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Captain Ahab is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts, with his only appearance, in the thirteenth episode of the seventh season and is portrayed by guest star Chad Rook.
Captain Ahab is based on the character of the same name from the novel Moby-Dick.
History
At some point, Captain Ahab gains Maui's fish hook. He learns about the fearsome pirate, Captain Hook, who reportedly has gone soft by giving up his revenge against the crocodile, Rumplestiltskin. In a tavern, Ahab meets Hook when the latter comes to claim the fish hook for himself. He regards Hook as old and weathered and even boasts that people now praise him for being who Hook used to be. Ahab is eager for a fight to determine who can have the hook, but Hook persuades him to settle the dispute with a dice game. Despite rolling a strong hand, Ahab is beaten by Hook and forced to give up his prize to him. Abah taunts him about the rumors that he gave up on his crocodile, however, Hook boldly proclaims he intends to use the hook to kill Rumplestiltskin. Later when Hook goes to see Rumplestiltskin, whom he agreed to free in exchange for help saving his daughter Alice, Ahab follows him there, deeming him weak for not killing the Dark One but teaming up with him. Hook's temper becomes inflamed as Abah mocks him for allowing another person do his dirty work to save his own family, so when Rumplestiltskin begs to be set free and offers to kill Ahab, Hook declines and instead agrees to Ahab's demand for a public duel to prove which of them is tougher. In a pistol duel, Ahab and Hook face away and walk 10 paces before both of them fire a single shot at each other. Ahab's bullet, unknowingly coated with a poison by Gothel, only grazes Hook while Hook's bullet wounds Ahab, causing him to bleed profusely. Although Hook wins the duel, he leaves abruptly to go back to Alice, realizing his family is more important than his honor, as Ahab is left behind, his fate unknown. ("Knightfall")
Trivia
On-Screen Notes
- Instead of immediately going back to his daughter, Wish Hook engages Captain Ahab in a duel to defend his honor. However, he soon realizes that his family is more important than his pride. J.M. Barrie has openly admitted that the character of Captain Hook and his vendetta against the crocodile, was inspired by Herman Melville's Captain Ahab from Moby-Dick.[1] This means that Wish Hook is essentially battling a version of himself, and the duel can be viewed as a representation of his inner struggle.
Production Notes
- In an interview with Entertainment Weekly from October 2012, show creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis were asked if Captain Ahab could appear on Once Upon a Time. Horowitz replied, "I like Ahab," while Kitsis added, "You never know."[2] The character eventually made an appearance in the show's seventh and final season, five and a half years later.
- According to Chad Rook, "Moby-Dick is not the only tale of Captain Ahab worth telling," as he described "Knightfall" as "a whole other tale."[3]
Fairytales and Folklore
- Captain Ahab's wooden leg has an illustration of a whale,[4] a reference to the titular character of the Moby-Dick novel. ("Knightfall")
Appearances
| Once Upon a Time: Season Seven | ||||||||||
| "Hyperion Heights": | "A Pirate's Life": | "The Garden of Forking Paths": | "Beauty": | "Greenbacks": | "Wake Up Call": | "Eloise Gardener": | "Pretty in Blue": | "One Little Tear": | "The Eighth Witch": | "Secret Garden": |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| "A Taste of the Heights": | "Knightfall": | "The Girl in the Tower": | "Sisterhood": | "Breadcrumbs": | "Chosen": | "The Guardian": | "Flower Child": | "Is This Henry Mills?": | "Homecoming": | "Leaving Storybrooke": |
| Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
References
- ↑ Wilson, An (October 27, 2008). Moby-Dick - a modern tragedy. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. “Barrie openly acknowledged that Captain Hook and his obsession with the crocodile was an English version of Ahab.”
- ↑ Hibberd, James (October 21, 2012). 'Once Upon' showrunners reveal which famous characters they'd consider adding. Entertainment Weekly. “Captain Ahab? Horowitz: "I like Ahab." Kitsis: "You never know."”
- ↑
Chad Rook (@ChadRook) on X, formerly Twitter: #MobyDick is not the only tale of #CaptainAhab worth telling. Tune in to #OnceUponATime #March16 for a whole other tale. (February 23, 2018). (backup link)
- ↑ File:713AhabYouSeek.png
File:713SayForAhab.png
Concept art: File:713ConceptArt1.jpg
