True North 

Emma tries to save two children from foster care by trying to find their birth father, as flashbacks show the Evil Queen coercing Hansel and Gretel into stealing an important artifact from a blind witch.

Director:

Dean White

Writers:

Edward Kitsis (created by), Adam Horowitz (created by)

Stars:

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White
Jennifer Morrison	...	Emma Swan
Lana Parrilla	...	Evil Queen / Regina Mills
Josh Dallas	...	David Nolan (credit only)
Jared Gilmore	...	Henry Mills (as Jared S. Gilmore)
Raphael Sbarge	...	Dr. Archie Hopper (credit only)
Robert Carlyle	...	Mr. Gold
Lee Arenberg	...	Grumpy
Eion Bailey	...	The Stranger
Emma Caulfield Ford	...	Blind Witch (as Emma Caulfield)
Karley Scott Collins	...	Ava Zimmer / Gretel
Nicholas Lea	...	The Woodcutter / Michael Tillman
Quinn Lord	...	Nicholas Zimmer / Hansel
David Bloom	...	Mr. 'K' Krzyszkowski
Osmond L. Bramble	...	Queen's Guard (as Osmond Lloyd Bramble)

Storyline

Feeling their pain from having lived through the same experience, Emma desperately tries to help two homeless children find their birth father before they're separated and put into the foster care system. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, the Evil Queen coerces Hansel and Gretel into stealing an important artifact from a blind witch.

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Plot Keywords:

comic book | felling a tree | shoplifting | reference to hansel and gretel | adoption | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 2012 (USA)

Filming Locations:

John H. McDonald House, New Westminster, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kitsis/Horowitz, ABC Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Quinn Lord and Karley Scott Collins, who play Hansel and Gretel respectively, played a young Peter and Olivia respectively on different episodes of Fringe (2008).

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Goofs

When Hansel and Gretel Wake up in the forest, there are zippers on the sides of Gretel's shoes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ava Zimmer: What you reading?
Henry Mills: 'The Hulk... vs Wolverine'.

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Crazy Credits

The opening sequence gives a hint to the episodes main story line by showing a character or event happening in the dark forest underneath the title.

User Reviews

A Hansel & Gretel segment done well

While the dialog could've been more fresh and the writing can be a bit clunky, True North does a really good job having Hansel and Gretel into the show and have them meet Regina which is a really clever move. The connection between the two kids in Storybrooke, Maine and the Enchanted Forest was is really good and it's great to see them reunite with their father at the end.

The story is well-paced, the visuals are nice especially the Gingerbread House, the characters are good including the witch Hansel and Gretel encounter, the music is more atmospheric this time around, and the scenes with Hansel and Gretel and the Evil Queen were solid. The scenery is also gorgeous and the direction is effective.

Overall, another good episode and a segment done well.