Much of this episode was Captain Swan versus the Jones brothers, and that’s the way Hades wanted it!
As Emma and Hook sat down for a quiet moment, Liam (Bernard Curry), Hook’s brother showed up. As surprising as it was, Emma took it in stride. So much for that quiet moment, but it wasn’t a bad interruption after all. Liam seemed to know a secret that could help them defeat Hades. He said there was something about a book, which caused Emma to make a connection with Henry’s story book. The three of them decided that they would look for it and use it to take on Hades.
All seemed to be going well, until Liam found a way to talk to Emma alone. He told her, as we saw in the previews, that she was not good enough for Hook/Killian. He told her it was her fault Killian is there to begin with, because she turned him into a Dark One. She was selfish to do that, and it is her selfishness that brought her to the Underworld to be with him again. Liam’s point of view was that Killian should move on to a better place, and Emma was standing in the way of that. There is some truth to what Liam said. Emma couldn’t deny that, but she knew she was in the Underworld for more than just herself. She wanted Hook/Killian to be happy too. Regina set her straight, though, when she told Emma that she was the one that was too good for Hook!
Liam managed to convince Killian that he should move on rather than return to Storybrooke with the others, but Emma sensed there was more to it. She knew Liam was hiding something. When they went to the mansion to find the book, Liam found it first. Emma realized that Liam tore the needed pages out of the book, but couldn’t understand why he did it and why he was lying about it. When she confronted him, Hook/Killian showed up and defended him. He told Emma he wasn’t going back with her, at which point she told him that he had to learn to forgive himself. After she left, he noticed the ink on Liam’s hands and realized Emma was right.
Before Hook/Killian could get an answer out of Liam, the crew of a ship that they once served on showed up. The boat had sunk in a storm, where the entire crew drowned, except for Liam and Killian. The dead captain explained that he overheard Liam and Hades talking about how the sinking of the ship was a result of a deal Liam made with Hades. As shocked as Hook/Killian was, he still managed to forgive his brother and possibly himself in the process. Liam ended up sacrificing himself to save Killian from Hades’ wrath, but it just allowed him and the ship’s crew to move on to a better place. Hook/Killian told Liam he wasn’t going, because he wanted to be with Emma. Liam admitted that she was a better woman than he initially thought and gave his blessing.
The book
So, now the heroes have the book, but without the key pages about Hades. In case you were wondering how they found it, it all started with Henry. Henry left the group to search for the quill with Cruella. After a hair-raising ride in her Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe, Henry stumbled upon the Apprentice, who warned him not to resurrect Cruella. He told Henry that the essence of the quill could be found at the mansion, and confided that Henry was his unfinished business. He also told Henry that he trusted Henry to do the right thing, which in the end, he did.
In the meantime, however, Snow and Charming went looking for a key that was needed to find the book. Snow figured it would be in James’ desk at the Sheriff’s station, just like Charming kept his in Storybrooke. She was right, and commented that James and Charming were alike, which caused Charming to wonder aloud if that meant they kissed alike too. Before the jealousy could be dealt with, Cruella showed up and Charming had to pretend to be James. In a humorous sequence of events, Cruella and Charming made out, which was never discussed afterwards. I’m sure it will come up at some point in time. Snow had to be steaming!
The final scenes showed Henry and David having a talk. Henry admitted Cruella’s plan, but revealed that he came up with his own plan instead. He would use the pen the way it was meant to be used, to record what happens rather than change what happens. He figured this way, he could possibly record the missing information about Hades, or at least what Hades was up to now. Then, the scene switched to Hades looking at the missing pages, which showed him talking to Zelena. A romance was implied. I suppose we can only wait and see.