Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 4 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT The Unstable Girl
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 18 | Aired on 04.01.2012
Cora: I'm sorry?
Snow: She doesn't love my father. She loves someone else. She made me promise not to tell but she'll lose you. She can't lose her mother. No one should.
Cora: Oh sweet Snow, it's all right. She won't lose me. You can tell me. You must tell me.
Storybrooke, Day. Emma arrives at Regina's home. The camera operator services Lost fans with a tight shot of the house number: 108. When Regina opens the door Emma gives her a warrant to search the premises and tells her to unlock the garage. Regina asks what the grounds are. Emma shows her the shovel shard and then claims she got an anonymous call placing Regina near the TRoll Bridge, the day Ruby found the heart. After some pissing back and forth, Regina opens the garage for Emma. She walks right to where the old, broken shovel once stood but in its place is a new one. Emma asks Regina where "it" is. Regina is all where is what?
Emma: You knew I was coming.
Regina: How on earth would I know that?
Audience: Because clearly Sidney planted a bug in that vase of tulips, dumbass.
Emma: Mary Margaret is a good person. She doesn't deserve this.
Regina: Miss Blanchard is a liar and a murderer. No matter what accusations you throw my way that won't change. She's going to pay for what she's done. That woman has destroyed the last life she is ever going to destroy.
Emma pounds on August's door at Granny's B&B. She asks how he could do "this" to her and to Mary Margaret. August tells her to slow down and explain. Emma tells him about the missing shovel, and says Regina knew she was coming for it. August was the only other person who knew about it. August says he would hope she'd have enough faith to know he'd never betray her. Emma asks how she can know he's not lying about this and everything. August's voice is low when he says he's not a liar. Emma sighs and says that's exactly what a liar would say.
Meanwhile, Regina finds Mary Margaret crying in the jail. This is the most powerful scene in an all-around strong episode. If you're reading this before seeing the episode, stop reading here and go find the episode on ABC, or iTunes, or YouTube. There should be a new Emmy category: best two person scene in a drama -- it's just that stunning. Regina asks Mary if she's having a bad day. She wanted to see Mary while she can. The trial starts tomorrow. It won't be a long one. Mary will be sent out of Storybrooke and Regina will never have to see her again so she wants to enjoy it while she can. Poor Mary is so baffled. Regina says something about justice. Mary says this isn't justice -- it's watching an innocent suffer. Regina goes on about how Mary has always seen herself as an innocent. She spits the word innocent, again. Her hatred is so strong it feels nearly corporeal.