"The Bear King" is the ninety-eighth episode of Once Upon a Time, and the ninth episode of the fifth season. It premiered on November 15, 2015. It was written by Andrew Chambliss and was directed by Geofrey Hildrew. This episode was immediately preceded by "Birth".
Plot[]
Opening sequence[]
King Fergus riding on a horse is featured in the forest.
In Camelot/DunBroch[]
As Arthur and Zelena return to Camelot, Arthur wants to come up with a plan of action, with Arthur telling her that they would have to go to a place called DunBroch. Over in DunBroch, Merida puts a flower on her father's grave and tells him she saved the boys and proved she's fit to be queen. She says now it's even harder since she has to rule and her father made it look easy. She says she wishes he was here so she could ask him how he did it. Her mother is there and says her father is always with her then says she misses him too. She tells Merida it's not a day for sadness since she's got her coronation. They leave the grave of King Fergus.
Two years earlier, a rider arrives to a place and demands to show themselves and asks for magic. The person, King Fergus, is met by a witch who asks what he wants and he says he needs something to ensure the future of his kingdom and says he will pay the price. She says he can pay her later and calls it an IOU and offers him a contract to sign and he stamps it with his signet ring. She says it's a deal and she blends up a potion using a pluck of his hair. Later on, Fergus and Merida walking among the clans. Fergus says he'll take the tongue of the next man who disrespects her. She sees the men writing and thinks they're sending love notes but Fergus says they're writing their last will and testaments. Fergus also gave Merida his prized bow that she can carry into her first battle, and Merida thanked her father for keeping her safe. Merida pulls a sword and challenges the man who knocks her down, but the person who defeated her was Mulan, who says she can teach her how to fight better than any man there and will teach her honor as well. Some of the men watching mock her and call Mulan her nursemaid, but tells her no one will follow her out of fear and says to ask her father since they already follow him. Later that day, Merida came looking for him by the water. He says the invaders are sailing in and he's watching for them. She asks if they will win the war and then says she wants to know how he inspired all these men to follow him into battle. He looks at the helm and she asks if everything is all right. Fergus says you have to show you're the first one willing to die and says that tells them how important it is. He tells her he's the Bear King and can face anything. She sees her father with the helm and discovers that Mulan had kept Merida from going with him. When she arrived and sees a knight coming towards Fergus, Merida aims a arrow but its too late as the knight kills Fergus. The Knight was Arthur.
Two years later, Merida is ready to be crowned by her mother as the Queen of Clan DunBroch but the witch bursts in and she has the contract. Upon learning this, the witch says she wants the helm or 10k of gold by tomorrow night or she'll curse them all to be bears. She tells Merida to lead and figure it out which was something Fergus could not do. Merida's mother searches the house for the helm although Merida says he was wearing it when he was killed by a knight who then took it. Meanwhile, Mulan pays a visit and ready to collect money for someone. When the man shoved her, Mulan makes it clear by knocking out his accomplices and says left or right hand. Merida puts an arrow in the guy's hand and tells Mulan she needs her help. Mulan says she only helps herself these days and says honor won't fill her purse. Merida asks what happened to her. Merida tosses her a sack of gold and Mulan agrees to help on one condition and says no more questions about her. Later, Merida tells Mulan she won't give up on justice for her dad. Mulan says someone is coming and Merida sends an arrow as Arthur and Zelena appear.
Zelena and Arthur are in the woods and come upon the witch's home and is met by a giant wolf, only to have Zelena throws some powder on it to make it sleepy. The witch appears and says she won't be as easy to subdue. Arthur asks for the magic helm and the witch says she already sent someone to look for it. Zelena holds her head near the cauldron and threatens her and the witch says Merida has it. Arthur is shocked that Merida escaped and Zelena promises to make her pay. They then show up with Zelena demanding it while Merida asks why everyone wants it. Arthur says it has the power to make other men fight your battle and says he needs it but Merida says her father wouldn't use magic to fight his battles. Mulan says they need the helm to protect their people but they don't have it. Zelena takes Merida's bow to use as a tracking device, and tells her she can console herself with the memories of what a terrible ruler he turned out to be then tells Arthur they can use it to track the helm and they disappear.
Mulan tells her they can still track the helm and Merida says if her dad can't lead without magic, neither can she. Later, Mulan takes the cloak scrap and goes to see the witch to get her to tell her who the cloak belongs to. She goes into the witch's house and looks around. The wolf snarls and leaps. Mulan backs away and it follows her outside. Then Mulan smiles at her and says she's not a wolf, and transforms into Ruby, who told them that Mary Margaret and Emma told them about Mulan and she says she knows Philip and Aurora too. Mulan gets quiet and says it's hard to travel between realms then asks how Red ended up here. Its revealed in a flashback after defeating Zelena that Ruby told Mary Margaret that she returned to the Enchanted Forest with a magic bean and helped Tiny replant the forest. When they arrived to the lake and used the spell to bring the helm up, both Arthur and Zelena are stopped by Mulan, Merida, and Ruby, who used a potion to weaken the witch as payback. Arthur and Zelena return to Camelot defeated.
Back in DunBroch, Merida shows off the helm, when the witch showed up for it, but she had a surprise for Merida. The helm was a test to prove that she was worthy of being the ruler of DunBroch, and she passed the test and gave her a pouch to bring her father's spirit back. Merida then thanked Mulan and Ruby for helping her, with Ruby and Mulan deciding to team up together. Merida then used the spell at her father's grave and the spirit appears to her. She vows to make Arthur pay.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
- Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan (absent)
- Lana Parrilla as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills (absent)
- Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan (absent)
- Emilie de Ravin as Belle French (absent)
- Colin O'Donoghue as Hook (absent)
- Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills (absent)
- Rebecca Mader as Zelena
- Sean Maguire as Robin Hood (absent)
- Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold (absent)
Guest-starring[]
- Liam Garrigan as King Arthur
- Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby
- Beverley Elliott as Granny
- Jamie Chung as Mulan
- Amy Manson as Merida
- Glenn Keogh as King Fergus
- Caroline Morahan as Queen Elinor
- Lily Knight as Witch
- Richard Stroh as Edgar
- Paul Telfer as Lord Macintosh
- Marco D'Angelo as Lord MacGuffin
- Josh Hallem as Lord Dingwall
- Matthew Olson, Jordan Olson, and Colton Barnert as Harris, Hubert, and Hamish
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the first appearance of King Fergus, Queen Elinor, and the Witch.
- This is the only episode of the series to be a flashback within a flashback.
- Emma, Hook, Regina, David and Mary Margrett do not appear in this episode.
External links[]
