Jefferson

"I hate Wonderland."

- Jefferson to the Evil Queen

The Mad Hatter, also known as Jefferson, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the seventeenth episode of the first season. He is portrayed by guest star Sebastian Stan, and is the Enchanted Forest counterpart of Jefferson.

Jefferson is based on the character "The Mad Hatter" from the story Alice in Wonderland and "Hatta" from its sequel Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.

Before the Curse
Jefferson shows up at Rumplestiltskin's castle while Regina is attempting to learn magic. He goes to Rumplestiltskin and presents him with the Crystal Ball, to which Rumplestiltskin responds he wanted the slippers. Jefferson informs him that the slippers were moved and that the globe was what he was able to obtain, and asks if Rumplestiltskin wants it or not. Rumplestiltskin assents, and tells Jefferson to take whatever gold he wants from the floor. When Rumplestiltskin tells Regina to leave his presence and exits the workroom after telling her there is no way for Regina to resurrect Daniel, Jefferson comes up behind her and tells her he knows of a man, a wizard of sorts, from another world who possesses the power to bring back the dead. In return for bringing the wizard, Regina as queen must grant him a royal pass to travel through her kingdom without needing permission, which she agrees to.

Jefferson returns with Victor Frankenstein, and goes with him and Regina to Daniel. When Frankenstein performs his examination and declares that he needs a strong heart to perform a successful procedure (which he has not done yet), Regina confronts Jefferson, but Jefferson reassures her and asks her to hear Frankenstein out. He then goes with her and Frankenstein to Cora's mansion, where they enter the vault of hearts and Frankenstein takes one. He also is beside Regina when Frankenstein attempts to bring Daniel back to life, but seemingly fails. Later, Jefferson is shown to be in on a scheme with Rumplestiltskin and Frankenstein, in which Frankenstein got to keep the heart and Rumplestiltskin gets his pupil Regina to give into her dark side. Jefferson is last seen jumping through the portal with Frankenstein to his world.

Sometime after, Jefferson is out in the woods collecting mushrooms to sell and playing hide-and-seek with his daughter, Grace. When they arrive at home, they discover the Evil Queen's carriage at their house. The Queen wants Jefferson's help to retrieve something, and tells him that if he cooperates, Grace will want for nothing, but Jefferson refuses. While at the market the next day, Grace wants a rabbit doll, but Jefferson cannot afford it. His daughter is not upset, but he begins to worry that he cannot meet all of her desires, unaware that this incident was orchestrated by the Queen.

Jefferson and Grace return home to enjoy a pretend tea party, with an improvised toy rabbit he made. Deciding that he should try to make her life better, Jefferson asks Grace to stay with the neighbors while he performs the task the Queen desires from him, promising to return later, despite Grace's pleas against it.

Jefferson later visits the Queen and offers his help. Jefferson spins his hat on the floor. The Queen and him jump in and are surrounded by doors. Jefferson warns her that if two people enter the door, only two can exit. They enter through a mirror and run into a Caterpillar who puffs smoke rings in their faces, prompting annoyance from Jefferson.

They arrive at a hedge maze which leads to the Queen of Hearts' castle, however, the Evil Queen makes short work of the magical maze by sending a ball of flame through it. They manage to get what the Queen wants, which turns out to be her precious father Henry, and escape from the Queen of Hearts, but before they leave the Queen reveals that she is leaving with her father, thus Jefferson cannot go back.

The guards catch up with him and take him to the Queen of Hearts. She beheads him, yet he is still alive. She tells him that if he wants his body back, he must tell her what happened with him and Regina. He does and he is given his body back. He is told that he needs to make another hat to leave. Jefferson is later seen making a hat, having gone mad trying to get it to work, and the room is shown to be filled with thousands of hats.

For events occurring after the casting of the Dark Curse, see Jefferson.

Trivia

 * The name "Jefferson" is of English origin derived from an English surname that means "son of Jeffrey".
 * He is one of the few characters in the Enchanted Forest to call the Evil Queen by her given name.
 * He is a former business associate of Rumplestiltskin and Victor Frankenstein. The exact reason why he left is unknown, but due to a conversation with the Evil Queen in "Hat Trick", it is implied his business cost him his wife.

Appearances

 * The Mad Hatter appears in Henry's storybook for "Hat Trick" and "We Are Both".