ABCA wonderfully wicked Once Upon a Time is almost here!
After far too many fairy-tale free months, this Sunday fans will once again be transported into the spellbinding world of ABC's most enchanting drama. However, this time, the stakes are much higher and the magic is even darker as our favorite characters of Once Upon a Time begin their 11-episode battle with one of the most iconic villains of all time: the Wicked Witch of the West.
We've already seen the mesmerizing midseason premiere (twice!) and we're bursting with excitement for all of you to experience all the twists and turns of "New York City Serenade" for yourselves. But we know that you are incredibly impatient and want to know all the secrets right now—and we don't blame you!
To curb your magical cravings, we've answered 15 of your burning questions from Twitter about Once Upon a Time's heart-pounding romances, jaw-dropping surprises and all the treacherous adventures that lay ahead. Read on for a whirlwind of scoop from co-creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, plus some evil exclusives from everyone's favorite queen, Lana Parilla…
Itssquasha: I'm shipping the pirate with Emma, is there hope? I always ship the less probable ones yeah I'm hopeless
We're sorry, but we can't stop giggling after reading this question. Of course, there's hope for Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and "the pirate." Have you seen their chemistry? It's undeniable and electric in the midseason premiere. (Friendly FYI: His name is Captain Hook!)
Chelseasunrise: Will Henry play a larger role in magic and become a hero himself?
As of right now, all of the newbie magical abilities are still resting on Emma's shoulders. Lana Parilla explained to us that Emma and Regina make quite the magic-wielding team: "Ultimately when there's a bigger problem, like the wicked witch, these two women can put their own personal feelings aside for one another and just learn how to work together."
RumbelleIsHope: Any Rumbelle good news?
Just remember: Even after death, true love always wins. Always.
Eddrikstorm: Hii!! I'm just curious as to how big of a role Aurora is going to be in the rest of the season/beyond?? :)
Let's put it this way: You'll see the sleeping beauty in the very first scene of Sunday's episode. Although she's glowing with new pregnancy excitement, those good vibes quickly turn dark when we learn that she and Prince Phillip (Julian Morris) are keeping a dangerous secret from the others.
LisaStevens_AER: Do both Neal & Hook talk to the Charmings about going back for Emma & Henry ? Does Neal ever encounter Zelena ?
Upon first being dumped in the Enchanted Forest, both men are clearly heartbroken that Emma was left behind with a wiped memory. Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) chooses to sulk and deal with his unhappiness solo, while Neal (Michael Raymond-James) refuses to accept that the mother of his child is really gone. Tempt not a desperate man…
Twist_And_Shoot: Can you tell me more about Rumple's fate?
We sure can! This Sunday's episode will briefly mention Rumple (Robert Carlyle), but in episode 13 the Dark One's fate will be heavily explored. Lesson of the day: You should never underestimate the tricks that are always up Rumpelstiltskin's sleeves.
PiriniP: Belle will return to the Dark Castle? We'll see some interaction between Belle and Robin Hood?
Get ready to witness a super-sweet reunion! In Sunday's episode, Belle (Emilie de Ravin) and Robin (Sean Maguire) share a warm embrace after our favorite hooded vigilante (Sorry, Arrow!) saves the Evil Queen from an encounter with an iconic creature. (Side-note: Regina insults Robin by saying he "smells like forest." Ha!) As for Belle's return to the Dark Castle? Stay tuned…
Aileencharisse Anything about Regina... Really bothered by this outlaw queen thingy...
Regina is in a dark and desperate place when we first see her in the midseason premiere. Being separated from Henry and knowing that he has no memory of her is a heartache the she physically cannot bear. "I can't be happy without him," she says. In a sweet twist, fans will see our Evil Queen share multiple heartfelt scenes with her always-optimistic step-daughter, Snow.
Alscales: Can you please ask how Emma feels about her parents having another baby? Also curious what this Henry knows about Neal?
Emma will be a little astounded when she first sees her mama's royal baby bump, but you would be too, given the circumstances. As for memory-enchanted Henry? All he knows about Neal is that his father abandoned Emma to take the fall for him and she ended up in jail. In their little made-up world, Neal doesn't even know that Henry exists because Emma never told him.
DannyPKC: We know we're meeting the Wicked Witch...will we also be meeting Dorothy?
We'll let Eddy Kitsis answer that question for you: "We will definitely see some iconic friends from Oz and their relationships are actually going to be explored in a couple episodes." However, we can tell you that you will definitely be taking a trip down the yellow brick road and we'll see the Emerald City, Glinda's (Sunny Mabrey) gorgeous palace and one of the Wizard's most deceptive rooms.
Radames125470: Can you also ask about the Charming/Hook bromance and maybe Hook/Henry as well. Would love to see more of both, thanks.
Kitsis and Horowitz have heard your prayers and you will definitely be seeing more bromance scenes this season, especially between Hook and Henry. "They are quite a team together, those two," Kitsis shared. "I think we'll definitely see more of Hook interacting with Henry." Just a heads up, there are some pretty chuckle-worthy exchanges between the two in this Sunday's hour.
Efisotiropoulou: Even if Henry does get his memories back, what would Regina and Henry's relationship be like after all of this?
Unfortunately, we won't see Henry get his memory back for quite some time and this absolutely crushes Regina. Parilla revealed, "She has a lot of sleepless nights, and there's a lot of tears that come with that. She's heartbroken, she's really heartbroken, but she's very respectful when it comes to seeing Henry and not pushing it to get him to remember who she is." However, Parilla told us there is one teeny tiny upside to this curse: "He won't remember all the bad things about her."
HariniAcharya2: Anything about Hook and Emma!!
What would you say if we told you that Emma threatens to punch Hook in the face within the first two minutes of the episode? Are you smiling? Because we sure were! Our "dashing rapscallion" will spend the majority of the premiere trying to convince Emma to believe him. He even tells her to "use her superpower" to tell if he's lying.
Tutusunshine: Please ask if they can tell us anything about Belle's storyline. Maybe something about Belle & Lumiere?
Our beautiful book lover is going to be embracing her adventurous side this season. Kitsis revealed, "This year you're going to start to see her come into her own by using her brain. She's going to be a hero who's going to reach for a book or use her intelligence more than a sword. "In addition," Hororwitz added, "We're going to be seeing some more iconography from the Belle story, in the form of Lumiere, the candle, who is going to be showing up soon." We hear that Lumiere has a very bright personality. (Ugh, sorry. That was lame.)
Once Upon a Time's midseason premiere airs this Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Plus, get caught up on all the magical mayhem with a one-hour special, narrated by Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens at 7 p.m.