Aaaaand we’re back. It’s not with the breathless enthusiasm of season three, to be sure, and tonight’s viewing (hell, this whole season) is tinged with the melancholy of knowing the end is near. But we Oncers are a resilient lot, and we push onward, so away we go.

We begin this episode some years back (how old is Lucy again? Eight? Eleven? I don’t even remember) in the depths of a roiling cauldron as Robin and her teen buddies are down in the vault trying out a spell. We learn that Regina gave Robin her spellbook before she took off to help Henry when Zelena shows up to piss all over the party in true mother-of-a-teen-girl fashion, and after the two clash, Robin stomps off only to have the vial of foul gunk she drew from the cauldron poke her from her pocket and break open on the ground, leaving a swirling cloud of noxious-ness.

Over in the wish kingdom, we catch up with Henry and Ella hanging out at Tiana’s and cooing over baby Lucy. Zelena arrives through a portal with ominous news: “Mother” Gothel has taken Robin.

Ahead to Hyperion Heights, where Henry and Jacinda are watching over a comatose Lucy. Regina gives Henry a pep talk, reminding him that he, like Lucy, is a believer. Then she vows to Zelena that the two of them will figure out a way to save both Henry and Lucy.

Gothel, meanwhile has Anastasia, and she hoists Victoria from the well to answer for her crimes in front of her daughter. Anastasia is obviously dismayed to learn that Victoria murdered a whole bunch of people–including dear departed Daddy, and tried to rip out her sister’s heart while she was at it. As Anastasia runs off with her hands flailing madly, Gothel makes it clear to Victoria that she’s now taking over the role of mother.

Zelena, who has a magical cellphone that gets service across realms, makes a call to Robin (with a cheeky, “I don’t know what time it is there . . .” reference that’s a great snarky hat-tip to the timeline buggery on this show) reaching out to connect to her daughter. Gothel shows up to let Zelena know that she’s got Anastasia’s magic now that Anastasia has put her trust in her, and she’s willing to work with Regina and Zelena to save both Henry and Lucy–under one condition: she wants the resurrection amulet.

Zelena agrees to the deal (and to a clandestine midnight meeting) just so she can play Gothel, but neither she nor Regina have the amulet. Regina warns her that the use of said amulet would be a bad, bad thing because, like all magic, it comes with a price. Well, all magic they use this tag line with, anyway. So the amulet is bad mojo and we have been warned. Regina wants to find it before Gothel and find a way to use it without paying the price which we know it will have because they used the damn catch-phrase. DUH.

Back again to the alt-realm, and Zelena unloads a wealth of sisterly bile upon Regina for giving Robin that spellbook. It turns out Robin and her buddies summoned “Mother Nature” a.k.a. Mother Gothel, who doesn’t exist in the magical realms but in our realm. Zelena announces she’s going after Gothel and everyone else can piss off, but Hook will have none of that. He wants a share of Gothel’s moldy green hide for what she did to him and Alice. Zelena scoffs at first–even calls him “Nook” (new Hook) and finally agrees to team up. And holy damn! I saw small shades of his first days with Emma back in Season two with that argument, and she gave him a nickname! Can the fandom support a wicked and roguish romance? I don’t know. Seems intriguing but still not entirely right. This was my exact facial expression all through this scene:

Ahead to Hyperion Heights, where Office Rogers confronts his partner Weaver about Miss Eloise Gardner. Weaver tells him the Eloise is not what she appears and is rather the leader of a cult that took Victoria Belfry’s younger daughter. Rogers refuses to believe it. Eloise is a textbook example of a victim, as far as he’s concerned, and he’s going to prove she’s not what Weaver is painting her to be.

He stops by to check up on Eloise and grows suspicious when he sees milk and cookies out on the table, and while she manages to distract him for the short-term, it’s clear that Weaver’s words have taken root and he’s now going to do a little digging on Eloise.

Over at the hospital, the doctor who is tending to Lucy asks Jacinda and Nick to undergo blood testing to determine genetic match possibilities, in case an emergency should arise with Lucy. Henry is standing there as well and after a glance at the story book, he asks to be tested too.

That’s right, Henry! Believe! Believe, damn you!

Down in the pit, Victoria is trying to get out of the pit with an utterly indifferent Ivy refusing to render aid–and who can blame her? Victoria uses these moments to remind her that she’s only got one daughter she really cares about, but of course, she expects Ivy to help her out of this miserable pit. How Ivy keeps her hands off Victoria’s neck, I have no idea.

Once they escape, Ivy does mention to Victoria that the lanterns that Rapunzel so loved all those years ago were actually her idea, and not Anastasia’s. She was the one keeping the hope alive for Mom’s return.

Over at Roni’s we learn that the bar used to be “Kelly and Roni’s”. Regina points out that Victoria was awfully focused on buying her bar–possibly because it houses the Resurrection Amulet. Zelena finds it hidden in the old “Kelly and Roni’s” sign. They’re still trying to figure out how to make it work in a land without magic when Victoria shows up pointing a gun. Regina reluctantly hands the amulet over, reminding Victoria once again that the price of using it is entirely too high.

Victoria walks the amulet right over to Gothel at the greenhouse, demanding that she use it to wake Lucy, whom she really does love. Anastasia thanks her mother for her help and then Gothel has Anastasia touch the amulet, which begins to drain her powers. Gothel sends her to rest and then directs Victoria’s attention to the pentagram on the floor, and Drizella, who’s just poofed into the middle–the price for the use of said amulet.

Back in the alt-realm, Nook and Zelena have found the secret location of the Memento Mori – a curio shop frequented by witches. Madam Leota (that’s the floating head in the crystal ball from Disney’s Haunted Mansion, for those of you not up on your Disney-lore) is in attendance at a seance. Robin appears, and let’s Zelena know she’s tired of having her life decided for her by an overly-controlling mom, so she’s opted to stay with the crazy, controlling hippie=witch that poofed her away. Zelena leaves, and Nook pauses to let Gothel know that this is far from over between them.

He runs off after Zelena and gives her a pep talk that gives me goosebumps about the pure magic of motherly love. Zelena finds her inner mama bear, and together they return to confront Gothel and Leota. And oooooh. Nook and Zelly. I’m not shipping it into Wicked Rogue yet, but I’m rowboating it. Definitely at least a rubber dinghy of consideration.

Ahead to Hyperion Heights, Rogers reports back to Weaver that Eloise is hiding something. Weaver lets them know that they’re looking to perform a ritual that involves a sacred orchid (a sacred orchid? Really?)

Our next scene finds us staring at a pentagram with that sacred orchid dead-center. We’re back at Momento Mori with Gothel, who has bamboozled Robin into stepping to the center of the pentragram with the sacred orchid. She wants to use Robin as a sacrifice to resurrect Madam Leota into human form once again. Zelena and Nook rush in, and armed only with a mother’s love, Zelena sacrfices herself in Robin’s place. Robin snatches up a bow with an enchanted arrow and shoots the amulet out of Gothel’s hand. Nook retrieves it and gives it to Robin.

Robin, however, isn’t so keen on getting her magic back from the amulet. She’s loving the archery thing, and she reminds her mother that she’s Robin Hood’s daughter. While holding the resurrection amulet. Helllooo foreshadowing. I hope. Anyway, Robin tells Zelena to take the magic for herself, and Zelena does, re-energizing her powers.

Over at the greenhouse, Gothels starts the resurrection spell, and as Ivy is being drained of life, Victoria experiences a moment of maternal clarity and shoves her out of the pentagram, taking her place.

She apologizes to Ivy in her death throes, and across town, Lucy opens her eyes and takes a breath. Gothel vanishes, and Rogers and Weaver arrive as Ivy cradles her mother’s lifeless body. Rogers believes Weaver now and is sure to heed Weaver’s ominous warning that “things are about to get very dark.”

Over at the hospital, we see the doctor reading through the blood test results that confirm Henry as Lucy’s father.

She takes a drink of her nearby beverage, chokes and falls to the floor. A gloved hand appears, cutting a lock of her hair, and then it scoops up the paperwork.

I’m going to give this one four sacred orchids out of five.

Maybe it’s just the wistfulness of knowing the end is near, but I loved the mother/daughter parallels here, the Nook demanding Zelena believe in herself moments, the sisterly bonds between Regina and Zelena, and the growing trust between Rogers and Weaver. Things are slowly becoming unraveled, and I’m interested in following the threads.

My thoughts:

They better use that damn resurrection stone to bring Robin Hood back in the end. They just better. Do I want the Wicked Rogue? Do I? So many mixed emotions about this but I can’t deny they had some chemistry. So glad Victoria finally did something for Ivy, but damn if that wasn’t the cheesiest death scene since Neal in season three. Too bad they let Cora move on in season 5. I would have loved to have had her resurrected and linking arms with Zelena and Regina to kick Gothell’s ass. Why would Gothell waste the resurrection amulet on bringing Lucy back? She’s surely got some plan for Lucy and that can’t be good.

What did you think of Victoria’s sacrifice? Of Nook? And where do you think Ivy goes from here?