"Dirty Little Secrets"

"Dirty Little Secrets"
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Episode 10
Episode Information
Character backstory	Cyrus
Premiere date	March 13, 2014
Viewers	3.22 million
Written by	Adam Nussdorf and Rina Mimoun
Directed by	Alex Zakrzewski
Episode Chronology
Previous Episode	"Nothing to Fear"
Next Episode	"Heart of the Matter"
Related Pages

“

You let your desires override the fates. Now, it will be your fate to serve the desires of others.

”

—Nyx to Cyrus, Taj and Rafi

"Dirty Little Secrets" is the tenth episode of ABC's Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It was written by Adam Nussdorf and Rina Mimoun and directed by Alex Zakrzewski. It premiered on March 13, 2014.

Synopsis

In flashback, Cyrus’ actions lead to a fateful day that leaves his mother near death, resulting in a decision that comes with a binding price he and his brothers have to pay. Meanwhile, after banding together, Alice, Cyrus, The Knave of Hearts and the Red Queen split up into two groups that leaves the Knave and the Red Queen face to face with the fearful Jabberwocky, and Cyrus’ guilt about his past tests his relationship with Alice.

Recap

This section is a detailed recap of this episode. There are major spoilers. Click to expand.

Cast

Starring Sophie Lowe as Alice Michael Socha as Knave of Hearts Peter Gadiot as Cyrus Emma Rigby as the Red Queen Naveen Andrews as Jafar John Lithgow as the White Rabbit (Voice) Guest Starring Leah Gibson as Nyx Raza Jaffrey as Taj Dejan Loyola as Rafi Peta Sergeant as Jabberwocky Zuleikha Robinson as Amara

Co-Starring Ben Cotton as Tweedle #2 Fabian Gujral as Thug #1 Balinder Johal as Healer Arkie Kandola as Bartender Christopher Logan as Thug #2 Kalvin Olafson as Villager Benjamin Wilkinson as White Knight Uncredited Lauren McKnight as Lizard

Trivia

• Production Notes
• Episode Connections
• Cultural References
• Set Notes

Production Notes

• The title card features the Well of Wonders.
• When Cyrus wins the card game, he lays down his cards, which all look the same, and says "capo", which is Italian for head, boss, chief.
• When Jafar uses Lizard's eyes to view the last person her eyes saw after death, he casts a spell: De visu intueri. Visione revelare, which is Latin for "Look out of sight. Reveal vision."
• Benjamin Wilkinson, who plays the White Knight, also plays Isaac's boss in the Once Upon a Time episode "Operation Mongoose Part 1".

Event Chronology

• The Wonderland events occur after "Nothing to Fear" and before "Heart of the Matter". (For more details, see the Wonderland timeline)
• The Agrabah events occur before "The Serpent". (For more details, see the Agrabah timeline)

Fairytales and Folklore

• The episode is a rendition of the Aladdin story, focusing on the origins of the genie.
  • Also included is the evil sorcerer from the same story.
• Also featured are Alice, Knave of Hearts, Lizard, and the White Rabbit from the Alice in Wonderland story as well as the Red Queen, the Jabberwocky, Tweedledum, and the White Knight from the story's sequel.
• The line spoken by the Jabberwocky, "Little pig, Little pig, let me come in", is a reference to the wolf from Three Little Pigs.

Popular Culture

• As Cyrus and his brothers celebrate the victorious card game, Cyrus orders mahia for everyone in the bar. Mahia ("water of life") is the traditional eau de vie of Morocco, and is made from dried figs and anise seeds. It is traditionally distilled by Jews.

Props Notes

• The Agrabah Well of Wonders is a redressed version of the gazebo that Phillip and Aurora have a picnic under in the Once Upon a Time episode "New York City Serenade".
• One of Cyrus' brothers' Genie Lamps is the same prop as the genie's lamp from "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", but with differently colored jewels.
• When Jafar opens the book of spells, one of the pages contains characters from the reconstruction of the mysterious Emerald Tablet, one of the pillars of Western alchemy, and said to be inscribed with the secrets of the universe. One interpretation suggests that the inscription describes seven stages of alchemical transformation—calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation and coagulation. Curiously, many of the character's in Jafar's book are mirror-inverted.
  • Below these characters there is a Latin excerpt from Ars grammatica by Aelius Donatus, a fourth century Roman grammarian and teacher of rhetoric. It says: "Vt docte; conparativi, ut doctius; superlativi, ut doctissime. Magis doctius et tam doctissime non dicimus, quia magis et tam positivo gradui tantum iungitur, licet veteres dixerint tam magis et quam magis. Figurae adverbiorum quot sunt?"

International Titles

International Titles
Language	Title	Translation
French	"Secrets de Famille"	"Family Secrets"
German	"Der Fluch der guten Tat"	"The Curse of the Good Deed"
Italian	"Piccoli sporchi segreti"	"Little Dirty Secrets"

Videos

W1x10 - Dirty Little Secrets - Promo

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