Flower Child

"Instead, you find a place to grow anew. That is your responsibility now. Remember what you were destined to blossom into. My daughter, all mothers know that only goodness can bear sweet fruit."

- Flora to Gothel

"Flower Child" is the nineteenth episode of Season Seven of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, and directed by Tessa Blake. It is the one hundred and fifty-second episode of the series overall, and premiered on April 27, 2018.

Synopsis
Tilly and Rogers find themselves in danger after an encounter with Eloise, forcing Tilly to make a life-altering decision when Rogers' life is threatened. Meanwhile, Henry and Jacinda's relationship takes a step forward, but despite Lucy's efforts, their union doesn't provide the answers she's seeking. In a flashback, young Gothel seeks revenge after her home is destroyed.

Starring

 * Lana Parrilla (Credit only)
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Rogers
 * Andrew J. West as Henry Mills
 * Dania Ramirez as Jacinda Vidrio
 * Alison Fernandez as Lucy
 * Mekia Cox (Credit only)
 * Robert Carlyle (Credit only)

Guest Starring

 * Emma Booth as Gothel/Eloise Gardener
 * Daniel Francis as Mr. Samdi
 * Gabrielle Miller as Flora
 * Jeff Pierre as Drew
 * Rose Reynolds as Tilly
 * Tiera Skovbye as Margot
 * Emily Tennant as Isla
 * Naika Toussaint as Seraphina

Co-Starring

 * Bruce Blain as Desk Sergeant
 * Kyra Leroux as Yarrow

Uncredited

 * Unknown as Madame Leota
 * Crystal Dalman as Coven Member

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Title

 * The title card features a carriage.
 * The carriage is identical to the one driven by Cinderella in "Hyperion Heights".
 * The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on February 9, 2018.

Production Notes

 * The CGI model used for Lord Adriel's ball room is recycled from the model used for the Wilmore Estate in 19th Century France in the Season Six episode "A Bitter Draught".


 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Seattle events take place after "The Guardian".
 * The Land Without Magic flashbacks take place thousands of years ago, before "Second Star to the Right".

Episode Connections

 * Henry talks about how he saw a photograph of himself with Roni where he was eight years old, an event that took place in "Greenbacks" and "Wake Up Call".
 * Henry shows Jacinda the results that proves that he is Lucy's father, which were previously showed to him by Nick in "Chosen".
 * Drew is being interrogated at the police station after being arrested by Rogers in "The Guardian".
 * Drew and Rogers discuss Nick's murder, which happened in "Chosen".
 * Eloise admits that she abandoned Alice when the latter was a child, referring to events in "Eloise Gardener".
 * Weaver stole Roni's magic in "The Guardian".
 * Lucy mentions the time Jacinda tried to escape Hyperion Heights with her, an event that happened in "Hyperion Heights".
 * The plant which Gothel sets loose on her enemies is the same plant that Drizella discovered in the ruins of Gothel's old tower in "Wake Up Call".


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * Jacinda finds a frog plushie in the box, a reference to Tiana and Naveen, who were transformed into frogs in The Princess and the Frog.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Rapunzel fairytale, with the origins of Dame Gothel.
 * Eloise says that Tilly "was born from both sides of the looking glass", a reference to the novel Through the Looking-Glass.

Lost

 * Henry says he saw a photograph of himself with Roni where he was eight years old, a reference to the second Lost number.

Popular Culture

 * Eloise mentions an extinct tree in India called the Arunchal Hopea.
 * Isla pours a bucket of mud onto Gothel, who takes her revenge by going to the ball covered in mud and using her magic powers to lock the doors and kill all the guests. This is a reference to the famous scene from the supernatural horror film Carrie and the book of the same name, where the bullies dump a bucket of pigs' blood onto the titular character, who then locks everyone in and slaughter all the guests at the school prom with her telekinetic powers.
 * Ironically, Emilie de Ravin and Rena Sofer starred in the 2002 television film adaptation of the novel.
 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The box where Henry keeps the piece of Cinderella's glass slipper is the same prop that was used for his mother Emma's box of keepsakes in the Season One episode "The Price of Gold", the Season Four episode "Breaking Glass" and the Season Six episodes "Tougher Than the Rest" and "The Song in Your Heart".

Set Dressing

 * On one of Henry's bulletin boards, Roni is also listed under the name "Rani". "Rani" is Sanskrit for "queen".
 * The name Gina Mackay appears on one of Henry's bulletin boards. This is a real-life person who works as a graphic designer on the show.
 * Also mentioned on the billboards are Little Boy Blue and Humpty Dumpty.
 * The toadstool decorations on Rogers' dashboard are a reference to New Wonderland, where his daughter Alice used to spend time.


 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The scenes in the Tree Nymphs' Grove were filmed on a blue-screen set. While the most of the interior was real, the background was added digitally in post-production.
 * The Paramount Gentlemen's Club in New Westminster doubles as The Hyperion Theatre for exterior scenes.