Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: N/A | 2181 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Fairy Tales Can Come True
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2011.10.23
Our World, Highway: Emma drives a yellow VW Bug. Henry wants to stop for snacks, but Emma says that's too road-trippy, and this is not a road trip. She asks him about his book. Henry thinks she's not ready to know. Emma's all, "Ready for some fairy tales?" Henry: "They're not fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened." When Emma scoffs, Henry says, "Use your superpower. See if I'm lying." Emma says, "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." Henry: "That's exactly what makes it true." That's deep, kid. I mean that. Henry tells her she ought to know, because she's in the book, too. Emma tells him he has problems. Henry says, "Yep, and you're gonna fix them."
Enchanted Forest Dungeon: A guard instructs Charming and Snow on how to behave in front of the prisoner. "When you reach the cell, stay out of the light, and whatever you do, do not let him know your name. If he knows your name, he'll have power over you." The guard then calls out, "Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin. I have a question for you."
A deliciously creepy Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) says, "No you don't. They do. Snow White and Prince Charming." He laughs the laugh of the evil, invites them to step into the light and tells them to take off their ridiculous robes. They must have mystical amnesia, because they totally forget the guard's warning to stay out of the light and, in fact, the guard forgets it, too. Rumpy knows they want to understand the Queen's threat. He says he can ease their minds, but it's going to cost them something in return -- the name of their unborn child.
Charming refuses to Rumpy's terms. Snow says, "Deal. What do you know?" Rumpy: "The Queen has created a powerful curse and it's coming. Soon you'll all be in a prison, just like me, only worse, for your prison -- all of our prisons -- will be time. Time will stop and we will be trapped someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear -- everything we love will be ripped from us. We will suffer for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates, victorious at last. No more happy endings."
Snow asks, "What can we do?" Rumpy: "We can't do anything. [...] That little thing growing inside your belly..." When Rumpy reaches through the bars for Snow's stomach, Charming draws his blade and slashes near Rumpy's hand. Charming: "Next time, I cut it off." Rumpy tsk-tsks at Charming and then tells Snow that her baby is their only hope. "Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you, and the final battle will begin. Muahahahahaha."