The Black Fairy (Episode)

"So, your mother wasn't always the Black Fairy."

- Gideon to Mr. Gold

"The Black Fairy" is the nineteenth episode of Season Six of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jerome Schwartz & Dana Horgan, and directed by Alrick Riley. It is the one hundredth and thirtieth episode of the series overall, and premiered on April 30, 2017.

Synopsis
In flashback, after Rumple's mother, Fiona, learns from his fairy godmother that his destiny is prophesized, she does everything in her power to keep it from happening. Ultimately, Fiona will have to make a decision that will change the course of both their lives forever. Meanwhile in Storybrooke, Rumple faces a similar dilemma.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as David Nolan
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle French
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Rebecca Mader as Zelena
 * Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Stephen Lord as Malcolm
 * Giles Matthey as Gideon
 * Jaime Murray as Black Fairy
 * Sara Tomko as Tiger Lily
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Blue Fairy/Mother Superior

Co-Starring

 * Yasmin Abidi as Midwife
 * Kristina Lao as Peasant Mother

Uncredited

 * Unknown baby as Rumplestiltskin
 * Unknown baby as Robin
 * Unknown baby as Peasant Mother's daughter

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The title card features Tiger Lily, Fiona and the Blue Fairy flying in the woods.
 * The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on February 17, 2017.
 * In the press release, the word "dilemma" is misspelled as "delimna".
 * The spell used by Fiona to transform herself into a fairy is "Le sgiathan cumhachd draoidheil", which is Scottish Gaelic for "winged magic".
 * The last ingredient Fiona needs to create the Dark Curse is wolfsbane. According to magic lore, this plant can be used to prevent shapeshifting and has traditionally been used to protect homes from werewolves. Bundles of wolfsbane can be placed around barns and pastures to protect livestock from predators (this requires taking care that the livestock have no access to the plant, as wolfsbane is highly poisonous, and ingesting even a small amount can kill you). It can also be used to bring harm to another by creating "elf bolts" of sharpened flint dipped in wolfsbane juice and using it to pierce a poppet for the victim.
 * When Mr. Gold meets up with the Black Fairy at the end of the episode, the moon has the same shape as Fiona's scar.


 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest flashbacks take place several years before "Think Lovely Thoughts".
 * The Storybrooke events take place after "Where Bluebirds Fly" and before "The Song in Your Heart".
 * The Dream World events take place after "Changelings".

Episode Connections

 * The lights flicker when Rumplestiltskin is born, just like they did when Henry and Prince Neal were born.
 * Mother Superior was drained of her powers in "Ill-Boding Patterns" and began to wake up after regaining them in "Where Bluebirds Fly".
 * Zelena sacrificed her powers to stop the Black Fairy in "Where Bluebirds Fly".
 * The Black Fairy took Gideon's heart in "Mother's Little Helper".
 * Tiger Lily gave Hook her half of the wand that banished the Black Fairy in "Awake".
 * The Sands of Morpheus were first used by Mr. Gold in "The Savior".
 * Tiger Lily states that the Dark Curse will send everyone to a Land Without Magic. This eventually happens when the curse is cast for the first time in "Pilot", a second time in "A Curious Thing", and a third time in "Broken Heart".
 * Hook mentions Henry's "Wookiee prisoner gag" from "Operation Mongoose Part 2" and "that time on the Nautilus" from "Dark Waters".
 * Emma and Hook get married in "The Song in Your Heart".
 * The others find out about Mr. Gold's deception in "The Song in Your Heart".


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * Hook mentions Henry's "Wookiee prisoner gag" from "Operation Mongoose Part 2"; a reference to the scene from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where Han Solo and Luke Skywalker pretend Chewbacca is their prisoner in order to enter the Death Star's detention area.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features Rumplestiltskin from the "Rumpelstiltskin" fairytale, Captain Hook and Tiger Lily from the Peter Pan story, the Blue Fairy from The Adventures of Pinocchio story, and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.

Popular Culture

 * While putting together a baby crib, Zelena says that she's just been soundly defeated by Sniglar and adds that she didn't name it, but IKEA did; a reference to the famous furniture retailer.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * As Zelena correctly states, the piece of nursery furniture she's assembling is a Sniglar baby crib from IKEA.
 * A monkey key chain is attached to the car keys that Regina gives Zelena, a reference to the Flying Monkeys.
 * Fiona's spell scroll for the Dark Curse is the same prop that was used for the Curse of the Empty-Hearted in the Season Two episode "Welcome to Storybrooke".

Costume Notes

 * Belle is wearing a Isabel Marant Etoile Walt Check Top with a Babaton 'Maurice' Coat (no longer available).
 * Regina is wearing a Ted Baker Piped Belted A-Line Macintosh Coat.
 * While at home, Emma is wearing a Rachel Comey Laurel Ruffled-Sleeve Top.


 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The outdoor scenes in the Enchanted Forest were filmed in Robert Burnaby Park.