The second season of the American

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

'' was announced on May 10, 2012. It premiered on September 30, 2012, and concluded on May 12, 2013. The season's plot follows the breaking of the curse and the introduction of magic by Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold into Storybrooke in the first season finale, with the characters having to deal with their dual identities and new emerging threats. Existing fictional characters introduced to the series during the season include Captain Killian "

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

" Jones, Princess Aurora,

Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...

, Prince Phillip,

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

, the Darling family and the Lost Boys.

Premise

With the curse broken, the residents of Storybrooke struggle with resolving their original and cursed memories, left wondering about the fate of their land. When

Rumpelstiltskin "Rumpelstiltskin" ( ; german: Rumpelstilzchen) is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of ''Children's and Household Tales''. The story is about a little imp who spins straw into gold in exchange for a g ...

/Mr. Gold successfully introduces magic into the world, some of the Storybrooke residents try to figure out how to return home, leading to an incident with the

Mad Hatter The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Ca ...

's teleporting hat that causes Emma and

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...

/Mary Margaret to be accidentally transported to the Enchanted Forest. They discover that part of the realm was spared from the curse, keeping the remaining inhabitants frozen during the twenty-eight years. Among them are allies

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, and

Phillip Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

, along with Regina/

Evil Queen The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm; similar stories exist worldwide. Other versions of the Queen appear in subsequent ...

's mother Cora and

Captain Hook Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain ...

. The latter two follow Emma and Mary Margaret as they successfully make it back to Storybrooke, with Cora wanting to get even with Regina, and Hook wanting to kill "the Crocodile" (Rumplestiltskin) for taking his hand and his lover. Meanwhile, Rumpelstiltskin works to bypass the protective boundary and leave Storybrooke to find his missing son Bae, discovering that Bae is actually

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

's father Neal. The magical boundary of Storybrooke starts to falter, allowing strangers inside Storybrooke, including outsiders Greg Mendell and Tamara, both secretly working for a mysterious organization tracking and eliminating magic around the world, with their actions leading to Henry's captivity in Neverland, setting up the third season.

Cast and characters

Main

Ginnifer Goodwin Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' (2006–2011) and Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fanta ...

/ Mary Margaret Blanchard *

Jennifer Morrison Jennifer Marie Morrison is an American actress, director, producer, and former child model. She is mainly known for her roles as Dr. Allison Cameron in the medical-drama series ''House'' (2004–2012) and Emma Swan in the ABC adventure-fantasy ...

Emma Swan Emma Swan is a fictional character in ABC's television series '' Once Upon a Time'' and the protagonist of seasons 1-6. She is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison as an adult, by Abby Ross as a teenager, and by Mckenna Grace as a child. Emma appears ...

Lana Parrilla Lana Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress. She was a regular cast member in the fifth season of the ABC sitcom ''Spin City'' (2000–2001) and in the fourth season of '' 24'' (2005), and starred in ''Boomtown'' (2002–2003), ' ...

as Evil Queen / Regina Mills *

Josh Dallas Joshua Paul Dallas (born December 18, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Prince Charming/ David Nolan in the ABC television series '' Once Upon a Time'' and as Ben Stone in the NBC/Netflix sci-fi drama series '' Manife ...

as Prince Charming / David Nolan *

Emilie de Ravin Emilie de Ravin (; born 27 December 1981) is an Australian actress. She starred as Tess Harding on '' Roswell'' (2000–2002), Claire Littleton on the ABC drama ''Lost'' (2004–2008, 2010), and as Belle on the ABC drama ''Once Upon a Time'' ...

as Belle / Lacey * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills *

Meghan Ory Meghan Ory (born August 20, 1982) is a Canadian television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Red Riding Hood /Ruby on the ABC fantasy series ''Once Upon a Time'' and also starred in the short-lived CBS drama ''Intelligence'' as R ...

as Red Riding Hood / Ruby *

Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish actor. His film work includes '' Trainspotting'' (1996), ''The Full Monty'' (1997), ''The World Is Not Enough'' (1999), ''Angela's Ashes'' (1999), '' The Beach'' (2000), ''28 Weeks Later'' (20 ...

as Rumplestiltskin / Mr. Gold *

Colin O'Donoghue Colin Arthur O'Donoghue (born 26 January 1981) is an Irish actor and musician, best known for portraying Captain Killian "Hook" Jones on the ABC TV show '' Once Upon a Time''. He appeared in the 2011 horror thriller film '' The Rite'' (2011 ...

/ Killian Jones

Recurring

Lee Arenberg Lee Arenberg (born July 18, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Pintel, one of Captain Barbossa's crew, in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean film series''. He also had a recurring role as the dwarf Grumpy in the televisio ...

as Grumpy / Leroy *

Michael Raymond-James Michael Raymond-James (born Michael Weverstad; December 24, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing René Lenier in the first season of the HBO series ''True Blood'', Britt Pollack on the FX series ''Terriers'', Neal Cassidy/B ...

as Baelfire / Neal Cassidy *

Beverley Elliott Beverley Elliott (born 31 December 1960) is a Canadian actress and singer-songwriter. She is best known for playing the role of Granny in ''Once Upon a Time'', Maggie Krell in ''Harper's Island'', Brick Bannerman in ''Kingdom Hospital ''King ...

as Widow Lucas / Granny *

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...

as Cora /

Queen of Hearts The queen of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. Queen of Hearts or The Queen of Hearts may refer to: Books * "The Queen of Hearts" (poem), anonymous nursery rhyme published 1782 * ''The Queen of Hearts'', an 1859 novel by ...

* Jeffrey Kasier as Dopey * Michael Coleman as Happy *

Mig Macario Mig Macario is a Filipino-American and Filipino-Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Bashful of the Seven Dwarfs on the ABC series ''Once Upon a Time''. He has also starred in the Dan Gilroy film '' Velvet Buzzsaw'' with Jake Gyllenhaal, ...

as Bashful * Faustino Di Bauda as

Sleepy Sleepy means feeling a need for sleep, also known as somnolence. It may also refer to: People * Sleepy (rapper) (born 1984), a South Korean rapper part of the hip hop duo Untouchable * Sleepy Bill Burns (1880–1953), American baseball player * ...

/ Walter *

David Paul Grove David Paul Grove (born December 10, 1958) is a Canadian actor. Career Grove has voiced Jonny 2x4 in ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'' and played one of the Dwarfs, Doc, in ''Once Upon a Time''. He has appeared in several Christmas films like ''Elf'' and ''The ...

Doc DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

Sarah Bolger Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pi ...

Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Mark in ''Empire Records'', Preston in '' Can't Hardly Wait'', The Bass Player in ''That Thing You Do!'', and as Bobby Ray in '' Sweet Home A ...

as Owen Flynn / Greg Mendell *

Jamie Chung Jamie Jilynn Chung (born April 10, 1983) is an American actress and former reality television personality. She began her career in 2004 as a cast member on the MTV reality series '' The Real World: San Diego'' and subsequently through her appe ...

Hua Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...

Keegan Connor Tracy Keegan Connor Tracy (born December 3, 1971) is a Canadian actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Audrey Malone in the Showtime comedy-drama series '' Beggars and Choosers'' (1999–2000), the Blue Fairy in the ABC fantasy drama ...

as The Blue Fairy / Mother Superior *

Raphael Sbarge Raphael Sbarge (born February 12, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka on ''The Guardian'' (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper on ''Once Upon a Time'' (2011–18) and Insp ...

Jiminy Cricket Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the " Talking Cricket" (Italian: ''Il Grillo Parlante''), a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adap ...

/ Dr. Archie Hopper *

Sonequa Martin-Green Sonequa Chaunté Martin-Green (; Martin; born March 21, 1985) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Michael Burnham, the main character in the streaming television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'', and as Sasha W ...

as Tamara * David Anders as Dr. Victor Frankenstein / Dr. Whale *

Gabe Khouth Gabriel Forest Khouth (November 22, 1972 – July 23, 2019) was a Canadian voice and television actor who worked for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Career Khouth had played several roles in anime, most notably Nicol Amalfi in '' ...

Sneezy ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it is the first full-le ...

/ Tom Clark *

Tony Amendola Tony Amendola (born August 24, 1951) is an American actor. He played the Jaffa master Bra'tac in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Pinocchio's creator/father, Geppetto on ABC's ''Once Upon a Time''. He also had a recurring role as revolutionary leader Edou ...

Geppetto Geppetto ( , ), also known as Mister Geppetto, is an Italian fictional character in the 1883 novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator (and thus 'father') of Pinocchio ...

/ Marco *

Chris Gauthier Christopher Gauthier (born 27 January 1976) is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his work in '' Need for Speed: Carbon''. He had a recurring role on the SyFy Channel series '' Eureka'', as Café Diem owner Vincent. While filming the f ...

Mr. Smee Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy''. History Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; B ...

Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequentl ...

as King George / Albert Spencer *

Jorge Garcia Jorge Garcia (born April 28, 1973) is an American actor and comedian. He first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show ''Becker'', but subsequently became best known for his portrayal of Hugo "Hurley ...

Anton Anton may refer to: People *Anton (given name), including a list of people with the given name *Anton (surname) Places *Anton Municipality, Bulgaria **Anton, Sofia Province, a village *Antón District, Panama **Antón, a town and capital of th ...

Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan (born August 13, 1982) is a Romanian-American actor. He gained recognition for his role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise beginning with the film '' Captain America: The First Ave ...

The Mad Hatter The Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and its 1871 sequel ''Through the Looking-Glass''. He is very often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Car ...

/ Jefferson *

Julian Morris Julian David Morris (born 13 January 1983) is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series '' The Knock'' (1996) and ''Fish'' (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film '' C ...

as Prince Phillip

Guest

Bailee Madison Bailee Madison Riley (born October 15, 1999) is an American actress and singer. She first gained acclaim for her role as May Belle Aarons in the fantasy drama film '' Bridge to Terabithia'' (2007). Madison received further recognition for her ...

as Young

Rachel Shelley Rachel Shelley (born 25 August 1969) is an English actress and model. She is best known for playing Helena Peabody in the Showtime series ''The L Word'' and Elizabeth Russell in the Oscar-nominated Bollywood epic ''Lagaan''. Early life Rachel ...

Milah The ''brit milah'' ( he, בְּרִית מִילָה ''bərīṯ mīlā'', ; Ashkenazi pronunciation: , "covenant of circumcision"; Yiddish pronunciation: ''bris'' ) is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism. According to the Book of Genesis, ...

Eion Bailey Eion Francis Hamilton Bailey ( ; born June 8, 1976) is an American actor. He stars as Jim Matthews in the epix horror series '' From''. He played Pvt. David Kenyon Webster in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'' and appeared in the films ...

as August Booth / Pinocchio *

Tony Perez Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...

* Dylan Schmidt as Young Baelfire *

Jamie Dornan James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model and musician from Northern Ireland. Formerly a character actor, he often portrays solemn, steady characters. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been n ...

as Huntsman / Sheriff Graham Humbert * Tom Ellis as

Freya Tingley Freya Tingley (born 26 March 1994) is an Australian actress. Career Tingley's first professional role was "Young Joan" in Caryl Churchill's play '' Far Away'' for The Black Swan Theatre Company in 2008. Since then she has appeared in a number ...

Wendy Darling Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1904 play and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy'' by J. M. Barrie, as well as in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the origina ...

* Parker Croft as

Felix Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...

* Gabrielle Rose as

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

Eric Keenleyside Eric Keenleyside (born October 11, 1957) is a Canadian actor. Early life Eric was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, grew up in London, Ontario, and spent time in Brisbane, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (acting) from the Univers ...

as Sir Maurice / Moe French * Noah Bean as Daniel Colter *

Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...

as Young Cora *

Sinqua Walls Sinqua Walls (born April 6, 1985) is an American actor known for appearing in ''Friday Night Lights'', ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'', and '' American Soul''.Sinqua WallsUSF Guard Bio/ref> Early life and education Originally fro ...

Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

Annabeth Gish Anne Elizabeth "Annabeth" Gish (born March 13, 1971) is an American actress. She has played roles in films ''Shag'', ''Hiding Out'', '' Mystic Pizza'', ''SLC Punk!'', ''The Last Supper'' and ''Double Jeopardy''. On television, she played Special ...

as Anita * Ben Hollingsworth as Quinn *

Gregory Itzin Gregory Martin Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as U.S. President Charles Logan in the action thriller series '' 24''. Early life Itzin was born in Washin ...

as Alphonse Frankenstein * Chad Michael Collins as Gerhardt Frankenstein *

Cassidy Freeman Cassidy Freeman (born April 22, 1982) is an American actress and musician. She is known for her roles as Tess Mercer in The CW's superhero drama ''Smallville'', Amber Gemstone in the HBO series ''The Righteous Gemstones'', and Cady Longmire in ...

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

* Lesley Nicol as

Johanna Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek /h/ cou ...

Rena Sofer Renas may refer to: Places *Rena, Badajoz, a municipality in Extremadura, Spain *Rena, Norway, a village in Innlandet county, Norway *Rena, Washington, a community in Clallam County, Washington, United States People *Rena (given name), list of pe ...

as Queen Eva *

Joaquim de Almeida Joaquim António Portugal Baptista de Almeida (born 15 March 1957) is a Portuguese actor. Almeida began his acting career in theatre during the 1980s, he started his film career appearing on the 1982 action film '' The Soldier'', and later ach ...

as King Xavier *

John Pyper-Ferguson John Pyper-Ferguson (born February 27, 1964) is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He has appeared in a wide range of films and television shows. His notable works include playing Sonny Hamilton on '' Hamilton's Quest'', Peter Hutter on '' The A ...

as Kurt Flynn * Benjamin Stockham as Young Owen Flynn *

Tzi Ma Tzi Ma (;) is a Hong Kong-American actor. He is well known for his roles in television shows, such as '' The Man in the High Castle'' and '' 24'', and films, such as ''Dante's Peak'', ''Rush Hour'', ''Rush Hour 3'', '' Arrival'', '' The Farewel ...

as the Dragon *

Wil Traval William Traval is an Australian actor, known for his work as Dr. Jack Quade on the Australian hospital drama '' All Saints'' (2004–2008), and as Will Simpson on the Netflix superhero drama series ''Jessica Jones'' (2015–2018). Early life ...

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

/ Keith

Episodes

Production

Development

On May 10, 2012, ABC ordered ''Once Upon a Time'' for a second season, which premiered on September 30, 2012. Co-creators

Adam Horowitz Adam Horowitz (born December 4, 1971) is an American screenwriter and producer. He is known for co-creating the ABC fairy tale drama series '' Once Upon a Time'' with his writing partner Edward Kitsis. Days after the show ended its seven-year ...

and

Edward Kitsis Edward Lawrence Kitsis (born February 4, 1971) is an American television writer and producer, best known for his work with his writing partner Adam Horowitz on the popular ABC drama series ''Lost'' and '' Once Upon a Time''. Early life and e ...

spoke about the repercussions of the first season finale's events, stating, "Magic as we know always comes with a price and we are introducing it to a world where it has never been before and I think that’s going to have unpredictable results. It’s going to affect everybody this season because that’s what’s more fun." said Kitsis. On everyone in Storybrooke's memories returning Horowitz commented, "One of the things that’s interesting to us to explore is this notion that just because the memories have returned does not mean that the past 28 years did not happen. Those memories, the Davids, the Mary Margarets, the Mr. Golds, all those people, who they were existed and what they did actually happened and those are the things that will have to be dealt with." The show still bounced back-and-forth between the fairy-tale world and Storybrooke, although there were slight differences compared to season one. It was hinted that another form of narrative was introduced during the season.

Casting

In June 2012, it was reported that season one recurring actresses

(Red Riding Hood/Ruby) and

(Belle/Lacey) had both been promoted to series regulars for the second season. In July 2012, it was announced that ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

'' star

would be guest starring as Prince Phillip, an altruistic hero and adept warrior, while ''

Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is chang ...

'' actor

was cast as Sir Lancelot, a former member of the round table. In the same month, it was announced that ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' star

and ''

The Hangover Part II ''The Hangover Part II'' is a 2011 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sequel to the 2009 film ''The Hangover'' and the second installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. Directed ...

'' actress

had joined the recurring cast as Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Chinese warrior Mulan. On August 3, 2012, ''The Rite'' actor

booked the recurring role of Captain Killian "Hook" Jones, the prime antagonist of

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

. O'Donoghue joined the main cast during the second half of the season. The same day, it was reported that ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The serie ...

's ''

had joined the season's recurring cast in an unknown role, described only as "mysterious". This was later revealed to be Neal Cassidy (Rumplestiltskin's son Baelfire, Emma Swan's ex-boyfriend and Henry Mills' father). ''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' alum

recurs as Anton the Giant, referenced from

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...

. Garcia was originally scheduled to appear in only one episode, but his character was later expanded. Actor

, who portrays

, was made part of the recurring guest cast this season, as opposed to being included in the first season's main cast.

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene Ch ...

actress

played the recurring role of Milah, Rumplestiltskin's wife. ''

Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...

'' actor Christopher Gauthier is recurring throughout the season as Mr. William Smee, Captain Hook's right-hand-man. In October 2012, ''

Can't Hardly Wait ''Can't Hardly Wait'' is a 1998 American teen romantic comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars an ensemble cast including Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jenni ...

'' star

joined the recurring cast as an unknown visitor to Storybrooke.

(Pinocchio/August Booth) made guest appearances in episodes six and 18.

(

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

) and

( King George/Albert Spencer) both made recurring appearances in some capacity throughout the season. Actor Noah Bean reprised his role as Daniel, the Evil Queen's love-interest, during episode five, "The Doctor". ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' actress

guest starred as Anita, the leader of a pack of werewolves, in '' Child of the Moon''. ''

The Christmas Card ''The Christmas Card'' is an American romantic drama television film directed by Stephen Bridgewater and written by Joany Kane. The film stars John Newton and Alice Evans, with Lois Nettleton, Peter Jason, Ben Weber, Vaughn Armstrong, and Ed As ...

'' actor Chad Michael Collins and '' 24'' veteran

appeared in ''

In the Name of the Brother "In the Name of the Brother" is the 12th episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series '' Once Upon a Time'', and the show's 34th episode overall, which aired on January 20, 2013. In this episode Dr. Whale has ...

'' as Gerhardt/Frankenstein's Monster, Dr. Frankenstein's younger brother and as Alphonse, the boys' father, respectively. ''

Scream Scream may refer to: *Screaming, a loud vocalization Amusement rides * Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany * Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England * Scream! (roller coaster), at ...

'' and ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

'' actress

portrayed a young Cora in '' The Miller's Daughter''. Lesley Nicol, of ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on P ...

'' fame, was cast as Johanna in ''

The Queen is Dead ''The Queen Is Dead'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Smiths. Released on 16 June 1986 in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records, and on 23 June 1986 in the US by Sire Records, it spent 22 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, pea ...

'' which also featured ''

Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

'' vet

as Queen Eva, Snow White's mother. It was implicated that the role has the potential to become recurring. '' Caprica'' actor

guest starred in ''

Welcome to Storybrooke "Welcome to Storybrooke" is the 17th episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series '' Once Upon a Time'', and the show's 39th episode overall. It aired on March 17, 2013. It was co-written by Ian Goldberg and ...

'' as Kurt Flynn, a widower who longs to aid his son after experiencing the loss of his mother. Season one co-star

also reprised his role as Sheriff Graham Humbert in the episode. Since the first season, '' Kings'' actor

had portrayed Jefferson/The Mad Hatter in a recurring role; he has since departed from the show with obligations to the

Broadway play Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

''Picnic'' and his role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

. It was reported that

was set to recast the role with the potential for a possible spin-off based on the character. However, Stan's recasting was repudiated by series co-creator Adam Horowitz, saying that Stan "is a very busy man, I don't know when he will be making his way back toward us". He later confirmed that Stan would not be returning to the series in 2013.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

for the season began in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

on July 16, 2012 and completed on April 5, 2013. The town of Steveston doubles as Storybrooke for the series.

Ratings

Soundtrack

Home video releases

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Once Upon a Time episodes 2012 American television seasons 2013 American television seasons

Season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...