‘Once Upon A Time’ Spoilers: Is Robin Hood Really Back In Storybrooke?

Once Upon a Time might give Outlaw Queen fans the happy reunion that they’ve been waiting for tonight, but is Robin Hood really back in Storybrooke?

Yahoo! TV recently shared a preview for tonight’s episode of Once Upon a Time, titled “Poor Unfortunate Soul.” It shows Regina wandering through the woods and reminiscing about Robin Hood while gazing wistfully at the torn Outlaw Queen picture from Henry’s storybook. When she glances up, her true love suddenly appears in the mist. You can check out the teaser below.

Many Regina fans will feel all warm and fuzzy inside thinking that she’s one step closer to getting her happy ending, but things aren’t always what they seem to be on Once Upon a Time. When Regina asks Robin Hood how he ended up back in Storybrooke, he gives a suspicious answer: “It doesn’t matter.”

There’s a chance that Regina is just dreaming, or perhaps something more sinister is going on. Last week Rumplestiltskin manipulated Belle by using his magic powers to transform himself into Hook. Perhaps he’ll try to trick Regina tonight by posing as Robin Hood. But who is Regina so unhappy to see at the end of the teaser? She’s pretending to be pals with Rumple and the Queens of Darkness, so it’s probably not one of them. Maybe she discovers that Emma Swan is still tailing her to make sure that she doesn’t get into any serious trouble.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Regina actress Lana Parrilla talked about the big sacrifice that the former Evil Queen is making for Emma Swan. According to Lana, Regina is teaming up with the Queens of Darkness and reluctantly torturing August Booth/Pinocchio because she wants to protect Emma from becoming evil.

“She’s trying to find this Author and now she has to help Snow and protect this secret and help save Emma from going dark. That’s really what this is about, protecting Emma. She’s sacrificing herself in some ways, but that’s on par for Regina.”

According to Parrilla, Emma Swan will also help Regina by making sure that her friend doesn’t take things too far.

“She’s working both sides,” Lana Parrilla said of Regina’s undercover mission. “She’s going to try her hardest not to get too pulled into the darkness, but that’s a part of her—and it’s a part of her that she’s going to learn how to use in ways that she never has before.”

During the same interview, Lana said that Regina will have a dream about Robin Hood “that spooks her.” This means there’s a very good chance that the Once Upon a Time teaser clip above is set Regina’s mind, not in the real world.

Unfortunately for Outlaw Queen fans, tonight’s episode of Once Upon a Time will mostly focus on Ursula. As the Inquistir previously reported, viewers will get to meet the sea witch’s father Poseidon (Ernie Hudson), and JoAnna Garcia Swisher will return as beloved little mermaid Ariel.

“Poor Unfortunate Soul” will also take a peek into Hook’s past. Viewers already know that the pirate did something horrible to Ursula, and they’ll find out exactly what it is tonight. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Edward Kitsis revealed that their bad blood has nothing to do with sex. In other words, the swashbuckling sex symbol didn’t love and leave the sea witch.

“It is far worse. When you think about what would be worse than having your heart broken, I would say it would be having your soul crushed.”

During an interview with Access Hollywood, Hook actor Colin O’Donoghue revealed that the pirate was actually trying to help Ursula when things went awry.

“Hook, he genuinely tries to help young Ursula to run away from her father… he’s trying to help her, but then, as is always the case with old Hook, things don’t really go according to plan, and in present day, he tries to offer her [her] happy ending, tries to take a leaf out of Emma’s book, in exchange for finding out exactly what Rumplestiltskin is after.”

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Ursula actress Merrin Dungey even went so far as to say that Hook is pretty much responsible for turning her character into a villainous monster. Before Ursula meets the pirate, Poseidon is using his daughter’s singing “to run ships into rocks.” This is definitely a fun spin on Ursula stealing Ariel’s incredible voice in The Little Mermaid.

You can find out exactly what Hook did to Ursula and whether Robin Hood actually arrives in Storybrooke when Once Upon a Time airs at 8 p.m. ET tonight on ABC.

[Image credit: ABC]