I'll Be Your Mirror

"Regina: Now, we can't hurt the Queen, but maybe we can trap her. Emma: In a mirror? Regina: In the world behind the mirror."

"I'll Be Your Mirror" is the eighth episode of Season Six of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jerome Schwartz & Leah Fong, and directed by Jennifer Lynch. It is the one-hundredth and nineteenth episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 13, 2016.

Synopsis
Emma and Regina formulate a plan to trap the Evil Queen in a prison of their own making, while Snow and David adjust to life without each other. As Henry nervously prepares to take Violet to the school dance, the Evil Queen impersonates Regina to give him some advice that could lead him down a dark path. Meanwhile, Zelena agrees to help Belle, and together they enlist Aladdin to steal a magical object from Mr. Gold that could protect Belle and her unborn child from him forever.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills/Evil Queen (Serum)
 * 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

 * Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin
 * Karen David as Princess Jasmine
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Tzi Ma as the Dragon
 * Olivia Steele Falconer as Violet

Co-Starring

 * David Avalon (Press release only)
 * Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark

Uncredited

 * Unknown baby as Prince Neal

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The title card features the World Behind the Mirror.
 * The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on September 14, 2016.
 * When Emma and Regina confront the Evil Queen at the beach, three swans are swimming in the water. This is a reference to Emma's last name.
 * In the episode script, when Hook asks the Evil Queen what she's done with Emma and Regina, he first says, "You always underestimated me."
 * The script also contains a sequence where Hook goes to embrace Emma and asks, "Alright there, Swan?". This ended up being cut from the episode.
 * At the end of the episode, Aladdin and Jasmine are talking about their old friend, the Genie, who is gone and free now. This is a reference to the late Robin Williams, who voiced the Genie in Disney's Aladdin.


 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Storybrooke events take place after "Heartless" and before "Changelings".
 * The World Behind the Mirror events take place after Sidney Glass is freed from the Mirror by Ingrid in "Breaking Glass".

Episode Connections

 * The Evil Queen placed the new Sleeping Curse on Snow and David in "Heartless".
 * The Evil Queen says to Henry that "posture is self-respect", just like she did in "The Other Shoe".
 * The Magic Mirror was previously trapped in the World Behind the Mirror in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" and again as Sidney Glass in "A Tale of Two Sisters".
 * Zelena talks about how she saved Mr. Gold's life back in the New York hospital, an event that took place in "Heart of Gold".
 * Violet mentions her first date with Henry, an event that took place in "Dreamcatcher".
 * The Dragon has been freed from the mirror world by the time of "Mother's Little Helper".


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * When Aladdin steals from Mr. Gold, a cymbal-banging monkey toy is sitting on the pawnshop counter. This is a reference to Abu, Aladdin's monkey in the movie, who was turned into a cymbal-banging monkey toy by Jafar.
 * Henry tells the Evil Queen that she "can't Darth Vader him" and adds, "I'll never join you". This is a reference to the famous scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, where Darth Vader asks his son Luke Skywalker to join him, and Luke answers, "I'll never join you!"
 * The queen answers that they "watched those movies enough to know that Darth Vader wasn't so black and white"; a reference to Anakin Skywalker's story from the Star Wars saga.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features the Evil Queen from the Snow White fairytale, the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, and Aladdin and the Princess from the One Thousand and One Nights story.
 * Hephaestus' Hammer from Greek Mythology appears, while Hephaestus himself is mentioned.

Popular Culture

 * The song playing during the montage scene with David and Mary Margaret is "Colours" by Donovan.
 * According to Henry, Violet "stood him up for John Hughes movie night twice". He then says that they watched The Breakfast Club together, and they were going to watch Sixteen Candles next (to show Violet his "fun side"). The Breakfast Club (1985) is a classic coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by John Hughes, while Sixteen Candles (1984) is a famous coming-of-age comedy by the same director.
 * Later, Violet says that she has a hard time adjusting to school, comparing it to the movies that Henry showed her. She wonders if she is "a jock, a princess or a nerd", a reference to The Breakfast Club, a story about five high school students who represent different stereotypes - a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal.
 * The song Henry and Violet are dancing to at the diner is "In My Dreams" by Ruth B.
 * The singer commented on this on Twitter, saying "A song of mine may or may not be used in tonight's episode of my fav show ever".


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The hand-held mirror that the Evil Queen uses to trap Emma and Regina is the same mirror that the genie kept with him inside his lamp in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", and where he got trapped after making his final wish in the same episode.
 * The scenes in the World Behind the Mirror were filmed in a green-screen room filled with green-screen mirrors. Real apple trees were brought in as background elements.
 * The mirror that Regina finds in Sidney's nest is the World Behind the Mirror version of the mirror that he first appeared in "The Thing You Love Most", and where she trapped him in "A Tale of Two Sisters".
 * The genie lamp that Aladdin steals from Mr. Gold's pawnshop is the same prop that was used for the Magic Mirror's lamp in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", but with differently colored jewels. The same lamp was in Mr. Gold's shop in "Heart of Darkness", "Welcome to Storybrooke" and Mr. Gold's dream in "Lacey".
 * Writer Leah Fong confirmed on Twitter that the genie who used to occupy Aladdin's lamp is a different genie, and not the Magic Mirror.
 * In addition, one of Cyrus' brothers' genie lamps on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is the same prop as the magic mirror's lamp, but, again, with differently colored jewels.

Set Dressing

 * One of the mirrors in the World Behind the Mirror is the same prop that was used for the mirror that Zelena looks into in the Dark Castle in "It's Not Easy Being Green", and Zelena's mirror in Oz in "Our Decay", "Ruby Slippers and "The Song in Your Heart". It is best seen in the shot where Regina says, "There is no way out", where the mirror can be seen behind her.

Costume Notes

 * The dress worn by the Evil Queen when she meets with Mr. Gold at the end of the episode is the same one worn by her original persona when the Magic Mirror becomes trapped in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", and when conversing with Rumplestiltskin about Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding in "The Cricket Game".
 * Belle is wearing a Anthropologie Perrie Lace Dress (no longer available).
 * Emma is wearing a Joie 'Oakes' Embroidered Blouse and a Majesty Peacoat in the color red. Emma wears the same coat in the next episode, "Changelings" and "Tougher Than the Rest".
 * The coat was also worn by the character Liv Moore (played by Once Upon a Time's Rose McIver) on the iZombie episode "Looking for Mr. Goodbrain, Part 1".
 * Mary Margaret is wearing a Rebecca Taylor Embroidered Silk Blouse.


 * -|Other Notes=

Filming Locations

 * The Storybrooke beach scenes were filmed in Garry Point Park, a large 75 acres waterfront park, located close to Steveston Village.