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Now it's time for you, like the serpent you so admire, to shed your skin.

Jafar to Amara

"The Serpent" is the fourth episode of ABC's Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It was written by Jan Nash and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It premiered on November 7, 2013.

Synopsis

When the Knave’s life is in danger, Alice has to make the tough decision on whether to use one of her three precious wishes and what that would mean for her and Cyrus. Her new friendship with Lizard reveals some of the Knave's backstory and Cyrus plots to escape. Meanwhile, Jafar’s plan to kill the Knave puts the Red Queen in a difficult position as she grapples with her feelings for him and her desire to get what she wants. In flashback, we explore Jafar's origins and find out what he truly wants from Cyrus.[2]

Recap


Deleted Scenes

A scene or segment with Jafar's Servant was deleted from the episode. However, the actor is still listed in the episode's press release.[2]

Cast[2]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Trivia

Title

Production Notes

Event Chronology

Episode Connections

Disney

Fairytales and Folklore

  • This episode is a rendition of the "Aladdin" story, focusing on the appearance of the magician; and the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story, focusing on Alice's adventures in Wonderland.
  • While running from the Collectors, Will splits up from Alice with the promise to meet her at "Tulgey", a reference to a stanza from the novel Through the Looking-Glass, where the Jabberwock "Came whiffling through the tulgey wood".
  • Jafar orders the Red Queen to eliminate Will, adding, "Remove him from the playing field." This is an indirect reference to the novel Through the Looking-Glass, where chess is the main theme of the story.
  • Alice says to Will, " I've seen your cards, Knave, and they're quite lacking", an indirect reference to the living playing cards from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
  • On the Red Queen's orders, Will is sentenced to be executed via beheading and is put on the chopping block, a reference to the way the Queen of Hearts repeatedly calls for the beheading of those who displease her in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The crowd shouts "Off with his head", a reference to the Queen of Hearts iconic lines from the novel.
  • In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the executioner serves the Queen of Hearts. In this version, he serves the Red Queen.
  • The Red Queen sits in her throne room, playing chess all by herself,[10] a reference to the novel Through the Looking-Glass, where chess is the most important theme of the story.

Popular Culture

  • Cyrus breaks a wishbone[11] and says that people believe that when you break them the one who has the larger half gets a wish, a reference to the American tradition of breaking the wishbone of a turkey during Thanksgiving.

Props Notes

  • REUSED PROPS: The genie bottle in Jafar's collection, the one which used to belong to Gerard,[20] was reused for the tea party in the Once Upon a Time episode "Pretty in Blue", where it is lying on the table.[21]

Set Dressing

Costumes Notes

  • HIDDEN DETAILS: A part of Lizard's attire bares resemblance to lizard skin;[23] a reference to her nickname.

Filming Locations

Goofs

  • In the wide shot of the crowd preparing for Will's execution at the Red Queen's palace, Alice and Lizard can be seen at the back of the crowd.[31] In the wide shot of the watermelon flying in the air, the pair have disappeared,[32] before reappearing in the following shot.[33]
  • During Will's execution, Jafar, the Red Queen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum can be seen looking down to the execution stage.[34] However, during certain angles in the same scene, the four of them have disappeared.[35]

International Titles


Videos

References

  1. TV Ratings Thursday: ‘Glee’ & ‘Scandal’ Hit Lows, ‘The X Factor’ Slides + ‘The Vampire Diaries’ & ‘The Millers’ Rise. TV by the Numbers (November 8, 2013). “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (...) 3.54”
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 LISTINGS: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND. The Futon Critic. “Air Date: Thursday, November 07, 2013. Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST on ABC. Episode Title: (#104) "The Serpent"”
  3. File:W104Title.png
  4. File:W104Agrabah2.png
  5. File:W102Agrabah.png
  6. File:W110Agrabah.png
  7. File:W104Look.png
  8. File:W102AdmiringRoses.png
  9. File:W104WasHelpingAlice.png
  10. File:W104PlayingChess.png
  11. File:W104Broken.png
  12. File:W104EverySixMonths.png
  13. File:612Dagger.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)”
  14. File:W109OutOfWonderland.png
  15. File:W104Genies.png
    File:W104OpenPage.png
  16. File:W104SoDifficult.png
  17. File:W104GenieLamp.png
    File:W110GeniesBottles.png
  18. File:111RubbingTheLamp.png
    File:111LampOnFloor.png
  19. File:608FindAgrabah.png
  20. File:W104AGrantedWish2.png
  21. File:708TeaParty.png
  22. File:W104No2.png
    File:W104No3.png
    File:W104No4.png
  23. File:W104InTheRightPlace.png
  24. File:W104Blacksmith.png
  25. File:W102Snack.png
  26. File:W107InsideTheHouse.png
  27. Glassford, Bob (September 5, 2013). Photos From Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Yesterday. Vancity Filming. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. “Yesterday I took a trip to "Wonderland" in Burnaby's Central Park and watched a scene being filmed where Alice (Sophie Lowe) and the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) were running through the woods either with or from some "Henchmen" as the crew referred to them. Also present at the filming was Lauren McKnight.”
  28. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland: Lauren McKnight. Vancity Filming (September 5, 2013). Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. “Emma Rigby, Sophie Lowe, Michael Socha and Lauren McKnight were all at Central Park in Burnaby yesterday filming scenes for the upcoming first season of what I hope will become a hit show.”
  29. Gittins, Susan (September 8, 2013). WEEK: September 2-8, 2013. Hollywood North Buzz. “Wednesday, September 4th – Once Upon a Time in Wonderland films on a closed set (with its own security guard and No Photos Allowed sign) in Burnaby's Central Park but moves to a more public path in the evening for exterior scenes.”
  30. TwitterLogo YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) on X, formerly Twitter: How big are #OnceUponaTime's Neverland sets? So big that #OuatinWonderland had to go to North Shore Studios for studio space today. (September 13, 2013). (backup link; the user's account and the original post have been deleted – they are now using a different account with the handle "yvrshootstweets," and the name "YVRShoots Tweets") (archive screenshot)
  31. File:W104LookingAround2.png
  32. File:W104Launching.png
  33. File:W104Watching3.png
  34. File:W104LookingAtPeasants3.png
    File:W104LiftingAx.png
  35. File:W104FightingOffGuards.png
    File:W104Surprise.png

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