'Once Upon a Time' season 5 episode 6 recap & review: Amy Manson has never held a bow and arrow before starring as Queen Merida
The latest "Once Upon a Time" episode centers on Queen Merida being "brave."
Season 5, episode 6 was entitled "The Bear and the Bow" which aired on Nov. 1. To recap, we see Merida and Lancelot being freed by David, Belle and Hook. In her desperation to save her brothers being held captive, she knocks Belle unconscious and head over to the men that have them. She drank a potion to turn her into a bear but was revealed to be only water by Belle's doing, a recap by ABC states.
The clans were unperturbed by Merida and three leaders shoot at her brothers but intercepted it with three arrows of her own. The clans were impressed by her shot and bows down to her. She engages in a fight with a clansman but her opponent yields and because of her bravery, her brothers were freed and became a worthy ruler.
Amy Manson, the actress of Queen Merida revealed that she has never held a bow and arrow before being cast in the role.
"No. I've never shot bow and arrow in my life. Actually, they flew me over quite quickly for San Diego Comic-Con, to do the promo," Manson told Entertainment Weekly. "I got a bow and arrow stuffed in my hands, like, "Right, on you go," quite quick. I had about an hour before we shot that with an archer"
The 30-year star told the outlet that she has not seen the Disney animated "Brave" as well.
"I hadn't seen the movie. Initially, when the sides came through, the synopsis wasn't Merida. The name was Evanna, and she was coming into the show as Rumplestiltskin's mother," Manson explained. " The scenes that I got really were similar to a few of the scenes in the animation Brave. I put my own spin on it and my own take, and labored on the pain of a mother-daughter relationship more so."
The actress also revealed that the show watchers will be seeing Merida's parents in a future episode and find out in the future how her father died.
"That's on Nov. 15, episode 9, "The Bear King," and it's taking off maybe 10 years after the film Brave," she explained. She's got a great, strong friendship with her mother, and also with her father. Episode 9 actually goes in flashbacks from present day DunBroch, and then back to before her dad was killed. We find out during episode 9 why and who killed her father."