After months of waiting and theorizing, the Once Upon a Time Season 5 premiere is finally gracing us with its presence for what promises to be another magical year of fairytale intrigue. And while no two seasons of this mystical series are ever alike, Season 5 promises to pack an extra big punch, considering that the main villain hits a little closer to home. Now that Emma is the new Dark One, it'll certainly be interesting to see how the dynamics shift between all of these characters — not just regarding their relationships with Emma, but also their relationships with each other. But we don't have to wait for the premiere to get our hands on some juicy Once Upon A Time Season 5 spoilers.
All summer long, the series has been slowly teasing out what lies ahead for our Storybrooke gang, which means we already have a ton of details in our magical arsenal of knowledge. So before we dive headfirst into this new Dark One terrain, I've taken the liberty of rounding up a bunch of information that we already know about the upcoming season. From Dark Swan's rise to exciting new worlds, here's everything we know about OUAT Season 5 thus far.
Emma Won't Be Totally Evil… Yet
Though we've seen what she'll eventually transition into, it will definitely be a gradual process. "Part of what we saw with Rumpelstiltskin [Robert Carlyle] was his struggle, and we watched the Darkness consume him," executive producer Edward Kitsis recently shared with Entertainment Weekly. "We’re going to see the same with Emma. We’re going to see her struggle against this very dark thing inside her, and we’re going to see what happens." In fact, he claims viewers should be less focused on when she'll go dark and more interested in what happens that'll lead her down such a dark path. But for now, the Savior will still be her recognizable self. For the most part.
The Dark One Mythology Will Be Explored
From this photo, it appears as though Rumpelstiltskin will be training Emma. But how is that even possible if he no longer has those powers? And how is he even there with her to begin with since Mr. Gold is currently coma-bound? In the same interview, Kitsis assures us that all those questions will be answered in the premiere, along with a glimpse into the history of the Dark One. "Emma is going to be taking us into the Dark One and the Dark One mythology, and we are going to learn this first half of the season who the original Dark One was, what made them tick, and why there is even a Dark One to begin with." Color me intrigued!
Possession Of The Dagger Is Up For Grabs
We all know that whoever holds the dagger has the ability to control the Dark One. But who will be the one charged with such a task? And according to Kitsis, it may not be who Emma wants, but rather who she needs to have it. "You want to trust the person who has your best interests at heart, but in the same respect, who would you say has the ability to unplug the machine? Meaning who’s the person that’s going to make the right decision at the right time?" Kitsis goes on to explain, "Emma’s the Dark One, and so who she gives that knife to… Or who takes the knife has a lot of meaning and emotion but also some practicality to it." My money's on Regina. Thoughts?
Snow & Charming's Marriage Will Suffer
Now that their worst fears are coming true and Emma's inner-evil is threatening to bubble to the surface, Snow and Charming will be at odds about how they should go about saving her. "For the very first time since Season 1, we’re going to really see them disagreeing about the best way to save their daughter," Kitsis reveals. "And it is absolutely like any parents with a child: when you don’t know how to save the child, it causes a lot of stress at home." Anyone else feeling significantly depressed right now?
Zelena's Baby Will Be Born This Season
During another Entertainment Weekly Hot Seat round, both Adam Horowitz and Kitsis answered a few burning questions about Season 5, one of which included the fact that Zelena's baby will definitely be born this year.
Henry Will Finally Get A Love Interest
What can we say? I guess chicks dig authors.
Familiar Faces Are Returning
Not only will Red/Ruby and Lancelot make appearances throughout the season, but it was recently announced that OUAT character favorite Mulan (who hasn't been seen since Season 3) will also be returning for a multi-episode run. Excited doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about this.
A "Brave" New World & Characters Will Be Explored
During Comic-Con this year, a very telling clip revealed that Merida from Brave will be making her OUAT debut in the premiere and will evidently be an integral part in helping the gang get to Camelot. Because, that's right, folks — we are officially King Arthur bound. Round tables for everyone!
Seriously, Sunday night can't get here fast enough.
Images: Jack Rowand/ABC (8); ABC
