'Once Upon A Time' Recap: 'Heart of Gold'

I’m at such a loss for words. I’m not sure how to appropriately sum up this episode. So much happened. This is really one of those “you gotta see it for yourself” episodes.

We knew we’d see Zelena again, in the past anyway. We knew that Rumple was going to send Robin on an errand to Oz. We knew we’d see Robin with Marian and Roland in New York. We assumed we’d see a little Emma, and a little author. We also assumed that, based on the title, the episode would have something to do with Mr. Gold and his search for happiness.

Our assumptions got us through the first quarter of the episode before they were completely “twisted” up (pun intended). Emma, accompanied by Snow, Charming, Henry and Hook searched the woods for the author, but Rumple found him first. Though the author expressed his views of having to write about Rumple in a rather derogatory way, he both wanted to avoid the Charmings and get his enchanted pen back, which of course Rumple had. So, the author willingly went with Rumple.

Back at Regina’s vault, she awakened to Rumple standing over her. When she realized she was his prisoner, he told her she wasn’t the only one, and claimed to have the author as well. Her thoughts immediately flew to Robin and she demanded to know what happened to him. Rumple simply handed her his phone and told her to call him and find out for herself.

Flashback, not to the Enchanted Forest, but to nine weeks earlier when Regina said goodbye to Robin at the Storybrooke town line. Marian had fallen victim to the “frozen” spell again, and Regina made Robin take Marian and Roland out of town. It was the honorable thing to do.

Regina set them up with some money and resources to get them started in New York. Evidently, these resources included keys to Neal’s old apartment as well as a cell phone with Regina’s number in it, no less. Once Robin rescued Marian’s purse, all seemed well. They found Neal’s apartment and were ready to settle in when suddenly they heard the door unlatching. It was Gold. Needless to say, he was shocked to see them in his son’s apartment, so shocked, in fact, that he had a heart attack, literally.

Robin went to the ER to check on Gold, and ended up agreeing to find and steal an elixir to save his life, because saving a life is the right thing to do. It’s the same elixir that Rumple had Robin steal from Zelena back in the Enchanted Forest/Oz. Funny thing is, though, Robin never gave it to Rumple back then. Instead, he gave it to Will, whom he met in Oz. That’s when he realized that stealing for himself made him a thief, but stealing to help those in need made him a hero.

The only reason Robin agreed to steal the elixir in the first place was to save his tavern. Yes, you heard right, he wanted to save his tavern from the tax man, that naught Sheriff Nottingham. It turns out that when Robin married Marian, he wanted to take care of her honorably, and so had left his thieving ways behind. Well, let’s just say that didn’t work out so well. Never mind, Marian was willing to go with him, even into thievery. She told him that he was the most heroic and most famous hoodlum in the forest. Goodbye Robin of Locksley; Hello Robin Hood!

Robin finds the elixir in modern day New York. * Do you remember Zelena’s pet Walsh who almost married Emma? Well, she sent the elixir and a few other enchanted items with him, making them conveniently available for stealing when they are needed.* Robin makes a deal with Gold so that he gets to keep the apartment and doesn’t have to deal with him ever again in exchange for the life saving elixir. Done! Robin leaves, and Gold drinks the potion. Except, it didn’t work. The elixir didn’t heal Gold. Then in comes Marian with the real elixir. Well, now we know why it didn’t work, and Marian certainly has her reasons for wanting to get rid of Rumpelstiltskin, but it wasn’t that simple. It was really Zelena!

Wait! What? When? How...What?

Well, this episode definitely was about Gold’s heart! I must say, it was a very unexpected turn of events, for most of us anyway. However, one blogger figured out the Zelena conspiracy a month ago, and posted it on Tumblr.

I wonder what else they’ve gotten right.

If that wasn’t enough of a shocker, Marian/Zelena finds Robin’s phone and asks about Regina’s number in the list of contacts. She tells him that he has to choose. Now that they have the apartment and they’ll be ok, he can either stay with them or go back to Regina. He chooses to stay, and goes so far as to delete Regina’s number from the phone.

This was an action that caused chaos and dismay for Outlaw Queen fans every where. If you aren’t one, you can picture them now, yelling at him through their television screens, all to no avail!

Back to Regina’s vault: when Regina called Robin, Marian answered. Regina was undoubtedly frustrated, but nothing could prepare her for what came next. Zelena slipped into her own voice and joyously taunted Regina with descriptions of her cozying up with Robin. Gold waited until she was off the phone and then told her that he needed her to fill Emma’s heart with darkness. If she refuses to help, all he has to do is call Zelena and tell her to kill Robin. Regina rebukes him and declares she will not help him turn Emma into a monster. He looks at her with the phone in his hand and asks her if that’s her final answer....

What's next?

Next up is Cruella in "Sympathy for the Da Vil."