Executive Producer Steve Pearlman has been a part of the Once Upon A Time family from the beginning, and we spoke with him recently at the red carpet for OUAT’s 100th episode celebration.
The 100th episode airs TONIGHT at 8PM ET/PT on ABC. You can read some of our other interviews from the red carpet here; our interview with Lana Parrilla will be posted later on today.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: What excites you the most for fans to see in Episode 100?
STEVE PEARLMAN: I think that the fans are gonna love to see our version of the Underworld. I think they’re gonna enjoy seeing Greg Germann as Hades. And there’s a very emotional story for Regina, as she meets up with both her mother and her father in the Underworld. I think from an emotional perspective, I think the fan will really enjoy that.
Since the beginning, the show has brought in new characters like Captain Hook. Was he in particular always expected to have the impact on the show that he did?
No. Hook came in to the show in Season 2 as a charismatic, good looking, swashbuckling pirate, and everybody kind of fell in love with him, and the writers just saw all kinds of opportunities with him, ultimately developing into the love triangle between Emma, Neal, and Hook. I think that the relationship between Hook and Emma, which fans adore…. I think that was guided somewhat by the audience reaction, and somewhat by the writers pushing it in that direction.
Beyond Regina’s parents, can you tease any of the other characters that might be returning for Episode 100?
We will definitely see Peter Pan in the 100th episode. Coming up in some other episodes, we’ll see Cruella who we had a lot of fun with last year. This is kind of an organic way to bring her back, because we killed her, so now we’re visiting her in her new home. And another character that’s been really fun to revisit, which was kind of out of left field for me, was the Blind Witch (Emma Caulfield) which we did in Season 1. We had one episode with her, and now she’s been back, and she’s done, like, 5 or 6 episodes with us this season, and has been a lot of fun.
Can we look forward to any call backs to things like the show’s pilot in Episode 100?
I would say so, yeah. Definitely.
Do you have any final things to say to the fans who have been watching for five years now?
I think you’re gonna really enjoy Season 5B. I think there are a lot of call backs to some of the highlights of the first five years of the show. I think that seeing some of the characters from the past is going to be a lot of fun. Keep watching!
Photos from “Souls of the Departed” can be found here – you’re also all welcomed to come by our Once Upon A Time forum to join the countdown!
