Tonight on ABC their fantastical series Once Upon A Time returns with an all new Sunday April 24, season 5 episode 19 called, “Sisters” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, Hades (Greg Germann) wants his heart healed by Zelena (Rebecca Mader) so they can have a future together and trap the heroes in the Underworld, but Regina (Lana Parrilla) uncovers this plan and turns to Cora (Barbara Hershey) for help.
On the last episode, in flashbacks, Ruby and Mulan found themselves in Oz, where they met Dorothy. After the three witnessed Zelena’s return to Oz, they looked for a way to defeat her once and for all. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the ABC synopsis, “Hades wants his heart healed by Zelena so they can have a future together and trap the heroes in the Underworld, but Regina uncovers this plan and turns to Cora for help. Meanwhile, David and James meet at last; and Cora shares a huge family secret.”
Tonight’s season 5 episode 19 looks like it is going to be as magical as ever so make sure that you tune in to our live coverage of Once Upon A Time at 8:00 PM EST!
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#OnceUponaTime starts with Hades and Zelena driving in a vintage car. They drink win by a fire out in the boonies. He shows her the lights of under-Storybrooke below them. He says she deserves more than this – the real thing. He says once his heart is beating, he can leave with her.
Hades says all the heroes’ names are on tombstones and they can leave them all trapped there while they go to the real Storybrooke. He drops to one knee like he’s proposing marriage but then asks her to make chaos with him. Zelena finds Regina waiting in her kitchen later on.
Regina was watching in the mirror and Zelena says respect my privacy. Regina says to tell Hades to drive something with less chrome. Zelena reminds her she didn’t say yes and Regina says she didn’t say no. Regina says she can’t see Hades again and she’s trying to do what’s best for him.
Zelena says Hades doesn’t have to be a villain and she can help him. Regina asks what if she’s wrong and Zelena says they both know she doesn’t want to be her sister and doesn’t care about her. We see a young Regina dancing with a doll when Cora comes in and asks what she’s doing.
Regina tells her mother she never plays with her and Cora asks if she remembers when she told her about working in a mill when she was a child and says it taught her to depend on herself only. She says that lesson changed her life. Regina asks if she can play with her later but her mother is busy.
Little Regina spots a key in a desk drawer that’s usually locked. She opens it and sees the box her mother hid there. It pops open when she touches it and Regina pulls out a magic wand and dances around waving it happily. Then she tells her doll she can be her sister and waves it at the doll.
She’s blown backwards by magic and her parents walk in and find her knocked out. Regina says they need someone else close to her with magic to save her but it can’t be her. Her father frets. Regina reports back to the gang that Zelena is in love and not thinking clearly. Hook offers to kill her.
David says they need to keep them apart without killing her. Regina says they need Cora to step into this to help. Gold sits by a sleeping Belle and tells her he needs to fix this and knows she wants him to use light magic but he can’t. He says he hates to let her down but has to do things his way.
At the crushed clock tower, down deep, there is Cora dressed in rags working at a mill like she did as a girl. She struggles under the weight. She’s ordered to keep working as she delivers a load. She grabs up more wheat and then finds a hook in one. She uses it to get away and runs to Hook.
She hands back his Hook and he says come on, your daughter needs you. Back in time, we see Cora watching a teen girl struggling to carry in wood. She drops it and then magics it and it all goes flying into a neat stack. She stares at her hands and then smiles.
Her father comes out and yells at her for her wickedness and asks what happens if someone sees you. He grabs up a stick and says her mother isn’t there to protect her. He raises the cane to strike her then he’s frozen by magic. Cora steps out and says she did it. The girl is surprised.
She asks Cora if she’s a good witch and she says she is. She says her father is wrong and she has a gift – she’s not wicked. Cora says she can prove to her father she’s good if she helps someone. The girl agrees and Cora tells her to come along and offers her hand. She takes it.
Now, we see James roll u on David in his cop car with the lights blaring. James asks where’s his flock and says call me Prince James. David sets down his bag of groceries and says he wants to talk. He says Cruella told him and David says she has no clue what’s the issue.
James says he stole his glory and is not half the man he is. He says David got everything that was his and now he’ll pay. David says it’s not his fault James got himself killed. He has a gun and David says fight fair. James says he’s already dead so there’s nothing he can go.
David grabs a board to defend himself but James takes him down and says David got to play prince and now he’ll play shepherd. James comes in pretending to be David and talks to Emma. He’s able to pass himself off as her dad. Regina tells Cora she’s sorry she didn’t come for her sooner.
Regina tells Cora that Zelena fell for Hades and discuss how they can help Zelena. Cora says they need to make Zelena forget about Hades. Back in the EF, Cora comes back with Zelena and tells her how to help Regina but Zelena does it on instinct. Regina wakes and she’s okay.
Zelena introduces herself to Regina – neither has a clue they’re sisters. Now, Cora takes Regina to the river of forgetfulness and says they can use it to make her forget Hades. Cora says she used it back in the EF and Regina asks who she used it on but Cora won’t tell.
Regina says Zelena won’t let her near her so she can’t get her to drink it and Cora says it’s time that Zelena met her mother at long last. James and Emma go to meet Robin and Robin asks where’s Regina. James slaps an anti-magic cuff on Emma and pulls a gun on them.
Cruella roars up in her car and gets out and asks why they always have to be in the woods. Cruella coos at James and then punches Emma and says that’s for killing me. She says she wants out of this place since the Author won’t do it. Emma asks why Hades would help her.
Cruella says he wouldn’t ordinarily but would for the child of the woman he loves. Robin shoots James with an arrow but it has no effect since he’s dead. James holds a gun on him and says if he pulls the trigger, Robin won’t be just a visitor in the underworld.
Zelena is stunned to see her mother at the door then says she needs nothing from her. She goes to slam the door but Cora says she knows she’s been waiting for this moment her whole life and Zelena lets her inside. Back in the EF, we see Regina and Zelena playing together.
They play princesses, but then Zelena sees the wand box. She touches it and it pops open. Regina asks how she did it and says it was sealed with blood magic. Regina wonders if they could be related to each other. Zelena wonders why Cora wouldn’t have told them.
They run to ask her but Cora hides – she was listening outside the door. Now, Regina lurks outsize Zelena’s house eavesdropping. Cora says she’s been in a Hades prison but had to come when she heard she was there. Zelena asks if Regina sent her. Cora says she’s the one who put her in this position.
Cora says she’s still trying to fill the hole in her heart she created when she abandoned her. Zelena says she’s over it and has been for years. Cora says no, it’s a festering wound and says she wants to know if she regrets it after all these years. Zelena gets teary and Cora says of course she’s sorry.
Zelena asks why and Cora says she thought it would be the best for her and then admits for her it was best but she was wrong. Cora says she can’t leave the underworld but she has unfinished business with her and Regina both. She hugs Zelena who hugs her back. Regina lurks in the house and watches.
Zelena tells Cora this is a bit much. Regina conjures a glass of water in the other room and adds the potion. Cora goes to get the glass after offering to get Zlena some water and hands it to her. Zelena says she imagined this day a thousand times hearing that she loves her and is sorry.
Zelena says it’s like a dream and Cora agrees. Zelena says in my dreams, your apology was genuine and she didn’t try to poison her. Zelena throws the water in the fire and tells Regina to come out. Regina says let us explain. Regina says she wasn’t trying to ruin her life.
Zelena rants and says neither of them have ever cared about her. Back in the EF, Regina and Zelena come to Cora with the wand box and ask if they’re related. Cora tells them they’re sisters and Regina asks why then are they not a family. Cora chews Regina out.
Cora says no one can find out about Zelena or it will ruin Regina’s life. Cora says one day she hopes that Regina will be strong enough to make decisions like this on her own. Guards come and drag a screaming Zelena away. Regina tells her nothing will change them being sisters and she’ll find her.
But Cora has a forgetfulness potion and doctored both girls. Now, Zelena conjures up flame and so does Regina and Cora says the only person they should be mad at is her. She takes their hands and restores their memories of them as children.
Cora says they once loved and needed each other and Cora says she was a fool. She tells Regina she stayed there to help her father and friends and says she’s stronger than she ever was and she got that from people she loves, not from her. Regina thanks her.
Then Cora turns to Zelena and says she’s sorry she never gave her the family or love she deserved and should have been there for her instead of wasting her life destroying people and says she doesn’t want Zelena to do the same. Zelena worries it’s too late.
Cora says she’s learned here it’s never too late and takes both their hands. She says you’re connected right up to the hand and even after in some cases. She touches all their hands together. Cruella and James are ready to shove Emma and Robin into the river of torment.
David comes to the rescue with Hook and Cruella runs to hide. James gets up and says that was quite an escape he made. James asks if he’s swooping to play hero. David says they’re family and it doesn’t have to end this way. He says he can help him find peace and move on.
James says killing him is his unfinished business. Emma is ready to use magic to help her dad but David says no. Cruella hides and watches. They brawl as equals and then Cruella gestures for James to come to her and run. He doesn’t and instead pulls out a knife and goes for David.
David has to fight him off and James ends up in the water and is overrun with lost souls. Emma tells her dad he did what he had to do and sometimes people just can’t move on. David says in spite of it all, he was still his brother. Regina and Zelena take Cora to the bridge.
Regina says her dad crossed the bridge and it took him into the light. Zelena wonders if it will work. Cora says whatever her fate, she deserves it but can face it knowing she brought them together. She makes them promise her to hold on to each other.
She tells Regina when she died in Storybrooke, they never got the chance to say goodbye. They hug. Cora goes to Zelena and says they never even got to say hello and they hug too. Cora says she loves them both and then walks out onto the bridge. There are flames below her.
She comes to the end and then Regina takes Zelena’s hands. A wave of flame rises up and engulfs Cora but then the bridge extends and the light is there. She looks back at her girls and smiles. She walks into the light. Zelena tells Regina she waited her whole life to have a mother and now she’s gone.
Regina tells her it’s okay and says she has another love to find. Regina says go to Hades and says maybe you can change him too. Zelena thanks her and they embrace. Hades waits at Granny’s and Zelena shows up and sees her dancing around.
Gold is there to see Zelena about the sleeping curse she gave Belle. Zelena says Belle asked for it but Gold says he thinks she took advantage of Belle like he’s doing now. Zelena says they made a deal and he can’t hurt her. He says he had another deal on the table.
Peter walks up and Gold introduces them. Peter says he hears she’s wicked but he’s much worse and then throws a bag over her head.
THE END!