Season 4, Episode 3:
Rocky Road
When an icy spell is cast on Marian, which will ultimately freeze her heart and kill her, the Storybrooke residents place the blame on Elsa. But unbeknownst to anyone, a mysterious woman who runs the town’s ice cream parlor has the same powers as Elsa and is trying to frame her. Emma and David find former Merry Men member Will Scarlet rummaging through Robin Hood’s tent, while Regina teams up with Henry to try and discover who the author of the fairy tale book is. Mary Margaret is also having trouble balancing her duties as leader of Storybrooke and mother to young Prince Neal, while Hook begins to suspect that Mr. Gold is still in control of the dagger that calls upon him to be the Dark One. Meanwhile, in Arendelle of the past, Elsa and Kristoff set off to stop Hans from attempting to put her in the urn and take control of the kingdom.
Tropes
- Big Sister Instinct: Due to Anna heading off to the Enchanted Forest, Elsa seems very worried about her safety, even when Kristoff reassures her that he's seen Anna take on wolves and giant snowmen and save Elsa from getting killed by Hans's sword.
- Cartwright Curse: Emma eventually confesses to Hook that this is why she's pushing him away—because everyone she's been involved with or gotten close to has died (Graham, Neal, Walsh—though we don't know for sure if he's one of the monkeys who got killed). She leaves out August, but in a way even he 'died', first by turning to wood and then being changed back into little-boy Pinocchio again.*
- Continuity Nod: At first, before Robin Hood confesses that he no longer loves Marian, it is theorized that the reason True Love's Kiss doesn't work is because the ice is preventing their lips from truly touching—and the comparison to Abigail and a golden Frederick is immediately made by David. Which confuses Emma, since no one ever got around to telling her about that story.
- Couch Gag: The title card features the ice cream store.
- Deadpan Snarker: Kristoff for the duration of the confrontation with Hans. For instance:Hans: This is the man she's to marry?Kristoff: In fairness, I never tried to kill her.Hans: I didn't try to kill her. I just left her to die.Kristoff: Important distinction.
- Despair Event Horizon: This is what the Snow Queen claims to be the ultimate goal of her Frameup—by making it look like Elsa is secretly evil or that she can't control her dangerous powers, she will turn everyone against her. At that point, once Elsa believes everyone will always see her as only a monster, the Snow Queen believes she will turn to her in her despair because there is no one else who will understand or love her.
- Double-Meaning Title: While the obvious meaning is the ice cream flavor the Snow Queen uses to curse Marian, a "rocky road" is also a metaphor for a difficult journey or path in life—and that could apply equally well to Elsa and Kristoff's quest to find the urn (and their growing friendship), as well as Regina's future with Robin Hood and plan to find the author of the storybook.
- Frameup: The Snow Queen freezes Marian, thinking Elsa will be the prime and only suspect (despite the fact Emma at least knows that the ice wall isn't entirely Elsa's work). Leroy and a number of the townsfolk fall for it, of course, but not only do Emma and Charming not believe it, unbeknownst to her there was a witness to her ice-cream parlor having frozen products when the power was out—Will Scarlet.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Invoked twice—first Kristoff is willing to die at Hans's sword to save Elsa, then Elsa herself is willing to enter the urn to save Kristoff and Arendelle.
- Idiot Ball: During the fight for the urn in the cave, Hans holds Kristoff hostage by pressing the tip of his sword into the back of Kristoff's neck. During the whole scene, at no point does Kristoff realise he could simply walk forwards away from the sword.
- Even before that, the very decision to go alone (only Kristoff and Elsa) to the cave where the urn was. They had no backup, no guards, no sentries. Of course they were ambushed.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Not only does this episode reveal, when Emma and the others visit Mr. Gold, that Elsa does not remember how she ended up in the urn, but according to the Snow Queen she has also forgotten knowing her (as her aunt, revealed in flashback) and that Anna was the one who put her in the urn. She claims the trolls did this to spare her painful memories. Additionally, the Snow Queen seems to know Emma (confirmed by the last few moments of the episode) but she doesn't remember her either, something which Gold warns her is "very good for her" but that it would be dangerous if those memories returned.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Hans is turned into an ice statue. After what he did in Frozen, that seems appropriate.
- Mythology Gag:
- Elsa incapacitates two of Hans's brothers by using her ice to pin them to a wall. In Frozen she did the same thing to incapacitate one of the Duke of Weselton's bodyguards.
- Dr. Hopper says to Snow White to, “Let it go,” during his speech to her, which is the name of the song Elsa sings in the movie, Frozen.
- Muggles Do It Better: Elsa and Kristoff reach the top of a cliff and must drop down it to get to the entrance of the cave where the urn is located. Elsa contemplates using her magic to create an icy staircase or slide to descend, but Kristoff easily convinces her that this would tip Hans off that his adversaries are looking for the urn as well, and Hans has seen Elsa's ice magic at work, so they must use a rope to descend.
- Mundane Utility: How does the Snow Queen use her ice powers? To run an ice-cream parlour of course.
- No-Sell: Hans trying and failing to put Elsa in the urn...because someone is already in it and just got released. And she's rather displeased.
- Odd Friendship: Between Elsa and Kristoff, but heartwarmingly so by the end of the episode.
- Oh, Crap!: Elsa's and Kristoff's reactions to learning from a messenger that while Anna hasn't turned up, some of Elsa's scouts have spotted Hans and a few of his brothers camped out in the southern mountains
- Old Shame: In-Universe, Hans's older brothers ridicule him for his previous attempt at overthrowing Arendelle.
- Operation: [Blank]: The plan Henry and Regina come up with to find out who the Author is and get him to give Regina a happy ending is named by Regina in the perfect parallel to the original "Operation Cobra"—"Operation Mongoose."
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Kristoff sneaks out to eavesdrop on the clearing where Hans's party has camped out, in defiance of Elsa's orders to stay in the castle. Which turns out to be a good thing since it allows him to learn about the urn.
- The Reveal: The Snow Queen is Elsa and Anna's aunt.
- Title Drop: By the Snow Queen at the beginning when she gives the titular ice cream to Roland.
- Trick-and-Follow Ploy: Unintentional, but when Elsa and Kristoff decide to find the urn first, they end up leading Hans and his brothers right to it.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Archie gives Mary Margaret a speech like this, incorporating Frozen's Arc Words "Let It Go."
- You Monster!: Hans calls Elsa this. Apparently the Duke of Weselton's prejudice against those who practice ice magic rubbed off on him since the events of Frozen.
