Once Upon a Time Season 5 Mid-Season Premiere Release Date and 100th Episode News With Storybrooke Underworld

By Mark Rollins
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time goes to the Underworld ABC

For those who didn't watch the mid-season finale of Once Upon a Time, this article will contain spoilers, so you have been forewarned. After this first arc cliffhanger, viewers will be anxious to wait three months until the 6th of March for the release date of Once Upon a Time Season 5 mid-season premiere, where we will see the 100th episode of the show bring us into the 2nd part of Season 5 with new characters, and more twists and turns.

Those who watched last Sunday saw the heart-breaking moment when Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), selflessly sacrificed himself for Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) and the rest of the Storybrooke. Everything goes back to "normal," until Emma hears voices, which leads her back to Rumpelstiltskin's shop. She finds out that Rumpel/Mr. Gold has the dagger, and is once again the Dark One. She makes a deal with him that she won't tell Belle about him being the Dark One if he would help her get to the Underworld. The pull is that someone still has to die, but Emma believes that she can get around it by sharing a heart with Hook as Snow and Prince Charming do back in Season 3. The episode ends with the crew heading toward the boat to take them to The Underworld. A promo for the second half of the season shows that the Underworld is almost identical to Storybrooke but still different.

Since we're going to be traveling to the underworld, we will see some of the dead or otherwise absent characters from the show in the 100th episode. Peter Pan (Robbie Kay), Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito), Cora (Barbara Hershey), and the Blind Witch (Emma Caulfield) will be returning, as Edward Kitsis, a producer of the show, explained to Variety, perhaps in visions, flashbacks, or some other realm. Kitsis said they were not able to get Jamie Dornan (Sheriff Graham/Huntsman) back because of his busy schedule. He also says of the 100th episode- what they are excited about it "we feel like we're going to be honoring the show by really giving you that season one feeling all over again."

Hook is still around, according to Colin O'Donoghue's interview with Entertainment Weekly. Fans will be glad to hear that "He's sticking around, but in a completely different way and quite shocking."

As previously mentioned, the Underworld is Storybrooke with a twist. Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard) told EW that "Hell, as a geographical location, is not what we expect it to be. What we do find ends up being pretty profound and enables us to relive some of the original Once Upon a Time season 1 themes."

Lana Parilla (Regina/the Evil Queen)describes the Storybrooke underworld as "It reminds me of when Marty McFly goes back to his old neighborhood, it's just different and torn down, there's graffiti everywhere. Storybrooke doesn't look the same at all."

What do you think we will see in the second half of the season? Will the team be able to get Hook back? Will Emma and Hook share a heart? Tune in on the sixth of March 6, 2016 to find out!