Chalk this up as something I secretly suspected, but never really noticed, when I was watching. There is a definite formula going on.

I just took three random episodes and totaled the scenes. They all had 24.

1×12 Skin Deep had 9 FTL flashback scenes, 14 in present day Storybrooke and 1 montage which flipped back between FTL and Storybrooke.

4×12 Darkness on the edge of town had 5 FTL flashback scenes, 6 with Rumple in New York and then the Queen’s of Darkness scenes, 12 in Storybrooke and 1 montage of many different Storybrooke scenes.

5×01 The Dark Swan had 9 in the enchanted forest, 14 in Storybrooke, 1 FTL flashback and 1 flashback to Emma as a kid.

Aside from there being a total of 24, there’s another pattern that Storybrooke always has the most scenes. Obviously I only checked these but I’m wondering if there were more FTL flashbacks in the early days, or if the flashback scenes are longer later so it’s the same amount just split differently.

It’s a little interesting.