History OnceUponATime / TropesEToF

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Downplayed, but especially notable between seasons: In the show's first six seasons, ''most'' episodes appear to occur consecutively. For season finales, this means the audience is left waiting between seasons only for the following season premiere to take place essentially immediately after. Overall, it seems that the first six seasons take place over no more than three years, despite Creator/JaredGilmore aging from ages eleven to sixteen whereas his character Henry only ages from ten to thirteen.

** Only within the one episode, but Prince Charming waking Snow White from her cursed sleep is related twice during Episode 22, once in flashback and once by [[Literature/SnowWhite Mary Margaret]] reading to [[spoiler:the unconscious Henry ... then Emma breaks both the same curse on him and the one on Storybrooke with True (Maternal) Love's Kiss]].

** In Season 1's "The Price of Gold", Regina lectures Emma on her transient lifestyle and notes that she lived in Tallahassee longer than the others, asking what she liked so much about it. Season 2's "Tallahassee" reveals that this is where she met Henry's father, Neal Cassady.

** In the first episode the fact that Oz and it's inhabitants are real is foreshadowed when Emma wrecks her car, the book is left open on a page showing flying monkeys.
** The real Prince James: "Next time make sure I'm dead." Oops.
** A quick one but in "Snow Falls" Graham says that the woods are "his world." Emma appears confused by this, but the audience sees why in "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter."

** Only within the one episode, but Prince Charming waking Snow White from her cursed sleep is related twice during the finale, once in flashback and once by [[Literature/SnowWhite Mary Margaret]] reading to [[spoiler:the unconscious Henry ... then Emma breaks both the same curse on him and the one on Storybrooke with True (Maternal) Love's Kiss]].
** Baelfire, Rumplestiltkin's son, knows Hook, and how to sail his ship and should be a couple hundred years old. It turns out that yes, he was in Neverland and had been a part of Hook's crew for a period of time.
** In early season two, Belle's father tries to have her pushed across the town line, so as to erase her memory of Rumplestiltskin. It doesn't work, but later in the season [[spoiler:Hook shoots her, causing her to cross the line]].
** Early in season three, Neal mentions ruby slippers and Tinkerbell uses poppy dust. Guess [[Film/TheWizardOfOz which 'verse]] is involved in the next big plot arc?
** In the Flashback in "Shattered Sight," Emma wins a dalmatian plushie. The next episode introduces Cruella de Vil.
** In Season 1's "The Price of Gold", Regina lectures Emma on her transient lifestyle and notes that she lived in Tallahassee longer than the others, asking what she liked so much about it. Season 2's "Tallahassee" reveals that this is where she met Henry's father, Neal Cassady.

* FanserviceWithASmile[=/=]MsFanservice[=/=]ShesGotLegs: Ruby (Red Riding Hood) in her waitress "uniform". CharacterDevelopment later has her dressing more conservatively.

* FairySexy: Applies to pretty much all of the fairies shown.

* FairyTales: Naturally, given the theme of the show.

*** There is also Hook being [[spoiler: Neal/Baelfire's stepfather. As well as Henry's stepfather (Yes, he's his own grandstepson's stepfather).]]
*** The Black Fairy is [[spoiler:Rumple's mother. Which makes her Henry's Great Grandmother.]]

*** Unless you consider that he never intended to take Cinderella's baby, and just needed Emma to think he did so she'd owe him a favor for letting Ashley keep her. Or [[spoiler:he wanted to be captured and used her deal as a means of getting caught so he'd be in that prison cell, apparently unable to harm anyone]].

* EveryoneIsRelated: As of "Manhattan," Henry is not only the grandson of Snow White and Prince Charming, and Regina's adopted son, he's also [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin's grandson]].
** And now it turns out that [[spoiler: Peter Pan is actually Rumplestiltskin's ''father'']].
** Season 3 introduces Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West, [[spoiler:who is also Regina's older sister]].
*** Season 4 has [[spoiler:the Snow Queen]] being [[spoiler:Elsa from Frozen]]'s aunt.
*** And if you think they were going to stop there [[spoiler: The Snow Queen is Emma's foster-mother]].

*** Needless to say, it's a huge, unnecessarily complicated family tree.

** The unicorn mobile from Episodes 1 and 6, the dolls [[spoiler:that turn out to be Geppetto's parents]] from Episode 5, and the windmill from Episode 6 can first be seen in Mr. Gold's shop in Episode 4 before they're all properly used in the plot.

** [[spoiler:Neal/Baelfire]] knows Hook, and how to sail his ship and [[spoiler:should be a couple hundred years old. It turns out that yes, he was in Neverland and had been a part of Hook's crew for a period of time]].
** In early season two, [[spoiler:Belle's father tries to have her pushed across the town line, so as to erase her memory of Rumplestiltskin]]. It doesn't work, but later in the season [[spoiler:Hook shoots her, causing her to cross the line]].

** In the Flashback in "Shattered Sight," Emma wins a dalmatian plushie. [[spoiler: The next episode introduces Cruella]].
** In Season 1's "The Price of Gold", Regina lectures Emma on her transient lifestyle and notes that she lived in Tallahassee longer than the others, asking what she liked so much about it. Season 2's "Tallahassee" reveals that this is where she met Henry's father, Neal Cassady a.k.a. Baelfire.

* EnthrallingSiren: One appears in "What Happened to Frederick" and unsuccessfully attempts to seduce Prince Charming under the [[ShapeshiftingSeducer guise]] of Snow White.
** Season 4 reveals Ursula was one, [[spoiler:albeit not by choice. Her father, Poseidon, used her this way to spite the humans that he blames for his wife's death]].

** There is also Snow saying in the pilot that Regina tried to kill her for being "prettier" than her. The show gives Regina another motive, avenging Daniel, although Snow is completely unaware of that at the point where she said the line.

* FairyTaleFreeForAll: The show is set in a world where all fairy tale characters exist -- some were just transported to a modern town on Earth due to a curse by the Evil Queen. The protagonists include [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White, Prince Charming, their daughter, the Evil Queen]], Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}, [[Literature/PeterPan Captain Hook]], [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], etc. Several other fairy tale characters from famous stories pop up in supporting or one-shot roles all the time. Since it's on Creator/{{ABC}}, very many of the fairy tale characters are specifically based on their Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon versions, or deliberately twisted from them to subvert audience expectations. Some characters from non-fairy tales have also appeared, most significantly Dr. Literature/{{Frankenstein}}.

** Only within the one episode, but Prince Charming waking Snow White from her cursed sleep is related twice during the finale, once in flashback and once by [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Mary Margaret]] reading to [[spoiler:the unconscious Henry ... then Emma breaks both the same curse on him and the one on Storybrooke with True (Maternal) Love's Kiss]].

* FlashbackArc: Technically every episode is this, with a majority of the story in the present while a flashback sequence fills in the backstory of one or more characters. However there are a few episodes that play with this.

* FlashbackBPlot: Season 1 was divided between the Storybrooke plot and the flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest.

* FairyTaleFreeForAll: The show is set in a world where all fairy tale characters exist -- some were just transported to a modern town on Earth due to a curse by the Evil Queen. The protagonists include [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White, Prince Charming, their daughter, the Evil Queen]], Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}, [[Literature/PeterPan Captain Hook]], [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], etc. Several other fairy tale characters from famous stories pop up in supporting or one-shot roles all the time. Since it's on Creator/{{ABC}}, very many of the fairy tale characters are specifically based on their Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon versions, or deliberately twisted from them to subvert audience expectations. Some characters from non-fairy tales have also appeared, most significantly Dr. Literature/{{Frankenstein}}.

** [[Disney/{{Frozen}} Arendelle]] appears to be inspired by medieval Scandinavia while [[WesternAnimation/{{Brave}} DunBroch]] is based upon the highlands of medieval Scotland.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.