Labor of Love

"Labor of Love" is the 101st episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
In the Underworld, an escapee from Hades' prison informs the heroes that Hook is being held captive; however, before they can rescue him, they must first face the terrifying beast that guards the prison, prompting Mary Margaret to search for an old childhood friend who knows how to defeat it. Once reunited though, she discovers that he is no longer the hero he once was. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest of the past, a young Snow White struggles to preserve peace in her kingdom and must learn how to be a true hero if she wants to one day become Queen.

Plot
"Previously on Once Upon a Time..."

Emma Swan kills Killian Jones. His tombstone ends up in the Underworld graveyard. A shocked Snow White asks her daughter if she's going to Hell, but Emma clarifies that it's the Underworld and she will get Killian back. Cora tells Regina that her time in the Underworld is done, and hers can be too if she does what she says. Prince Henry moves on into a bright light. Henry tells the group that his grandfather is in a better place now. Snow and David realise that everyone in the Underworld can be saved.

Teaser
We're introduced to a view of the Underworld's version of the Storybrooke Free Public Library, which has it's broken clock tower crashed down on the ground below. The camera pans over the clock and into a steam vent, going down into a stone prison below. A beaten up Killian is laid unconscious on the hard floor of an open cell, but he awakens to the sound of a distant scream. Disorientated and in pain, he forces himself up and shouts out asking if this is a trick. He slowly moves his foot forward, ready to leave the open cell, but a female voice tells him to stop, claiming that's exactly what this is. A young girl sat in an opposite cell warns him not to move, stating that he wants them to think they can escape, "You can't. No one can" she adds. Hook takes a step forward but the young girl tells him not to move, for he'll hunt him down. The pirate assures her that Hades has already done his worst, but she tells him she wasn't talking about Hades. When he asks who, she becomes too afraid to even answer, "Just don't" she cowers. Hook states that he's not going to just sit around and rot as someone has come down to save him and he needs to make her job easier.

The girl questions how Hook knows she's here, so he explains that he got a message. She then asks how he knows it's not one of Hades' tricks, "Because I know!" he yells, adding "When you love someone, you know" in a much calmer tone. He asks what is keeping them in their prisons, but she tells him it's something he doesn't want to face, "I'll be the judge of that". He steps out of his cell and claims it's time to go. "You're mad" she tells him as he limps towards her, "Perhaps, but I'm the best chance you have" he says as he reaches out his hand to her. She looks at him with hesitance, but finally takes his hand. Once on her feet, he asks if she's ready and she nods. He yells for her to go and the two begin running through the corridors of the stone prison. The roar of a beast is heard, alarming the girl, who claims they'll never make it. "We won't, but you will" he tells her, explaining he'll draw the hell beast while she runs. He instructs her that once she's free she needs to find Emma Swan and tell her to find him. He yells at her to go, and she does. Once alone, he looks down the dark corridor as three sets of glowing red eyes appear. A scared Hook backs up as the beast, Cerberus, approaches him growling.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
In the Underworld's version of Storybrooke's graveyard, Mary Margaret is walking along, looking at the gravestones, when David approaches her, asking what she's doing, for they have a lot of ground to cover. She points out that all the graves are from her father's kingdom, people she was supposed to protect. She worries over how she's going to protect her daughter in the Underworld, so David assures his wife that she's not doing it alone, adding that they'll find a way to protect her as they always do. He explains that Emma is out in the woods looking for Hook in the woods, and although she's good, nobody is better at tracking than Bandit Snow. Snow lets out a faint laugh before they both set off, however, as they walk, she notices something that upsets her deeply. She approaches a gravestone and looks at it with horror, discovering someone from her past is dead.

In the fairytale land that was, a young Snow White is sat next to Regina on a throne, holding a wanted poster for a one-eyed thief, as a peasant man begs her to stop him, for he's terrorising their villages and roads. The young princess explains that her father is on a diplomatic mission, so she'll send word to him, but the peasant pleads for help now, claiming they'll be dead by the time he gets the message. Regina tells the man not to fear, for her stepdaughter will take care of all of them, "I will?" the young princess quietly asks, scared. The queen silently gives an assuring nod, but Snow begins to go into panic mode when the peasant asks what they should do, as people are dying. When she doesn't respond, he calls out her name, but she simply apologises before getting up and running away with fear. Everyone watches with shock as she runs out of the throne room, everyone except for Regina, who lets out a wicked smile.

Snow White is next seen in the woods outside of her palace. She is upset and running away, still afraid. As she wipes away a tear and turns her head, she becomes distracted as to what is in front of her, and she ends up falling into a deep hole. After hitting the ground hard, she picks herself up and looks up in horror, realising that she's trapped, "No..." she moans. She calls out for help, and after a few moments of silence, the hilt of a sword is lowered down in front of her. A man's voice tells her to grab on and he'll pull her up, so she grabs onto the sword and the man pulls her out, using only one hand. Once out the hole, she dusts herself clean and thanks the handsome man, whom she appears to have a crush on. As he puts his sword away, he tells her to watch out for hunter traps. "I'm Snow White" she tells him, and he comments that she "certainly is". He then introduces himself as Hercules, but tells her she can call him "Herc". The young princess smiles.

Trivia

 * The title card of this episode features the many gravestones of the Underworld cemetery amid the land's red skies.
 * Although credited, Emilie de Ravin (Belle Gold/Belle), Rebecca Mader (Zelena/Wicked Witch) and Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin) are absent from this episode.

Production

 * The title of this episode was officially confirmed by executive producer/co-creator Adam Horowitz, via his Twitter account, on November 10, 2015.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.