up loving each and every one.
• I must admit that I bawled my eyes out when Ten regenerated, and that's not even an exaggeration. All of the drama of that episode built up and destroyed me. Fun Fact: Did you know that the last line the Tenth Doctor said before regenerating ("I don't want to go") was unscripted? That just goes to show how much talent David Tennant possesses, enough to make us fangirls cry uncontrollably with a single sentence.
• Another thing I love about David Tennant is that, as a kid, he was a fanboy of Doctor Who. Look where he ended up! I guess you could say that he followed his dreams.

Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor):

• I can safely say that Matt Smith started off the Eleventh Doctor the right way. David Tennant is a very tough act to follow, and I've got to say that I had my doubts. However, Matt brought so much energy and hilarity to the Doctor that I very much enjoyed watching.
• Eleven's companions were among the best. Young Amelia Pond was the first person the Eleventh Doctor ever saw, which makes her so so special. All grown up, Amy puts the Doctor in line but is generally a go-with-the-flow kind of girl. What I mean is that she just goes along with the next threat, unless it has to do with her husband or daughter. Husband: Rory Williams. Oh gosh, I love Rory so much. As many times as he died, he always came back, except for the heartbreaking episode, "The Angels Take Manhattan." It was terrible to see Amy and Rory go, and I don't think my heart has fully recovered yet. And now, for the person you've all been waiting to read about, Amy and Rory's daughter, Melody Pond, aka River Song. River keeps meeting the Doctor in all the wrong orders, travelling through space and time. River and Eleven are my power couple, no joke. When they got married, my little shipper heart exploded. I love all the jokes they make with each other and could not fathom a time when River and Eleven aren't together.
• I've talked about this before, but the Eleventh Doctor has his own unique personality. While Nine is war-bent and Ten is dramatic, Eleven is quirky and carefree. His encounters with Craig and Alfie crack me up, and there's much more where that came from.
• If you guys are ever bored, go on YouTube and find behind-the-scenes videos of Karen Gillan and Matt Smith. I promise it will make your day because they are absolutely adorable and hilarious. I'll link some of these videos on my page. *insert Doctor Who theme song here* 
• I was a little confused with the Eleventh Doctor's regeneration. How did he grow old on Tenzalore? How did he muster up the energy to perform another regeneration? Isn't that all against the laws of time and space? But then again, when has the Doctor followed the rules? (If you have explanations for any of these questions, don't hesitate to write them in the comments!)

Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor):

• At the beginning of season 8, I again had my doubts about the new Doctor. However, in time, Twelve began to grow on me. Peter Capaldi portrays him quite differently. The Twelfth Doctor is serious and jokes around at the same time. He seems very protective of Clara. Many people look at Twelve and think of him as Clara's father, but I don't really see it that way. I don't consider him a romantic interest either, though. To me, Twelve and Clara are like old friends, which is lovely to think about. Unfortunately, I am not finished with season 8 quite yet, so I don't know everything about the Twelfth Doctor, but I do have a few questions. Peter Capaldi played a character in the season two epsiode, "The Fires of Pompeii", and the Twelfth Doctor himself speculated about why he had transformed into that face. My question is this: is it ever explained why he took the face of someone he saved out of guilt? My theory is that he subconsciously chose it as a reminder, but who knows. Those eyebrows are unpredictable. *laughs*

I know this was an extra long post, but I just couldn't go another day without sharing my thoughts on this subject. I'll be updating later this week so stay tuned!

May you find peace in your fandoms.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

New Arrivals and New Changes

Hello again!! It's been a while since I was last seen on this website, but I'm back and ready to blog!

I think you've all noticed that my page has been refined a bit. This is just to formalize everything and make it all look nice and professional (ish).

Second order of business: new arrivals. Well, quite recently, I've gotten into Doctor Who. It's an amazing show and I have my friend, Marissa, to thank for introducing me to it. Naturally, it makes me cry, laugh, and just plain smile all at the same time. I'd even go far enough to admit that it is one of my main sources of happiness. Welcome to the fandom world, where all your emotions revolve around mostly fictional characters.

You may have also noticed that the title of my blog differs from what it was before. I just thought I would widen the range of fandoms so that everyone is welcome. You can pour out your thoughts about any and all fandoms and maybe I'll even talk more about it in depth.

I guess that since I have the time right now, I'll just fill you in on some things going on in my fandoms. :)

• Once Upon a Time: A new promo poster has been introduced for Season 5B featuring everyone's favorite pirate. You can find out all about it here. Still traumatized by the mid season finale, us fangirls are trying to cope with our emotional debris as well as we can. This includes research about new characters being introduced, which you can read about here. In addition, Wes Brown will be portraying Belle's admirer, Gaston, which was previously played by Sage Brocklebank. But wait, I have more exciting news! Bernard Curry is returning to portray Hook's lovely brother, Liam. MINOR SPOILER: We'll be seeing Hook, Liam, and Emma together in the first half of 5B. And of course, Robbie Kay is also coming back as the infamous Peter Pan.
• Harry Potter: Unforturnately, the lovely Alan Rickman passed away quite recently due to cancer. Although I am not a fan of Snape, Alan portrayed him beautifully, and he will never be forgotten. 
• Doctor Who: Beware, major spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen at least half of season 7.  Now I'm going into fangirl mode. I CAN'T BELIEVE AMY AND RORY ARE GONE! I LOVED THEM SO MUCH AND SOME STUPID WEEPING ANGELS HAD TO TAKE THEM BACK IN TIME! Also, I don't really like Clara. I don't know why-there's just something about her. In addition, MY HEART ABSOLUTELY MELTED WHEN THE DOCTOR AND RIVER GOT MARRIED IN SEASON 6! THEY ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE AND I HOPE RIVER GETS TO COME BACK SOON! I'm also so excited to watch the episode where Ten and Eleven meet because I think it's going to be absolutely brilliant. I love the way David Tennant plays the Tenth Doctor, and how Matt Smith plays the Eleventh Doctor. They really bring something to their characters.

Well friends, that's all for now. But expect to be seeing more of me in the upcoming week. I hope you all have a good weekend and don't forget to follow your dreams (because that's the kind of person I am).

May you find peace in your fandoms.

--@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

OUAT 5x11: "Swan Song"

This blog post is going to be a little bit different than others.

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

Basically, I'm still trying to get over the mid-season finale that struck us all last Sunday. Now, I usually don't shed a single tear whilst watching TV shows or movies, but the last episode of Once Upon a Time hit me right in the feels, so let the waterworks begin.

Captain Killian "Hook" Jones is the absolute truest hero that Once Upon a Time has had. He pushed through the darkness in his past and became a better man for Emma. He wanted to die a hero so that his true love and her family could be safe. He knew he'd be leaving her, that they'd have to live without each other, but he made a true sacrifice. And there is nothing more to a hero than that.

Now let's get to the one character I have despised for four and a half seasons. Rumpelstiltskin. He is the most deceitful, miserable, plain evil person ever introduced in this show. He is the reason behind Killian's death, but that doesn't mean Killian died any less a hero. Remember that. But Rumple is willing to put everyone at risk, even the woman he loves, just to gain power. And yet, he still has the audacity to ask for forgiveness.

Let's move on to Belle. I have simply lost all of my respect for her character. Belle has no self-worth, not even a little bit. In 5x10, she told Rumple that she was tired of him breaking her heart, causing me to think that she had really changed into a strong female. But what do you know? In 5x11, she just went running back to the man, excuse me, beast, who had emotionally abused her time and time again. I'm all for true love, but, not to be blunt, Belle is plain pathetic. I understand that a lot of people ship Rumbelle (Rumple + Belle), but I'm going to need some serious validation for that.

Henry Daniel Mills. What about him? He's been the heart of this show-everything started because of him. However, that's not exactly what I want to reflect on. Hook has been a kind of father-figure towards Henry for the last few seasons, so you'd have to be daft to think that Hook's death didn't affect Henry. In the scene where Killian was dying, you'd notice Regina and Robin hugging Henry, who was downright devastated.

Last but certainly not least, we have Emma Swan. I can't even begin to describe how overwhelmed she must have felt. I know I was bursting into tears just looking at her. Emma had to look her true love in the eye and kill him, as much as she didn't want to. The only man who's believed in her, who didn't leave when things got hard. Just imagine that. The most heartbreaking thing I've had to watch was Emma letting go of Killian's cold hand when he was being taken away. But don't think she's just going to give up. Emma is literally going to the depths of hell to save the man she loves.

Obviously, we now need to discuss season 5B. The promo introduced that a lot of old characters are coming back: Cruella, Cora, Pan, and the witch from Hansel and Gretel's story. And who knows? Maybe we'll see a bunch of other characters as well. The only downside to all of this excitement is that we won't be getting to see it until March 6, 2016, which, in case you haven't noticed, is a long time!

I guess there's not much left to say now. Just hang in there!

Until next time,

@onceuponatimeinhogwarts

OUAT 5x08: "Birth", 5x09: "The Bear King", and 5x10: "Broken Heart"

Hello!! Today is going to be a longer blog because I didn't get the chance to write about the two other episodes. So sit back, relax, and relive the emotional roller-coaster with me.

DISCLAIMER: If you haven't watched these episodes and don't want them to be spoiled for you, then DO NOT read on.

5x08: "Birth"
So this episode kind of started all of the emotional trauma. First off, Arthur and Zelena forced Merlin to capture all of Emma's family (except Henry) and Hook. Arthur wanted Emma to hand over the flame and the dagger so that he could reunite the dagger with Excalibur. He threatened that if she didn't do so, he would make Merlin kill her loved ones. By the way, Rumple (in Emma's mind) did a killer impression of Merlin.

Anyway, Emma faced Arthur and told him that she would hand over the flame once he released her family. Of course, Arthur forced Merlin to fight Emma, and he won. Then, Merlin was forced to kill Snow, but he couldn't follow through after Emma told him that he could fight the darkness. Hook cunningly freed himself from the chains that were holding him prisoner and waddled over to Arthur and engaged in a little fight. Arthur scratched Hook with Excalibur and left with Zelena, leaving the sword behind.

Emma healed the cut and all was well. Regina kind of pressured Emma into lighting the fire, but then Hook talked to her and told her to stop. Hook had found a house back in Storybrooke where he thought he could begin a future with Emma. They shared a cute little moment and the fire was lit.

In present-day Storybrooke, Zelena gave birth to her baby a few months early. Since Dr. Whale is basically the only doctor in town, he made a comical appearance. I swear to you, Dr. Whale was literally the most hilarious character in this episode. Anyway, Emma showed up and captured Zelena and Hook as well.

She revealed that her plan was to kill Zelena with Excalibur and transfer all of the darkness.Obviously, she's crazy, so Zelena escaped with Hook. Hook found some squid ink and immobilized Emma with it, trying to get her to reveal her intentions. Zelena showed up again and gave Hook his memories of Camelot, and here's where it gets intense.

When Emma tried to reunite Excalibur with the dagger back in Camelot, Hook's cut from earlier started to bleed really badly. Merlin said that a wound from Excalibur can not be healed, meaning that Hook would die. Emma couldn't bear this so she wanted to transform Hook into a Dark One so he would live. Hook told her not to because he didn't want to end up as the thing he'd been hating for centuries, but Emma wouldn't listen. She used her magic to put the darkness into Hook.

When Hook got his memories back, he grew furious. Zelena was enjoying herself way too much when she said that now there were two Dark Ones. And that was the end.

5x09: "The Bear King"
Compared to the previous episode, this one was a major let-down. It basically just explained how Merida's father was killed, etc. Basically, invaders were coming to attack DunBroch, and Merida was planning on fighting alongside her father. Fergus hired a trainer for Merida, who turned out to be Mulan.

With the threat of the attackers, Fergus went to the witch for something that would help his soldiers follow him in battle. The witch produced an enchanted helmet and gave it to him, promising that the wearer's soldiers would blindly fight with him. Fergus ended up getting rid of the helmet though.

Fast forward and the witch made a visit to DunBroch informing Merida that she needed the helmet back. Merida said that she didn't have it, but the witch informed her that it was with the man who killed her father.

Merida sought out Mulan for help, and they both went to the witch's hut to get a tracker potion so that they could find the man who killed Fergus because, fortunately, they had a piece of his cloak that had been ripped off. When they got there, they took the potion and left. Coincidentally, there was a wolf standing guard who turned back into, you guessed it, Ruby. Apparently, she had come to Camelot so she could find the rest of the werewolves.

Ruby, Mulan, and Merida found out that the person who killed Fergus was in fact Arthur. He had been trying to get the helmet from Fergus so that he could use it on his own men, but failed. The three women battled Zelena and Arthur and were successful.

5x10: "Broken Heart"
This episode was by far the most emotional episode of Once Upon a Time that I have ever watched. Basically, it picks up from 5x08 and goes from there.

So Hook took Emma's memories the same way she took his. After finding out he was the Dark One, he sought out Rumple so he could get his revenge. The two dueled on Hook's ship and Rumple was this close to killing Hook with Excalibur, but decided against it. During the duel, Hook scratched Rumple with his actual hook, drawing blood. This will be important later. Anyway, after the duel, Rumple met Belle at the well and told her that he was ready to start a real relationship with her. However, Belle, bless her heart, told him that she will always love him but he has broken her heart too many times. Because of this, she now had to stop trying and start protecting her heart. I am so so proud of her for finally standing up for herself and getting out of that relationship.

Back in Camelot, Hook turned into a Dark One after reliving all of his painful memories (i.e. Rumple killing Milah, Rumple controlling his heart, Emma sacrificing herself to the darkness). When he emerged, he saw Rumple in his mind, telling him that he can exact his revenge by casting a Dark Curse to go back to Storybrooke. Hook told him that he was not willing to crush Emma's heart (since she's the thing he loves most), but Rumple told him that there was always a loophole.

Anyways, Emma showed up and Hook got really mad at her for turning him into a Dark One. Emma also lied to him about having Excalibur. So Emma convinced Hook that they'll fight the darkness together. They ended up kissing and it was really cute. However, a few moments later, the voice in Hook's head was telling him the sword was close by. He asked Emma again if she had it, and this time she told the truth. He got even more mad, telling her that when she was consumed by the darkness, he trusted her, but clearly she didn't trust him. He ended up vanishing out of anger.

Later on, Emma summoned him with Exalibur, again making him angry. She gave him the sword, telling him that she loves him and she trusts him. Again, they kissed, warming up my little shipper heart.

In present-day Storybrooke, Emma and Henry found the dreamcatchers that Hook hid from them. Emma returned everyone's memories. Also, Robin and Regina allowed Zelena to visit her daughter, who is still unnamed by the way.

Now back to Camelot. Emma and Hook walked back to Granny's to get Merlin to remove the darkness from both of them. However, Hook's intentions were different. He went into Granny's alone and cornered Merlin. The voice in his head changed from Rumple into Nimue. The loophole that Rumple was talking about earlier? This is it: since Merlin is the thing Nimue loves most, Hook was planning on crushing his heart to use for the curse.

Emma came in and told him that his happy ending was not revenge, but he didn't listen. He crushed Merlin's heart and put it in the cauldron. Emma didn't have the power to undo it, but she did add a memory wipe to the curse, making everyone forget that Hook was the Dark One. The curse swept over the entire land, and that's how we got Merida and the people of Camelot in Storybrooke.

In present-day, Rumple (as the voice in Hook's head) told him that he could open the portal to the Underworld with the blood from the man who has been to hell and back: Rumple himself. Now you see why that cut from the duel was important. Anyways, Hook opened the portal and a boat full of people emerged. A woman stepped out and took Hook's hand. The one and only Nimue. That's right folks, all of the previous Dark Ones are in Storybrooke to snuff out the light.

Ending Note:
Well that's all for now. Tomorrow's episode is the winter finale, so after that we'll have to wait until March. However, I can already tell it's going to be gut-wrenching by the promo, which you can find in my "Related Videos" section. Watch Once Upon a Time tomorrow at 8 PM on ABC.

--@onceuponatimeathogwarts