Once Upon A Time goes through so many magical lands and dangerous curses that it's hard to keep track of everything that the Charmings, their friends, and their rather extended family have been through. Before every new season, I try to do a quick refresher. Luckily, Once Upon A Time Season 5 will be on Netflix starting August 26, so we'll all be able to go back to Camelot and the Underworld once more.
When the show comes back for new episodes, Season 6 will feature many literary characters and some Disney references in the form of Aladdin, who on the ABC series is a Savior like Emma. Sorry, fans of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Naveen Andrews is not reviving his role as Jafar. The villain will instead be played by Oded Fehr from The Mummy and Stitchers . Jasmine, on the other hand, will be played by Karen David from Galavant — fun! We'll also see more of Jeckyll and Hyde, as well as The Count of Monte Cristo and Morpheus from Greek Mythology.
As for Season 5, if you're not feeling up to a full re-watch, here are some key and particularly entertaining episodes that you should make sure to see before the show returns. While a few new faces were introduced, so many characters returned this season that it really was a nice reward for the fans who've stuck with the show for so long.
1. Season 5, Episode 2, "The Price"
Come for the Dark Emma angst, and stay for Henry flirting with Violet the Camelot girl with an iPod.
2. Season 5, Episode 4, "The Broken Kingdom"
Wasn't Arthur and Guinevere's twisted backstory interesting? Definitely worth a revisit.
3. Season 5, Episode 6, "The Bear & The Bow"
I always love Belle best when she's on a side mission, and this one with Merida is no exception.
4. Season 5, Episode 7, "Nimue"
Merlin's backstory was romantic and heartbreaking. If you watch any episode from Season 5A, make sure it is this one.
5. Season 5, Episode 13, "Labor Of Love"
The Hercules, Snow White, and Meagara story is so fun! Unfinished business quests were the best part of the Underworld.
6. Season 5, Episode 17, "Her Handsome Hero"
We're hitting a strong point in Season 5, and speaking of strong, here's the return of Gaston! I was glad we got to learn more about him.
7. Season 5, Episode 18, "Ruby Slippers"
It may not be the pairing you hoped for, but OUAT finally got a real LGBT relationship.
8. Season 5, Episode 19, "Sisters"
Once, young Zelena and Regina actually go along and it was so cute. Plus, the David/James face-off in this episode was just too good.
9. Season 5, Episode 20, "Firebird"
There's no way we've seen the last of Cleo Fox and her daughter Tasha. Time to start looking for clues.
10. Season 5, Episode 22, "Only You"
I hope there's more of the "Land Of Untold Stories" in Season 6, don't you?
11. Season 5, Episode 23, "An Untold Story"
In the second half of the finale, we meet the literary characters coming up in Season 6 — plus, Henry miraculously convinces a bunch of New Yorkers to stop and listen to him, I mean, believe in magic. OUAT finales are always a bit of a departure, and this one set up the next Season in a few ways that are particularly exciting and unpredictable. What will Hyde do? How will everyone react to two Reginas?
Image: ABC
