‘Once Upon A Time’ Creators Say The Underworld Will Bring Unexpected Surprises

Warning: This article may contain spoilers for Once Upon a Time.

Once Upon a Time left fans in as much turmoil as their most beloved storybrooke characters, when the mid-season finale sent one and all hurtling into a new locale: the Underworld. Following the Once Upon a Time tale toward this seemingly inevitable visit to the Underworld, it seems fans are left hanging until Once Upon a Time again picks up in the spring, but the show’s executive producers are offering a few tidbits to help ease that tension.

Once Upon A Time Descends Into The Underworld

To start off, Once Upon a Time executive producer Eddy Kitsis acknowledges that the mid-season finale broke fans’ hearts, but he says the second half of the season will be about healing. He adds that many of our Once Upon a Time favorites will have to confront their pasts before they can move on. Kitsis says they will need closure.

That seems like a fitting theme, considering Once Upon a Time will next be heading for the Underworld. Kitsis says that the Underworld is not Hell, but a place where souls with unfinished business go to dwell. Adding that the Underworld is a place not just for villains, the Once Upon a Time showrunner suggests that we may meet up with Storybrooke characters fans had thought they might not ever see again, as well as entirely new characters.

“It’s going to cause some complications and cause our folks to figure out a really messy situation,” Eddy Kitsis told Entertainment Tonight.

Kitsis warns Once Upon a Time fans not to try to compare the Underworld with Camelot or Neverland, because it’s going to be unlike those other realms. In fact, he says the Underworld will most resemble season 1 of Once Upon a Time “in its own weird kind of way”.

Once Upon A Time EP Adam Horowitz Gives A Closer Look At The Underworld

Once Upon a Time‘s other showrunner, Adam Horowitz, was more forthcoming with details about the Underworld and what might go on down there. Horowitz spilled the beans on who we’ll meet, who will live, and who will die. In fact, Adam says fans should expect a big reunion with many past characters for Once Upon a Time‘s 100th episode.

“A lot of old characters are returning for the 100th episode Prince Henry (Tony Perez), Cora, (Barbara Hershey), Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito), The Blind Witch (Emma Caulfield) and Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) will be back, while Cruella de Vil (Victoria Smurfit) and Milah (Rachel Shelley) will appear later in the season,” Horowitz told the Hollywood Reporter.

It seems the two forces to be reckoned with in the Underworld are Cora and Rumple. Cora will have all of the answers, according to Horowitz. It will be Cora who will reveal the rules of the Underworld, including what it means to be sent there and what it takes to leave.

Meanwhile, Rumple has much more practical power, since he has absorbed all of the Dark One’s powers. While it seems Rumple may now be unstoppable with so much power, the Once Upon a Time showrunner hinted that he might have some competition in that department. Greg Germann will be returning as a character termed “The Distinguished Gentleman” and described as “a mysterious figure with god-like powers,” prompting rumors that he may actually be Hades, ruler of the Underworld.

This season will also feature Once Upon a Time‘s first gay romance. Coming later in the second half of the season, Horowitz would only say that the writers are trying not to make a big deal out of the love story, because it should be as natural as any romance.

Once Upon a Time returns Sunday, March 6, on ABC.

[Featured image by ABC/Once Upon a Time]