ABCThe ruler of the Underworld and the Wicked Witch of the West, a couple? It sure seems like it.
After teasing an unexpected connection between the two in the final moments of last week's episode of Once Upon a Time, the series' latest big bad, Hades (Greg Germann), will come face-to-face with Zelena (Rebecca Mader) this week—and sparks will fly.
Speaking with E! News, Germann teased the chemistry between the unlikely pair who, until now, we supposed lived separated by realms. "Well, it's an ABC show, so we'll be doing Dancing With the Stars next season. I'll have green makeup on my hands and my cheek," he joked, before getting serious. "I think Zelena and Hades are, there's definitely an attraction there between the two of them. There's an electricity. Or thunderbolts. Or fire, depending on what world we're in, I guess."
Fans saw last week that the pages from the Underworld storybook the flame-haired villain was so desperate to get his hands on revealed a shared history between the pair. This week, flashbacks will detail Hades' trip to Oz after learning about Zelena's very special spell, intent on forming an alliance with the witch. However, he'll find himself with more than just a partner in crime.
It's becoming increasingly obvious that there's little out of the real of possibility when it comes to Hades' powers. He's able to travel within worlds with relative ease and seems to know all—and Germann is relishing every minute of it. "It's just so much fun to play," he gushed. "As Hades, what can't I do? I kind of can do whatever I want to do and it's a kind of power there. For the time being, at least, I've got everyone under my thumb."
With all this power, do our heroes stand any chance of victory? If they do, Germann isn't telling. "For now, at least, you can see [the heroes saying,] ‘What can I do?' Well, there's nothing they can do. I'm a god. Go ahead, give me your best shot," he declared. "So, for now, they can't. But what [showrunners] Adam [Horowitz] and Eddy [Kitsis] are doing with all these characters is they're showing, whether it's with Rumple or, I don't know, any of the characters, there's a weakness everywhere. Superman has Kryptonite. So Hades must have something, but you'll have to watch to find out."
Even Germann isn't aware of the totality of his character's powers—or limitations. "I can't possibly keep up with Adam and Eddy," he admitted. "It is true that you get a script and you go, 'Oh! I can do that! That'll be fun.'" But for now, he's just enjoying getting to put his spin on a character that dates back to Greek mythology—a spin that began with that surprising pedicure in his first episode.
"I called up Adam and Eddy and I said, 'You know, this is where I live. I think I should be doing something that Hades has done, like maybe he's getting a pedicure.' They jumped on that idea and so, it's things like that. They're really open to that," he shared. "So, on some level, although Hades is this iconic character that goes through the ages and mythology, on some level—I don't want to undercut the work too much, but it's kind of easy to make it your own because Adam and Eddy, at their core, they're writing about people striving for the same things you and I want. It's really fun to do because of that. They're putting you in these outrageous situations. I mean, I'm in the Underworld, banishing somebody and throwing somebody into the river of souls or something, but really I'm just really angry because I'm not getting my way, which you and I can identify with."
We've never identified with the god of the Underworld more.
Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.