If you've been keeping tabs on Once Upon A Time, you may already know the show has a big moment coming. A dead character is returning to the series---and not via the underworld or flashbacks. That character is none other than Sean Maguire's Robin Hood, who left the series during Season 5. Recently, the actor explained exactly why he and the showrunners thought this season was a good time to bring the character back. Here's what Maguire had to say about his big return.
It's an opportunity to give some closure to this character, because I saw on social media that people felt that it was an abrupt end and it left a lot of questions unanswered. I don't really know what the full completion of this arc is, I just know the premise and I thought it sounded interesting enough to give the audience that little bit of closure, and myself as well, because [I thought] it was rather quick and abrupt, too.
While speaking at an event for NBC's Timeless, Sean Maguire told EW that the point of Robin Hood's return was to bring closure to the character. So far, we know that Sean Maguire has signed on for a decently substantial role on the ABC drama. He's set to join the show for multiple episodes during Season 6, although the gig is still shrouded in mystery. We've definitely ruled out that Sean Maguire won't appear in flashbacks. He's also not supposed to be returning from the dead. And reports indicate we won't be heading back to the Underworld, as the crew at Comic-Con previously stated the show wouldn't be returning to that plot point during the new season.
Of all of the characters to make a surprise comeback, Robin Hood is a pretty good candidate, for exactly the reasons outlined above. The character was in danger on the series a couple of times before his ultimate demise. After traveling to the Underworld, he sacrificed himself to save Regina's life and his death was critical to Regina's well-being and storyline.
Still, the question remains: How will Robin Hood return to the plot? There are only so many ways that dead characters can return, and I'm curious to see how the show is going to make this work, especially considering the options that definitely aren't being used. We can find out as the show continues airing its sixth season as part of ABC's Sunday night lineup. New episodes of Once Upon A Time air on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET, only on ABC. To find out which shows have yet to air, check out our fall TV premiere schedule.
