Seraphina That boy was Pinocchio/August, who made her see how The Ugly Duckling was a tale of transformation and that much like the duckling that turned into a swan, Emma could change her fate and turn it into something beautiful. : Naturally, Emma didnt want to let her unexpected mentor pass away in the streets, but Cleo convinced Emma to let her go. : Hook eventually gets her to say her goodbyes and she does, only to find out that Hades had trapped her and her family in the library using magic. Henry, after several instances, tries to get her to believe the truth, but she rebuffs him and moves back to Boston. Emma Swan is a fictional character in ABC's television series Once Upon a Time and the protagonist of seasons 1-6. Fortunately, Emma was saved by Lily, who pretended to be her sister. Matthew has also written for websites such as FanSided Entertainment, Beyond Westworld, and Movie Pilot. She regains her memories of what Hook plans, by resurrecting all the Dark Ones as part of his revenge. | : She happily embraces Hook, who tells her Zeus sent him back as a reward for stopping Hades. One night shortly after meeting Neal, he and Emma spent time together in a closed amusement park. All of them. Hook manages to recover and fights Wish Hook, until the latter accidentally stabs himself with a dagger. Morrison's portrayal of Emma has received praise, with some reviewers noting a feminist twist in the depiction of fairy tales and a strong female lead. While his favorite movies and TV shows tend to also fall in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, he enjoys and is open to anything that provides an engaging story, strong character development, and in-depth world-building. When Henry found Emma in the pilot episode, she was in Boston, still working as a bail bondsperson. That is freedom. She learns she is the long lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming[1] who gave her up shortly after her birth 28 years ago so she wouldn't die at the hands of Regina Mills, also known as the Evil Queen. Working as a bail bondsperson did the most to help her form this ability, as it was her to job to find people who didn't want to be found, people who would cover their tracks and lie about their identity out of self-preservation. She believed Elsa was meant to be her second sister. He couldnt retire with Emma while he was still wanted for the watches. After leaving Storybrooke, Emma lives with Henry in New York City. In the "wish realm", Emma lives as a princess until Regina traumatically restores her memory. Purge the earth. Eloise Gardener In moments before the finale, Emma is able to finally let her walls down and tells Hook she loves him. That's not possible. For example, Emma would steal items from a convenience store while Neal distracted the store owner. The Queen steals the lamp and wishes Emma to an alternate reality where she was never the Savior; Regina follows her. Genie Leslie at Feministing commented that Emma was a "badass", that she liked how Emma was "very adamant that women be able to make their own decisions about their lives and their children", and how Emma was a "well-rounded" character who was "feminine, but not 'girly'. What made Emma such a unique character -- and this premise largely so compelling -- was that despite her legendary parents and heroic destiny, Emma knew nothing of the fairy tale world where she was born. Emma found a loving foster family and life was going great with them until Lily showed up. Meanwhile, the rest of the characters are trapped in the Enchanted Forest as it and all the other realms crumble as a consequence of Emma's refusal to believe. Gold and Belle decide to work together for the good of their son. Ever since the pilot episode, Emma could frequently be seen wearing a red leather jacket. The job was a great fit for Emma's fiercely independent, inquisitive, and resourceful nature. Beautiful, with great strength behind classic features. : [9] Morrison explained her character as someone who "help[s] her son Henry whom she abandoned when he was a baby and who seems like he's a little bit emotionally dysfunctional," but noted that Emma does not start out believing in the fairytale universe. There's nothing to forgive. I wiped the land clean. So either you're a liar, or a monster. Moments before Cleo Fox perished, she revealed that shedput her daughter Tasha up for adoption. She wanted to give Henry his best chance. They'll pay. When a customer caught on to what was happening, Emma pretended to be enduring intense labor pains, which she was able to pull offwith the fake pregnancy belly she was wearing. He is a particularly huge fan of Star Wars, with Return of the Jedi as his all-time favorite Star Wars movie, and with Star Wars Rebels among his 5 favorite TV shows of all time. Six weeks later, the rest of her friends returned to Storybrooke, with their memories were wiped out once again. : At first, Emma plans to absorb all the darkness inside her and kill herself. Some slimy lump will flop ashore, crawl towards humanity again. Escaping didnt allow them to ride off into the sunset, though. She and the others later discover that the Underworld is for those with unfinished business, and they decide to help others move on, while they search for Hook. Fiona's curse wipes Emma's memory past the final episode of season 1, and places her in a mental institution, where she (and the rest of the town) believes that Henry is Fiona's rightfully adopted son and all the fairytale stories were untrue. Regina frees Rumplestiltskin in exchange for a magic bean, but the portal to Storybrooke closes while Regina is distracted by the appearance of Robin Hood. In Emma's past, her chance to make use of her talent is held back by being told she'll be alone. "Morpheus" reveals he is really their unborn son and desired this outcome. The two teens quickly became best friends, neither one knowing that Emma was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming,or that Lily was the daughter of Maleficent. However, Emma, inspired by a book Henry had created detailing her journey, returns to Storybrooke and chooses to believe him. Arriving in the Underworld, Emma is contacted by Neal Cassidy, who warns to turn back, advice Emma chooses to ignore. May the Gods forgive. Emma had the chance to escape, but she stayed behind when she noticed a database on Cleos computer. Instead, he said hed found baby Emma on the side of the road near the first place he saw, which was Chanteys Lobster House in Maine. WhenNeal and Emma wanted to retire from their life of small crime and settle down in Tallahassee, Neal told her about watches he had stolen. On her 28th birthday, a 10-year-old Henry Mills arrives in Boston, explaining Emma's origins. It wasnt until after she started driving the car away that she realized there was another person in the car -- Neal Cassidy/Baelfire. Emma objects, saying that she came to the Underworld to save Hook, and she wasn't leaving without him. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Once Upon a Time Q&A: Jennifer Morrison Drops a Few Hints About Season 2", "ONCE UPON A TIME: "OPERATION MONGOOSE" REVIEW", "Once Upon a Time season 5 news: Jennifer Morrison is looking forward to playing Dark Emma; Casting call out for Rumplestilskin's mother", Original Script of the Pilot. Later, Henry chooses to go to other realms in search of his story and meets another version of Cinderella, whom he falls in love with. I just want to talk. When Regina also becomes affected by the wish she finds a way to end it before the first curse takes place, but the Blue Fairy, who granted Snow the wish, tells Snow and David that the wish will be part of Emma's destiny. The fact of her pregnancy couldn't change the nature of her eleven-month sentence in a Phoenix prison, so she had to give birth there. : Cleo was fatally wounded by the glass that went into her when she shattered a window to escape the courthouse. However, he is awoken with true love's kiss from Emma, thus breaking the curse and allowing all residents to remember their true identities. | Technical Specs. [21] Emma finally believes, but Henry is pronounced dead. Promotional photograph of Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan. [32], One year after the curse's reversal, Hook restores Emma's memories with a potion and the two return to Storybrooke with Henry to save her family by breaking the new curse caused by Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West. Close the circle. It is discovered that the only way they would have a chance to return to the "Overworld" with Hook is by overthrowing Hades. Despite how their relationship began, Emma didnt want to abandon Cleo and let her perish in the streets. Emma not only told Tasha about her mother, but she also gave her pictures of Cleo. They all go through the portal, and while Emma has second thoughts about leaving Hook, she is persuaded to go by her father. When they get back to Storybrooke, Zelena is informed by Regina and Robin that Hades tried to trap them in the Underworld, but she brushes off the information and is upset with her sister. She talks to Hades about having the life she wants, which is just a simple picket fence life. After blackmailing Mr. Gold for tricking her and Hook into making him the Dark One again, she and her friends and family descend into the Underworld to find Hook and plans to split her heart in half and share it with him like her parents. [27] After Emma and Regina stop their trigger to destroy Storybrooke, Henry is taken to Neverland by Greg and Tamara; Emma, Neal, her parents, Regina, Hook and Mr. Gold follow them. Emma didnt know it at the time, but she was learning her first information about Rumplestiltskin, a man who had already had and would go on to have a major impact on her life. Having learned how to pick locks from Neal, Emma freed herself from the handcuffs mere moments after Cleo stepped into the shower. And as is their way, it'll be worse. This led toEmma purchasing the iconic red leather jacket, her armor against a vicious world. Pinocchio/August was smart enough to know that he couldnt tell the people in the Land Without Magic that he and Emma just came out of a tree after traveling through a magic wardrobe from the Enchanted Forest. Growing up in a foster system that often made empty promises also taught Emma to see through lies and find the truth, no matter how concealedthe truth might be. However, Emma manages to heal him and convinces him to travel with Henry in search of both their happy endings. She had to learn to adapt and survive in the Land Without Magic, all the while not knowing of her extraordinary origins. They went on the swings and Emma asked about Neals story.He revealed that as a child, he grew up in a loving home. Launch Gallery. Emma and Gideon finally meet for the battle, but Emma survives, choosing her own fate. Sometime later, she transformed Hook into a second Dark One to save his life. Wish Hook, however, shows up and knocks out Hook, taking his place in hopes of traveling to Storybrooke with Emma and finding a cure for his poisoned heart. Eloise Gardener All the characters are later gathered at Granny's for dinner as the camera zooms out, with the words "And they all lived happily ever after." [20] When August Booth (Pinocchio) arrives in Storybrooke revealing her destiny of breaking the curse, a pressured Emma decides to leave the town, not wanting Henry to suffer from her and Regina's feud. Our purest urges now emerge. Filming & Production Their lifestyle together was far from glamorous, but it was much better scraping by and slowly building a future together than when theyd been forced to undertake these pursuits alone. : In the present day, after they miss their way out of the Wish realm, Emma and Regina find another option for escape when they come across August, who agrees to help create a new portal. "[4] Emma became the primary antagonist of the fifth season's first half, until the end of the season's eighth episode when it is revealed that she was never actually evil and was an anti-villain during that time. Regina, however, attempts to poison Emma, though Henry willingly consumes it to prove that magic exists. Emma discovers the sword can kill the Evil Queen without hurting Regina. Flora Killian orders her to kill him, taking in all the darkness and Emma slays him with Excalibur while the darkness is removed from her, reverting to her old self. One night when she was about to tear out a page from The Ugly Duckling, a boy convinced Emma not to burn it. Her plan didnt quite work out, though, as an employee told her that they could barely keep a cook forsix weeks, let alone someone who would work there for twenty-sixyears. Nature's witches, words unheard, our wishes worthless, worse than dirt. But I want freedom. Eloise Gardener They were never big-time criminals trying to perform major heists, though. For example: Jennifer Morrison will put in another encore, but is it to A) play a still-pregnant Emma, B) actually birth her and Killians baby, or given the unpredictable passage of time in different realms and what not C) introduce grown Henry to a teenage sibling? While Cleo took a shower in the motel, she handcuffed Emma to a table so she wouldnt escape. 2022 TVLine Media, LLC. Despite what she thought at first, Neal was also trying to steal the vehicle. Pinocchio leaves Emma in the foster home, which brings Emma to live alone. [31] However, Pan enacts the original curse once more, forcing Emma and Henry to leave Storybrooke after Regina reverses her curse, erasing the events following its enactment. Let us know in the comments! After Cruella De Vil threatens to kill Henry, Emma kills her, soon after learning of her parents' actions of removing Emma's potential for darkness by putting black magic within Maleficent's daughter and Emma's childhood friend Lily. [24][25] Emma then helps Mr. Gold travel to Manhattan to locate his son Baelfire, who she discovers is Henry's father Neal. [26] Emma's skeptical theories on the pair are proven correct when it is revealed they want to destroy magic. Guided by Morpheus, Gold enters Belle's dreams to lift the sleeping curse; he tries to renew their love, but she rejects him. She is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison as an adult, by Abby Ross as a teenager, and by Mckenna Grace as a child. "[43] Natalie Wilson from Ms. praised the show for a strong, "kick-butt" female lead, and for dealing with the idea of what makes a mother in a more nuanced fashion.[37]. This made it quite the challenge for her to believethat fairy tale characters and their worlds were real, a belief she needed to achieve in order to break the Dark Curse. Henry brings her back with True Love's Kiss and Gideon turns back into a baby, allowing Rumple and Belle a second chance. The accusation itself and the clear message that he didn't see Emma as one of his actual children made Emma decide that it was time to leave the foster family for good. Hades is about to use the Olympian Crystal to "end" Regina, but Robin steps in front of her, taking the blow, which kills him. Emma searches for Merlin and is helped by a manifestation of Rumplestiltskin, who wants to teach her to be the Dark One, while Emma attempts to resist becoming evil at the same time. When Henry discovers the page in the book that reveals Emma's heart will make her stronger, not only does it embolden Emma, it stopped Fiona from crushing it, but Fiona still tells her the battle is still on. This led Ingrid to the Land Without Magic where she made it her mission to find Emma, connect with her, and help her magic manifest. Company Credits Tilly She later leaves with her husband back to Storybrooke. In order to prove to Emma that she had magic, Ingrid pushed her in front of a moving car, telling her she'd need to use her magic to stop it. When Emma and Hook go into the depths of the Underworld to find ambrosia, something that would save Hook, they are faced with a True Love test, which they pass when Emma chooses Hook over her own heart, only to realize that Hades had tricked them and destroyed the ambrosia, and Hook tells Emma to leave him in the Underworld, as time is running out for her to go through the open portal. Then why does it feel like a prison? Once Upon A Time often did an excellent job combining the extraordinary with the mundane. The events surrounding his birth weren't so magical, though. : As a teenager, Emma becomes a petty criminal with Neal Cassidy. In order to defeat Hades, Emma and Hook receive help from Hook's brother Liam; however, it is soon discovered that Liam betrayed them after being blackmailed by Hades. Eager to finally learn the truth about her family, Emma made a deal that she would let Cleo take her back to Arizona as long as she helped Emma access that file about her family. [14] In Storybrooke, Emma initially wants Henry to let go of his theories of the curse, but later plays along. Because what kind of woman abandons her child? Emma then chooses to sacrifice herself for the town of Storybrooke, asking her parents and Hook to save her, she voluntarily plunges the dagger into the Darkness, transforming into the new Dark One. They prepared for the worst by building a magic wardrobe. [34] Regina later helps Emma to strengthen her magical powers, though they are removed when Zelena curses Hook but thanks to Regina they managed to defeat Zelena and close her time portal.[35]. Long before Emma believed in magic, she believed that she had a superpower. However, when an earthquake occurs, Hook rushes to see if Emma is okay. Mother Gothel Fans got to see firsthand exactly how effective she was at her job. Emma fights Gideon, still under Fiona's lasting control, but ultimately chooses to sacrifice herself. : Matt Webb Mitovich / Just because Emma didn't grow up in a world of magic, knights, and dragons doesn't mean she had a boring backstory. Concurrent to a graduation trip that she and Regina take Henry on prior to the latter's departure, the older Henry and the other heroes manage to foil a plot by Wish Rumple to wreak havoc on all the realms, and end up bringing them all to Storybrooke. As Regina prepared to cast the first Dark Curse, the denizens of the Enchanted Forest didn't quite know what to expect. Once they are brought back to the present, Emma gives birth to a baby girl named Hope and, along with Hook, attends Regina's coronation where she is crowned "The Good Queen" of all the realms. Rumple successfully kills Fiona, which restores Emma's memory and transports the other characters back to Storybrooke. Gothel Click through the attached gallery of questions (plus one fishy diversion) to see what immediately popped to my mind, and then hit the Comments with any pressing queries of your own. ), Rebecca Balding Dead at 66; TV Roles Included Soap and OG Charmed, Who'd Make Your TV All-Star Team? Build a Roster of the Best TV, Better Call Saul Serves Up an Epic Game-Changer That Asks, CBS Moves Big Brother Eviction, Will Broadcast Blood & Treasure Encore. Henry succeeds in destroying magic, only to be later convinced by the Dragon to get enough belief to recharge the crystal. What is before you is a great honor. At night, shed tear out pages from fairy tale books and burn them in a trash can in an attempt to stay warm. [28], The team eventually manages to rescue Henry from the sinister Peter Pan,[29][30] and return to Storybrooke. Still in prison, only eighteen-years-old, and dealing with many other issues, Emma didnt believe that she was ready to be the mother that Henry deserved and needed. To make them even closer, Ingrid had already put the paperwork through to officially adopt Emma. After a period of peace, Emma begins to help Regina on her quest to find the Author of Henry's book. Emma and Regina work together to use their own magic to counteract it. However, she must recruit a hero to do so, as she cannot remove the sword; the hero she chooses is her predecessor Rumplestiltskin, who she tells finally has a chance to become a hero. She'd grown up in the regular world -- the Land Without Magic, as it's called in the series. Well, when I pass the mantle onto you, you will be mother of all of the magic in the land. So for what sort of closure can proper Outlaw Queen shippers dare hope? Suddenly, a wave of magic flies through the air, causing her to stumble. [16] After some time in prison, Emma becomes a bail bond agent. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. In 1990 Minnesota, a young Emma is told by a teenager that she has the power to change her fate. Her job was to bring Emma back to Arizona against her will, but Cleo ended up giving Emma so much more, providing her with invaluable lessons and sacrifices. They found the home they were always searching for in one another. Old for nursery, dark for church. [6] In the original script of the pilot she is described as "Late 20s. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. She used Ingrid's rubber spiders to get back at Kevin, making sure that he'd never mess with her again. [3] In order to successfully create a dark version of Emma, Morrison explained that "In order to build Dark Emma, I've been doing a bunch of research there with some of their mythology books and old fairy tale books and just looking back through the history of swans and the etymology of 'Swan'" and explained that Emma's rate of evolution "challenged [her] on a daily basis. "[7], It was reported that actress Katee Sackhoff auditioned five times for the role of Emma but, according to her, the producers really wanted Morrison to play the part, and she accepted a role in the television series Longmire. A land without magic. ", "What a Difference a Strong Snow White Makes", "Fall TV First Impression: ABC's Once Upon a Time Is Fairy Ambitious", "Take Me To The Pilots '11: ABC's 'Once Upon a Time", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emma_Swan&oldid=1099115266, Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities, Fictional characters with healing abilities, Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils, Fictional characters who can manipulate light, Fictional inmates in American federal prisons, Articles with dead external links from December 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from January 2020, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 July 2022, at 02:32. However, this didn't stop Emma or Henry from going on to lead their heroic lives, showing how the greatest people often start with the humblest beginnings. Seeing the interest Ingrid was taking in her, Emma decided to stay. Whether she realized it or not, Emmas actions with Tasha was a step towards one day making surethat her own child Henry would know his mother. The problem was that while Ingrid did love Emma in her own way, she was too fixated on the manifestation of Emma's magic. The necklace was Lily's only tie to her biological parents, and she wanted Emma to get it. Cleo also shattered a window in the courthouse so that she and Emma could slip out as the police entered through the front door. Convinced there was more information about her family than what was shown to her in the courthouse file, Emma broke into the courthouse at night. Both follow Henry to New York, where it turns out Gold got the crystal back. Matthew Rudoy is a freelance writer who loves to write about his favorite movies and TV shows. Instead, you find a place to grow anew. After Emma and Hook are dragged into Zelena's time portal, she accepts Storybrooke as her home, regaining her magic to re-open the portal to the present where she begins a relationship with Hook. "[12], After Emma became the "Dark One" at the end of the fourth season of the series, Morrison began doing research with mythology books and old fairy tale books and looking back through the history of swans and the etymology of 'Swan' to prepare for this new trait of her character. However, Hades wants a whole kingdom. Unbeknownst to the others, Emma currently has possession of the Excalibur in a locked room inside of her new house. Emma agreed and she and Lily broke into a home, making it their own for a while. That is your responsibility now. This was a way for the two young ladies to show that they were both special and would be connected forever.