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This article focuses on the Season Three episode.
For the world, see Kansas.


Dorothy: Y-you mean this isn't Kansas?
Glinda: I'm afraid not. Welcome to Oz.

"Kansas" is the twentieth episode of Season Three of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Andrew Chambliss & Kalinda Vazquez and directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton. It is the sixty-fourth episode of the series overall, and premiered on May 4, 2014.

Synopsis

With Mary Margaret in labor and due to give birth at any moment, the residents of Storybrooke go on high alert in an attempt to ensure that Zelena doesn't try to steal her newborn baby for use in her ultimate game plan to turn back time and change her destiny—while obliterating Regina's existence. Meanwhile, in the land of Oz of the past, Glinda tries to convince Zelena to fight her evil tendencies and join her and her sister witches as a protector of Oz. But the appearance of a young girl from Kansas could turn out to be her undoing.[2]

Recap

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

David Nolan, Mary Margaret Blanchard, Emma Swan, and Henry Mills meet up with Dr. Whale at the Storybrooke General Hospital for the delivery of the baby.

Over at Zelena’s farmhouse, an imprisoned Mr. Gold spins straw into gold, while Zelena watches. Zelena transforms the gold thread into a solid gold brain. Since she already has Charming’s sword hilt and Regina Mills’ heart, she just needs the final ingredient.

Back at the Hospital, David stays by Mary Margaret’s side as she goes into labor.

In the past, the Wicked Witch sits in her new home and watches Rumplestiltskin teach Regina magic. Glinda arrives and thanks Zelena for exposing the Wizard’s true nature to Oz. The Good Witch of the South arrives to introduce Zelena to her “real sisters”.

Back in Storybrooke, Zelena makes Mr. Gold dig. She explains with the “right ingredients” she can change her past so that her mother will keep her and Regina will never be born. Gold dismisses her beliefs, reminding Zelena that she cannot escape fate. Zelena says, “We shall see.”

Over at the Hospital, David tries to comfort his wife who feels like history is repeating itself. Meanwhile, Emma and Regina set up a protection spell around the room. Hook arrives to help. The Savior reminds him that he could have helped by exposing Zelena’s curse on his lips. Killian reminds her that he was blackmailed with Henry’s safety. Emma wants to take the fight to Zelena. David insists that Hook go with her for protection or at least to draw fire. Emma leaves Henry under Regina’s protection and exits with Hook.

While they wait, Henry scans the classifieds for an apartment for Emma. Archie Hopper keeps Henry company and asks if he’s mentioned this to Emma. Henry denies that there needs to be a discussion since they are home.

Back at Zelena’s Farm, Emma and Hook debate whether she was really happy in New York or if she and Henry should stay in Storybrooke. Zelena and Mr. Gold find them. Under the dagger’s influence, Gold telekinetically throws Hook into a nearby well. Zelena gives Emma the choice to save Hook or her magic.

In the past, Zelena and Glinda join the Witches of the North and the East in the Heart of Oz. Zelena hopes that they will help her change her past but Glinda wants to help Zelena change her future. Since the west is represented by innocence, Zelena denies that she can shape her own destiny. The Witch of the North explains that Glinda is the keeper of the Book of Records, which “chronicles the past, present and future of Oz.” Glinda reveals a prophecy that states that a powerful sorceress from the West will come to Oz by cyclone as a protector. Believing that sorceress to be Zelena, Glinda encourages the witch to let go of her past.

Back in Storybrooke, Emma revives Hook with mouth-to-mouth. When their lips touch, a wave of magic is released from Emma and with it Hook's curse. Hook is stunned that Emma would make a sacrifice of giving up her magic to save him, asking her, "What did you do?"

Back in the Emerald City, Zelena turns away from watching Rumple teach Regina magic. Impressed, Glinda gives Zelena a pendant and welcomes her into the sisterhood. The Witch of the South tells Zelena that the pendant will amplify her magic but warns that without it she will be powerless. Zelena’s green skin fades back to it’s natural tone. She thanks Glinda who reminds Zelena that it was her releasing her envy that caused the transformation.

At the Storybrooke General Hospital, Mary Margaret gives birth to a baby boy, which comes just in time for Zelena and Gold to arrive and take the baby. Since Emma’s protection spell faded, Zelena takes out anyone that stands in her way, including Leroy, Robin Hood and the Merry Men and including Belle, which angers Gold. Henry and Archie escape right before Zelena also knocks out Regina.

Back in Oz, Glinda shows Zelena her new land: the West. The two witches turn to see a green cyclone approaching with something inside. Upon investigating the debris, Zelena and Glinda find Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas. When Glinda suggests that they take Dorothy to meet the sisters, Zelena becomes jealous.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret gives birth to a boy. Zelena freezes Mary Margaret and David, disappearing with the newborn.

Back in the Heart of Oz, the Witches welcome Dorothy into their home. Zelena, jealous, escapes outside to a well. Glinda approaches and finds that Zelena’s green skin is returning. Zelena admits to Glinda that she is jealous of Dorothy. Glinda reassures Zelena that Dorothy is not taking her seat at the table. Zelena confronts Glinda about the prophecy that states that the new sorceress will live in Oz until she “unseats the greatest evil the realm has ever seen.” Zelena, believing Dorothy is the sorceress, assumes that she is the evil. Glinda reminds Zelena that she can shape her own destiny.

Back at the hospital, Emma and Hook to David explain what happened. Emma soon discovers that Regina has the power of light magic to defeat her half-sister. Henry believes that Regina can save the baby, since her kiss helped to break the curse, and because she still has some good in her.

In Oz, the Wicked Witch surprises Dorothy at the well and threatens her with a fireball. Dorothy, confused, takes a bucket of water from the well and throw it at the witch, melting Zelena. Dorothy then runs and tells Glinda what had happened. Glinda tells Dorothy that what she did to Zelena was the right thing to do; it turns out that Zelena was the evil threat all along. Glinda offers Dorothy a chance to join the council of witches. Dorothy turns her down and says she's sorry and wants to go home. Glinda tells her that the Wizard (who she believes has returned to his normal form) will return her to Kansas. Once they leave, Zelena rights herself.

In Storybrooke, Zelena places Baby Nolan at the edge of the circle and starts her spell. Emma, David, Hook, Robin Hood and Regina arrive and battle her off. Gold and the flying monkeys are made to help Zelena keep them at bay. Robin Hood steals Regina’s heart. Zelena, believing that she has an advantage, tells Regina that only light magic can defeat her, but Regina's magic is as dark as they come. Regina, however, tells Zelena that she's wrong. Regina conjures light magic that knocks Zelena away from the dagger, allowing Regina to take away Zelena's pendant, rendering Zelena powerless. As a result, the flying monkeys (including Little John) return to their human form. Gold goes to attack Zelena, but Regina takes his dagger, preventing him from enacting revenge.

In the Emerald City, Glinda and Dorothy arrive in the palace to see the Wizard, who gives the girl a pair of silver slippers to use to return home. After Dorothy disappears, Glinda tells the person behind the curtain they can reveal themselves. To Glinda’s surprise, the person behind the curtain was Zelena who survived “melting”.  

Now that she knows about her being the true threat and revealing her as the greatest evil, Zelena banishes Glinda to a pocket dimension within the northern region of the Enchanted Forest, where she can never tell the others. Zelena's pendant then turns green, indicating her new power.

Later on at the jail, Regina tries to reason with Zelena in an effort to redeem herself. Regina says that evil isn't born, it's made and so is being good. Regina leaves her with an offer to change her ways. Regina then takes the green pendant and places it in her vault.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gold returns to Belle at the pawn shop. She returns the dagger on the condition that he promises not to use it to kill Zelena. Using the dagger as a ring substitute, Gold proposes to Belle and insists that she keep the dagger because he loves her too much.

Over at the hospital,  David returns the baby to Mary Margaret’s arms. Hook thanks Emma for saving him and apologizes for the fact that her powers have not returned. Emma, however, is relieved that she and Henry can return to New York City without magic. Emma introduces Henry to his “new uncle”. Hook watches, disappointed.

Back at the jail, Mr. Gold reveals to Zelena that the dagger he gave Belle was a fake. Gold informs her of his intent to kill her, despite her protests that she is now powerless. He stabs her with the dagger, which turns Zelena into a porcelain statue that shatters when he removes the dagger. After he leaves, the porcelain fragments vaporize into a green cloud and vanish.

Over in the Regina’s vault, Zelena's pendant releases her remaining magic. The green essence of magic, escapes back to the barn, and re-opens the portal.


Cast[2]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Uncredited

Trivia

Title

Production Notes

  • HIDDEN DETAILS: When Mr. Gold is about to stab Zelena with the dagger, as he begins to say, "Rumplestiltskin never breaks a deal", you can see Zelena smile slightly; a subtle clue that everything is not what it seems.
  • PRESS RELEASE: Christopher Gorham is credited as a guest star and his voice is heard in the episode but his name is missing from the press release.[2]

Event Chronology

Episode Connections

Religious

Disney

Lost

Fairytales and Folklore

Popular Culture

Props Notes

  • HIDDEN DETAILS: The design on Zelena's compass[8] is the same as the witches' table[9] in Oz except that the colors are different. The back on the chairs around the table[10] and the illustration on the cover of the Book of Records have the same design.[11]
  • STORYBROOKE DAILY MIRROR: When Henry is looking at apartments, one of the classified ads says:


Apartment for rent
Two bedroom, two bath,
clocktower views, was a
master woodworker in the
Enchanted Forest so all
cabinets are custom.[12]


SIGN, EMBROIDERY
SCREENING and
Sporting Goods
business for sale in
Storybrooke, owners are
highly motivated $40,000
obo, can be seen on the
web, call Jim at 555-0131.[12]
  • MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS: Alchemical signs for the four elements[18] are carved into the witches' table[9] and the stone pillars.[19] Each element represent one of the four witches:
  • Air, upward-pointing triangle, bisected by an horizontal line (🜁): The Witch of the North
  • Earth, downward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line (🜃): The Witch of the East
  • Fire, upward-pointing triangle (🜂): The Good Witch of the South
  • Water, downward-pointing triangle (🜄): Fittingly enough, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the seat that Dorothy Gale was offered.
  • In magic lore, the element of fire is associated with the south, and water is related to the west.[20] Curiously, earth is connected to the north, and air is the element of the east[20] — the exact opposite of what the two other witches represent. This may have been a mistake on the show-creators' part.
  • REUSED PROPS: The Storybrooke wishing well[21] doubles as the well in Oz.[22] The roof over the wishing well was removed and a different supporting structure for the pulley was added for the episode, while protruding stone carvings were added to the bottom of the well.
  • BRAND INFO: Belle's red handbag[33] is a Mini Perry Tote from Rebecca Minkoff[34] (no longer available).

Set Dressing

  • MYSTERIOUS WRITINGS: The inscriptions on the pillars behind the witches[43] contain letters from the Theban alphabet, which is also known as the Witches' Alphabet. There are four sections, each with two pillars. The text translates as:
  • GUARDIAN OF THE SOUTHERN LANDS (🜂)
  • KEEPER OF THE WESTERN REALM (🜄)
  • PROTECTOR OF THE [image ends]
  • DEFE[obscured] OF THE [obscured]THERN [obscured]DS (presumably "defender of the northern lands")

Costume Notes

  • BRAND INFO: Belle is wearing[46] a Gingham Cardigan[47] and a Poplin Short Sleeve Ruffle Blouse[48] from RED Valentino, and a 'Joyeuse' Gathered Skirt by Sandro (all three are no longer available).

Filming Locations

International Titles


Videos

References

  1. Sunday Final Ratings: ‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Dateline’ & ‘Resurrection’ Adjusted Up; ‘The Good Wife’ Adjusted Down. TV by the Numbers (May 6, 2014). “ABC. Once Upon a Time (...) 6.86”
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 LISTINGS: ONCE UPON A TIME. The Futon Critic. “Air Date: Sunday, May 04, 2014. Time Slot: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST on ABC. Episode Title: (#320) "Kansas".”
  3. File:320Title.png
  4. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Only 9 days to go! Here's another #OnceUponATime #titlespoiler Hope to see ya on March 9th! #WickedIsComing (February 28, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  5. File:320GreenSmoke2.png
  6. File:320GoingWithYou.png
  7. The 100 Greatest Literary Characters, James Plath, Gail Sinclair, Kirk Curnutt, Rowman & Littlefield, London, 2019, p. 97. Facsimile by Google Books.
  8. File:320Compass.png
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:320HelpMe.png
  10. File:320TellHer.png
  11. File:320RealmHasEverSeen.png
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 File:320Advertisements.png
  13. CONTACT US. Noble & Associates Realty Ltd. Retrieved on October 27, 2018. “Phone: +1604-264-1001”
  14. File:320Ads.png
  15. File:214IGiveYou.png
  16. File:215AndYoureSure.png
  17. File:219PlacesYouSawIt.png
  18. Beyer, Catherine (June 5, 2019). The Five Element Symbols: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Spirit. Learn Religions.
  19. File: 320TheKeeper.png
  20. 20.0 20.1 Wigington, Patti (May 6, 2019). The Four Classical Elements. Learn Religions.
  21. 21.0 21.1 File:217GoThroughUs.png
  22. File:320Glinda!Glinda!.png
    File:320ZelenaComesBackToLife.png
  23. File:104EllaAtTheWell.png
  24. File:108Noooooo!.png
  25. File:115Corpses.png
  26. File:117CarriageIsThat.png
  27. File:203Corpses.png
  28. File:504NoLongerTheBrokenKingdom.png
  29. File:507MerlinAndNimueWalkOff.png
  30. File:602ArrivingAtVillage.png
    File:602RansackingVillages.png
  31. File:701ThrowingThat.png
  32. File:722BelleAppears.png
  33. File:320BelleGoldKiss.png
    File:320HowDidYou.png
  34. MINI PERRY TOTE REBECCA MINKOFF Rebecca Minkoff. Revolve. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved on October 27, 2018.
  35. File:321ThisDagger.png
  36. File:320CharmingFamily.png
  37. Morning Creekside. Canadian Art Prints & Winn Devon Art Group. Retrieved on October 14, 2018.
  38. File:212LettingHimDie.png
  39. File:213ComfortsFromHome.png
  40. File:219WhereIsShe.png
  41. File:606MaryMargaretSeesBelle.png
  42. File:206CloseYourEyes.png
  43. File:320WeCanDo.png
    File:320TheKeeper.png
    File:320HelpMe.png
    File:320MeantForMore.png
    File:320WitchesLaugh.png
  44. File:320ByWater.png
  45. Walsh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms. HouseofNames.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2021. “The surname Walsh is derived from Breat(h)nach which literally means Welshman.”
  46. File:320BelieveThat.png
    File:320WantYouToHaveIt.png
  47. Gingham Cardigan RED VALENTINO. Nordstrom. Retrieved on October 27, 2018.
  48. RED Valentino Poplin Short Sleeve Ruffle Blouse. Shopbop. Retrieved on October 27, 2018.
  49. File:409WhatDoYouWant.png
  50. File:410SleepingBelle.png
  51. File:411GreatestGift.png
  52. File:503FindsRoomEmpty.png
  53. Screenshot from 2 Broke Girls: "And The Zero Tolerance"
  54. File:320TriedToRun.png
  55. File:722Coronation.png
  56. File:320EndThis.png
  57. Lana Parrilla's Red Keyhole Sheath Dress on 'Once Upon A Time'. Style Bistro. Retrieved on January 16, 2019.
  58. Screenshot from The Age of Adaline
  59. Screenshot from Powerless: "Win, Luthor, Draw"
  60. TwitterLogo Katrina (@katmtan) on X, formerly Twitter: #OUAT filming at Delta today. #yvrshoots @olv (August 6, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Katrina (@katmtan) on X, formerly Twitter: uhm... The farm scene with Zelena, thats [sic] about it! (August 6, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Katrina (@katmtan) on X, formerly Twitter: not her house! Farm scene as in that last scene when Elsa pop out of the bottle! LOL 😊 (August 6, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  61. 61.0 61.1 Jennifer Morrison on the Season Four Blu-ray Audio Commentary for "A Tale of Two Sisters"
  62. 4593 104 St Delta, British Columbia. Google Maps (August 2015).
    File:321BarnTimePortal.png (note the identical design of the barn and the worn-down roof on the building next to it)
  63. Movies Filmed at 4660 104 Street. MovieMaps. Retrieved on April 3, 2018.

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