Ariel (Once Upon a Time)
episode of Once Upon a Time (S3 E6)
"Ariel" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 50th episode overall. This episode also marks the debut of Ariel, played by Joanna García Swisher.
In this episode, the group finds a way to rescue Neal (Michael Raymond-James) from captivity through the Echo Cave; though it requires everyone to reveal their deepest secrets to each other. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world, Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) is saved by Ariel (Joanna García Swisher), and then helps her reunite with Prince Eric (Gil McKinney), with The Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) posing as Ursula in an attempt to stop them.
The episode — written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz — was watched by 7.55 million viewers, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Title card
The Little Mermaid, Ariel, perches on a rock in the Enchanted Forest.
Plot
Event chronology
The Enchanted Forest events take place after "The Evil Queen" and before "Snow Falls" and "A Tale of Two Sisters". The Neverland events take place after "Good Form".
In the Characters' Past
Ariel (Joanna García Swisher) saves Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) from drowning after she runs off and jumps off a cliff to avoid capture by the Evil Queen's (Lana Parrilla) black knights. Snow later helps Ariel get closer to her love interest Prince Eric (Gil McKinney), whom she met when saving him from a shipwreck.
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