Once Upon a Time Bosses Tease Tilly Backstory, 'Epic' LGBT Amore Story 

is laying the foundation for a new LGBT romance — some 18 months after Ruby realized and acted on her feelings for Dorothy.

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As mentioned on passing in the Oct. 27 episode, Tilly aka the Hyperion Heights persona of Alice of Wonderland (and other places!) is gay, having once had a girlfriend who toiled for Victoria Belfrey. That personal detail, however, would wind up paling in comparison to the gradual reveal that Tilly when off her “meds” can see through the current mysterious curse, which she makes clear by taunting police detective Weaver with his real name — Rumplestiltskin.

By episode’s end, Tilly (played by the super-engaging Rose Reynolds) would be back on her meds and “asleep,” while Rumple is now “awake.” But how and why did Tilly/Alice achieve clarity in the first place?

“We’re going to get a little more into that in the winter finale (Episode 10),”

co-creator Eddy Kitsis tells TVLine. “And we’re going to get into much more detail about Tilly in the second half of the season — including her flashbacks, a big arc for her and an epic love story we’re excited about.”

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And whereas the aforementioned #RubySlippers epiphany and liplock seemed to some like mere fulfillment of a promise, Tilly’s love story will have greater stakes.

“It’s hard to explain without telling you too much…,” co-creator Adam Horowitz hedges, “but I’ll say this: the romance becomes really entwined in the larger story we’re telling for the season.

“It’s important on both a character level, for someone who’s in love and dealing with love,” he adds, “and on a larger plot level for the show.”

Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.

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