Once Upon a Time - S4E4 - The Apprentice
Previously on Once Upon a Time, ‘Rocky Road’
Killian tries to get a hand up on Gold. Anna isn’t Mickey Mousing around when it comes to finding out what happened to her parents. The Dark One isn’t as powerful as we have been lead to believe. Emma takes her dates seriously. The origins of the Ice Queen are more of a mystery. Henry earns his keep.
Nine Things You Need to Know About this Week’s Episode of OUAT.
- Rumplestiltskin isn’t the first or even second Dark One. His predecessor was Zoso (Brad Dourif). The Rumpledagger changes its name to match the owner. It was once the Zosodagger. This is revealed during an old man duel between Zoso and The Sorcerere’s Apprentice, who is no spring chicken.
- The Sorcerer’s Hat was created by a powerful sorcerer thousands of years ago. It was created to steal magical power, making the user invincible. It has been protected by the Sorcerer’s Apprentice who does age albeit slowly.
- Anna suffers from foot in mouth syndrome, but it is so damn adorable you don’t mind. She foolishly signed a contract with Rumplestiltskin which results in her being tasked to poison a poor old man (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). Her parents sought out Rumple in order to have Elsa’s powers removed. Anna finds herself working in concert with the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (now transformed into a mouse) to get The Box from Rumple. She is returned to Arendelle, The Box safely in hand.
- Hook gets a hand. Not a round of applause, but actual carpal bones, metacarpal bones and phalanges; courtesy of none other than Mr. Gold. Because Gold is a freaking weirdo, Hook’s hand is in a jar under the counter of the pawnshop. Gold agrees to return the hand to its owner but reminds him that all magic has a price. It’s a price Hook is willing to pay. This backfires when he starts bitch slapping Will Scarlett and chokes out The Apprentice.
- Emma and Hook enjoy a romantic first date, filled with fellow diners eating pasta Lady and the Tramp style, gingham table cloths and off-color remarks about booze making Killian more sexy than usual. As if that were even possible.
- Mr Gold has not changed his ways and uses Hook’s misguided guilt and an enchanted broom to do away with the Apprentice. Hook is blackmailed with a security tape and now bound to help Mr. Gold with his misdeeds.
- Will breaks into the library to steal a copy of Alice in Wonderland. This gets him a night in the drunk-tank. When asked why he had the book, he denies it has any meaning to him. We know better.
- The Ice Queen did not arrive in Storybrooke as a result of the curse. David and Elsa review the list of towns people and the name she provided is not on it… dun dun duuuunnnn.
Operation Mongoose…Magnolia..Morgan Freeman.. Henry decides he is going to help Regina find the author of their fairytale book so she can have her happy ending. How? By becoming Mr. Gold’s apprentice. The episode ends with Henry sweeping the floor of the pawn shop. And it is obvious he has never held a broom in his hands until this scene was shot.
This was a much needed bridge episode, lots of character updates and supporting background information, but that also means it was a little snoozy.
