We just sat down to watch the Once Upon a Time Season 5 premiere, titled “Dark Swan,” and our interest is more than piqued!
The fan favorite fairtyale drama kicks off with another strong season and another adventure for our favorite characters — villains and heroes alike. The premiere sets up more than one mystery, meaning we’re in for another year on the edge of our seats, as Emma and the gang take on this year’s impossible quest.
If you’re not in the mood to be slightly spoiled, then read no further!
Below are five things to expect from this all new episode!
1. Dark Swan
If you were hoping all those “Dark Swan” teasers were just overhyped buzz, you might be in for a rude awakening. Don’t expect Emma to go full-on Dark One right away, but do expect to see her battle with a newer, more persistent dark side. Her family might be desperate to save her (Hook more so than anyone), but they also might be fighting a losing battle.
2. Mysterious Merlin
The search is on for the extremely elusive Merlin (Elliot Knight) this year, but you won’t have to wait too long to see him! The fabled sorcerer does make an appearance in the premiere, and even though it’s quick, we’re totally hooked on this new character. More please!
3. No One Puts Grumpy in a Corner
After years and years of watching beloved side characters get the shaft on Once Upon a Time, we’re finally going to see some of Storybrooke’s less prominent fairytale cohorts come along for the ride. Grumpy, along with quite a few other familiar faces, will be determined not to miss out on the action or the adventure. Hooray!
4. A Return to Format
Half the fun of watching Once Upon a Time is seeing them bounce back and forth between two worlds, telling simultaneous stories in both places. Don’t expect to see Season 5 mess with that format! We might be headed to Camelot this year, but we’ll be staying in Storybrooke some of the time too.
5. Merida: Friend or Foe?
As Emma struggles with her new identity, she’ll meet Season 5’s biggest guest star, Princess Merida. Our brave archer’s entrance is set after the end of her Disney movie, but that doesn’t mean she’s in the middle of her happily ever after. Merida might seem like a friendly face, but she and Emma meet on slightly tense terms.
Photos from “Dark Swan”
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
AMY MANSON
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
AMY MANSON
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
AMY MANSON
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
JENNIFER MORRISON
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
ROBERT CARLYLE
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
JENNIFER MORRISON
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
JENNIFER MORRISON, ROBERT CARLYLE
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
ROBERT CARLYLE
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
SINQUA WALLS, LIAM GARRIGAN, ANDREW JENKINS
ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Dark Swan” – Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, in the adventure-filled season five premiere of “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
SINQUA WALLS, LIAM GARRIGAN
What are your hopes for this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Once Upon a Timereturns to ABC this Sunday, September 27th at 8/7c.
Lindsay is an associate editor for Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer, viewer, and internet addict. Her obsession with TV started with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has been going strong ever since; current favorites include Scandal, The 100, The Walking Dead, and Arrow. She considers a perfect Friday night to be a joint-cuddle-session between an adorable puppy dog and her Netflix queue.
Follow @lindsayjoane
