Captain Hook calls Rumplestilskin a crocodile in this episode. In Peter Pan (1953) and the book Peter Pan, Captain Hook is afraid of the crocodile who ate his hand.
Captain Hook, played by Colin O'Donoghue, made his first appearance in this episode. Captain Hook was originally supposed to be in season 1, but unfortunately they couldn't get the rights to Captain Hook until season 2.
In this episode, Milah abandons her husband and son. Similarly, actor Robert Carlyle's mother abandoned him and his father when he was a child of 4.
Captain Hook's Jolly Roger is actually the Lady Washington, a 1989 replica of a ship from the American Revolution. It is based out of Aberdeen, Washington. It has been in quite a few films.
This is the first episode that introduces a pre-credit scene rather than a recap. This new format is eventually adopted throughout the rest of the series.