[s4e23] Operation Mongoose (2) May 2026

: Before dying from the darkness's attack, the Apprentice reveals that only the Sorcerer, Merlin , has the power to destroy the darkness forever, setting the stage for Season 5. Key Revelations & Details Once Upon a Time season 4 finale recap: Operation Mongoose

Upon returning to Storybrooke, the characters face immediate new threats: [S4E23] Operation Mongoose (2)

is the 23rd episode and second half of the two-hour Season 4 finale of Once Upon a Time , which originally aired on May 10, 2015. The episode concludes the "Heroes and Villains" arc, following Henry’s quest to restore reality after the Author, Isaac Heller, rewrote the lives of the residents of Storybrooke into a "Bizarro" Enchanted Forest where villains win and heroes lose. Plot Summary : Before dying from the darkness's attack, the

: During a confrontation at the church, Regina chooses to save Henry from a fatal blow by Rumplestiltskin, proving her growth as a hero even in a world where she has no memory of him. Plot Summary : During a confrontation at the

: In the rewritten world, familiar characters have swapped roles: Snow White is a cruel Evil Queen, Regina is a powerless bandit, and Rumplestiltskin is a valiant "Light One" knight. Emma is imprisoned in a tower without magic, while Hook is a cowardly deckhand.

: Gold is dying because his heart has turned completely black from his dark deeds. The Apprentice attempts to draw the darkness out and trap it in the Sorcerer's Hat, but the darkness is too powerful to be contained.