Tonight on ABC their fantastical series Once Upon A Time returns for a brand new episode, On tonight’s episode called, “The Jolly Roger.” On it, Ariel seeks Hook’s help in locating Prince Eric. Meanwhile, Regina becomes Emma’s tutor in magic; Mary Margaret and David try to show Henry they’re not as dull as he thinks they are; and back in fairy-tale land, Hook and Ariel search for his stolen ship.
On last week’s episode with Rumplestiltskin as her slave, Zelena challenged Regina to a fight to the death and shocked the Evil queen with the reveal of their familial connection, and the town layed Neal to rest. Meanwhile, back in the past in the land of Oz, a jealous Zelena asked the Wizard to send her to Fairy Tale Land after discovering that she had a sister, Regina, and that Rumplestiltskin was training her to become a powerful force to be reckoned with. Did you watch last week’s episode? We did and we recapped it right here for you.
On tonight’s episode Ariel returns to Storybrooke and pleads with Hook to help her find Prince Eric, who never returned to the town when the new curse was invoked. Emma agrees to let Regina teach her how to use magic so that she can help defeat Zelena, and Mary Margaret and David try to prove that they can be just as much fun as Hook is with Henry — who thinks they are boring. Meanwhile, in Fairy Tale Land during the past year, an angry Ariel confronts Hook over her missing Prince Eric, who she assumes was kidnapped and possibly killed by the swarthy pirate. But when Hook confesses that the Jolly Roger has been stolen and Eric is most likely the thief’s prisoner, Ariel unknowingly provides him with a clue as to who the culprit is, and Hook – with Ariel in tow – goes off in search of his ship.
Guest starring are Beverley Elliott as Granny, Rebecca Mader as Zelena, Christopher Gauthier as Smee, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Ariel, Gil McKinney as Prince Eric, Charles Mesure as Black Beard, JC Williams as lead guard and Jessa Danielson as wench.
Tonight’s season 3 episode 17 looks like it is going to be as magical as ever so make sure that you tune in and also join us for our coverage for ABC’s hit show at 8:00 PM EST! While you wait for our live updates hit up the comments section and let us know what you think of the episode!
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A carriage thunders down a road until it stops because of an armor clad knight standing in the middle of the road. He draws his sword and the men accompanying the carriage demand to know who he is. He says he’s the man who will rob them of the chest of gold they are transporting. They ask you and what army and the man gives a signal and nocked arrows are lit all around them. The men take off and leave the carriage and gold. The man removes his helm and we see that it’s Hook and Smee is there.
He complains that Smee took too long to light the arrows. They have only a handful of men between them and he says it would have been easier if they had an actual army. Smee says he’s glad to be back with him and it’s better than being a rat as he was under the curse. He tells his men that you don’t need a ship to be a pirate. They take their booty to a local tavern to celebrate. They toast Hook and then Smee tells him the men chipped in to get him a gift – it’s a comely wench who takes him in a back room.
In private, Hook hands her a purse of coins and he tells her to tell his men that he showed her a grand time. He sends her off and walks down an alley but is knocked down and held at knife point. The woman threatens him and then he sees that it’s a beautiful women. She says her name is Ariel and says he’ll pay for what he’s done.
David tells Emma the plans for the crib are more complicated than battle plans he’s seen. Emma is flummoxed and Mary offers to get Marco. They tell her they can do it. Regina comes in and David asks if she’s put up a new protection spell and she says that Zelena can’t touch the baby. They ask why the witch would want the baby and Regina tells them there are a disturbing number of spells that use baby parts. She tells them they are safe so long as they stay in the loft.
Emma doesn’t want to stay there, she wants to take the fight to Zelena but Regina reminds her that her sister easily bested her and they barely escaped. Emma tells her she can use her magic with Regina’s if Regina taught her to control her magic. Regina says they have to do it her way if they do it. She has a box with her and touches it and tells her magic is a way of life she has to commit to. Emma agrees and Regina tells her to meet her at the vault in an hour. Regina goes.
Emma tells her parents not to hassle her about it. They volunteer to watch Henry when he gets back but she defers and says they need some rest. Then she says Henry doesn’t want to hear about babies all the time. David says if they’re no fun, who is.
We see Hook at the harbor and Smee comes to tell him that the men are missing him and haven’t seen much of him. He asks when they’re going to go back to pirating. He reminds them there is no safe passage out of Storybrooke. Smee says they could outrun it. He asks if he’s found the Jolly Rodger and Smee is upset because Hook is the only one that can remember the last year. Hook tells him clearly that he is not leaving town. Smee says he loves frozen yogurt but the wicked witch is there and asks what reason he could have to stay. Hook tells him to ask that again at his peril.
Emma and Henry approach and Emma speaks to Hook privately. She asks if he could watch Henry for her and he says he doesn’t have to use her son as an excuse. She tells him she’s going to train in magic so she and Regina can fight Zelena. He says that’s the best plan he’s heard so far and says he thinks it’s great that she’s embracing her magic. She says after she beats Zelena she’s done with magic and then will take Henry back to their real life in New York. Hook tells her she can’t just forget that all this happened. He says he spent the last year trying to get back to who he was. She asks what happened in that year and he tells her to trust him – you just can’t go back.
Mary and David walk on the shore and they talk about how they can be as fun as a pirate captain. Then they come upon a crowd at the shoreline. Ariel is there!
Mary asks where Ariel has been. She says she’s been under the sea searching for Prince Erik. They ask how long he’s been missing. She says she woke up after the year and had no memories so she can back in case she missed him back here in Storybrooke. They tell her they’ve been trying to figure out what happened and they tell her about Zelena. Ariel wonders if Erik is responsible. David says Hook may know since he wasn’t cursed.
Back in the EF, Hook asks Ariel what her problem is. She says he kidnapped Prince Erik and she wants him back. He says that doesn’t sound like him. He tells her she has the wrong pirate. He turns the knife on her and she tells him that one of Erik’s men escaped and told her he had been taken on the Jolly Rodger. He demands to know who is captaining his ship. She tells him that the man who has it escaped with the dagger she has stolen from the armory. The initials BB are on it.
Hook rushes back into the pub and tells them all to wake up. He tells them he knows who has their ship – Blackbeard. Smee is scared and Hook says they are going to take the ship back and make him walk the plank. Smee says maybe they don’t need the ship. Hook says she’s not just a ship and he says he hasn’t been himself since they got back and it’s because he doesn’t have “her” – his ship. Smee says they can’t even find him and Hook tells him not to be a coward. Ariel approaches and says she’s coming with them. He threatens her and she tells him she knows enough about pirates. She says the pirate code demands that the information she gave be repaid in equal favor and asks when they leave.
Back in the town in the diner, Hook and Henry throw dice and he tells him the dice are loaded. Henry says that’s cheating. David comes in and introduces Ariel and says she’s looking for someone – Prince Erik. Hook lies and says he’s never heard of him.
Emma comes down to Regina’s vault and she asks who’s watching Henry. Emma tells him that Hook has been bonding with him. Regina tells her that they all know that she and Hook are crushing on each other. Regina says they will start with incantations. The language is Elvish and Emma says she can’t learn like this. She asks her to teach her like Gold taught her. Emma says it was sink or swim. She transports them to a rickety suspension bridge high above a gorge and Emma panics.
David asks Hook again about Erik and he says he doesn’t know. They decide to go to Gold’s shop to look for something of Erik’s to try a locator spell since so many people’s possessions have ended up there. Hook pulls David aside and says that they shouldn’t give Ariel false hope and says her prince could well be dead.
Back in the EF, Hook, Ariel and Smee walk through the forest. Ariel complains and says she prefers the ocean to the land and Hook agrees. Her cloak gets caught on something and Hook tries to help but tears her cloak with his hook. She gets mad because it’s Erik’s. Hook tells her to focus on the problem and says that she should prepare for the worst since Blackbeard is notorious for killing. Then she tells him she’s heard good things about him helping Snow and Charming. He tells her not to believe any of that. He says he’s a pirate and always will be.
At Gold’s shop, Ariel and Hook come in. Belle is thrilled to see her and she tells Belle that Erik has gone missing- and they are looking for something of his. Belle says she doesn’t know if there is anything there because she hasn’t gone through the whole shop. Hook pokes around and finds his spyglass. He looks through it and sees a gold object. He goes to it and grabs it when Ariel comes in and says it’s Erik. She asks how he knew it was Erik’s and he says it was a guess. Ariel hugs him gratefully and he looks uncomfortable.
On the bridge, Emma is in a panic as it shakes in the wind. She asks Regina if she’s out of her mind. Regina says her power always shows by instinct so they will push her instincts until she masters them. Regina uses magic to dismantle the bridge and tells Emma she can stop it or die. Emma is hanging by a thread and begs her to stop it. Regina tells her to stop it herself and reach inside herself and save the bridge and save herself. Emma goes tumbling down and Regina panics when she can’t see her but Emma comes floating back up on a pallet made of the bridge pieces. Regina says she’s been wasting her potential.
Belle spills a locator spell potion on the cloak and Ariel thanks her. The cloak rises and speeds out the window. Ariel, Belle and Hook go after it.
Back in the EF, Hook, Ariel and Smee hide on the dock looking at the Jolly Rodger. They worry about his large crew and how they will get on. Hook swaggers on board with his sword out and says he’s the rightful captain. He tells the coward who stole it to show his face and be punished. Blackbeard walks out of the hold and says he won’t be the one who will be punished.
They square off with their swords and do battle. The men watch and cheer. BB smashes Hook in the face with his elbow and then they trade insults. They go back at it. Hook makes him trip on a faulty board and then holds a sword to his neck but Ariel asks him to wait to kill him until he tells them where Erik is. BB tells him that he’s gone soft with this rescue mission. He says Erik is on a deserted island and only he knows where. He says the only way he will get Erik is if Hook concedes the Jolly Rodger to him.
Back in Storybrooke, the cloak flies along and then falls onto the water at the docks. It plunges down into the water and Ariel tears up. She says if the spell worked then he’s gone. She cries onto Hook’s shoulder and he tells her he’s sorry.
Mary and David walk in town and he tells her she wanted to take action so they are. She says it’s illegal and he says he’s the sheriff. David hops into the truck and takes Henry for a driving lesson. Mary is in a panic as Henry almost hits a car head on and then plows over a mailbox.
Ariel tells Hook she saved Erik from the sea once and never thought she would lose him to it. She thanks Hook again and he says he did nothing. She says at least now she knows their story is over but wish she knew how it ended. She tells Hook he’s more than a pirate and has a true heart and she’ll always be grateful.
Back in the EF, Hook walks BB off the plank while Ariel begs him not to do it. She says that true love is worth more than a few planks and a sail. He tells her love is waste of time and only torments you. He slices BB on the arm so the sharks will swarm to the blood and tosses him in the sea. He tells the pirates they can follow him or go off the plank. They all cheer his name. Ariel slaps him and calls him selfish and heartless and says he’ll never be happy. She marches away and he asks where she’s going and she says to look for Erik. She dives into the water, we see a flash of her tail and she’s gone.
Back in Storybrooke, she walks down the docks and Hook chases her down. He says he has a confession and hasn’t been entirely truthful. He tells her they met during the missing year. He tells her that Erik had been kidnapped by Blackbeard and she asks why he didn’t save anything and he says he was ashamed because he chose his ship over her love. She slaps him and asks what kind of man does that and he says he’s empty inside and would do anything to take it back. She asks if he still loves the women who broke his heart and he says he swears on Emma Swann. She thanks him and says that’s what she needed to hear.
It’s Zelena, not Ariel and she takes his love from him. He asks what she’s done with Ariel and she says that she found her true love and is now living happily ever after with him. She says she knew his dirty secret and was able to use it against him. She tells him she’s cursed him and the next time he kisses Emma, all her magic will be taken from her. He tells her he will tell Emma and she says if he does, she’ll send the Dark One to kill her. Hook says she can’t kill her – that she must need to take her power and can’t do it. Zelena makes a face and says it no longer matters because he’ll do it for her. She tells him if he doesn’t kiss her, she’ll destroy Emma’s parents and son and he’s horrified. She tells him that if he doesn’t do it, everyone Emma loves will die. She disappears in a puff of green smoke.
Hook comes to the loft and stands outside the door. Emma opens it and he says he didn’t expect to see her. He says that Henry is with his grandparents and she asks what he’s been doing all day. He says he’s been helping Ariel. He says that Erik is safe outside the curse and that Ariel is on her way out of town and wanted her to tell Mary good-bye. Regina says they can check to see if Ariel is there. Regina tells Emma to try the mirror magic and Hook says not to spy on them. Regina instructs her to look inward. Emma focuses and in the mirror we see Ariel and Erik twirling. Emma asks Hook if he brought them together and he says it was Ariel.
Henry and his grandparents come in and he tells his Mom that David let him drive his truck. Regina freaks then covers and says as mayor she can’t allow that. Henry tells them it was so much fun. Mary asks Hook where Ariel is and he says that she’s gone back to find Erik. Mary says it’s a happy ending and their luck is about to change. She asks for them all to go to dinner at Granny’s and Henry asks if he can drive. Emma tells Hook he can come but he makes an excuse to leave. She tells him she’s tired of living in the past and doesn’t care what happened in the past year. He agrees that he’s tired of living in the past. He walks down the street and pulls out his spyglass. He watches Emma laughing in Granny’s and his look is tortured.