The search for Henry on Once Upon a Time has brought former foes together to work towards a common goal. Their quest comes with difficulties from both inside and outside of the group. BuddyTV recently spent some time on the Neverland set in Vancouver and caught up with Josh Dallas to get the scoop on what’s coming up this season.

Josh Dallas discusses the challenges in Neverland, including the changing relationships, David’s secret, and Emma’s relationship with her parents. Check out the edited interview below.

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How are the relationships changing this season?

We have heroes, we have villains, we have a pirate, we have a savior, we have a wizard, and everyone has different ideals about going towards this same motivation which is saving Henry. So, it’s explosive. As you saw, but also as you saw, we all came together. We had to work together to stop that.

What I find so great about this first half of the season so far is that we all have a common goal. And, we all have an obstacle and our obstacle is all ourselves. So, it’s everybody kind of wrestling with trying to get back to their true self and Neverland is going to test that for everyone, particularly David. 

David and Mary Margaret have always been so good-hearted. Now that they are in the dark world of Neverland, will some of that darkness change them?

David’s got this secret that he’s been hit by the Dream Shade so he’s dying and he’s not going to tell anyone [initially]. So it’s whether or not — and why is he doing that and why is he doing that because he doesn’t want to burden the group. 

He doesn’t want to tell anyone because he wants them to focus on the mission. That’s what he thinks. What’s that going to do to his relationship with Mary Margaret? How does that change her? Why didn’t you tell me? What do you mean we’ve been through all this and you don’t tell me that? 

It’s going to throw up a lot of questions and then it’s going to create other relationships because … [Hook] finds out about it and ends up helping. And, he and David go out and try to fix this thing. So, it’s going to create different relationships and different dynamics with other characters where it could have been combative and maybe it becomes more of a camaraderie thing.

Emma’s acceptance of who she is and how that will change the family dynamic?

I think as far as Mary Margaret and David are concerned they always wanted to be her parents. They have always wanted to have that experience with her. And, Mary Margaret has always approached it differently than David. She’s always tried to push the subject and really try — “I want to be your mother. I want to do this. I want to try to make this right from this point on.”

And, David has always tried to step back and let Emma try to find it organically as much as he could while still supporting his wife’s decision to go forward and trying to make it more. But, I think we come to a conclusion throughout the first half of this season that we can never be her parents in that way, in that idealistic way that we would want to be her parents. We can never do that. It’s not going to be possible. 

We can be there for her and we can be her friends and we can be her family. But, we’re never going to be her mother and father the way we wanted to be her mother and father growing up. So, it’s going to take them in a different direction and it’s going to change them and it’s going to change her. I think it’s going to be put them — of course, she’s got a lot of resentment, she’s got a lot of resentment and confusion about that and rightfully so. It’s going to keep evolving and keep changing.

What’s the biggest obstacle to finding Henry?

Peter Pan. Peter Pan is the biggest obstacle for everyone. This guy is nasty. He’s a nasty piece of work and along with everyone’s individualness, that’s going to be everyone’s obstacle as well. 

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(Image courtesy of the ABC.)

Carla Day

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.