The season four premiere of “Once Upon A Time” was chock-full of “Frozen” references, as promised. No, you didn’t get to hear anyone say “Let it go,” and there was no Olaf – but between Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and even reindeer Sven, there was plenty for fans to sing about.
But there was one “Frozen” moment that may have totally passed you by.
That’s because it didn’t involve Elsa, the giant snow-monster (you know, Marshmallow?) or anything from Arendelle. In fact, the moment snuck by because it instead was played out by two of the regular main cast members.
Here it is, and see if you can figure out the reference:
ABC
Did you get it? If not, you may want to build a snowman, because…
Disney
So it’s not a shot-for-shot remake or anything, and that’s what makes it more subtle than, say, the shot-for-shot remake of Anna & Elsa’s parents dying in the cold open. In this case, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is trying to talk to a clearly upset Regina (Lana Parrilla). Emma goes to Regina’s office, rattles the doorknob, and says, “Regina, I know you’re in there.”
It’s a clear nod to the “Elsa, I know you’re in there,” lyric from “Do You Want To Build A Snowman;” as is Regina’s slumped over, crying position on the other side of the door, a parallel to how Elsa is sitting in the movie at the end of the song.
ABC
Add in the plotline that Regina is a powerful queen struggling between her good and evil sides, and you have a clear “Frozen” moment that, if you weren’t looking for it, is sneakier than Hans.
Alex Zalben
Writer/Editor at MTV News. You can follow him on Twitter, but not in real life because that would be weird.
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