On "Once Upon a Time," the characters have been trying to navigate the treacherous terrain of Neverland. But how exactly did the Jolly Roger get to the magical land of Neverland in the first place?
At New York Comic-Con, executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, along with series star Jennifer Morrison, answered questions about Storybrooke, and gave a myriad of other hints about this action-packed season.
In episode seven, viewers will see how the Jolly Roger made the transfer into the other magical realm. "We will be going back and showing the moment the ship went through the portal... and then [Belle] enacting the curse to protect the town," Kitsis confirmed. Horowitz added, "We will fill in all the blanks with what's been going on with our characters back there" during the five days that's been spent in Neverland.
Horowitz said that while in Neverland, they will introduce more classic fairytale characters. During Ariel's visit, they said, "You will see Ursula and our twist on that." Puppy villiain Cruella DeVille will also make an appearance, as well as long-haired princess Rapunzel.
Another hot topic viewers want to know about is what's going on between Emma (Morrison) and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue). "It's complicated...," Morrison said. "Hook has definitely been surprising Emma.... She's really not wanting to be distracted [from the search for Henry], so there's a lot coming at her that she's not paying very close attention to."
As for Neal's (Michael Raymond James) impending arrival in Neverland, Kitsis said that he and Emma's reunion will not be immediately romantic. "There are the things you say to somebody as they're about to die and fall into a portal, and then there are the things you say when things calm down and you have a chance to talk," Kitsis revealed. Morrison added, "It doesn't eliminate 10 years of her being heartbroken.... She has to sort of re-understand her own history a bit."
On Sunday's episode, Tinker Bell (Rose McIver) will urge Regina to move on from Daniel. Viewers will then find out what other man "is right for Regina," Kitsis hinted.
At Comic-Con, fans were also curious as to if there will be a same-sex matchup. "What I can say to you genuinely is: I think you should keep watching," Morrison teased, "because I think you will see what you want to see." They also hinted that viewers may catch a glimpse of it tonight.
In other "Once Upon a Time" news, TVLine has confirmed that the soul-stealing Shadow is getting a fittingly creepy person to give it a voice: goth rocker Marilyn Manson. "We've always been enormous fans of Marilyn Manson," Kitsis and Horowitz said. "We wanted to cast someone with the vocal ability to make our skin crawl."
Manson will make his debut in a November episode.
Kitsis said that in this week's episode, viewers will find out why Pan (Robbie Kay) hasn't killed Henry, and that he's using him for a grander scheme. "Peter Pan may be one of our nastiest ... and most complicated villains," he said. "By the end of [the 11-episode Neverland arc], you will understand why I just made that comment."
This week's episode will also flash back to the time Rumple (Robert Carlyle) met Peter Pan while saving his son Bae from Neverland. The upcoming episode "Nasty Habits" will explore Rumple's "daddy issues," and as Gold decides to confront Pan, Rumplestiltskin in the Fairytale Land That Was searches for his missing son.
The Dreamshade potion will also take a toll on Charming (Josh Dallas). "He [Charming] is going to have to be fighting with the reality that he's poisoned and there really is no cure," Kitsis shared. "It's a true test of his strength, and we're really going to see how strong he is as a human." Horowitz added, "It's going to be a big burden, not just physically but mentally."
Watch "Nasty Habits" this Sunday at 9 p.m. on ABC.