Once Upon a Time season 3
The third season of the American ABC fantasy-drama series Once Upon a Time was announced on May 10, 2013. It was split into two volumes, with the first airing from September 29 to December 15, 2013, and the second from March 9 to May 11, 2014.
Once Upon a Time
22
September 29, 2013 –
May 11, 2014
The first volume's plot revolved around the main characters traveling to Neverland from Storybrooke to retrieve a kidnapped Henry Mills from the possession of an evil Peter Pan. After successfully retrieving Henry, the characters returned to Storybrooke, only to be returned to their original worlds following Pan's attempt to cast a new curse, leaving Emma Swan and Henry to escape to New York City after Rumplestiltskin killed himself and Pan who was revealed to be his father. The second volume's plot followed the characters' past journey in the Enchanted Forest and how they were brought back to Storybrooke by Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West and Regina's half-sister, while also documenting Emma's mission to break the new curse and save her family.
Existing fictional characters introduced to the series during the season include the main antagonists of the two volumes, Peter Pan and the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside Tinker Bell, Ariel, Prince Eric, Ursula, Medusa, Rapunzel, Lumiere, the Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good Witch, the Good Witch of the North, the Witch of the East, Dorothy Gale, Blackbeard and Elsa.[1]
Premise[edit]
After Henry is kidnapped, Emma, Regina, David, Mary Margaret, Mr. Gold, and Hook travel to Neverland to save him. While in Neverland, new allies are made such as Tinker Bell and the heroes attempt to defeat Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, who are trying to restore Neverland's magic with Henry's heart. Their time in Neverland results in Peter Pan returning with them to Storybrooke, where he unleashes Regina's original curse with hopes to make Storybrooke the new Neverland. As the heroes and Peter Pan collide, a sacrifice is made, with everyone returning to the Enchanted Forest except Emma and Henry. However, a year later, everyone is returned to Storybrooke via another curse as the Wicked Witch of the West has plans of her own. Emma and Henry are brought back to Storybrooke to help break the latest curse and defeat the Wicked Witch, which leads to a trip to the past with dire consequences.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
On May 10, 2013, after the success of Disney's 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful, ABC ordered Once Upon a Time for a third season, which premiered on September 29, 2013. The same month, it was revealed that the season will feature crossover episodes connecting with the upcoming spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.[23] On August 4, 2013, it was announced that the season would be split into two parts, with the first eleven episodes premiering from September 29 to December 2013, while the second half would broadcast from March 9 to May 2014.[24]
The first eleven episodes were set primarily in Neverland;[25] co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis spoke about the setting of the third season stating, "Neverland is a land of belief, a land of imagination, and a land where all our main characters are being stripped down to their core. It's really allowing us, as writers, to dig deep into who they are and to push them forward to new places. I think being in Neverland is going to have a profound effect on each of the characters. It's really fun to see these characters and dig deep this year and explore what it's like for Emma to [be with] her parents. Neverland is really a place where we can sit down and think about that."[26] The two also noted that Peter Pan will feature in the season but will be a more "complicated" version of the character, with Kitsis saying, "We have not yet met Peter Pan and we have not yet seen Neverland, and that is where we're going!"[27] In a further interview, Horowitz stated, "Well for us, Neverland is kind of a place that makes you confront your past. It's sort of the heart of darkness and to be a 200-year-old person, you know because you don't grow up there, you have to keep yourself amused. However long Peter Pan has been there and for whatever reason he has been there, we intend to reveal our take on that and on the legend of Peter Pan. We have a way that it intertwines with our Once Upon a Time mythology that we're really excited to unveil".[28] At Disney's D23 Expo event, the creators hinted at romantic sparks between Emma Swan and Captain Hook, and revelations about how Hook became a pirate.[25] On March 10, 2014, the producers revealed that they may look ahead at incorporating characters from the films The Princess and the Frog, Brave, and Frozen in future episodes, possibly towards the end of the third season if they get the green light from Disney.[29] Later that month, it was announced that the season finale will air on May 11, 2014, and have a duration of two hours.[30]