Once Upon A Time Season 4 Episode 18 Recap With Spoilers: Heart of Gold

"Heart of Gold" begins with Emma (Jennifer Morrison), Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), and David (Josh Dallas) on the search for the Author (Patrick Fischler), who's just run away after being freed from the door in the book. Unfortunately, Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) finds him first – and he's got a magic quill to offer the writer.

Rumple next visits Regina (Lana Parrilla), giving her a cell phone and allowing her to call Robin. 

Suddenly in a flashback, we see Robin (Sean Maguire), Marian (Christie Laing), and Roland in New York City, just after they left Storybrooke. Marian's purse is almost immediately stolen on the busy streets by a biker, but Robin chases the man down on horseback. Next, the family is settling into their new home when Rumple walks through the front door of the house – which belongs to his son, asking, "What are you doing here?"

Rumple has no patience for them and wants them out of his house, having no time to spare in his search for a happy ending. He and Robin argue, until Rumple seemingly has a heart attack. Robin takes him to the hospital, though Rumple believes his problem wasn't physical, but moral. Outside of Storybrooke, he can't keep himself healthy without magic.

Then in a flashback one level deeper – "Sherwood Forest many years ago" – we find Robin at his bar in trouble with the Sheriff of Nottingham (Wil Traval) over some taxes. He threatens Robin with just two days to get his money in order. That night after closing, Rumple appears with a proposition.

Rumple will solve Robin's monetary issues, if Robin will steal something for him in return. They'll have to go to the Land of Oz to get that object: "the elixir of the wounded heart," which can cure hearts both physically and emotionally. Robin goes through a portal into Oz, landing on some sort of Oz guard, who has just apprehended Will Scarlet Michael Socha. Robin frees him, and they agree to work together – though Will wants some of the elixir for himself.

Robin dresses in the guard's clothing and uses it to break into the Wicked Witch of the West's palace, where he bottles some of the elixir. The Witch, Zelena (Rebecca Mader), catches him, immediately assuming he is there on Rumple's behalf. He narrowly escapes but lies to Will, telling him that he didn't get gather any of the elixir. 

Before Robin leaves to return to Sherwood Forest, Will tells him that he is trying to mend his own broken heart, which has been crushed since his sister died. Robin leaves, and Will notices that a vial of the elixir has been sneakily placed in his pocket. 

Next, Robin is in his bar all alone when the Sheriff shows up looking for his money. He's about to cuff Robin, when Little John and all over Robin's cohorts appear, arrows at the ready. They steal the Sheriff's money and distribute it to the poor townspeople. Later, he and Marian make plans to stay together on the run, and he gives her the six-leaf clover of Oz.

Back to New York again, where Rumple is in the hospital explaining his condition to Robin. The only thing that can cure him now is the elixir of the wounded heart, which is actually being kept safe nearby. Rumple tells Robin where, and Robin breaks in to steal it – just narrowly escaping the police, behavior that is upsetting to Marian.

He delivers the elixir to Rumple in the hospital on the condition that he officially allow Robin and his family to keep the house. Rumple drinks some of it but realizes it doesn't work. Suddenly, Marian enters the room with the real elixir, having swapped the real bottle with something benign.

Marian reveals herself to be Zelena, who never truly died. She has been pretending to Marian all along, having killed the real Marian and using the six-leaf clover of Oz to transform. Her plan was mostly put in place with the desire to ruin Regina's happiness, but the misery it's causing Rumple is certainly making her happy too. Rumple flatlines, and doctors rush into the room.

When he comes to, Zelena is still there, mocking him and explaining her plan. She wanted to make Robin fall in love with her, but he just couldn't, making her realize that she needed the Author to change her story. The only person who can find the Author is Rumple, and now, she has the only elixir that could save him. She proposes the deal.

Robin meets Rumple outside of the hospital when he's healthy enough to leave in order to give him some possessions left in the house. They discuss Marian and how Robin doesn't feel anything for her anymore, with Rumple neglecting to tell the truth about her. Rumple tells Robin to pursue his happiness, with whomever that may be.

He goes home and tells Marian that he wants to stay with her, no matter what they have to go through. He even deletes Regina's phone number from his cell phone. Marion and Robin kiss, and in the mirror's reflection, we see Zelena kissing him instead.

Cut to nine weeks later in the present, when Regina called Robin. Zelena answers, telling Regina all about her domestic life with Robin. She tells Regina that they will be seeing each other very soon. After the phone call, Rumple tells Regina that she must help him turn Emma's heart to darkness – if she wants to keep Robin safe.

The episode ends before she responds.