Game of Thorns

Game of Thorns
Storybrooke Location
Character Affiliations
Owner:	Moe French
Employees:	Jason Moe French Regan Roger Sandra
Visitors:	David Nolan Emma Swan Mr. Gold † Ruby William Smee
Prisoners:	Belle † (briefly)
Show Information
First appearance:	"The Crocodile"
Latest appearance:	"Last Rites"
Relevant Pages

“

Mr. Gold: This is her father's shop.
Moe French: You again. Out! This is a private establishment. You're not welcome!

”

—Mr. Gold and Moe French ^src

Game of Thorns is a Storybrooke location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the fourth episode of the second season.

History

During First Curse

In Storybrooke, Moe French owns a flower delivery business called Game of Thorns. On the day prior Valentine's Day, he is making deliveries when Mr. Gold stops him on the street to settle the late rent he owes. Moe asks for more time to pay him back, and begs him not to take the truck away before the busiest business day of the year, Valentine's Day, but Mr. Gold refuses to relent. One of Mr. Gold's hired men assumes control of the vehicle and prepares to drive away, though Moe purposely blocks him by standing on the road. He is forced to avoid getting hit when the truck is driven nearly straight into him. ("Skin Deep")

After First Curse

Belle finally reunites with her father after she is mysteriously kidnapped by William Smee, who Moe hires to bring her to him. However, he is unhappy Belle is in a relationship with Mr. Gold, and sends her off to an underground mining car so she will inevitably cross the Storybrooke town border and lose her Enchanted Forest memories. Mr. Gold enlists the help of temporary sheriff David to find the missing Belle, and Ruby is able to track her scent to Moe's shop. They confront him, and he fesses up to his crime. After rushing off to the mines, Mr. Gold saves Belle, while she is stuck in an out of control mine cart, by magically puling her to safety. ("The Crocodile")

During Second Curse

A new curse is cast, which returns all Enchanted Forest inhabitants to the Land Without Magic. After Hook gives Emma a potion to bring back her memories, she drives from New York to Storybrooke along with her son Henry, who has no recollection of his former life. Emma joins David, Mary Margaret and Regina in the search of a way to defeat a powerful witch, who plans to kidnap her parents' unborn child. Sick of his mother's evasive and mysterious behavior, Henry decides to leave Storybrooke on his own. Near the Game of Thorns shop, Henry swipes the key to Emma's car, but before he can go inside, Hook stops him. ("A Curious Thing")

After Third Curse

One day, Moe is working at the shop when Mr. Gold stops by, revealing that Belle has fallen under a sleeping curse and can only be awoken with true love's kiss. Moe realizes that Mr. Gold's kiss did not work, but refuses to wake up Belle until Mr. Gold is gone for good. Having been afraid Moe would say that, Mr. Gold reveals the cane that he brought with him, prepared to beat Moe into complying with his demands; however, Emma arrives in time to stop this from happening. She orders for Moe to leave, which he does, and she reveals to Mr. Gold that Hades has followed them all back from the Underworld. To Emma's dismay, Mr. Gold refuses to assist her, blaming her for getting them into this mess. ("Last Rites")

Trivia

• Production Notes
• Cultural References
• Set Notes

Production Notes

• The establishing shot of Game of Thorns in "Last Rites" is stock footage from the shooting of "The Crocodile," but with a slightly lighter color hue. This can easily be seen from all the plants and flowers surrounding the shop, which are completely identical to the ones seen in "The Crocodile."

Fairytales and Folkore

• Moe running a florist's is a reference to the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast," where Beauty wishes for a rose and her father picks one for her in the Beast's garden. Fittingly enough, a rose is pictured on the Game of Thorns logo. ("Skin Deep" et al.)
  • In addition, Moe is taking a container full of roses out of his floral delivery van when Mr. Gold finds him. ("Skin Deep")

Popular Culture

• The shop name is a reference to the HBO show Game of Thrones, as one episode was co-written by Jane Espenson, who also wrote the episode where the name of the shop first appears.

Set Dressing

• Inside the shop, there is a poster that says "Parents bowling for kids to fight child abuse" ... "At the Downtown Bowling Hall." A similar poster ("...preventing abuse and neglect before it starts" – "Downtown Bowling Hall") is pinned to a board outside the Storybrooke Town Hall in "Desperate Souls." ("Last Rites")
  • The poster at Game of Thorns can also be seen in the Storybrooke library in "Broken Heart," but it is unreadable in this episode.

Filming Locations

• For the episode "The Crocodile," the scenes at Game of Thorns were filmed at the Prickly Pear Garden Centre in Steveston Village.

Appearances

Once Upon a Time: Season Two
"Broken":	"We Are Both":	"Lady of the Lake":	"The Crocodile":	"The Doctor":	"Tallahassee":	"Child of the Moon":	"Into the Deep":	"Queen of Hearts":	"The Cricket Game":	"The Outsider":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"In the Name of the Brother":	"Tiny":	"Manhattan":	"The Queen Is Dead":	"The Miller's Daughter":	"Welcome to Storybrooke":	"Selfless, Brave and True":	"Lacey":	"The Evil Queen":	"Second Star to the Right":	"And Straight On 'Til Morning":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent

Once Upon a Time: Season Three
"The Heart of the Truest Believer":	"Lost Girl":	"Quite a Common Fairy":	"Nasty Habits":	"Good Form":	"Ariel":	"Dark Hollow":	"Think Lovely Thoughts":	"Save Henry":	"The New Neverland":	"Going Home":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"New York City Serenade":	"Witch Hunt":	"The Tower":	"Quiet Minds":	"It's Not Easy Being Green":	"The Jolly Roger":	"Bleeding Through":	"A Curious Thing":	"Kansas":	"Snow Drifts":	"There's No Place Like Home":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent	Absent

Once Upon a Time: Season Five
"The Dark Swan":	"The Price":	"Siege Perilous":	"The Broken Kingdom":	"Dreamcatcher":	"The Bear and the Bow":	"Nimue":	"Birth":	"The Bear King":	"Broken Heart":	"Swan Song":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Souls of the Departed":	"Labor of Love":	"Devil's Due":	"The Brothers Jones":	"Our Decay":	"Her Handsome Hero":	"Ruby Slippers":	"Sisters":	"Firebird":	"Last Rites":	"Only You":	"An Untold Story":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Absent	Absent

Other Appearances

The shop name is printed on Moe's van in "Skin Deep."