Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 4 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT Let My Wrath Be Unleashed
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.30.2011
Mayor Regina Mills (Evil Queen) pores over her adopted son Henry's Once Upon A Time book. Cat Stevens stops singing, and the music turns scary. My friend, Erin, tells me a story about how Cat Stevens was, allegedly once a dick to her mother. I carefully redraw my often redrawn mental line between the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens (whose work I love) and that other guy who used to be him, but no longer is.
Anyhow, Regina carefully studies the illustration of Queenie crashing Snow and Charming's wedding. When she turns the page, she finds the rest of the pages in the book have been torn out. She marches up to Henry's room and demands to know where the missing pages are. Henry says it's an old book, and asks why Regina cares. She claims she cares, "...because you think I'm some Evil Queen. That hurts me Henry. I'm your mother." Henry says, "No, you're not." Regina blames the book and Henry's newly found bio-mom, Emma Swan, for changing him. When Regina is startled by the town clock chiming, Henry bolts out of his room.
Storybrooke Square: Regina is staring up at the clock when Archibald Hopper hops up to her and says, "Hey, how about that. Guess those rusty old innards finally straightened themselves out." Regina's face is all: Hey, I resemble that, at least until you get to the straightening out part.
Granny's Inn, Emma's Room: Emma answers a knock on her door to find Regina waiting on the other side, with a basketful of apples. Regina: "Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees. It can survive temperatures as low as 40 below, and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl, and to this day, I have to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers."
TWoP Posters: "Did you know you're carrying a basketful of Red Delicious apples, which have been cultivated so long for beauty, that today, their texture is mealy, and they are relatively tasteless?"
Props Department: "But the Red Delicious look so much richer on screen."
TWoP Posters: "Only to people who have never tried them. Seriously, they suck."
Props Department: "Are you people always this fussy?"
Recapper: "It's our gift."
When Regina hands Emma an apple and is all here's your hat, what's your hurry. Emma counters that she's decided to stick around for a while to make sure Henry is okay. Regina insists he's fine and says she has him in therapy, then adds, "Take my advice, Ms. Swan. Only one of us knows what's best for Henry." Emma: "Yeah, I'm starting to think you're right about that." Regina: "It's time for you to go." Emma: "Or what?" I like Emma. She has pluck. Regina dislikes her for the same reason. "Don't underestimate me, Ms. Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."