‘Once Upon a Time’: Tears and dream catchers hold a lot of power

In the “Dreamcatcher” episode of “Once Upon a Time,” Emma Swan seems to go further into her Dark One role, this time even hurting the person she loves most. Well, Rumpelstiltskin told her it’d happen.

First, a Merlin sighting. We find out in a flashback that Merlin was turned into a tree by a Dark One who used his tears against him -- capturing them on the dagger and using its magic to imprison the wizard. It was a crazy moment in history that Emma was seeing through a dream catcher while looking at the tree. Maybe it was Merlin’s memory? Anyway, she seems to know what needs to be done to finally free the tree.

SIGN UP for the free Classic Hollywood newsletter >>

Regina is questioning Snow White and Prince Charming, who are actually under a spell from King Arthur and beguiled Queen Guinevere, on whether it’s a good idea to give Arthur the dagger of the Dark One. Right before she’s about to give it to them, Emma shows up and stops the handover. She knows what they need to free Merlin, and knows that Snow and Charming are acting weird.

In present-day Storybrooke, though, they’re all working together. But first, and as part of their plan to break into Emma’s house, they decide to have a dance/ball/block party. The idea is spurred on by Henry’s crush, Violet, and her desire to dance.

Emma begins her transformation of Rumpelstiltskin into a hero able to pull Excalibur out of the stone. To do this, she gets some involuntary help from Merida. Rumpel notices that Emma is being pretty free with using dark magic to get what she wants. He lets her know that the more she uses the dark magic, the further away she’s going to push her family and friends. She teleports a protesting Merida away with Gold to the forest for some swordplay instruction. Gold says that he’ll never be brave, but Merida knows that he just needs the right motivation. She then smacks him on the head, knocking him out, since he won’t cooperate. Off to find his motivation.

Regina figures out that Merlin wept for the loss of the only woman he’d ever loved. A tear of lost love trapped him, so maybe another one can get him out. Regina knows just what to do.

In Camelot, Henry, breaking one of the stable’s stalls, meets Violet’s dad, Sir Morgan. Henry and Violet are learning to ride, but Henry was playing around, clumsily swinging a sword. Sir Morgan, though, wants Violet to be only with a knight, and basically sends Henry away.

In Storybrooke, this must’ve somehow stuck with Henry across the dimensions. Violet’s horse has gone missing, and he vows to find it. He enlists his mom, the Dark One, to help him find the animal, because that’s what Emma does. Not exactly sure why they jump in the VW bug and don’t magically find the horse. Guess Emma just wants to go old school.

Merida doesn’t have time for Rumpel’s cowardice. She brings the chipped cup from his pawn shop after doing a little research on what could be something that might affect or motivate him to fight and be brave. “All a man needs is one good hand and a sword,” says Merida. Gold has a bit of a gleam in his eye as Merida carelessly plays around with the cup, hoping, as she said, not to break it. Rumpel lunges and swipes at her, which she easily dodges and smiles at. The cup could be the tipping point.

Peter Peter pumpkin eater ... Of course the horse went to his house. The horse likes pumpkin, so that’s where it would go. Another corner of Storybrooke with another fairy tale character that I don’t think we’ve met (correct me in the comments!). Seems Emma still has the instincts to find things or people..

But she didn’t know that the hero clan was in her house at the time, finally going into the room with the locked door. After Belle figures out that they only need an object of Henry’s to get past the magical enchantments around Emma’s house, she, Regina, Robin and Hook find the sword in the stone. Hook and Belle can see the relationship between Excalibur and the dagger of the Dark One, but they dare not touch it in case it’s booby trapped. On their way out, Hook finds Emma’s dream catcher. They take it because Regina believes it may be the way Emma took all of their memories.

Back in Camelot, Henry gets some two-pronged Mom advice from Emma and Regina on how to date Violet: Be yourself and forget the knight/squire stuff. He ends up having a candlelit dinner in Granny’s transported diner. Violet gets her first taste of soda: “It’s like a carnival in a can.” We’ve all often thought that. Despite the enchanting surroundings and awkward chivalry, there will be no “Harold and Maude” romantic movie shown to the medieval girl (on Henry’s phone). It turns out Violet just wants to be friends, not “court.” Young love dashed on the rocks once again.

Henry’s first broken heart may succeed where Regina’s did not. Regina shed tears when rewatching the moment that Mama Cora took out (literally) her beloved Daniel’s heart, but as Emma said, she has moved on with Robin. Her heartbroken tears weren’t strong enough to free Merlin. But Henry, his heart freshly broken by Violet, had some pretty strong feelings. Emma uses it to free Merlin from the tree while Regina keeps an advancing King Arthur and his knights at bay with some hurled fireballs.

Merlin appears, the same movie usher whom Emma met more than 20 years ago. Arthur retreats, cursing Merlin for sending him on a doomed quest. Merlin addresses Arthur as “the boy who would be king,” and it’s not in overly sentimental tones. The magician takes the spell off of Snow and David that Arthur and Guinevere had cast (finally) and tells the group that he can take the darkness out of Emma. But it would have to be her choice, and only if her heart is truly ready to be free of it. The darkness has taken root in her soul, because that’s what darkness does.

At the block party/carnival, Henry rides in on Violet’s horse, presenting her with her once-lost friend. He meets her father, Sir Morgan (again, but now in Storybrooke), who acknowledges him with a much more pleasant tone than in Camelot. As Sir Morgan takes the horse away, Violet gives Henry a kiss on the cheek. Whoa!!!

Regina, later accessing the dream catcher, finds that Emma actually forced Violet to break Henry’s heart back in Camelot to get the tear she needed to free Merlin. Dang, that’s messed up! Since Henry was lurking, he now knows that his mom did that to not only him, but to his first love. Emma tries to reconcile, but Regina won’t let her in the house, and Henry turns away from her as well.

Emma’s now losing her biggest supporters, but that is what Rumpel said would happen.

Lastly, I know it’s next week’s episode, but is Merida going to change into her bear form while going after Gold? Awesome!