Liam, also known as First Mate or Boy, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the eleventh episode of the fifth season. He is portrayed by co-star Sebastian West and guest star Nick Eversman.
The First Mate is based on Captain Nemo's first mate from the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and the Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
History
Liam is the son of Brennan and an unnamed nurse. Having lived with the guilt of abandoning his two sons years ago, Brennan names this son Liam, in honor of the children he lost. After his mother dies from the plague, Liam is brought up with only his father by his side. Hook, one of Brennan's two other sons, tracks his father down, with intentions of killing him, but decides not to after seeing that Brennan is a changed man. One night, Liam is tucked into bed by his father, who soothes his worries by assuring him to not be afraid as long as he can look into his own heart and decide what kind of man he wants to be one day. Hook overhears this and remembers Brennan having once given him the same promise, only to abandon him in the end. Believing this is proof that his father has not changed, Hook kills him, making Liam an orphan. ("Swan Song")
Left to fend for himself, Liam struggles to survive at the docks, with his heart full of hatred for his father's killer, whose identity he remains unaware of. A captain, Nemo, saves Liam and takes him under his wing. With his own experience with losing his family and getting revenge on those responsible, Nemo persuades Liam into not living his life for the sake of vengeance. As he stays with Nemo, Liam eventually develops a close father and son relationship with the captain. ("Dark Waters")
After being enacted by the Evil Queen, the Dark Curse freezes time in many places, but Liam ages correctly as Nemo takes him outside the Curse's bounds.[1]
Liam eventually becomes Captain Nemo's first mate aboard the Nautilus during his adulthood. One day, during Liam and Nemo's search for a key that'll lead them to the Mysterious Island, where they will have a fresh start in life, Nemo tracks down Hook, a man hell-bent on revenge against the Dark One. The captain could convincs to join their treasure hunt, because he believes Hook wants the same thing that both he and Liam have lost: a family. Hook remains skeptical of Nemo, and when he asks Liam about his history with the man, Liam explains his gratitude towards Nemo for saving him and persuading him to turn away from revenge. When Hook is attacked by a kraken, both Liam and Nemo come to his aid. After finding the key to the Mysterious Island, Liam discovers Hook is not only the man who killed his father, but is also his half-brother. Nemo attempts to talk him out of hurting Hook, but Liam refuses and lunges at the pirate with a knife, only for Nemo to be stabbed. As Liam holds a dying Nemo, he swears to make Hook pay, while Hook makes his escape from the Nautilus. Luckily, Nemo survives, after he and Liam reach the Mysterious Island. ("Dark Waters")
By Mr. Hyde's will, Liam and Nemo are taken from the Land of Untold Stories to Storybrooke, where Nemo's story becomes unpaused, causing the stab wound he had before to reform. Liam, believing Nemo died after arriving to Storybrooke, attempts to kill Hook in retaliation, not knowing Nemo is already receiving care at the hospital. After Liam is knocked out by Hook, he wakes up in the hospital, where he and Hook make peace. Meanwhile, a patched up Nemo is wheeled into the room and reunites with Liam. ("Dark Waters")
Family
Unknown | Brennan Jones † | Unknown † | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Liam Jones † | Killian Jones | Liam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes:
- Solid lines denote blood parent-child relationships
- Dashed lines denote marriage relationships and relationships that result in offspring
- † denotes the deceased
Trivia
Character Notes
- According to Brennan, Liam was named after his older half-brother to honor him and Killian. ("Swan Song")
Appearances
Once Upon a Time: Season Five | |||||||||||
"The Dark Swan": | "The Price": | "Siege Perilous": | "The Broken Kingdom": | "Dreamcatcher": | "The Bear and the Bow": | "Nimue": | "Birth": | "The Bear King": | "Broken Heart": | "Swan Song": | |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | |
"Souls of the Departed": | "Labor of Love": | "Devil's Due": | "The Brothers Jones": | "Our Decay": | "Her Handsome Hero": | "Ruby Slippers": | "Sisters": | "Firebird": | "Last Rites": | "Only You": | "An Untold Story": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Once Upon a Time: Season Six | ||||||||||
"The Savior": | "A Bitter Draught": | "The Other Shoe": | "Strange Case": | "Street Rats": | "Dark Waters": | "Heartless": | "I'll Be Your Mirror": | "Changelings": | "Wish You Were Here": | "Tougher Than the Rest": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Murder Most Foul": | "Ill-Boding Patterns": | "Page 23": | "A Wondrous Place": | "Mother's Little Helper": | "Awake": | "Where Bluebirds Fly": | "The Black Fairy": | "The Song in Your Heart": | "The Final Battle Part 1": | "The Final Battle Part 2": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |