Greenbacks

"The wealth dried up like a raisin in the sun and the people suffered without a strong ruler. And that's why you've come to me, is it not? To find that strong ruler, that prince who can save you and your kingdom."

- Dr. Facilier to Tiana

"Greenbacks" is the fifth episode of Season Seven of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Christopher Hollier & Adam Karp, and directed by Geofrey Hildrew. It is the one hundred and thirty-eighth episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 3, 2017.

Synopsis
Tiana seeks help from a traveling soothsayer, the iconic Dr. Facilier, in an attempt to save her kingdom. But when it's revealed that he has an ulterior motive she's forced to take matters into her own hands. In Hyperion Heights, Sabine and Jacinda take on a risky business venture, but the strength of their friendship is tested when Victoria interferes with their plans. Meanwhile, Ivy recruits Henry to investigate Victoria, and Roni makes a discovery that could change her relationship with Henry forever. Rogers uncovers a crucial clue in his search for Eloise Gardener.

Starring

 * Lana Parrilla as Roni
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Rogers
 * Andrew J. West as Henry Mills
 * Dania Ramirez as Jacinda
 * Gabrielle Anwar as Victoria Belfrey
 * Alison Fernandez as Lucy
 * Mekia Cox as Tiana/Sabine
 * Robert Carlyle (Credit only)

Guest Starring

 * Emma Booth as Witch
 * Robin Givens as Eudora
 * Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy Belfrey
 * Daniel Francis as Dr. Facilier
 * Kevin Ryan as Robert

Co-Starring

 * Graem Beddoes as Gruff Patron
 * Bruce Blain as Desk Sergeant
 * Evan Frayne as Customer
 * Sandy Robson as Perp
 * Naomi Simpson as Beggar Woman

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Title

 * The title card features a fire truck.
 * The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Instagram account on August 15, 2017.
 * The title of this episode is a slang term for the U.S. dollar, as green is the color of U.S. paper currency. One of the synonyms of this idiom is "frogskin", as green is also the most common color of frogs.
 * By extension, "greenback" is also a slang word for "frog".

Production Notes

 * This is the first episode to credit Mekia Cox as a starring cast member. She was billed as "guest star" in all her previous appearances.
 * However, in the press release for the episode, she is still credited as "guest starring".
 * When Tiana spots Drizella, she says, "I didn't know we invited the nouveau riche". "Nouveau riche" is French for "new rich", and is a derogatory term used to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance.
 * Drizella shoots back, "I have to admit, I was intrigued when I heard of your little fête de faillite". "Fête de faillite" is French for "bankruptcy party".
 * When Dr. Facilier meets Tiana, he says, "Princess, enchanté". "Enchanté" is French for "nice to meet you".
 * Kevin Ryan mistakenly referred to his character as "Prince Marius" while filming the episode.
 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Seattle events take place after "Beauty" and before "Wake Up Call".
 * The New Enchanted Forest flashbacks take place decades after "Eloise Gardener" and before "Beauty".

Episode Connections

 * The Witch living at the top of Belfrey Towers was first seen in "The Garden of Forking Paths".
 * Henry and Ivy previously had a drink together in "Beauty".
 * Rogers first mentioned his missing person case in "A Pirate's Life".
 * Rogers, Roni and Henry decided to take down Victoria Belfrey in "A Pirate's Life".
 * Rogers finds the missing girl in "Eloise Gardener".


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * This episode is a rendition of the Disney film The Princess and the Frog with Tiana, Eudora and Dr. Facilier. Tiana's father is also mentioned.
 * The logo on Sabine's food bags, which Lucy designed, is a firefly, a reference to Ray, one of the main characters in the film, who is himself a firefly. The firefly ruby is also a reference to him.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of "The Frog Prince" fairytale with the Princess and the Frog Prince. One of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters from the "Cinderella" fairytale also appears.
 * Sabine telling Jacinda, "And with a little bit of sugar and spice and everything nice, we are going to show that bitch who is boss", is a reference to the nursery rhyme "What Are Little Boys Made Of?"

Lost

 * Victoria Belfrey is increasing Sabine and Jacinda's rent with 8%, a reference to the second Lost number.
 * Ivy watches Victoria taking the elevator on "Cam 4", the first Lost number.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The bell jar used for the Magical Rose during Season Five was re-used as the Firefly Ruby's bell jar in this episode.
 * Sam Ochotta's tattoo and the strange symbols found in Eloise Gardener's notebook bear a striking similarity to the vegvísir, a magical stave from Nordic folklore. The vegvísir is intended to help the bearer find their way through rough weather
 * The photograph that Roni finds, which shows Regina and young Henry together in Storybrooke, is the same picture that was used for one of the photographs that Henry showed the hostess while searching for his missing family in the Season Four episode "Operation Mongoose Part 1", but with a different background.

Set Dressing

 * The angel statue in Eudora's garden previosuly appeared in the Storybrooke Graveyard in the Season Six premiere "The Savior".

Costume Notes

 * Ivy is wearing a Rag & Bone 'Priya' tank.
 * The tank was also worn by the character Steffy Forrester during an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful.
 * Jacinda is wearing a J.Crew Horoscope T-shirt in "Leo" (no longer available). She wears the t-shirt again in the following episode, "Wake Up Call".
 * Roni is wearing a Forever 21 CBGB Graphic Muscle Tee. She continues to wear the graphic tee in the following episode, "Wake Up Call".
 * Sabine is wearing a Joie Hakima Silk Top.
 * The brown doublet and white undershirt worn by Robert were previously worn by Prince Charming in several episodes, starting with the Season Three episode "The Tower". Robert's west is closely modeled on the west Charming wears over the doublet in the same episodes.


 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The New Enchanted Forest flashback scenes in Eudora's garden were filmed in the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.
 * The scene where Jacinda shows Sabine their food truck was filmed on Columbia Street in New Westminster.