# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/141 "2011-11-15T19:42:54Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > But Emma making a verbal agreement to owe a favour, without setting limitations on it? An open-ended favour? She’s supposed to be a tough, practical, woman, and she has some familiarity with the legal system. In defense of that bit of writing (although her rapid concession seems a bit silly to me, too), a verbal agreement for a favor of an unspecified nature at an unspecified future time just doesn’t seem to be very _enforceable_. From Emma’s reality-based perspective what’s the worst that can happen? “I want your first-born / $1,000,000 / for you to strip to your underwear and dance on the White House lawn while screaming for Obama to apologize for standing you up.” “Er, no.” “Then you’ll be hearing from my attorneys, who will promptly laugh at me for thinking that a verbal agreement for a _favor_ entitled me to anything I wanted from you.” But I would’ve expected her to put some kind of bounds on that favor. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/142 "2011-11-15T20:42:09Z")
For those who think the Queen/Mayor doesn’t know what is going on, at the start of each episode the voiceover says “Only one knows the truth” while showing the Queen. Then, while showing Emma it says “And only one can break the spell”. I don’t see a way to read that except that the Queen knows. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/143 "2011-11-15T20:51:48Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > For those who think the Queen/Mayor doesn’t know what is going on, at the start of each episode the voiceover says “Only one knows the truth” while showing the Queen. Then, while showing Emma it says “And only one can break the spell”. I don’t see a way to read that except that the Queen knows. That was new this week. I was coming here to post that as proof the Queen knows. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/144 "2011-11-15T20:57:58Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > For those who think the Queen/Mayor doesn’t know what is going on, at the start of each episode the voiceover says “Only one knows the truth” while showing the Queen. Then, while showing Emma it says “And only one can break the spell”. I don’t see a way to read that except that the Queen knows. It’s a purposeful misdirect. I think it is possible both of those are wrong. The show will be incredibly boring if everything is laid out and no twists are coming our way. I am firmly in the camp that the Queen knows something is up but has no memory of her former self. > [@Moonlitherial](#): > > That was new this week. I was coming here to post that as proof the Queen knows. Was on at least the week before’s episode as well. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/145 "2011-11-15T21:11:58Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > In defense of that bit of writing (although her rapid concession seems a bit silly to me, too), a verbal agreement for a favor of an unspecified nature at an unspecified future time just doesn’t seem to be very _enforceable_. From Emma’s reality-based perspective what’s the worst that can happen? > > “I want your first-born / $1,000,000 / for you to strip to your underwear and dance on the White House lawn while screaming for Obama to apologize for standing you up.” > > “Er, no.” > > “Then you’ll be hearing from my attorneys, who will promptly laugh at me for thinking that a verbal agreement for a _favor_ entitled me to anything I wanted from you.” > > But I would’ve expected her to put some kind of bounds on that favor. They did make a big deal of the fact that neither Emma nor Henry had figured out “who Mr Gold” was, so I figure that will be how Emma gets out of the contract? ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/146 "2011-11-15T21:45:09Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > It’s a purposeful misdirect. I think it is possible both of those are wrong. > > […] > > I am firmly in the camp that the Queen knows something is up but has no memory of her former self. Gonna have to agree with **Push You Down**. The mayor’s a royal bitch, but (at least aside from her peculiarly strong dislike of Emma) she just seems too stable, too loving a mother to be in full memory of her identity. (And on the subject of her conflict with Emma: Emma _is_ Henry’s birth mother, she’s insisting on staying around, Henry is clinging to her as a savior while openly convinced that his adopted mother is evil. Surely it’s natural for the mayor to see Emma as something of an usurper, even if her lengths to get rid of Emma are insane.) At this point I think the evidence points toward Gold as the only person who knows the truth. He created the curse, after all; surely if anyone knows loopholes it’s him. The way he said “please” to the mayor all but gives it away. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/147 "2011-11-16T00:27:23Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Henry mentioned that one of the things that makes Emma special is that she can leave (then the writers promptly threw a lampshade on the fact that Henry left to get Emma). I’m guessing that the residents of Storybrooke are, for the most part, stuck in Storybrooke. What happens in Storybrooke stays in Storybrooke. 😃 > [@mordecaiB](#): > > For those who think the Queen/Mayor doesn’t know what is going on, at the start of each episode the voiceover says “Only one knows the truth” while showing the Queen. Then, while showing Emma it says “And only one can break the spell”. I don’t see a way to read that except that the Queen knows. Gold clearly knows the truth, so either that voiceover is wrong or Mayor McQueeny doesn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/148 "2011-11-16T04:19:01Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > I know they’re not hewing that close to the original stories, but I’m really bothered that everyone in HEAL knows Rumplestiltskin’s name. Keeping his name a secret was his whole gimmick in the story that bears that name. In this episode, he even introduces himself to Cinderella, proudly giving away his name. > > It really seems like they could have gotten a lot of story mileage in both worlds by keeping his name a mystery for a while. My current headcanon, since all these stories appear to take place in the same world, is that the Rumplestiltskin story has already happened, so as soon as some guy’s way out of a promise was to guess his name, everyone would guess ‘Rumplestiltskin’. Thus there’s no reason to keep his name a secret anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Shniru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Shniru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shniru)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/149 "2011-11-19T02:17:37Z")
Continuity error: ONLY in the episode where it was relevant do we see the chin scar on Prince Charming – even in the real world, where it should have healed, but looks almost fresh because it is so red. So why wasn’t it there in the episode with Cinderella? Why did we not notice it on close ups in the real world before this episode? Come on… Wondering why nobody else noticed . . . maybe it’s because only I think Prince Charming is hot. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 21, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/150 "2011-11-21T00:35:27Z")
Well, nuts. We’ve been preempted. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/151 "2011-11-21T05:04:31Z")
> [@Shniru](#): > > maybe it’s because only I think Prince Charming is hot. 😃 Incorrect, grasshopper! ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/152 "2011-11-21T06:03:43Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Well, nuts. > > We’ve been preempted. I know! I put on the tv to see Chris Brown being mediocre all over the place. Very disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/153 "2011-11-21T22:40:51Z")
Technically it’s not a preemption, since it was never scheduled to be on last night in the first place. When a show is pulled because the president vomits on someone in Japan, that’s a preemption. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/154 "2011-11-28T06:06:54Z")
IIRC, in the original story, Pinocchio kills the cricket early in the story. Jiminy Cricket was a Disney invention. They completely made up his backstory for his episode. It was the least interesting part. I’m guessing they’ll find a way to shoehorn Mr. Gold into everyone’s story. I think this episode also definitively answered the question about if the Mayor knows. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/155 "2011-11-28T06:13:24Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > IIRC, in the original story, Pinocchio kills the cricket early in the story. Jiminy Cricket was a Disney invention. They completely made up his backstory for his episode. It was the least interesting part. I’m guessing they’ll find a way to shoehorn Mr. Gold into everyone’s story. I think this episode also definitively answered the question about if the Mayor knows. …I saw nothing definitive about her dropping some junk down a hole. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/156 "2011-11-28T06:14:25Z")
I liked this episode a lot, despite the cliche “trapped in the mine” trope being used. I really enjoyed the backstory on Archie/Jiminy and how he stood up to the Mayor at the end. She is starting to lose control over Storybrooke. The conflict Miss Blanchard feels about “Prince Charming” now that she knows he has a fiancee is interesting. (and, BTW, I’m finding Miss Blanchard more and more attractive). So what was that piece of glass that the Mayor found near the mine? Was it supposed to be part of the magic Mirror? ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/157 "2011-11-28T06:55:06Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > So what was that piece of glass that the Mayor found near the mine? Was it supposed to be part of the magic Mirror? I thought it looked to big at the end to be the magic mirror (besides, would it be physically there when the mirror = newsman?) it looked rather like a big glass coffin to me.. like what the dwarves put Snow White in before Charming/James kisses her. I finally caught up today. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/158 "2011-11-28T22:26:23Z")
Where’s Pinocchio in the Storybrook world? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/159 "2011-11-28T22:49:13Z")
> [@Flutterby](#): > > I thought it looked to big at the end to be the magic mirror (besides, would it be physically there when the mirror = newsman?) it looked rather like a big glass coffin to me.. like what the dwarves put Snow White in before Charming/James kisses her. > > I finally caught up today. Oh, is that what was at the bottom of the mine? I could not tell what I was supposed to be looking at, rewound, watched again, and still couldn’t tell, lol ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574/160 "2011-11-29T00:07:57Z")
Couldn’t figure out what Ms. Mayor had in her hand nor what was at the bottom of the mine. I think \*\*Flutteryby \*\*is right, though, and that it is a piece of Snow White’s “coffin”, and that the glade where it rested is at the bottom of the mine (odd place for it, where’s the sunlight coming from? oh, right, it’s magic.) [sup]1[/sup] Is the piece of glass and the glimpse of the glade our first real indication that this isn’t all in Henry’s head? (The “flashbacks” could have just been out of the book and his imagination, after all.) To me, it seemed that this episode showed that Ms. Mayor does actually love Henry, she’s just not good at the showing it or being a nurturing mother, especially since she’s got that whole control freak thing going. I foresee more conflict: she took away everyone’s happy ending, but she brought an outsider (Henry) in, and since she loves him she’s going to want him to have a happy ending … but how can he, when no one but she is supposed to be happy in this world? And Henry, of course, brought in Emma, who is destined to be the breaker of the curse. Then there’s the whole Snow White ruining her life by taking away her love, and now Emma is being set up to ruin her life by taking away her son, whom she loves. The symmetry! Like a tiger, it burns! I’m kinda wondering how they’re going to stretch this out for the 3 (or is it 5?) seasons necessary for syndication (assuming they’re renewed). The curse is already starting to fail, at least in small ways. [sup]1[/sup]I also note in passing that Flutterby mentioned the time issue days before I did. I’m sorry I missed that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-edited-title/600574.md?page=9)