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Season 2
Once Upon a Time Season 2

No. of episodes

22

Original release

September 30, 2012 – May 12, 2013

Premiere

Broken

Finale

And Straight On 'til Morning

Previous

Season 1

Next

Season 3

The second season of the ABC television series Once Upon a Time was announced on May 10, 2012. It premiered on September 30, 2012 and concluded on May 12, 2013.

The season's plot follows the introduction of magic by Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold into Storybrooke, leaving the fate of both the real world and the Fairytale Land that was, intertwined, resulting in new threats emerging. Furthermore, Rumplestiltskin locates his son, only to find he is Henry Mills' father, and outsiders Greg Mendell and a woman named Tamara arrive in Storybrooke with the intention to remove magic and the town. They eventually fail to destroy Storybrooke, though they kidnap Henry and take him to Neverland to the unknown Peter Pan, leading the main characters to follow them to retrieve him, setting the premise for the third season. New characters introduced in the season include Baelfire (the son of Rumpelstiltskin) under his new alias Neal Cassidy - who is also the father of Henry Mills - Captain Killian "Hook" Jones, Princess Aurora, Mulan, Prince Phillip, Robin Hood, and the Darling Family.

The season premiere was watched by 11.36 million viewers, achieving an adult 18-49 rating/share of 3.9/10.0. These numbers sunk to a low of 7.08 million viewers in February 2013, but remained stable above 7 million throughout the remainder of the season with, a season finale viewership of 7.33 million and a 2.3/7 adult 18–49 rating/share.

Summary[]

Following the breaking of the curse, Emma is still in shock at realizing her parents are fairy tale characters. In revenge for imprisoning Belle, Mr. Gold sends a wraith to kill Regina; however, Emma is able to use Jefferson's hat to open a portal to the Enchanted Forest to banish it. However, the wraith pulls her and Snow into the portal. David takes Emma's place as sheriff to maintain order in Storybrooke, especially after it's revealed that magic being brought to town causes everyone to forget their true selves once they cross the townline. Regina attends sessions with Archie to help better herself and become a worthy mother for Henry. In the Enchanted Forest, Emma and Snow are captured by Mulan and Aurora, who blame them for the wraith killing Prince Phillip; the hostility between them is extinguished due to the threat of Regina's mother, Cora, and Captain Hook, who are wishing to head to Storybrooke (Cora for Regina; Hook for revenge on Mr. Gold).

Despite setbacks, Snow and Emma get back to Storybrooke. However, Cora and Hook follow after them, framing Regina for the faked murder of Archie to draw her back to the darkness. Mr. Gold calls in the favor Emma owes him. Emma and Henry accompany Gold to Manhattan, where it's discovered Emma's ex-lover, Neal, is Gold's son. In Storybrooke, Cora and Regina trick Snow and David into giving them the Dark One dagger; however, Hook followed Gold to Manhattan and poisoned him. With Gold dying, Snow decides to use a magic candle to give him Cora's life to save her family from the evil woman. Regina tries seeking revenge, but is convinced by Henry not to as it would perpetuate nothing more than a senseless cycle of murder and revenge. Seeing Regina is prone to giving into her evil side, everyone decides to keep the magic beans they're growing a secret, so they can leave her behind in Storybrooke and head back to the Enchanted Forest.

At the same time, two newcomers arrive in Storybrooke, Greg Mendell and Tamara; Tamara is posing as Neal's fiance as part of the duo's plan to destroy magic, which they think is "unholy". Greg actually was there when Storybrooke came into being; Regina attempted to force him and his father to stay to end her dull life. Greg fled, prompting Regina to kill his father. They capture and torture Regina, taking the self-destruct device for Storybrooke from her; Emma joins her magic with Regina's to deactivate it. However, Greg and Tamara kidnap Henry, who their boss has been looking for a long time. Gold tracks Henry to Neverland, where there's an evil greater than anyone Emma, Snow, David, and Regina have ever faced. They head off in the Jolly Roger to rescue Henry.

Cast and character[]

Regular[]

Recurring[]

Guest[]

  • Bailee Madison as Young Snow White
  • Rachel Shelley as Milah
  • Eion Bailey as August Booth
  • Tony Perez as Henry
  • Dylan Schmidt as Young Baelfire
  • Jamie Dornan as Huntsman / Sheriff Graham Humbert
  • Tom Ellis as Robin Hood
  • Freya Tingley as Wendy Darling
  • Parker Croft as Felix
  • Gabrielle Rose as Ruth
  • Eric Keenleyside as Sir Maurice / Moe French
  • Noah Bean as Daniel Colter
  • Rose McGowan as Young Cora
  • Sinqua Walls as Sir Lancelot
  • Annabeth Gish as Anita
  • Ben Hollingsworth as Quinn
  • Gregory Itzin as Alphonse Frankestein
  • Chad Michael Collins as Gerhardt Frankestein
  • Cassidy Freeman as Jack
  • Lesley Nicol as Johanna
  • Rena Sofer as Queen Eva
  • Joaquim de Almeida as King Xavier
  • John Pyper-Ferguson as Kurt Flynn
  • Benjamin Stockham as Young Owen Flynn
  • Tzi Ma as the Dragon

Episodes[]

No. overall No. in season Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers (millions)
23 1 "Broken" Ralph Hemecker Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz September 30, 2012 11.36
Emma tries to help her family maneuver past the consequences of magic in Our World, and Gold's plan to exact vengeance against Regina threatens to jeopardize his standing with Belle. Meanwhile a series of events are revealed in which a young princess becomes caught in the middle of a dangerous quest that pits her true love and his enigmatic traveling companion against a sinister creature out for blood.
24 2 "We Are Both" Dean White Jane Espenson October 7, 2012 9.84
Regina searches for a way to regain her powers, and David struggles to maintain order after learning what happens when someone crosses the town line. Meanwhile flashbacks show Regina meeting Rumpelstiltskin for the first time.
25 3 "Lady of the Lake" Milan Cheylov Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg October 14, 2012 9.45
Emma and Mary Margaret, with the help of Mulan, Princess Aurora, and Sir Lancelot, look for the magical wardrobe that sent Emma to Storybrooke, hoping that it has enough magic to do the same for them. In the Enchanted Forest's past, King George curses Snow White on the eve of meeting Prince Charming's mother.
26 4 "The Crocodile" David Solomon David H. Goodman & Robert Hull October 21, 2012 9.89
Mr. Gold must change his ways of using magic to destroy people, or face the threat of Belle leaving him. After Belle talks to Ruby she finds that she could be of some help to the library and sets off to see if she can work there, only to be kidnapped by her father. Mr. Gold, Ruby, and David go on a search for Belle, finding out that her father sent her into the mines so that she would cross the border of Storybrooke underground and because of that forget everything about her life in the Enchanted Forest. In flashbacks, Rumplestiltskin loses his wife to Killian Jones (Captain Hook) and his pirates.
27 5 "The Doctor" Paul Edwards Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz October 28, 2012 9.85
Regina goes to Dr. Hopper to see if he can help her to not use magic anymore, so that she can get Henry back. Later on in the night she sees her old fiance, Daniel, while driving home. She goes to see Dr. Whale only to find him having been attacked, who then says that he brought Daniel back from the dead, but he is a monster. David decides that Henry should learn how to ride a horse, but soon fears for Henry's life when Regina and he find out that Daniel has gone to the stables. After Regina talks to David, Daniel tells her that she needs to let him go, and Regina removes the preservation spell, destroying his body. After returning to the refugee camp, Emma, Snow, Aurora, and Mulan find only one man is left alive and he turns out to be Captain Hook. After he tells them Cora's plan, they set out to find another way home. In the past, Jefferson brokers a deal between Rumplestiltskin and Victor Frankenstein.
28 6 "Tallahassee" David M. Barrett Christine Boylan & Jane Espenson November 4, 2012 10.15
Emma follows Hook up a treacherous beanstalk in the hopes of finding a source of power that could bring both her and Mary Margaret back to Storybrooke. Meanwhile the events surrounding Emma's teenage years are revealed, along with an unexpected encounter involving a thief who wants to make an honest woman out of her.
29 7 "Child of the Moon" Anthony Hemingway Ian Goldberg & Andrew Chambliss November 11, 2012 8.75
Ruby is accused of murdering someone. In flashbacks, Red Riding Hood finds a pack of wolves led by she-wolf Anita, who insists she is Red's mother, and that she can help her remember what she does when she turns into a wolf.
30 8 "Into the Deep" Ron Underwood Kalinda Vazquez & Daniel T. Thomsen November 25, 2012 8.82
After Cora finds Captain Hook, she decides she won't be taking him to Storybrooke when she gets the compass back from Snow White. Mulan begins to worry about Aurora when she finds that Aurora has burns on her hand from the fiery room. Mr. Gold, David and Regina work to make sure that Henry makes it safe back and forth between the worlds. David decides that he is going to go under the sleeping spell to go to the fiery room because of the danger. Cora kidnaps Aurora in an effort to get the compass. Mulan and Emma then send Snow into the fiery room finding out the way to defeat Cora is hidden in the room they locked Rumplestiltskin in years ago. Captain Hook sets Aurora free to show Emma that she should have trusted him, only for him to take Aurora's heart to convince Cora to take him to Storybrooke with her. Cora uses Aurora's heart to trick Emma, Snow White, and Mulan into believing that Aurora's fine and to find out where they are going. David gets stuck in the Netherworld when Snow isn't able to kiss him to break the curse.
31 9 "Queen of Hearts" Ralph Hemecker Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz December 2, 2012 9.10
Regina and Mr. Gold agree that they should destroy anyone who comes through the portal, even if it's Emma and Snow White. Ruby and Leroy get angry when they find that Regina and Mr. Gold took the diamonds from the mines, so Henry and Ruby set off to stop them from destroying Emma and Mary Margaret. Cora and Hook face off with Mary Margaret and Emma for the compass, while the events of how Cora and Hook met are revealed.
32 10 "The Cricket Game" Dean White David H. Goodman & Robert Hull January 6, 2013 9.10
Cora frames Regina for a murder, while in the past, Snow and Charming decide to kill the queen.
33 11 "The Outsider" David Solomon Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg January 13, 2013 8.24
Belle meets Hook, while the events of Belle's capture by the queen are revealed.
34 12 "In the Name of the Brother" Milan Cheylov Jane Espenson January 20, 2013 7.68
Dr. Whale goes missing when he has to save the stranger's life; Cora reunites with Regina; and in the past, Victor Frankenstein resurrects his brother.
35 13 "Tiny" Guy Ferland Christine Boylan & Kalinda Vazquez February 10, 2013 7.08
The giant shows up in Storybrooke; Mr. Gold, Emma, and Henry go to the airport; and in the past, the giant meets Charming's brother and Jack.
36 14 "Manhattan" Dean White Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz February 17, 2013 7.61
Emma learns that Neal is Rumplestiltskin's son; Cora, Regina, and Hook look for the dagger; and in the past Rumplestiltskin realizes his destiny.
37 15 "The Queen Is Dead" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Daniel T. Thomsen & David H. Goodman March 3, 2013 7.39
Mary Margaret learns that Cora and Regina are looking for the dagger; Hook stabs Mr. Gold with his hook; and in the past Snow White's mother dies.
38 16 "The Miller's Daughter" Ralph Hemecker Jane Espenson March 10, 2013 7.64
Emma, David, Neal, and Mary Margaret have to protect Mr. Gold from Cora; and in the past Cora meets Rumplestiltskin.
39 17 "Welcome to Storybrooke" Dave Barrett Ian Goldberg & Andrew Chambliss March 17, 2013 7.45
Regina decides to get revenge on Mary Margaret; and in the past Regina meets a little boy and his father.
40 18 "Selfless, Brave and True" Ralph Hemecker Robert Hull & Kalinda Vazquez March 24, 2013 7.38
Mary Margaret stumbles upon August who is now a living puppet; Neal invites his fiance to Storybrooke; and in the past August meets Tamara.
41 19 "Lacey" Milan Cheylov Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz April 21, 2013 7.37
Mr. Gold enlists the help of David to help him try to jog Belle's now cursed memories and get her to love him again. Meanwhile, in the Fairytale land that was, Rumplestiltskin forces Belle to accompany him on a hunt to kill a thief.
42 20 "The Evil Queen" Gwyneth Horder-Payton Jane Espenson & Christine Boylan April 28, 2013 7.16
With the help of Hook, Regina attempts to put a plan in motion that will help transport herself and Henry back to the Enchanted Forest, while Emma's suspicions about Tamara grows. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest that was, the Evil Queen asks Rumplestiltskin to transform her into an unrecognizable peasant in order to kill an unsuspecting Snow White.
43 21 "Second Star to the Right" Ralph Hemecker Andrew Chambliss & Ian Goldberg May 5, 2013 7.50
Emma, Mary Margaret and David go in search of Regina when they discover that she, along with some magic beans, has gone missing. But against Neal's protests, Emma still believes that Tamara had something to do with Regina's disappearance. Meanwhile, in the past, young Baelfire finds himself back in 19th century London and is taken in by the Darling family befriending their daughter Wendy.
44 22 "And Straight On 'til Morning" Dean White Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz May 12, 2013 7.33
Greg and Tamara plan to destroy Storybrooke, so Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Henry and Hook have to stop them. Meanwhile, in the past, Hook meets Baelfire.

Production[]

Development[]

On May 10, 2012, ABC renewed Once Upon a Time for a second season, which premiered on September 30, 2012.

Co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis spoke about the repercussions of the first season finale's events, stating, "Magic as we know always comes with a price and we are introducing it to a world where it has never been before and I think that’s going to have unpredictable results. It’s going to affect everybody this season because that’s what’s more fun." said Kitsis. On everyone in Storybrooke's memories returning Horowitz commented, "One of the things that’s interesting to us to explore is this notion that just because the memories have returned does not mean that the past 28 years did not happen. Those memories, the Davids, the Mary Margarets, the Mr. Golds, all those people, who they were existed and what they did actually happened and those are the things that will have to be dealt with."

The show still bounced back-and-forth between the fairy-tale world and Storybrooke, although there were slight differences compared to season one. It was hinted that another form of narrative was introduced during the season.

Casting[]

In June 2012, it was reported that season one recurring actresses Meghan Ory (Red Riding Hood/Ruby) and Emilie de Ravin (Belle/Lacey) had both been promoted to series regulars for the second season. In July 2012, it was announced that Pretty Little Liars star Julian Morris would be guest starring as Prince Phillip, an altruistic hero and adept warrior, while Teen Wolf actor Sinqua Walls was cast as Sir Lancelot, a former member of the round table. In the same month, it was announced that The Tudors star Sarah Bolger and The Hangover Part II actress Jamie Chung had joined the recurring cast as Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Chinese warrior Mulan. On August 3, 2012, The Rite actor Colin O'Donoghue booked the recurring role of Captain Killian "Hook" Jones, the prime antagonist of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. O'Donoghue joined the main cast during the second half of the season.[35] The same day, it was reported that True Blood's Michael Raymond-James had joined the season's recurring cast in an unknown role, described only as "mysterious". This was later revealed to be Neal Cassidy (Rumplestiltskin's son Baelfire, Emma Swan's ex-boyfriend and Henry Mills' father). Lost alum Jorge Garcia recurs as Anton the Giant, referenced from Jack and the Beanstalk. Garcia was originally scheduled to appear in only one episode, but his character was later expanded. Actor Raphael Sbarge, who portrays Jiminy Cricket, was made part of the recurring guest cast this season, as opposed to being included in the first season's main cast. The L Word actress Rachel Shelley played the recurring role of Milah, Rumplestiltskin's wife. Eureka actor Christopher Gauthier is recurring throughout the season as Mr. William Smee, Captain Hook's right-hand-man. In October 2012, Can't Hardly Wait star Ethan Embry joined the recurring cast as an unknown visitor to Storybrooke. Eion Bailey (Pinocchio/August Booth) made guest appearances in episodes six and 18. Tony Perez (Prince Henry) and Alan Dale (King George/Albert Spencer) both made recurring appearances in some capacity throughout the season.

Actor Noah Bean reprised his role as Daniel, the Evil Queen's love-interest, during episode five, "The Doctor". The X-Files actress Annabeth Gish guest starred as Anita, the leader of a pack of werewolves, in Child of the Moon. The Christmas Card actor Chad Michael Collins and 24 veteran Gregory Itzin appeared in In the Name of the Brother as Gerhardt/Frankenstein's Monster, Dr. Frankenstein's younger brother and as Alphonse, the boys' father, respectively. Scream and Charmed actress Rose McGowan portrayed a young Cora in The Miller's Daughter. Lesley Nicol, of Downton Abbey fame, was cast as Johanna in The Queen is Dead which also featured Heroes vet Rena Sofer as Queen Eva, Snow White's mother. It was implicated that the role has the potential to become recurring. Caprica actor John Pyper-Ferguson guest starred in Welcome to Storybrooke as Kurt Flynn, a widower who longs to aid his son after experiencing the loss of his mother. Season one co-star Jamie Dornan also reprised his role as Sheriff Graham Humbert in the episode.

Since the first season, Kings actor Sebastian Stan had portrayed Jefferson/The Mad Hatter in a recurring role; he has since departed from the show with obligations to the Broadway play Picnic and the feature film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It was reported that ABC was set to recast the role with the potential for a possible spin-off based on the character. However, Stan's recasting was repudiated by series co-creator Adam Horowitz, saying that Stan "is a very busy man, I don't know when he will be making his way back toward us". He later confirmed that Stan would definitely not be re-appearing in 2013.

Filming[]

Principal photography for the season began in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 16, 2012 and completed on April 5, 2013. The town of Steveston doubles as Storybrooke for the series.


Ratings[]

No Title Air date Ratings/share
(18-49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18-49)
DVR Viewers
(millions)
Total
(18-49)
Total Viewers
(millions)
1 "Broken" September 30, 2012 3.9/10 11.36 1.4 3.11 5.3 14.46
2 "We Are Both" October 7, 2012 3.4/9 9.84 1.3 2.91 4.7 12.75
3 "Lady of the Lake" October 14, 2012 3.0/8 9.45 1.4 2.96 4.4 12.41
4 "The Crocodile" October 21, 2012 3.3/8 9.89 1.5 3.12 4.8 13.01
5 "The Doctor" October 28, 2012 3.4/8 9.85 1.5 3.11 4.9 12.96
6 "Tallahassee" November 4, 2012 3.5/8 10.15 1.4 3.09 4.9 13.24
7 "Child of the Moon" November 11, 2012 2.7/7 8.75 1.5 3.22 4.2 11.97
8 "Into the Deep" November 25, 2012 3.1/7 8.82 1.3 3.11 4.4 11.93
9 "Queen of Hearts" December 2, 2012 3.1/8 9.10 1.2 2.56 4.3 11.66
10 "The Cricket Game" January 6, 2013 3.1/8 9.10 1.1 2.46 4.2 11.55
11 "The Outsider" January 13, 2013 2.8/7 8.24 1.3 2.82 4.1 11.07
12 "In the Name of the Brother" January 20, 2013 2.4/6 7.68 1.3 3.03 3.7 10.72
13 "Tiny" February 10, 2013 2.2/5 7.08 1.1 2.69 3.3 9.74
14 "Manhattan" February 17, 2013 2.4/6 7.61 1.1 2.54 3.5 10.15
15 "The Queen Is Dead" March 3, 2013 2.2/6 7.39 1.2 2.68 3.4 10.07
16 "The Miller's Daughter" March 10, 2013 2.3/6 7.64 1.1 2.56 3.4 10.20
17 "Welcome to Storybrooke" March 17, 2013 2.3/6 7.45 1.0 2.36 3.3 9.81
18 "Selfless, Brave and True" March 24, 2013 2.2/6 7.38 1.0 2.41 3.2 9.79
19 "Lacey" April 21, 2013 2.1/6 7.37 0.9 1.98 3.0 9.35
20 "The Evil Queen" April 28, 2013 2.0/6 7.16 0.9 1.94 2.9 9.11
21 "Second Star to the Right" May 5, 2013 2.2/6 7.50 0.9 N/A 3.1 N/A
22 "And Straight On 'til Morning" May 12, 2013 2.3/7 7.33 0.9 N/A 3.2 N/A

Soundtrack[]

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Once Upon a Time soundtrack chronology
Previous
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Next
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''All tracks are written by Mark Isham.''
No. Title Length
1. "Sleeping Beauty"
2. "True Love"
3. "Magic"
4. "We are Both"
5. "Meet the Jefferson"
6. "Ruby and Granny"
7. "A Real Boy"
8. "The Hedge Maze"
9. "Regina's True Love"
10. "Storybrooke Reunions"
11. "The Duelists"
12. "The Lady Jack"
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
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