Geppetto

"Sometimes you have to lie to protect the people you love."

Geppetto is a supporting character on Once Upon a Time. He was a lonely elderly man who carved a young boy out of wood to have as his companion. The puppet was given life through magic, and Geppetto named him Pinocchio. Following a horrifying sea experience, the wood puppet was turned into a real boy by the Blue Fairy. Geppetto was later asked to build a magical wardrobe to protect Snow White and Prince Charming's baby from the Dark Curse, and he sent his son Pinocchio through the wardrobe as well. Following the curse, Geppetto became trapped in Storybrooke, Maine as Marco, a repairman.

Before the Curse
"You can't bargain like this! Not when the entire realm is in danger!"

- Jiminy Cricket

It's raining heavily one night when Jiminy is asked by his parents to set up their show, against his will. "Puppets!", a young boy exclaims. "Wow, what a cool job you have.", he tells Jiminy. Jiminy doesn't reply. "You don't like it?", the boy asks, disappointed; "No, no I don't.", Jiminy tells him, still setting up, going on to say that it's the same every year. "Then why don't you just do something else?", the boy asks, to which Jiminy smirks, replying with "This is just who I am. Did you just come here to watch us set up?". "No. I came here to listen to the crickets!", the boy exclaims. "Crickets?", Jiminy notes, adding that he heasn't listened to the crickets in a while. Thunder is heard rumbling above. "Hey, you better get home or you're gonna catch a cold.", Jiminy tells him. "So will you, here, have my umbrella. I don't live far.", the boy offers, handing his umbrella to Jiminy. The man gratefully accepts the boy's umbrella and the latter runs away, covering his hat, promising he'll be back to see the show. Jiminy smiles. Later, after Jiminy's parents trick a local couple, they are turned into a pair of wooden puppets, thanks to a serum that Jiminy was supposed to use on Martin and Myrna, given to him by Rumplestiltskin. The young boy who gave him the umbrella then comes home - they're his parents. Jiminy is disheartened. Later, when he is turned into a cricket by the Blue Fairy, she tells him to help the young boy through life - the young boy named Geppetto.

Many years later, Pinocchio, the wooden puppet that was blessed with life, is seen on a raft with his maker and father, the elderly Geppetto, as they brave through the waves of an enraged sea during a stormy night, trying to escape from Monstro, the enormous whale that is chasing after them. Geppetto tells his son that they must abandon ship, and tries to hand him the one life vest they have. Pinocchio tells him to take it, because he is made of wood and therefore can float. Pinocchio then tells him to save himself and dives in the water, just as the whale approaches them. Some time later, Geppetto is seen stranded ashore, recuperating, and he is left brokenhearted by the sight of the lifeless Pinocchio, back to being a mere wooden puppet, face down on the beach. Geppetto takes his marionette in his arms and sobs over the loss of the only son he ever had, until the powerful and benevolent Blue Fairy appears and turns Pinocchio into a real, living boy.

Geppetto is overwhelmed with joy, and the child is filled with excitement. Geppetto is very thankful towards the Blue Fairy, and the head fairy tells the child to be brave, truthful and unselfish, and as long as he does that he'll always remain a real boy. Pinocchio nods affirmatively, but it is then revealed to us that he didn't exactly live by this ruling, for he goes on to become a very unruly boy, going so far as tying up his voice of reason, Jiminy Cricket, to the bird on a clock. The Blue Fairy then warns Geppetto that the Evil Queen is preparing to enact the Dark Curse, which will transport them all into a different world, rid of happy endings. The fairy tells him to fashion a vessel from an enchanted tree, so that Snow White and Prince Charming can be saved from the curse and lift the spell in the new world with the aid of their unborn daughter, who holds the key to save everyone. Geppetto agrees to build a magical wardrobe, but since it can only hold two people, he demands that his son Pinocchio is one of them. The fairy is then forced to tell the royal couple that only one of them can go through the wardrobe. However, Emma, their child, is born ahead of schedule, and thus only the baby can go inside the vessel. Before she does, however, Pinocchio himself is sent through it, and Geppetto asks of his son to get Emma to believe in the curse so that she can break it. His son promises him this much. ("Pilot"/"The Stranger")

Early life
"I was never so lucky."

After the Dark Curse is cast, Geppetto becomes trapped in the town of Storybrooke, Maine with the new identity of Marco, the town's local repairman. On the first day of the curse, Mayor Regina Mills, otherwise known as the Evil Queen, strolls down the streets of her town to see her victory in full effect. As she walks, one of the things she sees is Marco fixing the sign to one of the shops before Mr. Gold limps by. Soon, Regina shows up at Granny's Diner and is surprised to meet Owen Flynn, a child whom she does not recognize, proceeding to ask whose he is. She looks to Marco, who sadly tells the mayor that he was never lucky enough to have a son, but soon discovers that Owen's father is in fact Kurt Flynn, someone who was not resident within the fairytale land that was. The next day, Regina walks down the streets of Storybrooke again to see Marco repairing the same sign. The next day, he repairs the same sign again, and Regina grows bored of this repetition and others that she notices throughout the town she runs.

Season 1
"If I had a son, that would be enough for me."

In Storybrooke, the new world the fairytale land residents travelled to, Emma Swan, the savior, wakes up in the local sheriff's station, imprisoned, after crashing her car into the town's entrance sign the night before. Geppetto's counterpart, Marco, is at the station when she wakes up, fixing a cupboard. Leroy (Grumpy) is in the adjacent cell, says "What are you looking at, sister?". Marco tells him to have manners, as they have a guest. Marco knows she's Henry's mother, and comments on how lovely it is that she's back in his life. Emma, still recovering, tells him she was just dropping him off, and Leroy says he doesn't blame her, as kids are all brats. "Who needs 'em?". Marco says he'd give anything for one. He explains that he and his wife tried for many years, but it wasn't meant to be. "Well, cry me a river.", says an unsympathetic Leroy.

Archie sits in his office when Marco walks in and greets his friend, then reminding the therapist that they were supposed to meet for lunch. Archie apologizes, and tells his friend that he's got another patient. "Another time?", he offers. "Sure. But of course.", Marco agrees. Henry rushes into the office, he is told by Marco to have a good session before Marco leaves. As Henry sits down, he asks, "Are you recruiting Geppetto for 'Operation Cobra'?", he asks, "You think Marco's Geppetto?", Archie notes; "Sure, he's Jiminy Cricket's best friend and Marco's yours.", Henry points out. Archie asks Henry to stop it with this nonsense about the curse, per Regina's request, and Henry, to prove he's right, goes into the local collapsed mines. Archie follows after him and they are both sealed in. Marco then offers his assistance to the rescue team, and when Archie and Henry are finally saved by Emma, he is thrilled to have his great friend back, alive and well. Later, Emma and Henry are looking at Archie and Marco, who are happily socializing. "Is that Archie's father?", Emma asks, to which Henry responds, "No, they're just old friends." Then, for the first time in Storybrooke, crickets are heard singing.

August comes to see Mr. Gold at his pawn shop, and runs into his father, whom Gold had asked to fix a wall clock for him. Gold makes a comment about how August can't bring himself to say 'hello' to his father, and they then discuss the situation with Emma. Gold tells him that he'll give Emma a nudge in his direction. However, he is still unable to get Emma to believe in the curse. This leads August to realize that his goal to get Emma to believe might never be accomplished, which leads him to try and spend what little time he might have left in the company of his father, Geppetto, who doesn't remember him at all. August therefore offers himself to work on the elderly man's workshop. Geppetto accepts his help, and comforts him when he says he failed to keep a promise to his father, not knowing all the while who August is referring to.

Season 2
"My boy... my poor boy."

Following the breaking of the Dark Curse, a wooden-state Pinocchio is left lying on his room's bed, motionless, unattended... and then his blue eyes blink, indicating he has life left in him. Meanwhile, Geppetto, his disheveled elderly father, searches for his son, even putting up signs to draw attention to his missing boy. Later, Henry encounters him at Granny's Diner and whispers something to his hear. This leads Geppetto to come to August's motel room, only to find an empty bed. The only familiar thing he comes across is the small red hat Pinocchio wore as a child, an item that reignites his hope.

Marco and the other citizens of Storybrooke attend the funeral of Dr. Archibald "Archie" Hopper, who was supposedly murdered by Regina. Mary Margaret provides the beloved conscience, and Marco's best friend, with a beautiful eulogy stating that Archie is not gone as he will always live on inside of them, therefore, they should not think of today as goodbye, but a way of telling Archie that they'll be listening. After she retreats, Marco walks up to his friend's grave and places the deceased's umbrella upon it, he tells Archie that he misses him a lot and that at least he's in a better place now. This is ironic as we are next shown Archie being held captive by Captain Hook. The therapist is later set free by Belle and he makes his way to Emma and Henry, assuring them that he is alive and that Regina was framed.

Marco is eating in Granny's Diner when Mary Margaret walks in to tell he and Emma that she found August living in a trailer in the woods. However, she also mentions that he is completely made of wood. Marco suggests that they go to see the Blue Fairy as she helped him the last time, and they make their way to Mother Superior. The nun tells them that she cannot help August as he has not been a good boy as promised and what is happening to him is his own fault. Mary Margaret then leads Emma and Marco to August's trailer in the woods, and on their way there, Marco admits that all those years ago he sent Pinocchio through the wardrobe, meaning that Snow could not be with Emma. Mary Margaret slaps him across the face and Emma is appalled, despite Marco stating he deserves it. Mary Margaret apologizes, saying that she's not herself, and the three of them soon find the trailer... which is empty. Emma receives a call from August at the sheriff's station and they make their way there. When they arrive, they find a wooden August stumbling outside, and soon collapsing. They run to his aid and he apologizes to his father for not being a good boy, before trying to warn Emma of something with his dying breath. He passes before he is able to do so and Henry points out that his final act was selfless, brave and true, meaning he can be saved. Mother Superior agrees, using magic to revive August and turn him into little boy Pinocchio once more. Pinocchio does not remember the warning that he tried to give, and if he did, he would be honest. He goes home with his father Marco.

Origins
The character of Geppetto is based on Mister Geppetto, a supporting protagonist from the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio. In the movie, Geppetto, a poor woodcarver, makes a puppet in the shape of a young boy and wishes that he could become a real human boy, to keep him company. The Blue Fairy gives the puppet life, telling him that if he behaves he may one day become a real boy. The basis for the character, however, comes from the original Pinocchio story, from the children's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Italian author Carlo Collodi, published in 1883. In the book, Geppetto is introduced when carpenter Mister Antonio finds a talking block of pinewood which he was about to carve into a leg for his table. When Geppetto drops by looking for a piece of wood to build a marionette, Antonio gives the block to Geppetto. Geppetto, being extremely poor and thinking on making a living as a puppeteer, carves the block into a boy and names him "Pinocchio". Before he is even built Pinocchio already has a mischievous attitude. Geppetto teaches him to walk, and Pinocchio runs out the door and away into the town. Geppetto suffers many misfortunes because of Pinocchio, including being imprisoned and almost eaten alive by a dogfish.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.