‘Once Upon a Time’ recap: Emma Swan -- the Dark One -- meets a brave Merida

“Once Upon a Time” is back, and as the Oncers know, this season (or this half season) won’t be about an external bad guy causing mischief -- no Peter Pan, Cruella de Vil or Snow Queen -- but trouble from within. Emma has taken on the darkness that powered Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin, and it’ll seemingly be up to everyone else to save her.

In “The Dark Swan” episode, she gets her first warning. In 1989, at a Minneapolis movie theater. Surely Emma wouldn’t remember it, but an usher uttered the words, “You mustn’t remove the sword from the stone, Emma.” A random usher, whom we can call Merlin, ironically gave the pre-teen the warning before a screening of Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone.”

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Also a long time ago, Arthur and Lancelot and a random knight go to Excalibur, but another knight reaches it first! He tries to remove it from the stone and turns to dust. “Your turn,” Lancelot says to Arthur. And -- he does it! Of course, but what we find is that the dagger used to control the Dark One is actually the top of Excalibur. Such a great connection to make.

In the moment after Emma took the darkness in the season finale, Hook tries to pick up and use the dagger to summon the new Dark One, which is now engraved with Emma’s name. “Put that thing down before you hurt yourself, guyliner.” Ah, so great to have Regina back. He can’t summon Emma because she’s back in the Enchanted Forest.

That she is, but she’s not alone. Rumpelstiltskin, or actually just the physical representation of the power of the Dark One, is with Emma. He explains the allure of the power of the dark one will temp her, and in the end, will win her over. Emma, of course, refuses.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice gives the group -- Emma, Hook, Snow, Charming and Robin -- a wand that was created for him by Merlin. Regina can’t wield it because she may be actually too good. As Hook says, they need someone wicked. And they need to do it soon -- in the Enchanted Forest, Emma’s gotten her first taste of the power, almost killing a man who wouldn’t give her directions.

So now they need the help of the Wicked Witch. She’s so ... irksomely evil. It’s great. Anyway, she has the power to do it, but is held in check by a power-dampening bracelet. She just needs an object that Emma held dear to do the spell. Regina, though, will not let her perform the spell. Too dangerous.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Emma needs to capture the Will o’ the Wisp to be able to ask it where Merlin is. She almost catches it, but Merida nabs it first -- and she’s not giving it up. Emma could kill her and take it, but of course that shouldn’t be the way, despite what Rumpel is telling her.

Queen Merida -- yes, she’s now the leader of her clan since her burly father has apparently died --agrees to help Emma, and they become fast friends. Merida is spunky and good-hearted, but not stupid. She doesn’t completely trust Emma, especially when Emma sits up talking to a nonexistent Rumpel at night. First chance she gets in the morning, she leaves.

An intense Hook and his co-conspirator Henry go to Zelena to free her and try to make her take them to Emma. Yeah, that backfired. The Wicked Witch cut off her own hand to be free of the magical bracelet, then put it right back on, disappearing. Uh-oh.

Zelena nabs Robin Hood and trades Regina’s “forest-smelling boyfriend” for the wand. The twisted sister then opens a portal, but Regina knew what she was doing. She overpowers Zelena and puts the bracelet back on. She was weakened from opening the portal, and instead of going back to Oz, Regina is going to redirect the portal and take everyone to the Enchanted Forest to find Emma. That was a great switch for Regina.

The heroes file into Granny’s diner, and Regina uses Emma’s baby blanket to redirect the portal, but not before the dwarves bust into the diner. They’re tired of being on the sideline, and want to go on an adventure to help Snow. She thanks them, then they’re off.

Oh, poor Merida. A desperate Emma has caught up to the wee Queen, and needs the will o’ the wisp. Merida wishes first, though, then turns to confront Emma. Arrow after arrow she fires upon Emma, only to have the new Dark One just catch them all, then rip her heart out when she’s done playing. Before she crushes it, though, the heroes arrive. Regina, Snow, David, Henry, Hook and Robin. They talk her down, drowning out Rumpel’s antagonism, and she replaces Merida’s heart.

Whew. That’s over. Back they go to Storybrooke, except that King Arthur has now intercepted them. Yep, he and some knights and soldiers rode right up to Granny’s Diner in the middle of the Enchanted Forest because Merlin prophesied that they would be there. Long ago. They take in the majesty of Camelot as they walk through the golden gates to ...

Six weeks later. The heroes are all in Granny’s Diner, back in Storybrooke -- with no recollection of the last six weeks. Emma arrives, and is now full-on Dark One. She turns Sneezy to stone -- because he sneezed. Whatever happened in Camelot did not stop the darkness from taking over, and Emma even has a grudge against the heroes for whatever happened to her, and them, in Camelot. Revenge is on her mind, and it’s going to be an interesting season.

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In a new twist, we add insight to the straight-laced recap by publishing occasional questions and concerns submitted by Layla Andre, 8, a fervent fan of “Once Upon a Time” and the daughter of an L.A. Times staff member. They’re probably some of the same that many viewers have.

-- I think it was weird that they brought the baby to the Enchanted Forest and to King Arthur’s castle. They should have found a baby-sitter.

-- Why was Emma so mean to Merida and Regina? I just don’t get it. And what happened in those six weeks that no one can remember but Emma?

-- Why didn’t they put together Emma’s dagger and King Arthur’s sword when they first met?

-- I didn’t think this episode was that exciting. I thought it was kind of boring. I thought a lot more of the episodes in Season 4 were much better.

-- I think Merida was a really good actress. I didn’t think she was going to die because Emma’s parents (Snow White and Prince Charming) and Captain Hook and Regina would have stopped Emma from killing Merida. Plus, this was her first time on the show.

-- I think Sneezy isn’t going to be stone forever. Maybe it could be like the curse of Medusa and he will be human again.

-- Don’t you think they should have “Star Wars” characters on the show?