‘Once Upon A Time’ Delivers ‘Last Rites’ When A Death Rocks Storybrooke
Warning: This article may contain spoilers for Once Upon a Time.
As the season finale for Once Upon a Time draws closer, the plot put into action by Zelena (Rebecca Maden) and Hades (Greg Germann) will forever change the face of Storybrooke by claiming the life of one of its greatest champions. Even now, fans of Once Upon a Time are speculating as to who that unlucky victim might be and a teaser released by ABC hints that this death will devastate Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) in particular.
Who Will Die On Once Upon A Time?
The news that the person to die on Sunday night’s episode of Once Upon a Time is someone close to Emma Swan narrows the list possibilities considerably, but it also means that whoever it is will be a shock to fans and characters alike. This won’t be some recurring character seen only a handful of times, but will be a beloved Once Upon a Time character and their death may even change the entire face of Once Upon a Time.
Topping the list of possibilities is Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) and his death would certainly devastate Emma in untold ways. When Hook was last seen on Once Upon a Time, he had offered to stay in the Underworld to secure the safe return of Emma and her loved ones to Storybrooke, but that doesn’t mean he’s safe from harm. Hades is not one to be trusted and he may decide that placing the true love of Storybrooke’s savior in harm’s way would be too tempting to pass up. After all, that would seem to be the best way to break Emma.
David, also known as Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) on Once Upon a Time, may be another prospect for the dying hero in “Last Rites” and the loss of Emma’s father would seemingly affect her as deeply as losing her own love. As fans of the series are aware, David currently shares Mary Margaret’s heart, so his death would leave Emma’s mother destroyed in a real physical sense, as well as leaving her crippled with grief. Again, a tempting prospect for Hades.
Is Regina (Lana Parrilla) on the table? News that a prime Once Upon a Time character will die presumes that anyone may be that victim, and Regina was presen, when Hades vowed his vengeance, so he may very well have been talking to her. Certainly, Once Upon a Time will be forever changed by the loss of someone as monumental as Parrilla, but that doesn’t mean series showrunners are unwilling to sacrifice Regina Mills for the sake of the story.
Once Upon A Time Showrunners Adam Horowitz And Edward Kitsis Open Up About The Upcoming Death
In a new interview, the Once Upon a Time showrunners were available to tease what may be expected as Season 5 draws to a close, and, in part, the executive producers discussed the impending death of a major character. While Kitsis hinted that the death of the character may not be permanent and that the death may even occur in a flashback, co-showrunner Horowitz reveals that the relationship between the Mills and the Charmings may end up being strained, or that their bind may be broken altogether.
When asked whether the death would cause Regina to revert back to her evil ways, the Once Upon a Time producers were coyly silent, saying only that her exposure to past victims and the way those victims’ deaths affected her relationship with her mother and sister were important to the story.
“For us, we liked the idea that she had to get closure with her family. We loved having the victims that were there go up. A bunch of villagers we’ve never met before we didn’t think was as interesting as putting her in an arc with her sister, mom, and dad.”
Once Upon a Time will air “Last Rites” on Sunday, May 8, on ABC.
[Image by ABC]
