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This article focuses on the first iteration of the maze.
For the second one, see Infinite Maze.


Jefferson: Wait. Stay away from the walls.
Evil Queen: I've got a better idea. The walls should stay away from me.

Jefferson and the Evil Queen src

The Wonderland Maze,[1] a part of which is also known as the Queen of Hearts' Garden,[2] is a Wonderland location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It first appears in the seventeenth episode of the first season of Once Upon a Time.

The Wonderland maze is based on the Queen of Hearts' garden from the novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts' labyrinth garden from the animated Disney film Alice in Wonderland, and the Red Queen's garden from the live-action Disney film Alice in Wonderland.

History

Before First Curse

Banished through a Looking-glass to Wonderland by her daughter, Cora assumes power in this new realm as the Queen of Hearts, who is infamous for ripping out her enemies' hearts. Sometime after this, she kidnaps her husband, Henry, and shrinks him into a slot within her vault, which is located in the center of a maze. ("Hat Trick")

After catching Alice trying to steal a weeping willow from her garden, the Queen of Hearts' sends her soldiers after the girl. In time, she also falsely charges Alice with murder. Will, who is installed as the Queen's Knave after she took his heart, follows her orders to capture the wanted suspect. When Alice learns he has no choice but to obey since the Queen has his heart, she decides to free him so he'll assist her instead. Sneaking into the maze, she avoids attracting the attention of guards and slips into the vault to grab a slot labeled "J H" for Jack of Hearts. Later, she accidentally uses the heart to command Knave to stop attempting to kill her. Although Alice intended to have him find proof of Wonderland for her father, she changes her mind and forfeits his heart. Despite this, a friendship develops between them, and Knave procures the White Rabbit for her. As he distracts incoming guards, Alice runs into the maze to return home. Even so, the soldiers catch up, so Alice steals a mushroom from the Caterpillar and shrinks her size to evade them. ("To Catch a Thief," "Down the Rabbit Hole")

Intending to rescue Henry, Regina, under the guise of retrieving an item, deceives Jefferson into helping her cross realms to Wonderland. In the maze, they become apprehensive after seeing the greenery trying to ensnare them. With a well-aimed fireball, Regina tosses it straight through the maze; burning a clear path for them to the very center. Locating the appropriate slot in the vault, Regina takes it as she and Jefferson are forced to run from the approaching Queen of Hearts' guards. They flee through the same burnt path, and upon returning to the portal entrance, some of the guards become tangled in the maze's vines. The pair then watch as the soldiers are literally eaten into the foliage as the greenery, which was damaged by Regina's fire magic, regrows itself. Before returning into the portal, Regina restores her father to normal size. Only then, Jefferson realizes her deception too late when she entraps him in Wonderland. While she goes home with her father, he is apprehended by the guards and hauled through the maze to the Queen of Hearts. ("Hat Trick")

On Regina's orders, Hook travels to Wonderland to kill the Queen of Hearts. Allowing himself to be caught, the guards take him to the Queen. Cora, discovering Hook knows her true name, dismisses her courtiers so they can speak alone. Following a failed attempt to kill her, Cora forces Hook to admit who sent him. Learning Regina promised Hook a chance to kill his nemesis once a certain curse is cast, she reveals that this won't be possible since he'll lose their memories under the curse. However, she agrees to help him if he assists her first. Intending to kill Regina as revenge, Cora returns to the Enchanted Forest with Hook. Presumably, they travel through the maze to reach the portal entrance. ("Queen of Hearts")

After First Curse

Having kidnapped her ex-lover, Knave, the Red Queen wants to aid his escape since her associate, Jafar, is calling for his execution. However, after a bitter exchange of words between the former couple, she sentences him to death. At the public execution, Alice frees him and the pair use a catapult to fire themselves into the maze. In search of the exit, they run into Knave's old friend, Lizard, who leads them there, though Jafar and the Red Queen get there first. During the confrontation, Lizard is knocked out as Jafar magically chokes Knave in order to force Alice into making a wish. In the midst of it, Knave calls the Red Queen by her real name, Anastasia; leading Alice to beg for her help. Instead, she snaps at the girl to make a wish, to which Alice uses a wish to ask for her own death if Knave dies. At this, Jafar drops Knave and exerts pain on Alice to force her to make another wish. She refuses to relent, so the sorcerer lets her go, however, he turns Knave into a stone statue. After Jafar leaves, Alice angrily slaps the Red Queen for not saving Knave. The Red Queen coldly insists that using up the third wish will help Knave, and she chides Alice to use more common sense. Later that night, a confused Lizard witnesses the Red Queen longingly staring at the Knave statue. ("The Serpent")

Temporarily joining forces with the Red Queen, Alice retrieves magic dust for her in exchange for Cyrus' whereabouts. The Queen claims to need the dust for protection against Jafar, but she later steals it for another purpose; freeing Knave. Before the dust completely restores Knave, the Red Queen flees from the maze so he doesn't realize she helped him. Regaining human form, Knave mistakenly believes Alice freed him. ("Heart of Stone")

Escaping from Jafar's lair, Cyrus heads to the Outlands to meet up with Alice at their secret hideout. In the forest, he becomes trapped in vines, and while wrestling to untangle himself, a grapevine in the maze broadcasts his sounds of struggle. One of the Queen's servants, Tweedledum, hears Cyrus through the grapevine. As he prepares to report this to the Queen, he sees his brother, Tweedledee, handing Cyrus' genie bottle to Jafar. Unknown to all three, the bottle is fake the Queen hid in the event someone decided to double-cross her. Shocked at Tweedledee's betrayal, Tweedledum nervously goes to tell the Queen. ("Home")

Visitors

Trivia

On-Screen Notes

Production Notes

  • A shot of the Wonderland maze from "Hat Trick"[3] is reused for the montage scene where all the worlds are restored in "The Final Battle Part 2".[4] However, the montage shot is played in reverse: In "Hat Trick", the shot opens with a wide view of the maze before panning down to the gate with the red heart on top. In "The Final Battle Part 2", the shot opens with the gate before panning up to a view of the maze.

Fairytales and Folklore

Set Dressing

Appearances

Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.

References

  1. "She's headed into the maze!" –One of the Queen of Hearts' soldiers, "Down the Rabbit Hole", Once Upon a Time, ABC.

    "They're in the maze!" –One of the Red Queen's soldiers, "The Serpent", Once Upon a Time, ABC.
  2. "She's headed for the queen's garden!" –One of the Queen of Hearts' soldiers, "Down the Rabbit Hole", Once Upon a Time, ABC.

    "All I did was try and pick a weeping willow from the queen's garden." –Alice, "To Catch a Thief", Once Upon a Time, ABC.
  3. File:117WhatIWant.png
    File:117ShortWalkThrough.png
  4. File:622OverlookingMaze.png
    File:622Wonderland.png
  5. File:117TheQueenOfHearts.png
  6. File:W104WellPlayedAlice.png
  7. File:117ShortWalkThrough.png
    File:117Vault.png
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