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The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse... The enchantment is indeed powerful but all power has its limits, and this tree can protect only one.

—The Blue Fairy to Snow White and Prince Charming src

The Magic Wardrobe is a portal featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the first episode of the first season.


History

Before First Curse

As the Evil Queen threatens to cause misery on all the citizens of the Enchanted Forest, Prince Charming and Snow White seek out a prophetic wizard named Rumplestiltskin to learn what their nemesis has in store for them. He tells them of a Dark Curse the Evil Queen will cast, which will take everyone to another land and the only person who can save them in twenty-eight years time is their unborn child. While the couple is how to combat the curse, the Blue Fairy goes to ask for assistance from a wood carver, Geppetto, so he can make a wardrobe out of the last enchanted tree in the land. When she explains the wardrobe will protect two people from the curse, Geppetto becomes concerned about his son Pinocchio's safety. He requests that Pinocchio be one of two who will go through the wardrobe. Reluctantly, the Blue Fairy agrees. Later, she presents the tree to Prince Charming and Show White, but lies and states the wardrobe can only protect only one person from the curse. Geppetto and Pinocchio work on carving the wardrobe as it is decided Snow White, while she is still pregnant, will go through it when the curse is cast. ("Pilot")

Problematically, Snow White gives birth early on the same day the curse begins to spread and gives birth to a daughter, Emma. This calls for a change of plans, so the Blue Fairy retracts her previous deal with Geppetto and asks him to let Snow White and Emma go through the wardrobe together. After she leaves, he disregards her instructions and selfishly places Pinocchio into the wardrobe. Before closing the wardrobe to send his son away, Geppetto instructs Pinocchio to watch over Emma in the new world. Afterwards, Prince Charming fights his way past the Evil Queen's knights to the wardrobe and places Emma into it. She is transported from the wardrobe into the woods where Pinocchio picks her up from inside the hollow of the tree. Pinocchio takes her into a diner and the two of them are placed in the same foster care home, though he later abandons her to grow up alone. ("The Stranger")

After First Curse

After the Dark Curse is broken, a mishap in sending a Wraith through a vortex in the hat causes Emma to be pulled in as Mary Margaret follows her. Eventually, they end up in a Safe Haven of the Enchanted Forest and gain the help of Lancelot's best warrior, Mulan, as they go on a journey to find a way back to Storybrooke. While Mulan and another companion, Aurora, stand guard outside, Emma and Mary Margaret arrive inside the old royal castle where the magic wardrobe is still intact from the day the curse was cast. Mary Margaret suggests they need to take the wardrobe back with them to the Safe Haven. Suddenly, Lancelot appears and offers help, though he is more focused on the wardrobe than them. Suspiciously, Mary Margaret realizes this person is not Lancelot when he drops Henry's name, which was never previously brought up to anyone in the Enchanted Forest except Cora. The mask of Lancelot melts off to reveal Cora, who uses magic to throw the two women out of her way. Then, she attempts to reach the wardrobe, but Emma burns it to ash. Since their only way home is now gone, they leave the castle empty-handed. Cora materializes back into the room to collect the ashes, which unbeknownst to anyone else except her, can still be used to make a portal. ("Lady of the Lake")

Cora teams up with Hook to steal an magic compass from Emma, which is the other ingredient needed to build a portal. They head to Lake Nostos to pour the ashes of the wardrobe in. As a portal materalizes, they prepare to jump in as both hold onto the compass, but Mulan's fired arrow hits the item and hurls it into the sand. A battle ensues between Cora and Hook against Emma, Mary Margaret and Mulan. Only Emma and Mary Margaret are left after Mulan leaves the fight early to return something to Aurora. The two succeed in defeating Cora and Regina, to which they jump into the lake to Storybrooke. ("Queen of Hearts")

Trivia

Props Notes

Costume Notes

Appearances

Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.

References

  1. File:722OriginalCurse.png
  2. TwitterLogo Ginnifer Goodwin (@ginnygoodwin) on X, formerly Twitter: One director gave me a replica of the key used to lock baby Emma in the wardrobe/portal. (March 9, 2014). (backup link; the user's account and the original post have been deleted) (archive screenshot)
  3. File:201SheNeedsToBeLockedUp.png
    File:206ItWasBright.png
  4. File:106StayAwayFromYou.png
  5. Ginnifer Goodwin on the Season Two Blu-ray/DVD Audio Commentary for "Broken"
  6. File:101Wardrobe.png
  7. File:102See.png
  8. File:607TheyFoundYou.png
  9. File:407SnowCharmingStorybook.png
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