Cruella De Vil
The episode starts with a young girl running through the forest being chased by a Dalmatian. A car pulls up and her mother gets out and tells the dogs to heel. She tells Cruella to come back home and that they will be making changes now that her father is gone. She takes her home and locks her in an attic until she learns to behave.
We see a teenage Cruella listening to the radio when her mother comes in and threatens her. She begs to leave the house, but her mother leaves to attend to the dogs. There is a person at the door and her mom answers. It’s Isaac. He says he is a reporter and that he walks around collecting interesting stories. He says he heard she is the best dog trainer in London and asks to speak to her about it. She allows him and he asks about her magical talent. She says it isn’t magic, but rather hard work. He sees the portraits of her husbands and is surprised to see three. He asks if she is widowed or divorced. She gets upset and throws him out. Cruella calls out to him. She tells him she will give him a story if he gets her out of there.
Later there is a knock at Cruella’s window and she sees a key from Isaac. She asks to be taken somewhere loud so he takes her to a jazz club in town and asks about her mother. Cruella says her mother doesn’t want her to spill her secret. She reveals her mother poisoned her father and then she killed husband two and three. Isaac takes notes on her story. Cruella makes him dance with her instead of writing.
As the club closes Isaac and Cruella wrap up a dance. She says she wishes this would never end. He shows her his quill. He says its a special pen and that he isn’t actually a reporter. He travels across realms of storytelling. Cruella doesn’t believe him so he proves it by writing. Out of nowhere a diamond necklace appears followed by magical earrings. He says if the ink spills, it can be tragic. He offers to take her someplace away from her mother. He gives her magic to keep her safe; she can control any animal she desires.
Cruella tells him before she runs away with him she has to confront her mother. Cruella’s mother shows up at his hotel room to ask what her daughter has done. Her mom reveals the truth. Cruella was the one who murdered her husbands. She says Cruella was always troubled, but they had hoped she would grow out of it. But she found her husband dead from a heart attack and Cruella was smiling. Then she saw poisonous flowers in her room and put the pieces together. Isaac doesn’t believe her and asks why she didn’t turn her daughter in. She says she wanted to fix her, but she poisoned the next two husbands as well. After she leaves, Isaac sees Cruella took the magic pen.
Cruella’s mother comes home and finds Cruella there. She sets the dog on her, but Cruella takes control of them and has them murder her mother. She then starts sewing. Isaac shows up and asks what she did to her mother. She thanks him and says her mother is dead. Cruella says since she was a child she loved the darkness and thought it was fun. He runs for the pen as she grabs for it and it splashes on her face making her hair half black. She pulls a gun and tells him to stop writing. She tries to shoot, but she can’t. She asks what he did and he says he took what she loved and walks out.
Storybrooke
Cruella is driving around Storybrooke until she runs into Maleficent. She is mad at her for not telling her about her daughter. Cruella admits she dropped the child off in the woods and left her to die. Maleficent is livid and turns into a dragon to kill Cruella, but Cruella uses her powers to knock her out.
Emma asks her parents for more information about the author, but she doesn’t trust them anymore. Regina shows up and reveals the bombshell we learned last week about Zelena. She also reveals Zelena is in on it with Rumple and has been Marian the whole time. Regina goes to visit Belle to talk about Rumple.
Getting Back At Gold
Isaac is with Rumple and he tells him the quill is worthless without ink, but Rumple says he will have some soon. Rumple hears something and disappears. Belle has summoned him to the well. She asks if he remembers what he said when they exchanged their vows about her chasing the darkness out. Belle asks why he is there and he pulls out his heart. It is mostly black and he says all his dark deeds have taken their toll. Soon he won’t be able to love at all. Only the Author can reverse this process and that’s why he came back.
Belle says she understands and she worries that she tossed him aside too soon. They share a kiss, until Belle says Will is a better kisser than him. She calls him pathetic and that he is like a dog. Regina steps out and reveals she has Belle’s heart and is controlling her. She sends Belle home. Regina says she will crush Belle’s heart if he tells Zelena she is coming to New York.
Cruella shows up to the cabin for Isaac. She tells him to give her back what he took, but he says he can’t. She threatens him, but he knows she can’t do anything to him. Isaac tells her he knows she lied to Rumple about their relationship. She leaves before Rumple gets back.
Henry runs into Pongo on the sidewalk. The dog runs off and Henry follows. Cruella shows up and takes him.
Emma comes to see Regina off and to give her a gun to protect herself. Regina asks if she is mad at her for keeping her parents secret about Maleficent. They both then get a video message from Cruella who says she kidnapped Henry and they have to kill the author or Henry will die.
Rumple comes back and tells Isaac they don’t have a lot of time now that he and Cruella are reunited. He knows about the lie and Isaac begs him not to kill him. Rumple tells Isaac that Cruella wanted him dead so badly she has kidnapped the Savior’s son. Isaac gives Rumple a slip of paper and Rumple smiles.
Turning Emma Dark
Charming sees where Henry is being held. Regina, Hook and Emma go to the woods to look around while Snow and Charming go talk to the Author. Emma says she can forgive both of them because they were both upfront about themselves. Her parents always were the heroes.
Cruella is playing Angry Birds so Henry slips away, but Pongo chases him. He is calling out for help and his moms and Hook hear him. But they all hear him from different directions. Regina goes one way and finds a conch shell and Hook goes a different and finds the same. Henry ends up at the edge of a cliff. Cruella catches up and pulls a gun on him. Emma shows up and Cruella says if she comes closer, Henry will die.
Charming and Snow find the author at the cabin. He talks about Cruella and says the savior will turn dark. Charming lets him go and he hands them a slip of paper. He says its the truth that he wrote. Cruella can no longer take away the life of another and that Henry isn’t in danger. Cruella is defenseless, but Emma doesn’t know that. Emma uses her magic and pushes Cruella of the cliff. Her parents show up, but they see it’s too late.