"Family Business" is the sixth episode of Season Four of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Kalinda Vazquez & Andrew Chambliss and directed by Mario Van Peebles. It is the seventy-second episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 2, 2014.
Synopsis
The race is on to track down the elusive Snow Queen, who was once a foster mother to a young Emma - whose memories of this event have been erased - in order to discover what her ultimate end game is for Elsa and the residents of Storybrooke, and unaware that she does not possess the real blade that controls The Dark One, Belle attempts to use it to get her reluctant husband to show her where the Snow Queen is hiding. Meanwhile, back in the past, Belle travels to Arendelle and, with Anna's help, seeks out Grand Pabbie to help her regain her lost memories in order to discover the fate of her mother.[2]
Recap
Deleted Scenes
Hook and Emma, Extended Version
During the scene where Emma and Hook discuss the Snow Queen's file, Hook opens up about his childhood and how his father abandoned him and his brother when he was a child. The three of them were voyaging on a ship, and one morning the brothers awoke and discovered that their father was not in the cabin. They searched the ship in vain, and discovered that their father had stolen a dinghy while they were sleeping. According to Hook, it was a dreadful experience, but thankfully, he had his brother to steady him. He would never have survived without him.[3]
The scene was cut because of time.[4] An altered version of the story was later incorporated into the Season Five episode "Swan Song".
Little John/Marian
Marian and Little John's scenes were cut from the episode. However, Christie Laing and Jason Burkart are still listed in the episode's press release.[2]
Cast[2]
Starring
Guest Starring
|
Co-Starring
Uncredited |
Note:
*: Only in archive footage
Trivia
Title
- The title card features the Snow Queen's ice cream truck.[5]
- The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on September 1, 2014.[6]
Production Notes
- OBSERVATIONS: Emma says that she is "thirteen, maybe fourteen" in the video recording, but since "Shattered Sight" establishes that the recording was made in 1999, Emma would actually have been fifteen or sixteen at the time.
- REUSED FOOTAGE: The same establishing shot of Maurice's castle is used in the Season One episode "Skin Deep",[7] "Family Business"[8] and the Season Five episode "Her Handsome Hero",[9] but with different color hues and clouds.
- REUSED FOOTAGE: The establishing shot of the Storybrooke library[10] is stock footage from the opening shot of "Rocky Road".[11] Note that the time on the CGI clock tower is different.
- The moment with the Snow Queen standing in front of the mirror at the end of the episode, was not scripted, but added by the editors in post-production.[4]
Event Chronology
- The Enchanted Forest flashbacks occur after "Her Handsome Hero" and "The Apprentice" and shortly before "Skin Deep" and "Smash the Mirror". (For more details, see the Enchanted Forest timeline)
- The Arendelle flashbacks occur after "The Apprentice" and before "Smash the Mirror". (For more details, see the Arendelle timeline)
- The Storybrooke events take place after "Breaking Glass" and before "The Snow Queen". (For more details, see the Land Without Magic timeline)
Episode Connections
- HIDDEN DETAILS: In the opening shot of Maurice's castle, the sky is red.[8] In "Desperate Souls," Rumplestiltskin stated that wherever there is a war with the ogres, the sky above the battle ground turns blood red. This can also be seen in "Desperate Souls"[12] and "Skin Deep."[7]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: The book Belle is holding while the library is stormed,[13] is the same book that she's holding in the opening scene in "Skin Deep".[14] The book is elaborated upon in "Her Handsome Hero".
- Emma and her family the watch the video recording first found in "Breaking Glass".
- The video recording was made during "Shattered Sight".
- When breaking into the ice cream truck, Emma makes a comment about the Snow Queen's Rocky Road, which is served to customers in "Rocky Road" and "Shattered Sight".
- Emma refers to the Snow Queen as "Dairy Queen", just like in "Rocky Road".
- HIDDEN DETAILS: The newspaper article about Emma in Ingrid's file[15] first appeared in Emma's own file "True North".[16] August showed Emma the same article in "The Stranger".[17] Emma shows the cashier the same article in "Firebird".[18]
- The circumstances surrounding the event described in the article was revealed in "The Stranger".
- The reason why Emma doesn't remember the time she spent with the Snow Queen is explained in "Shattered Sight". Emma gets her memories back in the same episode.
- How the Snow Queen ended up in the Land Without Magic is explained in "Smash the Mirror".
- The time Emma spent with the Snow Queen is explored in "Shattered Sight".
- Regina comments on Hook and Emma "making eyes at each other". She made a similar comment in "The Jolly Roger", where she said, "You're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doughy eyes?"
- Belle tells her father about a wizard, Rumplestiltskin, who can help them, which leads up to the events of "Skin Deep".
- The Spell of Shattered Sight is cast in "Smash the Mirror". The spell strikes in "Fall", and is broken in "Shattered Sight".
Biblical
- While Belle is looking up information on how to get her memories back, there is a cross on the cover of one of the books.[19]
Disney
- This episode features Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Oaken, and Grand Pabbie from Frozen and the sorcerer's hat from Fantasia.
- Oaken says "Hoo-hoo" and maces his hand like in the movie.
- This episode contains a number of other references to Disney works. See the list of Disney references for more.
Lost
Fairytales and Folklore
- This episode features Beauty and the merchant from the "Beauty and the Beast" fairytale, as well as Beauty's real mother from the Villeneuve version of the story; the ugly duckling from the titular fairytale, the Snow Queen from the fairytale of the same name, Captain Hook from the Peter Pan story, and Robin Hood from the ballads.
- HIDDEN DETAILS: While Belle is researching, she wears a dress with embroidered roses,[21] a reference to the flower that Beauty's father steals from the Beast's rose garden in the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast". In addition, a vase of roses is sitting in Wandering Oaken's Trading Post when Belle visits.[22]
- Oaken says to Belle, "You want to find trolls? You know they're dangerous, yeah?", but Belle clarifies, "Oh, no, no, no. Rock trolls, not bridge trolls." The concept of trolls living under a bridge originates in the fairytale "Three Billy Goats Gruff".
- Using a mirror piece, Ingrid casts a spell on Anna by shattering the shard, which absorbs into the girl's eyes and causes Anna to grow hateful towards her sister Elsa. This is a reference to the events of "The Snow Queen" fairytale, where the splinters of the troll mirror gets into peoples hearts and eyes and makes people see only the bad and ugly in people and things.
- Similarly, the way trolden glass affects Belle when she finds it in Ingrid's lair is another reference to the events of the fairytale.
Popular Culture
- While searching the Snow Queen's ice cream truck, Emma remarks, "Who locks their freezer? Was she afraid someone was gonna steal the Rocky road?"; a reference to the chocolate-flavored ice cream.
- When Emma finds a file about herself in the Snow Queen's freezer, she says, "Looks like the Dairy Queen's been following me for a long time", a reference to the multinational ice cream franchise.
Props Notes
- HIDDEN DETAILS: Belle holds a book, which she describes as the first story her mother read to her, which is called Her Handsome Hero.[13]
- ABANDONED IDEAS: In the original script for the Season One episode "Skin Deep", Rumplestiltskin picks up the very same book in Maurice's castle and opens it.[23] In the actual episode, Belle is holding the book, but the title is never seen.[14]
- The seventeenth episode of the fifth season is named after this book.
- PAUSE AND READ: When Belle is looking up information on how to retrieve lost memories, she is reading a page about rock trolls. It says:[24]
Trolls are creatures who are said to be formidable
telepaths and are said to ably employ subtle acts
of persuasion to bend others to their will.
Some earlier scolars [sic] even went so far as to
say that they have the ability to restore
memories that have been lost.
The Talismanic Adornments of
the Rock Troll
ᛏᚱᚩᛚᛚ ᚾᛖᚳᚳᛚᚪᚳᛖ*
Trolls can cast powerful enchantments – in particular spells used
to wrest someone's heart or mind.
They do this by the emanation of a magical frequency generated
through the crystals they wear about their body. The power of
this working is increased by their entire number acting
in unison.
The crystals made of andradite and peridot are worn by the
trolls also as protection and defense from the evil around
them including the machinations of men.
*Anglo-Saxon runes, which transliterate as "troll necclace" [sic]
- CREW NAMES ON PROPS: The name of the news reporter in the newspaper clipping about baby Emma, in Ingrid's file, is "M. Soparlo",[15] a reference to Mark Soparlo, a member of the production staff on the show.
- "M. Soparlo" is also listed as the author of a book on the Storybrooke library shelf where Cora finds Mr. Gold's map in the Season Two episode "Manhattan",[25] and as one of the reporters in the newspaper that Isaac reads in "Operation Mongoose Part 2".[26]
- The article can be read in its entirety in the Season Five episode "Firebird".[18]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: There is a photograph of young Emma in Ingrid's file.[27]
- MYSTERIOUS WRITINGS: The Snow Queen's scroll found by Hook and Emma is written in Elder Futhark runes.[28] It says:[29]
I have travelled the
world near and far
My search knows no
bounds
My obsession will
not leave me
My search will
continue to the ends
of the earth
One thing I know
for sure
The name of the
savior is Emma
The savior shall be
my sister
The family must be
complete
- During the shooting of the episode, Ingrid, Helga and Gerda's portraits had not yet been added to the family book that Elsa finds, so green dots were used instead.[30] The portraits were inserted digitally in post-production.
- MYSTERIOUS WRITINGS: The text in the family book is written in Elder Futhark runes:[31]
- The names of Ingrid, Helga and Gerda are written under the pictures in the family tree.[29]
- According to the family tree, the sisters' parents were King Harald and Queen Sonja.[29] Harald is the name of the current king of Norway, and several ancient kings of Norway and Denmark. Sonja is the name of the current queen of Norway. Ingrid of Once Upon a Time shares her name with Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, the grandchild of King Harald of Norway, and heir apparent of the Norwegian crown prince.
- The sisters' paternal grandparents were King Olaf and Queen Astrid whereas their maternal grandfather was King Magnus.[29] Olaf was the name of many ancient kings of Norway and Denmark. The father of King Harald of Norway was King Olav. Princess Astrid was King Olav's second daughter. Many ancient kings of Norway and Sweden were called Magnus. It is also the middle name of Prince Haakon, crown prince of Norway.
- The name of the maternal grandmother is blurred and hard to read. The first letter is clearly a D, while the last two look like N and E; her name might be Daphne (ᛞᚨᛈᚺᚾᛖ).
- The small caption above each name transliterates as "his majesty" and "her majesty".[29]
Set Dressing
- BRAND INFO: A white Sockerärt vase from IKEA[32] is sitting on a table in Wandering Oaken's Trading Post.[22]
- REUSED PROPS: Two copies of the same vase were sitting on the kitchen shelves in Emma's New York apartment in the Season Three episode "New York City Serenade".[33] The same vase is in Zelena's kitchen in the Season Six episodes "Street Rats",[34] "Dark Waters"[35] and "Where Bluebirds Fly".[36]
Costume Notes
- BRAND INFO: Mary Margaret is wearing[37] a Free People Team Lace Varsity Jacket[38] (no longer available).
- The same jacket was worn by the character Lindy Watson on the I Didn't Do It episode "Falling for... Who?".[39]
- BRAND INFO: Belle is wearing[40] a RED Valentino Fine Spot Cardigan[41] (no longer available).
- USE IT AGAIN: While Belle is researching, she wears a dress with embroidered roses[21] (a reference to the flower that Beauty's father steals from the Beast's rose garden in the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast"). She wears the same dress in the Season Seven episode "Beauty",[42] but with a different blouse underneath.
- HIDDEN DETAILS: When searching for the Snow Queen, Belle wears a dagger-printed scarf;[43] a reference to the Dark One Dagger.
- BRAND INFO: The scarf is a Classic Dagger Scarf from Rag & Bone[44] (no longer available).
- BRAND INFO: Emma is wearing[45] a Pointelle Midi Pullover by Anthropologie[46] (no longer available).
International Titles
International Titles | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Title | Translation |
Finnish | "Perheasioita" | "Family Businesses" |
French | "Secrets de Famille" | "Family Secrets" |
German | "Das Faksimile der Liebe" | "The Facsimile of Love" |
Italian | "Affari di famiglia" | "Family Business" |
Portuguese | "Assunto de Família" | "Family Affair" |
Spanish | "Asuntos Familiares" | "Family Business" |