# Once Upon A Time \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574 "2011-10-23T21:19:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/261 "2012-01-09T13:24:10Z")
I like this series. If only because it meant I was able to call my sister and say “Remember Jamie Dornan\*, I’m watching him on TV! Still hot!”. \*Sheriff Graham- BTW his accent is a nice middle class Northern irish one, and one of the few genuine Irish accents on US TV. My sister turned down a date with him when they were teenagers, and I know his obstetrician father through work. Northern Ireland really _is_ that small- [Graeme McDowell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_McDowell) was the year above my husband at his school, and [Darren Clarke’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Clarke) late wife was my husband’s hairdresser. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/262 "2012-01-09T14:47:09Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Well, damn. Who’dda thunk you could wind up feeling sorry for Rumplestiltskin? Especially since his kid totally has a different accent than he does! I’m new to this, having watched the marathon last week, but I thought they were trying to cram too much into this episode. I’m having a hard to reconciling the new, timid Rumple with the giddily evil one we knew from past episodes. I guess we’re supposed to assume that his character “grows” over time, but it still seems rather forced. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/263 "2012-01-09T14:54:54Z")
dang - I missed last night’s episode. I’ve only watched a couple, but enough to know that I love the Rumplestiltskin character & the actor who plays him. thought the evil queen killing off the sheriff was WHOA! Question - Was there ever an explanation for why the evil queen hates Snow, other than being evil? and how did Henry figure out that Emma could break the curse? ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/264 "2012-01-09T15:00:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Especially since his kid totally has a different accent than he does! > > I’m new to this, having watched the marathon last week, but I thought they were trying to cram too much into this episode. I’m having a hard to reconciling the new, timid Rumple with the giddily evil one we knew from past episodes. I guess we’re supposed to assume that his character “grows” over time, but it still seems rather forced. Actually, you’re reconciling a very old, “timid Rumple” with a newer “giddily evil one.” Presumably last night we saw the seminal event that caused that change, but bear in mind it was a flash back, and I’m guessing to a very long time ago. He didn’t go from terrifed peasant to skilled manipulator in a day or a week. What I’d like to know is, was the craziness of his character back in HEAL assumed? He certainly shows no sign of it as Mr. Gold, and he was still very effectively functional back in HEAL, but his mannerisms were crazy, even before he was imprisoned. Was that just a ploy to give his victims a false sense of security? Or was he really kinda nuts? ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/265 "2012-01-09T15:05:51Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > dang - I missed last night’s episode. I’ve only watched a couple, but enough to know that I love the Rumplestiltskin character & the actor who plays him. thought the evil queen killing off the sheriff was WHOA! > > Question - Was there ever an explanation for why the evil queen hates Snow, other than being evil? and how did Henry figure out that Emma could break the curse? You should be able to watch last night’s episode either at [abc.com](http://abc.com) or on Demand, if you have it. It was established very early that Snow was self-admittedly “responsible” for the Queen’s loss of the person she loved most. I put quotes around the word responsible, because it’s quite unlikely that it was an intentional act on Snow’s part; there’s nothing to indicate any malice on her part thus far. Henry know Emma could break the curse because he read the Book, which told him that the daughter of Snow and Charming was the only one who might be able to. Although, now that I think of it, it’s not clear how he decided that his birth mother was that child. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/266 "2012-01-09T15:20:20Z")
thanks for the response, Oy. Yeah, curious how Henry figured out who Emma was, how he happened to come to evil queen’s household [other than moving the plot, of course], and who the evil queen loved most that Snow killed. for various reasons, I can’t watch tv episodes on my computer. (no internet access at home on than on phone), so I guess I’ll catch reruns or DVD. 2 last things - I read versions of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale where being locked up really did make him nuts, so that’s a good theory. Also, what does HEAL stand for? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/267 "2012-01-09T15:47:57Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > Actually, you’re reconciling a very old, “timid Rumple” with a newer “giddily evil one.” Presumably last night we saw the seminal event that caused that change, but bear in mind it was a flash back, and I’m guessing to a very long time ago. He didn’t go from terrifed peasant to skilled manipulator in a day or a week. Yes, I know all that. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/268 "2012-01-09T15:48:03Z")
> [@well\_he\_s\_back](#): > > thanks for the response, Oy. Yeah, curious how Henry figured out who Emma was, how he happened to come to evil queen’s household [other than moving the plot, of course], and who the evil queen loved most that Snow killed. for various reasons, I can’t watch tv episodes on my computer. (no internet access at home on than on phone), so I guess I’ll catch reruns or DVD. > 2 last things - I read versions of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale where being locked up really did make him nuts, so that’s a good theory. Also, what does HEAL stand for? HEAL = Happily Ever After Land, i.e. the fairy tale country from which all the residents of Storybrooke except Emma and Henry came. Regina, the mayor/Evil Queen asked Mr. Gold to find a child for her to adopt. The child he found was Henry. We have reason to believe that this was intentional on his part; he is not allied with the Queen, even though occasionally they may cooperate, and seems in some ways to be actively opposing her. He has power over the Queen; she has to do anything he requests with the word “please.” It’s not clear that she knows that he has this power or that he remembers his previous identity, although it seems fairly clear to us, the audience, that he does. That’s not all that surprising, since he was the one who provided her with the curse in the first place, and he also at that time said that any curse could be broken. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/269 "2012-01-09T16:01:29Z")
thanks again, Oy. So helpful. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/270 "2012-01-10T01:07:07Z")
Not a bad episode, though I will admit to saying “Wait, the Dark One’s name is the fourth Led Zeppelin album?” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/271 "2012-01-10T13:18:00Z")
No, The Dark One was Jimmy Page. Somehow, I’d always suspected… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/272 "2012-01-10T18:26:54Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > What I’d like to know is, was the craziness of his character back in HEAL assumed? He certainly shows no sign of it as Mr. Gold, and he was still very effectively functional back in HEAL, but his mannerisms were crazy, even before he was imprisoned. Was that just a ploy to give his victims a false sense of security? Or was he really kinda nuts? I think Rumpelstiltskin’s crazy mannerisms in HEAL was to make people more comfortable and willing to deal with him. Evil has to be a \*little \*attractive. Rumpelstiltskin is honest, in his way, his tagline of All Magic Has A Price is probabaly what he thinks the OldEvilOne should have told him before he got the knife. He did seem more crazy in prison than he had been previously. As to how Henry knew that his birth mother was the daughter of Snow and Charming…we don’t really know much about Henry’s timeline yet. He tore pages out of the end of the book, so Regina would not know the ending, it’s possible the secret was there. It’s also possible that because Henry is the only one from outside the town, he’s the only one who can see that nothing ever changes. I was interested in Regina saying Henry was only 5, isn’t Henry supposed to be about 10? A typo in the script or something that might be meaningful in the future? I also still want to know who Henry’s bio-father is. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/273 "2012-01-13T02:59:02Z")
Also, he was born in prison? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/274 "2012-01-13T18:46:18Z")
Yes, in the last episode it was revealed that Henry was born while Emma was in jail (probably a juvenile facility, as she was only 18, and probably on the young end of 18 for the timeline to line up). Emma has previously said she has been in trouble from a young age, so it’s consistent, at least. She didn’t specify what she was in jail for. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/275 "2012-01-16T02:02:56Z")
Well, hello, Anya! I have to admit, I was a little worried that the dude on the motorbike at the end might be Henry’s real father, but Emma didn’t seem to recognize him. Interesting episode. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/276 "2012-01-16T03:18:19Z")
So, anyone care to guess how much of that fairytale that Emma told Henry was true? Henry’s father was almost certain married to another woman at the time the Emma got pregnant(the way she gave her advice to Mary Margaret about avoiding married men made it fairly obvious that she’d had a previous bad experience). It seems to me that Emma’s story works just as well if you substitute, “I started asking around and found out he was married” for “I started asking around and found out he had died”. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/277 "2012-01-16T05:44:06Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I have to admit, I was a little worried that the dude on the motorbike at the end might be Henry’s real father, but Emma didn’t seem to recognize him. That was my first thought, as well. Anybody know the name of that actor? I recognize his face, but I can’t recall from where. ---
**Author:** ![linguafile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@linguafile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/linguafile)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/278 "2012-01-16T09:43:02Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > For example, in the first episode, there was some strange writing on the door of Emma’s Boston apartment, that no one in the show seemed to take notice of (they may not even have been able to see it). It looks to me like the writing on Emma’s door are thesaurus entries with their numbers in the categorization scheme. I think what they all have in common is “entrance”. As a noun, it can mean a door or a foyer. As a verb, it can mean to cast a spell, to captivate, etc. I don’t think it has any significance (other than the magic-related subject) and is just an interesting, sort of funky interior design choice. Some of the words I caught: way, foyer, ingress, opening, door cast a spell, fascinate, captivate, spellbind, beguile ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/279 "2012-01-16T13:27:23Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > That was my first thought, as well. Anybody know the name of that actor? I recognize his face, but I can’t recall from where. [Eion Bailey](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047248/) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/280 "2012-01-16T19:10:07Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > [Eion Bailey](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047248/) Thanks! He has a recurring role on _Covert Affairs_–that’s where I know him from. :smack: (and _Band of Brothers_, too). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574.md?page=15)