ONCE UPON A TIME Recap: “Firebird” Flies Out of the Underworld

Letting Go

It’s in this same selfless vein that Killian puts his love for Emma above his own well-being and tells her to let him go and leave the Underworld with her family. After the failed splitting heart attempt and discovering the destroyed ambrosia, Killian has made his decision.

In an intimate and tearful farewell, they both make a promise move on. Killian asks her not to close herself back up in her armor. Love frees us to experience joy when we open ourselves to another. Killian doesn’t want his true love to lament and build back those walls; he wants her to continue live that abundant life that comes with the risk of vulnerability. Emma promises to leave the armor down. She then asks him to promise not to let her be his unfinished business, to move on to a better place. The Underworld has allowed him closure with his brother, his love, and his self-worth. He has died a hero, and his soul is now free from burden. With a kiss and a final exchange of love, Emma and Killian hold hands as long as they can as the elevator separates them, grasping to hold on to the love that has transformed them forever. This true love couple makes the hardest sacrifice. While they may have let go of each other physically, their love for each other gives them the strength to move forward and keep their promises.

In this arc Emma Swan trekked to the Underworld to bring Killian back to life, not to let his death to be in vain. During her time there, she participated in Operation Firebird, reunited with her true love, and successfully got her friends and family back to Storybrooke alive. In this, her main mission, things did not succeed in the way she wanted them to. It is the toughest thing for Emma leaving Killian behind as she stands at the portal with her father. However, she made a promise to her pirate and makes a promise to her father to protect those she has left. Losing Killian and saying goodbye to him has been the hardest experience of her life. The pain of living without him is unbearable, but the thought of losing anyone else is unthinkable. She will do everything in her power to make sure this will never happen again. With a heavy heart, Emma returns to Storybrooke.

With an episode and a two-hour season finale remaining, it is safe to say that this is not the last we have seen of Killian Jones. Until the audience sees him physically move on to a better place, there is still hope. As mentioned early, these two have overcome the odds over the past couple of seasons. We have yet to truly see Emma Swan fail. True love will always win in the end.

Worth Mentioning

• Operation Firebird was Henry’s mission to clear the unfinished business of the souls of the Underworld. He took the time to write out the happy endings for those characters so that they can move on to a better place. He left the storybook with those endings in the Underworld library for them to find. He also looked visibly upset when he found out Killian would not be coming with them to Storybrooke. Is there a chance that Henry wrote a failsafe for Killian just in case?
• The myth Hades was referencing was the story of Orpheus and his love Eurydice. Orpheus went to the Underworld to retrieve Eurydice after her untimely death. Because of his beautiful music, Hades agreed to allow Eurydice to leave but only if Orpheus did not turn around to see her behind him before the reach the living realm. He failed the test and his love was forced to stay behind. It had nothing to do with ambrosia, which happens to be the food of the gods. So why would Hades lie about the story and why does he want the heroes to stay in the Underworld?
• There should be a maximum limit on how many hearts can be ripped out of characters in a given episode.
• So when the heroes get back to Storybrooke, will the Camelot crew be there to give them a welcome home party?
• After ripping up the contract and with the help of Emma, Hades saves Zelena from Rumple and Pan. When the two reunite, they share True Love’s Kiss which restarts Hades’ heart. Though his motives may be sinister, the love he has for the Wicked Witch is pure, much in the way Rumple loves Belle.
• How great was it to see Stealthy!
• In an interesting twist, Rumple rips out Robin Hood’s heart, returns it back to the outlaw, and then tricks his father with a glamour spell to put water from the River of Souls in Pan’s chest. RIP Peter Pan, again.
• After spending a decent amount of time with his daughter in the woods, Robin Hood reluctantly gives his daughter back to Zelena. This affects him to the point where he had to step out of the room and process what he did. From a parental perspective, his response is understandable. My main inquiry still is the name of his newborn daughter.