New York City Serenade

"New York City Serenade" is the twelfth episode of Season Three of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Billy Gierhart. It is the fifty-sixth episode of the series overall, and premiered on March 9, 2014.

Synopsis
After Rumplestiltskin sacrificed his life to stop Pan from enacting another curse, Regina obliterated her original curse, which erased Storybrooke from existence and whisked its residents back to Fairy Tale Land – leaving Emma and Henry back in our world with no memories of Storybrooke. But all is not well back in the Enchanted Forest when Hook comes calling on Emma in New York City in an attempt to jog her memory so that she can once again help her fairy tale family and friends out of a desperate situation.

Recap
In the Enchanted Forest, Prince Phillip rides on horseback to a pavilion where Aurora is waiting for him. She has prepared a lunch for them both. She playfully complains that he is late. Stating that she is hungry and has missed him, she adds humorously that she is cranky due to her pregnancy. Their tender moment is interrupted by the ominous sound of thunder. They turn to see a purple cloud of smoke rolling towards them. They attempt to outrun the oncoming tempest, but it passes through them. Phillip and Aurora are unharmed and see that a number of former Enchanted Forest inhabitants have appeared before them, consisting of Snow White, Prince Charming and others. Aurora is shocked to see Snow, and asks her what has happened. Snow simply replies, "We're back."

In a flash forward of one year, Emma is  in New York City. She enters an up-scale restaurant to have dinner with Walsh, who is revealed to be her current boyfriend. Walsh asks about Henry's recent science project, which Emma recounts went well, partly due to Walsh's help. After their meal, Walsh excuses himself and mentions, somewhat cryptically, that he'll be back. During Walsh's absence, Hook sits in his vacant chair, startling Emma. Emma, still having no memory of Hook, insists that he leave. But Hook is persistent, telling her that her current life is a sham and warning her that her parents are in danger. Hook says he has proof of this and hands her a paper with an address on it, claiming that the truth of who Emma is and where her parents are can be found there. Emma rebuffs him, to which Hook then states that they've met before a year ago. Emma denies this, claiming that a year ago she was in Boston where her apartment had caught fire, prompting her to move to New York. Hook muses that Regina's curse is the cause of these false memories. Once again, Hook implores Emma to go the address he has given her and that he'll be waiting to hear from her at Central Park. When he leaves, Emma is left confused.

In a flashback, in the Enchanted Forest, Snow White, Prince Charming, Hook and Regina are catching up on what has happened during their absence. Aurora reports that the ogres have since been defeated and that they are in the process of restoring their kingdom. Snow White also notes that Aurora is pregnant. Prince Philip says that they have much to celebrate and offers them all refuge within their kingdom. This earns a troubled look from Aurora. Prince Charming is grateful but says that they have their own castle to go to. Snow White reminds him that their castle was decimated by the curse. Aurora says that Regina's former castle still stands, however, as Regina had protected it. Prince Charming and Regina bicker over who is the castle's rightful owner: Snow White or Regina. Snow says that they are going to reclaim it and that Regina is going to go with them. Regina finds the idea laughable, but Snow White insists, arguing that being united will give their people the hope they need at this troubled time. They then bid their farewells. Now alone with Prince Philip, Aurora gives voice to her worries: that they must tell "her" that the people of the Enchanted Forest have returned. Philip is loathed to do so, being fearful of that this unnamed woman will do to them. But Aurora is more worried what "she" will do if they fail to inform her of their return, reasoning that she may harm their yet unborn child. Aurora says they just have to hope the Enchanted Forest folks can look after themselves.

Back in New York City, Walsh re-enters to a confused Emma. He asks her what the paper (which Hook gave her) is and she replies that it's nothing. She is then given a dish with a dessert on it, and says that she's full. He tells her to look at it, in which he turns the dish over to reveal a ring surrounded by a circle of chocolate, and afterward tells her he couldn't wait any longer and that he loves her and Henry. She is left speechless as he proposes to her.

She is then seen walking out of the restaurant, and Walsh catches up to her. She tells him that it's too fast and that they've been together for only eight months. After a brief conversation, he tells her that she could take as much time as she wants.

Afterward, Henry is seen playing a video game after Emma walks in. He asks her what she said, and she tells him she needs time to think about it.

A year earlier, in the Enchanted Forest, everyone is making preparations for the Queen's castle.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina Mills*
 * Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle/Belle*
 * Colin O'Donoghue as Hook
 * Michael Raymond-James as Neal Cassidy
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Robert Carlyle (Credit only)

Guest Starring

 * Lee Arenberg as Grumpy/Leroy*
 * Sarah Bolger as Aurora
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny/Granny*
 * Christopher Gorham as Walsh
 * Rebecca Mader as the Wicked Witch of the West
 * Sean Maguire as Robin Hood
 * Julian Morris as Prince Phillip
 * Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood

Co-Starring

 * Jason Burkart as Little John
 * Michael Coleman as Happy/Happy*
 * Faustino Di Bauda as Sleepy/Walter*
 * David-Paul Grove as Doc/Doc*
 * Jeffrey Kaiser as Dopey/Dopey*
 * Gabe Khouth as Sneezy/Mr. Clark*
 * Mig Macario as Bashful/Bashful*
 * Michael P. Northey as Friar Tuck
 * David Orth as NY Cop #1

Uncredited

 * CGI Flying Monkeys
 * CGI Jiminy Cricket
 * CGI Maleficent*
 * CGI Wraith*
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Mother Superior*
 * Raphael Sbarge as Archie Hopper*
 * Rose McIver as Tinker Bell*

Quotes
Emma Swan: If what you're saying is true I'd have to give up my life here.

Hook: It's all based on lies.

Emma: It's real and it's pretty good.

Wicked Witch of the West: The Queen may be evil, but I'm wicked. And wicked always wins.

Production Notes

 * The title card features the New York City skyline.
 * The episode is named after a Bruce Springsteen song of the same name.
 * The larger plates that Aurora uses for preparing a meal under the pavilion are Arte Italica Merletto Canape Dinner Plates while the smaller ones are Arte Italica Merletto Canape Plates.
 * Curiously, when the residents of Storybrooke reappear in the Enchanted Forest, the group has changed slightly. The Blue Fairy and Tinker Bell are nowhere to be seen, but it is possible they are in the second group of fifty inhabitants, who landed in the Enchanted Forest two miles away, as mentioned by Jiminy to Grumpy.
 * Emma and Walsh have dinner at a restaurant called Ostria.
 * Walsh has a scar on the left side of his neck. The flying monkey that attacks Regina and Snow White is hit by an arrow in exactly the same spot.
 * The swan-shaped fruit bowl on the counter of Emma's apartment is a Giant Ceramic Bird Bowl made by Jonathan Adler.
 * The cuckoo clock in Emma's apartment  is a white Torre & Tagus Village Cuckoo Clock.
 * In Emma's apartment, there is a poster by the famous book illustrator Arthur Rackham, which contains one of his illustrations from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The caption says "Rackham in New York".
 * Henry reaches level twenty-three while playing a video game. This is a nod to the official Disney fan club D23.
 * Emma's plaid pants in New York City were chosen by Jennifer Morrison because of her character's blended memories.
 * Emma has a "The End" bookend from CB2 on her shelf.
 * The written address for Neal's apartment is 89 Wooster Street, New York, NY, 10012.
 * One of the letters addressed to Neal is from a Ms. C. Marion.
 * When Prince Charming asks Robin Hood if they are armed with weapons, he responds by saying, "We're lousy with them." The commonly used meaning for "lousy" is "of poor quality", but in this case, Robin Hood is using a different definition of the word, which means "amply supplied."
 * A hug between Emma and Hook, after she bails him out of jail in New York, was cut from the episode. According to Adam Horowitz, the hug was not scripted.
 * On Emma's apartment kitchen table, there is an Anthropologie Faccia Serving Bowl.
 * Ginnifer Goodwin's real-life pregnancy was written into the show's storyline, although her character's pregnancy had already been planned for a long time. According to Ginnifer, the series creators knew that she and Josh wanted to start a family, and everyone was hoping that the timing would overlap. The writers had given themselves some wiggle room, "so once we became pregnant in real life, they could say, “All right, here we go.”"

Event Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest events occur after "Quite a Common Fairy" and before "Witch Hunt", and one year before the casting of the new curse in part two of "A Curious Thing".
 * The Land Without Magic events occur after "Going Home" and before "Witch Hunt".

Episode Connections

 * Aurora's pregnancy was first revealed in "Quite a Common Fairy".
 * Hook mentions Emma and Henry's last visit to New York City in "Manhattan" and "The Queen Is Dead".
 * Hook learned about Emma's "superpower" in "The Doctor".
 * What Philip and Aurora are hiding from Snow White and Prince Charming is revealed in "A Curious Thing".
 * Storybrooke's destruction occurred in "Going Home".
 * The dream catcher in Neal's apartment first appeared in "Broken". It's backstory is told in "Tallahassee".
 * Emma finds a blood-stained rag in Neal's apartment from when Mr. Gold was stabbed by Hook in "The Queen Is Dead".
 * What happened to Hook after he left the others, and how he found his ship, is revealed in "The Jolly Roger".
 * Neal and Belle revive Rumplestiltskin in "Quiet Minds".
 * Robin Hood mentions Belle rescuing him in "Lacey".
 * This is not the first time Hook has been chained up by Emma; she also did this in "Tallahasee" and "In the Name of the Brother".
 * When Emma regains her memories, she regains flashbacks from "Pilot", "A Land Without Magic", "Broken", "Manhattan", "Second Star to the Right", "Ariel", and "Going Home".
 * Who cast the new curse, and who sent the message to Hook, is revealed in "A Curious Thing".
 * Walsh's reason for getting close to Emma is revealed in "The Jolly Roger".
 * Emma's lingering question about Walsh's origins is answered in "It's Not Easy Being Green", which also explains how he became a flying monkey.
 * Emma calls Hook by his real name, Killian Jones, which was a name first revealed in "The Crocodile".
 * Emma's iconic red jacket, the "one last thing" she needs before going back to Storybrooke, was first seen in "Pilot".
 * The new curse is broken in "A Curious Thing".

Disney

 * Aurora's food tray features a hidden Mickey Mouse head.

Lost

 * When Emma arrives in Storybrooke, the clock tower is currently at eight-fifteen. Eight and fifteen are two of the Lost numbers.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features Belle from the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, Red Riding Hood and her grandmother from the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, the Talking Cricket from the Pinocchio story, Aurora and Prince Phillip from the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, the seven dwarves, Evil Queen, Prince Charming and Snow White from the Snow White fairytale, Friar Tuck, Little John and Robin Hood from the Robin Hood ballad, and the Wicked Witch of the West and a Flying Monkey from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.
 * The line spoken by Regina, "Nobody eats my porridge and nobody sits in my chair", is a reference to Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
 * In Emma's apartment, there is a poster by the famous book illustrator Arthur Rackham, which features one of his illustrations from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Pop Culture

 * Henry reaches level twenty-three in the video game Diablo III.