Zelena (Once Upon a Time)
In December 2013, Rebecca Mader was cast as the Wicked Witch of the West. She made multiple appearances during the second half of season three and was promoted to a series regular for the show's fifth season. The role of the Wicked Witch of the West was written specifically for Rebecca Mader. It was announced that the writers had chosen not to continue with Zelena's storyline and Mader would not be returning for the seventh season of the show. However, Mader later revealed that she would be returning for multiple season seven episodes.
Birth (Once Upon a Time)
In the basement, while Hook contemplates an escape, Zelena says that her anti-magic cuff is the real problem. Hook says he has magic in his hook but says that the last time he helped her, she betrayed him. She says that even though he doesn't know if he can trust her, he has no choice now. He slips off the cuff and she gets rid of her shackles, and puts herself into a fresh outfit, before coming over to Hook and undoing his shackles. Zelena tells Hook they have to sneak out the back, but Hook says he's not going. When Zelena questions why, Hook says he needs to stop Emma, and Zelena bids him goodbye. Hook searches Emma's house and takes a painting off the wall, but then Emma comes in, saying that she was trying to help Hook. Hook finds the squid ink on the back of the painting and splashes her with it, saying that she's a villain now, like Regina said. He says she has to tell him what happened in Camelot, but Emma says that he can't make her. Zelena returns and says she that she couldn't leave without making the Dark One pay. Zelena stabs Hook in the chest, but he doesn't bleed or suffer any wounds, and he demands to know what's happening. She says she found a Dreamcatcher outside, which can explain what happened. Emma whispers to him not to trust her and that she can explain everything. Hook tells Zelena to do it and she shows him. The Dreamcatcher shows Hook his memories in Camelot, before showing him the events involving his current situation. It turns out that Hook was fatally wounded by Excalibur, and in order to save him, Emma tethered his life to Excalibur, which turned him into another Dark One. Emma tells him that she's sorry and says she had no choice. Hook says there must be another explanation. Zelena hands Hook the re-united Excalibur and she removes a glamour spell, and shows him that his name is on the bottom part of the sword while Emma's name is on the dagger end, gloating about them being "the Dark Ones." Emma says she wanted to make up for this, and says that her plan was the only way to get rid of the darkness in both of them. She says all she did was to try to save him, but Hook is enraged, saying, "So much for our future, Swan." Zelena asks if he's ready to find out what else happened in Camelot and he says yes, much to Emma's dismay. But Hook tells Zelena that first, they have to take care of Emma.