Magic is coming back to Sunday nights when “Once Upon a Time” returns on Sunday, September 28, but you might need a spell or two to remember everything that went down in season three. In the show’s 22 episodes, we went from Neverland to Storybrooke to the Enchanted Forest and back again, with timeline shifts, deaths, and romances along the way. And now, season four introduces a whole new land and cast of characters, thanks to Disney’s “Frozen” and the icy kingdom of Arendelle.
Whether you’re tuning in for the first time to see Elsa & Co. on “OUAT” or a longtime fan scratching your head trying to remember all of last season’s insanity, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a primer of 10 things you need to remember to prepare for season four:
Related: ‘Once Upon A Time’: 5 Spoiler-Free Secrets From The ‘Frozen’ Premiere
1. Snow and Charming’s baby boy is named Prince Neal.
ABC
To honor Neal after his death, Snow and Charming named their son Prince Neal. And he’s safe and sound for now after Zelena’s death. They went through a lot of trauma in season three — especially in the two-part finale when Emma had to rewrite their past to make sure they fell in love — but ended up happy. Finally.
2. Hook and Emma made out, and it was glorious.
Though Hook and Emma kissed before — in Neverland, and when Zelena made Hook do it in Storybrooke — this was the first time that it was a genuine make-out session. It gave Captain Swan fans hope that these two can make it work next season.
3. Rumplestiltskin and Belle got married.
Belle finally made an honest man of Rumplestiltskin. (Well, kind of. He’s still a liar, but more on that later.) Archie officiated the ceremony in the woods, Belle’s father gave her away, and we cried.
4. Actually, everyone is pretty happy in Storybrooke now.
ABC
You can see a full ‘ship status update on all the couples here, which shows why everyone is happy. Well, everyone except Regina because…
5. Emma and Hook brought back more than one unwelcome guest.
ABC
When Emma and Hook came back from the past in a portal in the season three finale, they brought along Marian, Robin Hood’s long-lost wife. This was great for the reunited family (Marian, Robin, and their son Roland), but not ideal for Regina, whose relationship with Robin was starting to grow serious. The other person who slipped through the portal was Elsa, who will be featured prominently in the “Frozen” storyline, of course.
6. Emma and Regina are enemies again, and Regina is in Evil Queen mode.
ABC
Emma and Regina were finally getting along, but now that Emma brought Marian back, they’re officially enemies again. The look in Regina’s eyes hints that she’s back in Evil Queen mode, ready to wreak havoc in her search for happiness, but she may be distracted by Elsa’s arrival.
7. Rumplestiltskin killed Zelena, but lied to Belle about it.
ABC
Deep down, Rumplestiltskin is still a lying murderer. He stole his Dark One dagger back from Belle, turned Zelena to porcelain in her jail cell, and smashed her to pieces — but he kept this from Belle. He also altered the security footage from the prison to instead show Zelena killing herself with magic to cover his tracks.
8. Emma and Henry are staying in Storybrooke.
ABC
Emma wanted to take Henry away from Storybrooke and all its drama, but after coming back from the time portal, she decided they are going to stay with their family. Plus, now that she has Hook, how could she leave?
9. Red Riding Hood is back.
ABC
Not a huge plot line, but Red was back in the Enchanted Forest, and it looks like she’ll be sticking around in Storybrooke, too. The reason? Actress Meghan Ory’s CBS show “Intelligence” was canceled.
Bonus: The Knave of Hearts is coming to Storybrooke.
ABC
Remember the hot guy with an accent from “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”? Yeah, he’s coming to Storybrooke. Will Scarlet (aka the Knave of Hearts), who was one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men, is coming to Storybrooke this season. He wasn’t seen yet, but it’s good to know about him before watching season four.
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