Chosen

"So how does it feel to finally be chosen before Regina?"

- Weaver to Kelly West

"Chosen" is the seventeenth episode of Season Seven of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Paul Karp & Brian Ridings, and directed by Lana Parrilla. It is the one hundred and fiftieth episode of the series overall, and premiered on April 13, 2018.

Synopsis
Kelly comes face-to-face with the Candy Killer after someone she loves is taken hostage. Meanwhile, Samdi uses Drew to execute a deadly plan. In a flashback, Zelena learns a harsh lesson after an encounter with Hansel and Gretel goes awry.

Starring

 * Lana Parrilla as Roni
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Rogers
 * Andrew J. West as Henry Mills
 * Dania Ramirez as Jacinda Vidrio
 * Alison Fernandez as Lucy
 * Mekia Cox as Sabine
 * Robert Carlyle as Weaver

Guest Starring

 * Daniel Francis as Mr. Samdi
 * Rebecca Mader as Zelena/Kelly West
 * Kip Pardue as Chad
 * Nathan Parsons as Nick Branson
 * Jeff Pierre as Drew
 * Seth Isaac Johnson as Young Hansel
 * Dan Payne as Ivo
 * Tiera Skovbye as Margot

Co-Starring

 * Bruce Blain as Desk Sergeant
 * Chilton Crane as Blind Witch
 * Lily van der Griend as Young Gretel

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Title

 * The title card features the Gingerbread House.
 * The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on January 16, 2018.
 * This is one of two Season Seven episodes to have its title contained in the lyrics sung by its centric character during the musical episode. The same applies to "A Pirate's Life".

Production Notes

 * This episode is the directorial debut of starring cast member Lana Parrilla.
 * Dan Payne, who plays Ivo, also played the Captain of the Guard in the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland episode "To Catch a Thief".


 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Seattle events take place after "Breadcrumbs".
 * The Oz flashbacks take place at an unspecified time after "Where Bluebirds Fly".

Episode Connections

 * Kelly knows that she is next on the Candy Killer hit list, something she discovered in "Breadcrumbs".
 * Henry was kidnapped by Nick in "Breadcrumbs".
 * Nick was revealed to be the Candy Killer in "Sisterhood".
 * Nick talks about his past identity as Hansel, which was revealed in "Breadcrumbs".
 * Nick talks about the death of his sister Gretel, who was murdered by Drizella in "Sisterhood".
 * Weaver mentions Zelena surviving his attempt to kill her with magic, an event seen in "Kansas" and "Heart of Gold".
 * Roni has found the necessary moss ingredient for a spell to cure Henry, which she started searching for in "Breadcrumbs".
 * Henry told Jacinda, Rogers and Weaver that he was going to a job interview in New York in "Breadcrumbs".
 * The Crimson Crow, the tavern that Jack took Henry to on the latter's nineteenth birthday, is the same tavern where Tiana met Robert in "Greenbacks".
 * Rogers mentions how he and Nick visited Flynn's Barcade, which took place in "Sisterhood".
 * Drew is seen working at Rollin' Bayou, a result of Sabine hiring him in "A Taste of the Heights". She also mentions Tilly working there. Tilly started working for Sabine in "Breadcrumbs".
 * Kelly mentions how Margot has made "a cute blond" friend, referring to Margot's story with Tilly in "The Girl in the Tower" and "Breadcrumbs".
 * Kelly says to her daughter, "Go on, you monkey. You get on that bike and fly."; mirroring her training instructions from "The Eighth Witch", where she said, "All right, my cycling monkeys. Grab onto your bikes and fly!".


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * Before being interrupted by Sabine, the pancakes that Jacinda is making are a Hidden Mickey.

Lost

 * When Zelena wakes up in Ivo's cabin, there is a close-up of her eyes, a recurring theme on Lost.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale with Hansel, Gretel, the Woodcutter, and the Witch. This episode also features the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.
 * Kelly says to her daughter, "Go on, you monkey. You get on that bike and fly.", a reference to the flying monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Popular Culture

 * When Zelena confronts the Witch for the second time in the episode, she mentions Candy Crush. This appears to be a play on words by the writers in reference to the Facebook game Candy Crush, in addition to the phrase being used by Zelena in the episode as a literal emphasis on the Witch's penchant for baking sweets and using candy-based magic.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The box where Kelly keeps her necklace is the same box where Mr. Gold kept the wraith amulet in the Season Two premiere "Broken".

Set Dressing

 * The gingerbread house pictured on Jacinda's gingerbread kit looks remarkably similar to Blind Witch's house.

Costume Notes

 * Rogers is wearing a Scotch and Soda Long Sleeve Circle Print Shirt.
 * The shirt was also worn by the Enchanted Forest counterpart of his original persona in the Season Six episode "Murder Most Foul".
 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The outdoor scene with Rogers and Jacinda was filmed at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium.
 * Stanley Park in Vancouver doubles as the area where Sabine and Drew are selling beignets.
 * The scenes at Ivo's cottage were filmed on a television set at The Bridge Studios.
 * Burnaby's Central Park doubles as the woods of Oz for the short scene where Zelena is headed back toward the Gingerbread House after meeting Ivo.