Once Upon a Time

10 Best Episodes of Once Upon a Time - Season 3

There is a town in Maine where every story book character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth and only one can break the spell.Emma Swan is a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who has been supporting herself since she was abandoned as a baby. Things change for her when her son Henry, whom she abandoned years ago, finds her and asks for her help explaining that she is from a different world where she is Snow White's missing daughter.

Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 04, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Once Upon a Time - S3E1

#15 - The Heart of the Truest Believer (Season 3 - Episode 1)

Unfriendly mermaids threaten those searching for Henry in Neverland; Henry and another escapee from Peter Pan's encampment go on the run; a still-recovering Neal travels the enchanted forest with Mulan in search of Emma's and Henry's fates.

The episode was rated 7.93 from 1606 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E15

#14 - Quiet Minds (Season 3 - Episode 15)

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Neal finds himself back in Storybrooke and yearns for a way to reconnect with his son Henry, whose memories of his father are gone, while also trying to find his own father, Rumplestiltskin, whom he has just learned is alive but missing, and Regina discovers a possible connection with Robin Hood. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was over the past year, agonizing over the death of his father, Neal - with the help of Belle and enchanted candelabra Lumiere - attempts to find a magical solution to bring back Rumplestiltskin from the dead.

The episode was rated 7.94 from 1376 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E5

#13 - Good Form (Season 3 - Episode 5)

Hook brings ailing David with him to find the sextant that may help them decipher a map that shows the way out of Neverland; Killian Jones and his brother sail off to find a plant in an uncharted land.

The episode was rated 7.96 from 1438 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E6

#12 - Ariel (Season 3 - Episode 6)

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To repay Ariel for saving her life, Snow White helps her get acquainted with Prince Eric; Mr. Gold and Regina begrudgingly agree to work together to take down Pan.

The episode was rated 7.97 from 1404 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E9

#11 - Save Henry (Season 3 - Episode 9)

While Henry's life hangs in the balance, the race is on to stop Pan from gaining full magical powers from the heart of the truest believer. Meanwhile, in Storybrooke of the past, Regina decides to fill a void in her life and, with Mr. Gold's help, sets out to adopt a baby.

The episode was rated 7.98 from 1387 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E18

#10 - Bleeding Through (Season 3 - Episode 18)

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After Zelena steals Regina's heart, Regina casts a spell so that she can speak across the realms to her dead mother, Cora, to discover the truth about why she abandoned Zelena, and Belle stumbles across what Zelena's ultimate end game is. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was, young Cora is duped by a man claiming to be a prince and finds herself alone and pregnant. But a chance meeting with a real prince could lead Cora to the royal life she's always craved, but she must keep her pregnancy a secret or risk losing everything.

The episode was rated 8.00 from 1342 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E16

#9 - It's Not Easy Being Green (Season 3 - Episode 16)

With Rumplestiltskin as her slave, Zelena challenges Regina to a fight to the death and shocks the Evil queen with the reveal of their familial connection, and the town lays Neal to rest. Meanwhile, back in the past in the land of Oz, a jealous Zelena asks the Wizard to send her to Fairy Tale Land after discovering that she has a sister, Regina, and that Rumplestiltskin is training her to become a powerful force to be reckoned with.

The episode was rated 8.03 from 1365 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E19

#8 - A Curious Thing (Season 3 - Episode 19)

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Zelena threatens to kill Henry if Hook - whose lips have been cursed by the Wicked Witch -- doesn't proceed with kissing Emma, which will drain all of her magical powers away, and things begin to heat up between Regina and Robin Hood. Meanwhile, back in the Fairy Tale Land that was during the past year, Snow and Charming go in search of Glinda, The Good Witch of the South, to see if she can help them defeat Zelena, and the curse that will ultimately send the Fairy Tale characters back to Storybrooke is cast -- but from an unlikely source.

The episode was rated 8.06 from 1353 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E20

#7 - Kansas (Season 3 - Episode 20)

With Mary Margaret in labor and due to give birth at any moment, the residents of Storybrooke go on high alert in an attempt to ensure that Zelena doesn't try to steal her newborn baby for use in her ultimate game plan to turn back time and change her destiny -- while obliterating Regina's existence. Meanwhile, in the land of Oz of the past, Glinda tries to convince Zelena to fight her evil tendencies and join her and her sister witches as a protector of Oz. But the appearance of a young girl from Kansas could turn out to be her undoing.

The episode was rated 8.13 from 1353 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E13

#6 - Witch Hunt (Season 3 - Episode 13)

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Emma arrives in Storybrooke with Henry and reunites with her friends and family, only to discover that no one remembers how they were transported back – or the past year they had spent back in Fairy Tale Land. But Emma is sure that someone in town is responsible for this new curse and teams up with Regina in an attempt to uncover their identity. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was during the past year, Regina, with the aid of Robin Hood, attempts to break into her castle.

The episode was rated 8.13 from 1413 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E8

#5 - Think Lovely Thoughts (Season 3 - Episode 8)

Pan tries to convince Henry that he can save magic and Neverland; a young Rumplestiltskin receives a magical item that could give him a fresh start with his father.

The episode was rated 8.14 from 1407 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E12

#4 - New York City Serenade (Season 3 - Episode 12)

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After Rumplestiltskin sacrificed his life to stop Pan from enacting another curse, Regina obliterated her original curse, which erased Storybrooke from existence and whisked its residents back to Fairy Tale Land – leaving Emma and Henry back in our world with no memories of Storybrooke. But all is not well back in the Enchanted Forest when Hook comes calling on Emma in New York City in an attempt to jog her memory so that she can once again help her fairy tale family and friends out of a desperate situation.

The episode was rated 8.15 from 1422 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E21

#3 - Snow Drifts (Season 3 - Episode 21)

While Mary Margaret and David celebrate the naming of their son at a coronation in Granny's Diner, Emma and Hook are pulled into Zelena's time portal and find themselves in the Enchanted Forest of the past. But in their quest to discover a way back, they must be careful not to change anything or risk altering the lives of their friends and family - as well as their very own existence.

The episode was rated 8.27 from 1350 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E11

#2 - Going Home (Season 3 - Episode 11)

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The race is on to stop Pan from enacting another curse on the residents of Storybrooke, which could kill every living soul in town.

The episode was rated 8.37 from 1492 votes.

Once Upon a Time - S3E22

#1 - There's No Place Like Home (Season 3 - Episode 22)

In the conclusion of two-part episode that serves as the season three finale, Emma and Hook must find a way to return to Storybrooke, but in their quest to return, they have to find a way not to interfere or tamper with the events that lead up to the first curse, or else they risk altering the entire timeline, and could end up warping the future existence of everyone involved, including Emma, Hook, as well as Emma's family back in present-day Storybrooke.

The episode was rated 8.55 from 995 votes.

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