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This article focuses on the Season Three episode.
For the Season Three episode with a similar title, see "Going Home".
For the Season Seven episode with a similar name, see "Homecoming".
For the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland episode with a similar name, see "Home".

You don't have a home until you just miss it. Being with my parents the last few days...but not really being with them? I've never missed them more. Storybrooke. That's my home.

Emma to Hook

"There's No Place Like Home" is the twenty-second and final episode of Season Three of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Ralph Hemecker. It is the sixty-sixth episode of the series overall, and premiered on May 11, 2014.

This episode is the second part of the season three finale, and premiered immediately following "Snow Drifts".

Synopsis

While Mary Margaret and David celebrate the naming of their son at a coronation in Granny's Diner, Emma and Hook are pulled into Zelena's time portal and find themselves in the Enchanted Forest of the past. But in their quest to discover a way back, they must be careful not to change ANYTHING or risk altering the lives of their friends and family — as well as their very own existence.[2]

Recap

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


Deleted Scenes

These scenes are included on Once Upon a Time: The Complete Third Season.

"Princess Leia"

After she has been arrested, Emma, while still under the disguise of Rumplestiltskin's glamour spell, is led in front of the Evil Queen by two black knights. One black knight orders her to kneel before the queen, but Emma is incredulous at his demand. Regina retorts she needs to, and the two guards push Emma down to the queen's feet. Then, Regina asks the blonde for Snow White's whereabouts, but Emma replies she already told the guards she does not know. The Evil Queen replies she does not know what kingdom she comes from, but in her realm, the price for aiding Snow White is steep. Trying to defend herself, Emma hesitatingly states she doesn't know where Snow White is, but if Regina desires it, she can help her find the fugitive. The Queen sizes her up for a beat, and remarks that Emma isn't a princess as she recognizes a "dirty street rat" when she sees one. Additionally, the Queen remarks that Emma is not trustworthy, and then has the guards send her to the dungeon.[3]

"Liar, Liar"

Realizing Snow is not with them, Emma asks Red where she is. After some prodding, Red reluctantly admits that Snow isn't coming with them, while Charming realizes that she's using the dark fairy dust to go after Regina.

Cast[2]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Uncredited


Trivia

Title

  • The title card features Zelena's time spell.[4]
    • During the original airing, "Snow Drifts" and "There's No Place Like Home" were separated by a different title card featuring a swan.[5] The manner in which the letters form to make the show logo is different from the other episodes, as is the musical accompaniment.
    • On the Blu-ray/DVD, the swan title card is used as a menu background.
  • The title of this episode was announced by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account on March 25, 2014.[6]
  • The title is a reference to the famous line by Dorothy Gale from the movie The Wizard of Oz.
    • It is also a reference to the novel, where Dorothy tells the Scarecrow, "No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home."

Production Notes

  • The Season Three finale was Jennifer Morrison and Colin O'Donoghue's favorite episodes to film.[7]
  • ABANDONED IDEAS: The flashback scene where Neal and Emma break into the fairground was originally scripted to be them breaking through the gate to a view of Portland at night. The production team found an abandoned amusement park, and felt that Neal showing this kind of place to Emma was something that the character would do.[8]
  • REUSED FOOTAGE: The "past" scenes with Snow White and Prince Charming were a mixture of reshoots and old footage from "Snow Falls".[8][9]
  • ABANDONED IDEAS: The show's producers asked Jamie Dornan to reprise his role as the Huntsman for the season finale, but he was unavailable due to his packed filming schedule for the movie Fifty Shades of Grey and the drama television series The Fall.[10] He would have been spotted by Emma in the Evil Queen's dungeon and Emma would have felt tempted to reach out to him.[11]
  • For the scene where Snow White is trapped in the net, the new close-ups were shot by having Ginnifer Goodwin sitting on a chair, with a net around her.[8]
  • In order to keep the ending scene with Elsa a secret, Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis scripted an alternate ending, so that very few people knew about Elsa's appearance in the season finale.[12] Only the show creators and a small crew that filmed the end scene, knew about the secret ending. The scripted ending featured the Sorcerer's Hat coming out of the urn instead of Elsa.[13]

Event Chronology

Episode Connections

Disney

Lost

Fairytales and Folkore

  • The same excerpt appears in dozens of episodes; read the trivia section in the article for Henry's storybook for more information and a transcript.
  • 🍎 APPLES: When Snow White sneaks up on the the Evil Queen, the latter is studying a red apple, a reference to the queen's weapon of choice in the fairytale.
  • Mr. Gold, the cursed counterpart of Rumplestiltskin (aka Beast), marries Belle, similar to how the titular characters marry in the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast".

Popular Culture

  • The opening scene where Emma and Neal are sitting in the swings of a carousel at the fairground and Neal handles Emma's glove is an homage to the famous scene from the 1954 crime drama film On the Waterfront,[8][19] where Marlon Brando is sitting in a swing in a children's park and handles a white glove dropped by Eva Marie Saint as they recall earlier days.

Props Notes

Costume Notes

Filming Locations

  • The opening scene with Emma and Neal at the Portland amusement park, was filmed in Vancouver's Playland amusement park. The carousel that Emma and Neal sit in, is called the Wave Swinger, while The Crazy Beach Party and the Wooden Roller Coaster are sitting next to it.[36]

Goofs

International Titles


Videos

References

  1. Sunday Final Ratings: ‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘American Dad’ & ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ Adjusted Up; ‘Revenge’, ‘Cosmos’ & ‘Dateline’ Adjusted Down. TV by the Numbers (May 13, 2014). “Once Upon A Time (8-10:01PM) – Season Finale (...) 6.80”
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 LISTINGS: ONCE UPON A TIME. The Futon Critic. “Air Date: Sunday, May 11, 2014. Time Slot: 8:00 PM-10:01 PM EST on ABC. Episode Title: (#321/322) "Snow Drifts / There's No Place Like Home".”
  3. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Here it is. Thank you all! Without you, there would be no #OnceUponATime -- hope to see ya in the fall for season 4! (May 11, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot) (script photo)
  4. File:322TitleAlternate.png
  5. File:322TitleOriginal.png
  6. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Here's the #OnceUponATime season 3 finale #titlespoiler! All new ep this Sunday! Hope ya check it out! #WickedVsEvil (March 25, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  7. TwitterLogo Some call me...Carrie? (@CarrieLynne2323) on X, formerly Twitter: Jen and Colin's fav thing to film was the CS movie and Jen even called it a "Captain Swan" movie. (March 25, 2017). (backup link; the user's account and the original post have been deleted) (archive screenshot)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis on the Season Three Blu-ray exclusive Audio Commentary
  9. TwitterLogo nicole ☺︎ (@OhMyOUAT) on X, formerly Twitter: .@AdamHorowitzLADid you reshoot the (old) past scenes of Snow and Charming for 3x21/22? (July 19, 2014). (archive screenshot) (backup link – note that the link and the screenshot were created when the author's name was listed as "JOKERnic ☺︎")
    TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: .@OhMyOUAT mixture of reshoots and old footage. it was one of the trickiest eps ever on a tech level (July 19, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  10. Schumann, Rebecca (February 20, 2014). Jamie Dornan Too Busy With 'Fifty Shades' To Film 'Once Upon A Time' Season 3, Says 'OUAT' Producers. International Business Times. “While Dornan, 31, returned to the show last March in a cameo for the season two flashback episode "Welcome to Storybrooke," producers claim Dornan's packed filming schedule, with the erotic romance flick "Fifty Shades of Grey" and his hit drama series "The Fall," made him unavailable to film future "OUAT" episodes. (...) Unfortunately for fans of "OUAT," a series that follows storybook characters stuck in our world, details of Dornan's planned reappearance won't be revealed until the end of season three. "Ask us that after the finale and then we will tell you exactly what we wanted to do," said Kitsis, adding, "You will be so bummed that we didn't get to do it."”
  11. Abrams, Natalie (September 22, 2014). If Jamie Dornan had returned to 'Once Upon a Time': What would've been. Entertainment Weekly. “"We wanted a Peggy Sue Got Married moment," Kitsis tells EW, explaining that Emma would've seen Graham when she was locked up in the Evil Queen's castle. "He would've been one of the guards because it would've been during that period," adds Horowitz. "She would've seen him, and it would've been heartbreaking for her because she would've wanted to reach out to him, but knowing that—because she's on a mission—she couldn't. It wasn't a big plot thing, but it was an emotional moment that we wanted to do."”
  12. Ratcliffe, Amy (May 13, 2014). ONCE UPON A TIME'S SEASON FINALE HAD AN ALTERNATE ENDING. Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. “Wonderful a surprise as it was, you've got to ask: was the season always going to end with Elsa? Yes and no. Kitsis and Horowitz saw a connection to their work when they first saw Frozen back in November. Kitsis told Time that Elsa is a natural fit for the series because she's perceived as a villain but is really just misunderstood. They had Elsa in the back of their minds and pitched it through the hierarchy of approval in February. After they got permission to go ahead with the storyline, it was all about keeping the icy reveal a secret. To that end, they employed one of the oldest and most effective tricks in the book: they scripted an alternate ending. Very few people got to learn about Elsa's grand entrance. Horowitz and Kitsis didn't use a throwaway plot for the trick though. They won't divulge what was in the scene because as they told Time, they're "probably going to want to use" it according to Horowitz. Kitsis teased, "It's another iconic Disney totem. We’ll leave it at that" Who or what could it be? Our sources say it's the sorcerer’s hat from Fantasia. I'll let that sink in.”
  13. TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: Same scene only it described the sorcerer's hat coming out of the bottle. [sic] Only the small crew that filmed Elsa knew and we did it at the very end of shoot. Was really happy the secret held (August 22, 2018). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
  14. File:322Look.png
    File:322WeDidIt.png
  15. 15.0 15.1 File:322Wait.png
  16. File:322ALongTime.png
  17. Werewolf. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on November 23, 2021. “werewolf, in European folklore, a man who turns into a wolf at night and devours animals, people, or corpses but returns to human form by day.”
  18. File:322Portal.png
  19. TwitterLogo SallyT (@sallyspeaks892) on X, formerly Twitter: @AdamHorowitzLA adamhorowitz Question: Season finale. Emma and Neil on the carousel. Neil and the glove. Homage to On the Waterfront? (July 18, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)
    TwitterLogo Adam Horowitz (@AdamHorowitzLA) on X, formerly Twitter: @sallyspeaks892 yes! good catch! (July 18, 2014). (backup link) (archive screenshot)}
  20. File:321SkulkingAround.png
  21. File:322UrnShaking.png
  22. File:202Push.png
  23. File:205TakeYourPick.png
    File:205TakeYourPick2.png
  24. File:212SomethingForBoth.png
  25. File:W105WhatYouHave.png
    File:W105BTS16.jpg
  26. File:322WeDidIt2.png
  27. File:210YesIDo.png
  28. File:501ThreeTimes.png
  29. A Saucy Belle! Once Upon A Time Season 3 Finale Features my Deco Cloche!. The Saucy Milliner (May 12, 2014). “I made this romantic, ‘Deco Cloche’, using a very high quality millinery fur felt (shown here in Winter White) (...) I might have to rename it, 'Belle's Bell' - which of course is what 'cloche' means in French.”
  30. File:322NeverBeenEasy.png
    File:322IRealize.png
  31. File:503StillAMan.png
  32. File:322YourVows.png
  33. Charlotte Olympia Dolly Spectator Platform Pump. Neiman Marcus. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  34. File:401OurFirstDance.png
  35. KATE'S BLACK ZIP FRONT DRESS AND TWO TONE HEELS ON FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES. WornOnTV. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  36. File:322HopOn.png
    'Wave Swinger' Amusement Park Ride at Playland, Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), Vancouver, BC, British Columbia, Canada. Alamy. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
    Rides. Pacific National Exhibition. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  37. Gittins, Susan (October 21, 2014). SHOOT: ONCE UPON A TIME Goes Back to the 1980s with the Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) in Gastown Tonight. Hollywood North Buzz. “Is Salmgundi in Gastown a 1980s/1990s flashback like earlier scenes on Granville Street [when the Snow Queen arrives in Boston], at the Playland amusement park [with Mitchell as Sarah Fisher and teen Emma] and at a bus stop in east Vancouver [with Mitchell as Sarah Fisher and teen Emma].”
  38. File:512IAlwaysWill.png
    Revelation. Theme Park Archive. Retrieved on October 13, 2018.
  39. Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 22, 2016). Once Upon a Time Season 5B Brings Back Michael Raymond-James as Neal. TVLine. “As a final safeguard, Raymond-James’ scenes were filmed indoors on a soundstage — away from the ever-looming paparazzi known to spoil many an outdoor shoot.”
  40. Gittins, Susan (April 8, 2014). SHOOT: ONCE UPON A TIME in Burnaby's Central Park with #CaptainSwan, The Charmings, Little Red & the Big Bosses. Hollywood North Buzz.
  41. File:322SnowWhite.png
  42. File:322Relax.png
  43. File:322SnowWhite2.png
  44. File:322ISuppose.png
  45. Furminger, Sabrina (August 20, 2014). Once Upon a Time stuntwoman rolls with the punches. Vancouver Courier. “Her work was particularly critical in the final episodes of the third season, when Goodwin was eight months pregnant. "I actually had to learn all of her dialogue for all those episodes because I was doing her dialogue with the actors and then they'd ADR her in," she says.”

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