Once Upon A Time Season 4 Episode 19 Recap With Spoilers: Sympathy for the De Vil

The nineteenth episode of Once Upon A Time's fourth season, "Sympathy for the De Vil," begins like so many do, in a flashback. A young Cruella has run away from home, only to be tracked down by her mother's Dalmatians. 

In the present, adult Cruella (Victoria Smurfitis) speeding out of town, when Maleficent (Kristin Bauer van Straten) cuts her off. Maleficent wants to know what happened to her child, and when she finds out that Cruella simply abandoned the child in the woods, she transforms into dragon mode. Cruella uses her animal control powers to command the dragon to take a nice nap. 

Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is still furious with Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas) over their decision to condemn Maleficent's child. The situation gets much worse when Regina (Lana Parrilla) enters the scene to tell them about how Marian has been Zelena all this time. Regina plans to go straight to New York to protect Robin, first stopping to enlist Belle's help.

Meanwhile, Gold (Robert Carlyle) holds the Author's magical quill hostage, sharing his plan to turn the savior dark. Gold is suddenly summoned by Belle (Emilie de Ravin), who wants to know exactly why he's back in town. He literally removes his black heart to show her that he will soon lose all ability to love, without the help of the Author. Regina emerges from the shadows, having been in control of Belle this entire time. She even holds Belle's heart physically in her hand. In fact – if Gold tells Zelena that Regina is heading to New York, Regina threatens to crush Belle's heart entirely.

Cruella goes to Gold's cabin where the Author (Patrick Fischler) is being held, and it suddenly becomes clear that the two have had some sort of past relationship, outside of the book. She demands to have something returned to her, but we don't yet know what she's looking for. When the Author realizes that Cruella lied to Gold about their prior relationship, she loses any leverage she had over him.

The flashback from the beginning continues, showing that young Cruella has spent her whole life locked in a single room by her mother. The Author arrives at the house, posing as a writer collecting personal stories. The mother kicks him out, but Cruella gets his attention through her attic window, offering him a truly interesting story.

The Author rescues her some time later, taking her out to a loud, music-filled restaurant. Cruella reveals that her mother poisoned her father, and she was locked away so that the secret wouldn't be revealed. The two begin to dance together, and the Author laments never really living his own life. At the end of their night, she kisses him on the cheek, and he tells her the truth about his identity, even revealing the magic quill that can change people's stories.

The Author uses his quill to give Cruella the ability to control animals, and they plan to run away together – after Cruella stands up to her mother. He gives her his car keys, and she leaves.

Back in Storybrooke, Emma tries to stop Regina from going back to New York, concerned that things won't be so easy for her without magic in the real world. Suddenly, the two moms get a video voicemail from Henry, who's been kidnapped by Cruella. She says she will free Henry, if they kill the Author. Otherwise, she will kill Henry.

Emma, her parents, Hook, and Regina brainstorm over what to do next. Mary Margaret and David still have the Author's flask from many years ago, so they can use a locator spell on the object to find him, while Emma, Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), and Regina look for Henry. Hook and Regina try to convince Emma to forgive her parents, with whom she's still beyond upset. 

The flashback continues again, with the Author waiting for Cruella to return. There's eventually a knock at the door, but it's only Cruella's mother. She reveals that it was actually young Cruella who killed her father, which is why she has kept Cruella locked up for all of these years. She warns the Author to stay away from Cruella.

Once she leaves, he finds that his magic quill is gone. The mother returns home to find Cruella. She uses her new magic to send the Dalmatians after her own mother, and they kill her. The Author comes to Cruella's house to learn the truth; she is simply evil and always has been. He swipes back the quill while she talks, starting a wrestling match the ends with the quill ink giving Cruella her signature black streak of hair.

He scribbles something on a piece of paper. When Cruella tries to shoot him with a gun, it does not work. She appears somehow powerless, and he leaves with the folded up paper in his hand.

Mary Margaret and David appear at Gold's cabin. After some coercion, the Author tells them that the Story ends with the savior turning dark. He hands them the piece of paper that he wrote on to protect himself from Cruella many years ago. It says, "Cruella De Vil can no longer take away the life of another." Henry isn't in danger, since Cruella is totally defenseless, but no one knows this but Cruella herself.

Emma and company suddenly hear Henry running through the forest, having just escaped from Cruella. Henry is caught by his captor first, who holds a gun to his head, just as Emma appears.

Before Mary Margaret and David can stop her, Emma knocks Cruella off the cliff behind her to protect Henry, officially "turning dark."