Kurt Flynn

Kurt Flynn is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the seventeenth episode of the second season. He is portrayed by John Pyper-Ferguson.

During the Curse
One night, Kurt and his son, Owen, are camping in the woods. Beside the fire, Kurt is teaching his son how to make a lanyard craft key chain. He says Owen is doing not bad for his first one; and Owen comments the lanyard colors look like the light sabers of Star Wars characters Luke and Vader. Kurt gives him an already finished lanyard key chain, and talks about his own father teaching him to make them when he himself was a child. He gives it to his son, and Owen laughs at how the key chain doesn't look well made. As Kurt glances at his pocket watch, he states it's nearly time to get dinner started. Suddenly, a powerful wind approaches. They put out the fire and are forced inside the tent for safety. Owen looks out the tent flap to see the storm is green and purple colored. Kurt pulls him away and holds him as the storm passes through. In the morning, they come outside to see a tree has fallen on top of the car. With no other option, they take what they can carry in backpacks, and Kurt uses a map as a guide to lead them to the highway with the possibility of getting a ride to the nearest town.

Before they can do that, Owen notices a town in the distance. Kurt is in disbelief because they drove through the same area the day prior, and there was no town in sight. A sheriff car stops behind them on the street, and Sheriff Graham steps out to ask if they need help. He introduces them to the town of Storybrooke. Sheriff Graham takes them to the local diner. Owen sees a woman, Regina Mills, having apple pancakes, and says he likes it, too. She is confused, and asks whose child he is. Kurt makes himself known as Owen's father, and asks the woman if she knows of any hotels as he is planning on staying in town while his car is getting fixed. Regina excuses herself to speak with Graham. While they are gone, Granny, the owner of the diner, fixes up a room for Kurt and Owen at the bed and breakfast.

Later, Regina enters the diner again and sees Owen sitting in "her" seat. She points out to him she always sits there, but Owen states plainly that he's already in her seat. Kurt turns away and finds it the situation humorous. She tells him that his car will be ready for repair in a week. Kurt had expected it to take weeks, but Regina put in a good word for him so the car could be fixed sooner. Kurt is appreciative of Regina's help, and he and his leave the diner. On the way out, Owen gives Regina a gift--the lanyard keychain he made while camping--for letting him sit in her seat. Surprised, Regina is touched by the gesture.

Unhappy and lonely, Regina invites Kurt and Owen over for dinner. Kurt comments how delicious Regina's lasagna is, while Owen doesn't like it. Regina sends him off to the kitchen sink to pick out the healthy apples to make apple turnovers for dessert. After Owen is gone from the room, Kurt chuckles at Owen's responses to Regina; describing him as a "free spirit", which he got from his mother. Regina learns Owen's mother died six months ago. Kurt had hoped bringing Owen on a camping trip would help his son take his mind off things, but it hasn't worked. Regina remarks she, too, is looking to start over, but hasn't turned out how she wanted it to be because even with a new life she has no one to share it with. Their discussion is interrupted by Owen calling from the kitchen to make dessert.

Owen helps Regina make the turnovers, and Kurt comes in to check up on them. Regina suggests to him that they could stay in town permanently; an idea that excites Owen, but Kurt refuses the offer saying their home is in New Jersey. After a week, Kurt goes to pick his car up. Before he drives out of town, he decides to give his last regards to Regina, and stops his car in front of her office. Kurt goes in, and overhears her giving commands to a glowing red object to "arrest the father for drunk driving"; listening in until she turns around in her chair to see him. Panicked, Regina attempts to explain, but Kurt is uneasy and tries to make a hasty exit after giving his gratitude for all that she's done for him and his son. As he is backing away to the office exit, Sheriff Graham bursts in to wrestle and pin him against the desk. Kurt yells at Graham about Regina controlling him in some form, and manages to knock the box containing Graham's heart to the floor. The heart presumably hits the floor, and as Graham gasps in pain as his grip on Kurt loosens as well; allowing him to get away.

Kurt runs out of the office and into his car. Owen asks what is the matter, but he only says they have to get out of town. Graham's sheriff police car, with Regina inside, quickly catches up with Kurt's car. Momentarily, Kurt is able to lose them and nearly makes it to the town border, but Graham's car speeds out of nowhere and blocks the way out. Worried for his son's safety and Regina's fixation on Owen, he tells him to get out of the car and run as fast as he can into the woods and call his uncle. Owen is reluctant to leave his father, and doesn't want to go without him. Kurt assures Owen that as long as he has the keychain, he'll always be with him.

Owen does as his father asks him to and runs. But, he is horror stricken and stops when he sees Sheriff Graham cuffing his father. Kurt screams for him to run, and eventually is forced into the back of the police car. Later on, Owen brings police officers to the border of Storybrooke in the hopes of finding his father. Alas, the police officers cannot see the town at all despite Owen's stubbornness in continuing the search. With Owen gone, Regina disposes of Kurt by killing him and burying his remains at the former campsite where he and Owen once stayed.

After the Curse
Owen never gives up hope in finding his father again one day. He takes on the name Greg Mendell, and makes it his mission to rid of the world of magic. 28 years later, he crashes his car back into Storybrooke. After playing the part of an outsider who feigns ignorance about the true nature of the town and its inhabitants, Regina figures out Greg is Owen. He wants to know what happened to his father, and though Regina tries to make him believe she let him go, Greg does not buy it. Eventually, he corners Regina and straps her down on a table and electrocutes her to her body's limit until she confesses to killing Kurt after Greg left Storybrooke. In his fury, he turns up the power and nearly causes Regina's death, which is put a stop to David. Greg gets away and hurries to the woods to the former campsite, and begins shoveling away at the dirt. He hits something solid in the ground, and desperately claws away at the soil until his hands touch clothes he recognizes as his father's. Greg is devastated in seeing his father's skull, and realizes what Regina said is true. Tamara regroups with Greg as he is reburying his father's remains, and expresses deep condolences at the revelation. ("The Outsider", "Selfless, Brave and True", "Second Star to the Right")

Trivia

 * His casting call describes him as follows: "Ben, a 40-year-old, kind widower who is trying to help his son deal with the loss of his mother."
 * He has been called an "outsider".