Ep 13. Labor of Love

After the intense events of the mid-season finale, "Swan Song," Once Upon a Time continues on its mission to make fans' hearts just a little bit bigger with the mid-season premiere, "The Dark Swan." As the title suggests, Emma is now the Dark One and, as revealed in the summer finale, was transported to the Enchanted Forest as a result of Zelena's time portal. It's not just Emma's life that's changed, however; six weeks have passed for everyone else, and there are plenty of new plot developments to catch up on.

"The Dark Swan" focuses heavily on Emma's new status as a villain. A lot of time is spent on her internal struggle to fight against the darkness that now overtakes her, with much of the action taking place within Emma's own mind. Here, we get a glimpse of what it's like to be a Dark One; their "essence" is a serpent-like creature that constantly whispers in Emma's ear and tempts her to indulge in the darkness. It's a creepy visual that will no doubt crop up more and more over the course of the season.

Meanwhile, back in Storybrooke, the remaining heroes are dealing with the fall-out from Emma's transformation. Rumplestiltskin, who was revived by Emma at the end of last season, is particularly distressed by the turn of events, and desperately wants to bring Emma back to her old self. I really appreciated how much time was given to Rumple's turmoil; it's actually quite moving to see him so heart-broken over what he's lost.

Emma's loved ones aren't the only ones affected by her transformation, however. New character Merida (of Brave fame) is introduced, and her storyline revolves around what it's like to be "saved" by a Dark One. In flashback, we see Merida's kingdom is under attack, so she turns to a young Emma for help. Emma is hesitant to save her, but eventually relents, leaving Merida feeling indebted to her. This debt becomes more complicated when Merida is transported to Storybrooke, and it becomes clear that Emma's not the same person she was before. It's a neat way to introduce Merida to the Once Upon a Time universe, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her.

All of this would be enough to fill an episode, but "The Dark Swan" goes even bigger. We also get to catch up with some of our old favorites in the Enchanted Forest, where a new threat is emerging. King Arthur and his knights have arrived in Camelot, and are on a quest to find the Sorcerer Merlin. (Arthur's got a seriously fancy sword to help him on his way, natch.) Seeing Camelot on Once Upon a Time is thrilling for any fan of Arthurian legend, and I'm excited to see how this new storyline unfolds.

Overall, "The Dark Swan" is a solid episode of the show. It's perhaps more plot-heavy than usual, but given the complicated web of storylines the show has been spinning for five seasons, that's understandable. As usual, the charm of Once Upon a Time lies in its characters, and it's good to see that even with this "darker" season, their personalities still shine through. Here's hoping for more happy endings to come.