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Now let's find out who murdered my father.

David to Hook

"Murder Most Foul" is the twelfth episode of Season Six of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jerome Schwartz & Jane Espenson, and directed by Morgan Beggs. It is the one hundred and twenty-third episode of the series overall, and premiered on March 12, 2017.

Synopsis

Before Hook takes the next step in his relationship with Emma, he wants to make sure David sees him as more than just a pirate. So when David asks Hook to help him uncover the truth about his father’s death, Hook agrees. Meanwhile, Regina works to acclimate Robin to life in Storybrooke, but soon discovers he has a dark side that makes the task much more complicated than she anticipated.[2]

Recap

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

In the decades before the first curse began, Ruth and Robert are the parents of newborn twins David and James, who require serious medical attention, or they will die. When Rumplestiltskin shows up and sees them, he offers them a deal that results in Rumplestiltskin taking James, as part of a deal he made earlier with King George in exchange for giving the parents the medicine for David.

Years later, King George wants to know the whereabouts of Prince James. The news has Robert, who has become an alcoholic, convinced that finding his birth son will solve their family's problems. He is then given a coin by David (the same one that The Evil Queen returned to David in Storybrooke) as a sign of good luck in finding James. The first stop Robert makes is to see Rumplestiltskin, who asks for a hair strand from him. Rumple then looks into a crystal ball and located James to a place called Pleasure Island. As Rumplestiltskin gives Robert a ticket to the Island to find James, he takes the hair strand from Robert. When Robert arrives at the amusement park-themed Pleasure Island, he is met by Pinocchio, who already has met James. Pinocchio leads Robert to his birth son and explained everything about his real life. As they attempt to escape, the barkers go after them and they are caught. Robert and James are then handed over to King George. Robert pleads with the King to let James return with him, but King George decides to issue an order to have Robert killed.

The moments of Robert's death are later revealed. It turns out that on the night that Robert was scheduled to be executed, a group of pirates raided the carriage and stole gold and other valuables, then killed the guards. Robert begged for mercy, saying that he wouldn't tell anyone, but he ended up being killed as well. Robert's murderer was Killian "Hook" Jones, who then ordered his men to take Robert's body and the carriage to the side of the road, so it would look like an accident.

In Storybrooke

The mystery surrounding Robert's murder is starting to have a strange effect on David to the point of seeing visions, as his father starts giving David cryptic messages to find out the truth. Meanwhile, Hook has scheduled a meeting with Archie on how to propose to Emma, but is worried about the reaction from David. When Hook later sees David, he noticed how obsessed David has become with finding out who murdered Robert, and now wants Hook to help him, albeit reluctantly from the pirate. Later on, David sneaks into Emma's place to look for items to help him. Hook agrees to play lookout when Emma approaches and he convinced her not to go in the place. David then finds a spell book and with Hook's help tries to follow the instructions, and it leads them to a clue which reveals that Robert may be on Pleasure Island.

David and Hook go to see August to ask about Pleasure Island, but a concerned August removed the pages that could include more information about Robert. By now, Hook is starting to worry about David seeking revenge, but David turns on Hook by handcuffing him to a bike rack and drives away. David returns to the asylum to confront the now-jailed Albert and challenges him to a fight to the death, only to have Hook intervene and place Albert back in jail. David is heartbroken to learn that Robert died because he tried to do the right thing, and after being convinced by Hook, David decides not to kill Albert, and afterwards apologized to Hook for making a terrible mistake. Hook in return asks David for Emma's hand in marriage and David gives Hook his blessing.

In between the events, the Wish Realm Robin is starting to adjust to life in Storybrooke and after a heated Zelena confronts Regina about the Wish Realm Robin not being able to have any rights to her daughter and leaves, Regina checks on Robin and finds him missing and a picture of Keith, who Robin thinks is the Sheriff of Nottingham from his realm. Regina stops Robin from killing Keith by making him disappear. Regina tells Robin about his real world counterpart having a son and daughter in this realm, and they agree to start fresh with a kiss. Later that night, Regina visits a now awake Snow, and tells her that bringing Robin back was not only a mistake, but she is now starting to question how he managed to survive coming to the portal. She even questions why her kiss with Robin felt like she was kissing paper. It turns out that the Wish Realm Robin had a real reason, and an ulterior motive, when he steals a box from Regina's vault that he sees as powerful.

Hook is later confronted by August, who tells him about the real reason he tore the pages out of the book and gives them to Hook, and when he sees the pages, he recognizes Robert and realizes that he was the person who had killed David's father. Hook then hides the pages from Emma and after she kisses him, looks at the engagement ring and finds himself worried about how to deal with this situation, knowing that the man he killed was Emma's grandfather.

This episode summary is adapted from Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).

Deleted Scenes

Originally, donkeys wearing hats were set to appear in the episode, a reference to The Adventures of Pinocchio and its Disney adaptation, where all boys sent to the Land of Toys (renamed Pleasure Island for the Disney film) are turned into donkeys. The donkeys were brought in for the episode, dressed up in headgear and everything, and filmed in an enclosure in front of a green-screen,[3] but this ended up being cut from the episode.

Cast[2]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Trivia

Title

Production Notes

  • ABANDONED IDEAS: A wanted poster for young Prince James was created for this episode,[7] but it wasn't used on-screen.
  • ABANDONED IDEAS: In the episode script, when Hook is trying to keep Emma from entering the garden shed, Emma says, "Hook. You forgot about something."[8] In the actual episode, she says, "Hang on! You're forgetting something."
  • REUSED FOOTAGE: Footage from the filming of the establishing shot of Storybrooke after the scene with Hook and David at the docks[9] is re-used for the scene where Gideon is inside the clock tower in "Mother's Little Helper".[10] The shot from "Mother's Little Helper" does not have any people in it (the original shot shows two extras walking past the clock tower), indicating that the new shot was created from cut footage from before or after the extras walked down on the street.

Event Chronology

Episode Connections

Disney

Lost

Fairytales and Folklore


respect to this of yours; we are now in the first country
of the world, and without doubt the customs of the place
must be in the highest degree judicious. Wherefore your
worship may be pleased to conduct us to the place where
this gentleman of whom you have spoken is to be found.
I cannot but suppose, from what you say, that he is
much honoured, of great power and influence, of very
generous nature, and, above all, highly accomplished in
the profession."


"Truly, Sir," rejoined Rincon, "all this is Hebrew to us;
we know no more about it than we do of flying."
"Let us be jogging, then," replied the new-comer, "and
on the way I will explain to you these and other things,
which it is requisite you should know as pat as bread to
mouth;" and, accordingly, he explained to them a whole
vocabulary of that thieves' Latin which they call Germ-
anesco, or Gerigonza, and which their guide used in
the course of his lecture,--by no means a short one, for
the distance they had to traverse was of considerable
length.


  • The same excerpt appears in dozens of episodes; read the article for Henry's storybook for a transcript.
  • 🍎 APPLES: A pair of red apples is sitting on Regina's coffee table,[16] a reference to the poisoned apple from the "Snow White" fairytale.
  • HIDDEN DETAILS: On Pleasure Island, statues of a griffin and a winged lion can be seen among the gargoyles that children throw bottles at.[17] A griffin is a legendary creature which has the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a lion, while the winged lion is a mythological creature that resembles a lion with bird-like wings.

Popular Culture

Props Notes

  • PAUSE AND READ: The bulletin board that David puts together, is full of notes, including:[19]

Set Dressing

  • IT KEEPS MOVING: Apocynum seu Fritillaria crassa monstrosa can also be seen in Regina's hallway in the Season One premiere "Pilot"[48] and in Regina's kitchen in the Season One episode "An Apple Red as Blood".[49]
  • IT KEEPS MOVING: The illustration of the cocklebur plants could also be seen next to Regina's bedroom window when she woke up in Storybrooke for the first time in the Season Two episode "Welcome to Storybrooke",[50] but it could only be seen from far away and not very clearly.
  • IT KEEPS MOVING: The same picture appeared in Regina's bedroom when she woke up in Storybrooke for the first time in the Season Two episode "Welcome to Storybrooke".[51]

Costume Notes

Filming Locations

  • The scenes at the Pleasure Island amusement park were filmed on a green-screen set.[74] Parts of the set was real, while the rest was added digitally in post-production.

Goofs

  • The expiration date on Emma's license plate says 2009,[75] even though it said December 2011 in "Pilot"[76] (which takes place in 2011), and 2014 in "Lily".[77]
  • By the end of the episode, while under the sleeping curse, David has been seen taking deep breaths, even though it is said that one cannot show any sign of life under that curse. ("An Apple Red as Blood")

International Titles


Videos

References

  1. Porter, Rick (March 16, 2017). ‘American Crime’ premieres low, ‘Chicago Justice’ fairly steady: Sunday final ratings. TV by the Numbers. “Once Upon a Time (ABC) (...) 3.06”
  2. 2.0 2.1 LISTINGS: ONCE UPON A TIME. The Futon Critic. “Air Date: Sunday, March 12, 2017. Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST on ABC. Episode Title: (#612) "Murder Most Foul".”
  3. InstagramIcon Amber Crombach (@ambercrombachmua) on Instagram: Donkeys in hats... you are welcome! (July 3, 2017). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    File:IGlee j buckley-612-2.png
  4. File:612Title.png
  5. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Here's another #OnceUponATime #titlespoiler -- hope to see ya Sunday! (November 1, 2016). (archive screenshot)
  6. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – Act 1, Scene 5. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved on February 8, 2019. “Ghost: Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. HAMLET: Murder! Ghost: Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.”
  7. ONCE UPON A TIME TV Series Prince James Missing Poster. eBay (February 2020). Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. (Photograph)
    File:612Prop1.jpg
  8. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Here's a #scripttease for a new #OnceUponATime -- hope to see ya Sunday! (March 10, 2017). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  9. File:612TalkedToRobin.png
  10. File:616Light.png
  11. File:612JamesIveCome.png
  12. File:612ScreamingAtMe.png
  13. 13.0 13.1 File:612BookPage.png
    File:612BookPage2.png
  14. The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Project Gutenberg. Retrieved on November 1, 2020. “respect to this of yours; we are now in the first country of the world, and without doubt the customs of the place must be in the highest degree judicious. Wherefore your worship may be pleased to conduct us to the place where this gentleman of whom you have spoken is to be found. I cannot but suppose, from what you say, that he is much honoured, of great power and influence, of very generous nature, and, above all, highly accomplished in the profession." "Truly, Sir," rejoined Rincon, "all this is Hebrew to us; we know no more about it than we do of flying." "Let us be jogging, then," replied the new-comer, "and on the way I will explain to you these and other things, which it is requisite you should know as pat as bread to mouth;" and, accordingly, he explained to them a whole vocabulary of that thieves' Latin which they call Germanesco, or Gerigonza, and which their guide used in the course of his lecture,--by no means a short one, for the distance they had to traverse was of considerable length.”
  15. File:612Nottingham.png
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 File:612BeRightBack.png
  17. 17.0 17.1 File:612BottleBash2.png
  18. File:612Anyway.png
  19. File:612TellMeIfYou.png
    File:612HookLeaves.png
  20. hirco ceruus. Google Translate. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  21. File:603DavidHesitates.png
  22. File:303ImLate.png
  23. File:302AfraidOfYou.png
  24. File:303LookingThroughWindow.png
  25. File:421ReginaLeavesTavern.png
  26. File:512ToTheQueen.png
  27. File:611ArrivingAtTheTavern.png
  28. File:614LookingThroughWindow.png
  29. File:517FindingShelter.png
  30. File:707IsntExactlyWhat.png
  31. File:612BottleBash.png
  32. File:101CharmingCollapses.png
  33. File:311ALongShot.png
  34. File:314This.png
  35. File:514Toys.png
  36. File:515ComeSitDown.png
  37. File:612FightForYourLife.png
  38. File:314CutRoot.png
  39. File:211BelleDagger.png
  40. Once Upon a Time - Prince Charming's Dagger Prop (Hero) also used by Belle (0163). iCollector. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved on July 5, 2020. “Aluminum hero dagger prop with brass guard and pommel. Also used by Belle.”
  41. File:W102StepOne.png
    File:W103YouDontNeedMe.png
  42. Once Upon a Time - Prince Charming's (Josh Dallas) Hero Dagger Prop, also Belle and Alice (0041). iCollector. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved on October 14, 2020. “This style of dagger saw repeated use by many different characters including Belle French and Alice (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland).”
  43. File:612Dagger.png
  44. File:W104EverySixMonths.png
  45. File:W109OutOfWonderland.png
    Once Upon a Time & Once in Wonderland - Six Dagger Props from both series. iCollector. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved on November 1, 2020. “This set consists of [...] one Lizard dagger (stunt rubber, also used in OUAT by Albert Spencer)”
  46. File:612BeepBeepBeep.png
  47. Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and Their Applications, edited by M. Eric Benbow, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Aaron M. Tarone, CRC Press, 2016, p. 363. Facsimile by Google Books.
  48. File:101MadamMayor.png
  49. File:121ALittleSomething.png
  50. File:217NewSurroundings.png
  51. File:217ReginaSitsUp.png
  52. Coffee Pot & Lid Val D'Or by ROYAL ALBERT. Replacements, Ltd. Retrieved on July 23, 2019.
  53. Creamer Val D'Or by ROYAL ALBERT. Replacements, Ltd. Retrieved on July 23, 2019.
  54. File:612Nottingham.png
    File:612Robin.png
  55. Footed Cup & Saucer Set Val D'Or by ROYAL ALBERT. Replacements, Ltd. Retrieved on July 23, 2019.
  56. File:112Relief.png
    File:411CupOfTea.png
    File:601BelleMakingTea.png
  57. Aguilera, Leanne. EXCLUSIVE: The 7 Biggest Secrets From Hook & Emma's 'Once Upon a Time' Wedding: Vows, Honeymoon & Much More!. Entertainment Tonight. “4. The Rings: As we were interviewing the on-screen couple, we could not help noticing the massive sparkler on Morrison's finger, which was freshly accompanied by a unique, slightly mismatched wedding band. "Oh yeah, that's the ring! He's got good taste, this one," Morrison said while gesturing to O'Donoghue when we audibly "Ooh-ed!" mid-sentence. "You actually picked them, didn't you?" "Mmmhmm," O'Donoghue confirmed. "I picked the engagement ring and then they showed me this [wedding band] and I was like, 'Yeah, that'll do.'" To which Morrison added, "They're very inclusive with us around here. It's really nice." Kitsis and Horowitz explained that they have always encouraged the actors to "take ownership of their characters," and allowing them to select things like the right gowns or props is a natural extension of that. "I think our props department is awesome and I'm sure that they had some great rings," Horowitz said. "Nobody knows the character of Hook better than Colin, so of course he'd be the one to figure out what it should be."”
  58. File:612GoHomeZelena.png
  59. 'Tarala' Body-Con Knit Midi Dress TED BAKER LONDON. Nordstrom. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  60. Screenshot from Bones: "The Hope in the Horror"
  61. File:612OhHenry.png
  62. MUST SELL! LIKE NEW Zara Faux Fur Check Coat (sm). Poshmark. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  63. File:614EmptyHouse.png
  64. File:615KillMeAgain.png
  65. File:616TheAnswerIs.png
  66. File:612BringHimHere.png
  67. Theory Damaris Summer Silk Blouse. Match. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  68. File:612AReasonWhy.png
  69. Theory Livilla Summer Silk Sleeveless Top In Pearl Pink. SeekFab. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  70. File:612ALookout.png
  71. SCOTCH & SODA LONG SLEEVE CIRCLE PRINT SHIRT. Retrieved on February 8, 2019.
  72. File:717AnythingFromHenry.png
  73. File:718AllTheActual.png
  74. File:IGlee j buckley-612.png
  75. File:612MotorcyclePullsUp.png
  76. File:101Ridiculous.png
  77. File:419SwanWatchIt!.png
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