In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
Our World: Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) is a Bail Bonds Person in Boston, who is hunted down by her ten year old biological son, Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore). She returns him to Storybrooke, Maine, and its Mayor, Regina (Lana Parrilla), who is Henry's adoptive mother. Henry is convinced that all the fairy tales in a book Mary Margaret Blanchard (Ginnifer Goodwin with short hair) gave him -- are real.
The Enchanted Forest: Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) saves Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin with long hair) from the machinations of her wicked stepmother, the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla with way better wardrobe and makeup) with but a kiss. They marry, but then, something horrible happens -- no, I mean besides than the fact that it looks like Snow White had to wear a Swan Lake costume for her wedding gown -- one that perhaps got shredded by Puss In Boots. The Evil Queen crashes the wedding, as evil queens are wont to do. She curses not just the happy-for-a-moment couple, but the entire kingdom. The one person who can break the spell is the baby Snow White and Charming are expecting. And yeah, I'm not sure that she wasn't pregnant at the wedding. I need to watch again. I watched with my whole family, and I didn't really want to out Snow White as a fornicatrix in front of my children.
There's a magic tree, because we're in the Enchanted Forest. Charming asks Gepetto (Tony Amendola) to use it to make a magical wardrobe that will bring his baby to Narnia, or wait -- maybe just keep her safe. I always get those two things confused. The baby, Emma (who will grow up to be the Bail Bonds Person in our world) is stowed in the wardrobe. Think of it as crate training for the Fairy Tale Set. An evil knight comes to kidnap Emma. He deals Charming what would seem to be a mortal wound, and opens the wardrobe to find the baby is gone. See? Narnia!
Our World: Henry runs away again. When Emma finds him, he asks her to stay in Storybrooke and help him. She agrees to stay for one week and checks into a B&B.
Prior to seeing the pilot, I'd read raves that had my hopes soaring, and rants that convinced me I'm cursed when it comes to choosing shows. Now that I've seen the pilot, I find myself somewhere in the middle. I am never big on pilots, to tell the truth. Theirs is a thankless job. In this pilot, the acting is tight and the production values are excellent. The premise of storybook characters cursed to live in the real word is loaded with potential, and the pilot was an enjoyable hour of family friendly TV. I would watch again, even if Tubey wasn't paying me.
I will cover the whole story in the full recap, which will be published ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then join us in the forum, where all apples have been thoroughly inspected, but you probably shouldn't drink the cider.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Welcome to our first recap of ABC's Once Upon A Time. The pilot episode drew 12.8 million viewers, making it the highest rated new series premiere this fall. Since this is the pilot recap, and I have no backstory to review, let's get right to it, shall we?
Once Upon A Time, so the prologue goes... There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know. Or think we know. One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen. Our world. This is how it happened...
Enchanted Forest: We open on Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) riding hell-for-leather on his trusty steed. At last he reaches a clearing in the woods, where the Seven Dwarfs surrounding Snow White's hand-crafted casket inform him he's too late. Charming begs them to open the glass lid, anyhow. Moved by his tears and his request to say goodbye, they do as he asks. He bends over and kisses Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) on the lips. Rainbows and sparkles shoot out of them and ripple all over the Enchanted Forest. Snow White awakens. "You found me." Charming asks if she doubted he would. Snow White: "Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me pause." Charming reassures her, "I will always find you." Snow asks, "Do you promise?" We cut to their...
Wedding: Charming answers, "I do." The Enchanted Forest is a diverse forest. The African-American, or I guess that would be African Enchanted-Forestian bishop pronounces them husband and wife. Why does Snow White's hair look like several of her woodland friends nest in it? It looked better when she was dead. And what's with her wedding gown? It looks like Puss-In-Boots attacked her while she was trying on a Swan Lake costume. Don't get me wrong, overall, the pilot is beautifully shot, but I am deeply disappointed in our Primary Princess's hair and wardrobe.
It's not long before Snow's wicked step-mother, the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), crashes the wedding as Evil Queens are wont to do. You can tell she's evil because she's dressed all in black and is wearing a push-up bra, or well... probably a corset. The Enchanted Forestians panic. After Queenie magically throws off two rushing guards, a dwarf runs up to Snow and says, "It's the Queen. Run!" Yeah, I think she knows her own stepmother, buster. Snow draws Charming's sword from its sheath (not a euphemism; this is a family show). "She's not a Queen, anymore. She's nothing more than an evil witch." Charming tells Snow not to stoop to the Queen's level, and then tells the Queen that she's wasting her time. She has already lost, and he will not let her ruin the wedding.
Queenie says she didn't come to ruin anything. "I've come to give you a gift. [...] My gift to you is this happy, happy day, for tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love -- everything all of you love -- will be taken from you. And out of your suffering will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do." Queenie starts to swoop out. Charming shouts, "Hey!" When she turns around, he throws his sword straight at her. She disappears in a cloud of smoke. Charming takes Snow in his arms. The live action shot of them morphs into an illustration in a fairy tale book, because now we are in...
Our World, Boston, MA: A little boy, who we'll learn is Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore), is riding a bus to South Station. On his lap lies a fairy tale book, with the aforementioned illustration of Snow White and Prince Charming. When another passenger asks him if he likes his book, Henry clutches it and says, "This? It's more than just a book." The book's title, by the way, is Once Upon A Time. Henry gets off the bus, finds a cab, and asks the driver if he takes credit cards. Cabbie: "Where to, Chief?"
Boston Restaurant: Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), in a smoking hot red dress, enters and meets up with Ryan (Warren Christie), who -- at first blush -- appears to be her date. Ryan thinks he's her date, too, but Emma is really a bail bondswoman. He doesn't know that yet though, so he asks her about herself. It's her birthday. She's kind of a loner -- no family. He tells her she's the sexiest friendless orphan he's ever met. She says it's her turn to sum him up, and then reveals she knows he skipped town on bail after embezzling from his company. Ryan runs. Emma sighs as she stands. "Really?" Ryan rushes outside. Emma takes her sweet time because she knows she's had a boot put on Ryan's car. He's not going anywhere. When she catches up to him, he says he'll repay her -- that he has the money. Emma: "No you don't. And if you did, you should give it to your wife to take care of your family." Ryan: "What the hell do you know about family?" Now Emma is angry and I like it. She reaches in Ryan's car, grabs him by the head, smashes it against the steering wheel, knocks him out, and says, "Nothing."
Emma arrives home, and I just want to give kudos to the set decorator, because the outside of Emma's apartment door is covered in longhand script that you just know must tell a fairy tale. Emma kicks off her shoes, hobbles to her kitchen, and takes a little box out of the bag she's carrying. Inside is a cupcake. She decorates it with a blue star candle, lights the candle and says, "Another banner year." She then closes her eyes. You can tell she's making a wish. As soon as she blows out the flame, her doorbell rings. It's Henry. When she confirms she's Emma Swan, he introduces himself. "My name's Henry. I'm your son." Commercial.
Henry walks in despite not being invited, so he's not a vampire. Emma insists she doesn't have a son, but Henry asks if she gave a baby up for adoption ten years ago. "That was me." Emma excuses herself for a minute and retreats to the bathroom where she tries to catch her breath. When she rejoins Henry, he's swigging her orange juice, right from the bottle. He wants her to come home with him, and tells her they need to get going. When Emma says she's going to call the cops, Henry threatens to tell them she kidnapped him. Emma: "And they'll believe you, because I'm your birth mother."
Emma thinks over his threat and then calls his bluff -- saying he won't do it. When Henry says, "Try me," Emma smiles at him. "You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill -- let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you kid -- are." Henry begs her not to call the cops and asks her to bring him home instead. When Emma hears home is in Storybrooke, Maine, she says, "Storybrooke? Seriously?" Nonetheless, she agrees to take him.
Enchanted Forest: A now pregnant Snow White is fretting about the Evil Queen's threats. Charming tells her she needs to let it go as they're about to have a baby. When he says Queenie can't hurt them, Snow says, "She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her. You have no idea of what she's capable." Oh Snow, if you're going to be all "of what she's capable," you should probably also say, "Prettier than she." Just sayin'... When Charming asks how he can ease her mind, Snow asks, "Let me talk to...h im." Whoever He is, He sees the future. Charming is against this at first because He is dangerous and locked up for a reason, but acquiesces once Snow asks him to reconsider, "For our child."
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: "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."
Charming drags Snow away and says they're leaving. Before they're out of the dungeon, Rumpy starts screaming about their deal and that he wants "her" name. Charming turns and says, "It's a boy." Rumpy softens his voice. "Missy, missy, you know I'm right. Tell me, what's her name?" Snow White closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she turns to face Rumpy. "Emma. Her name is Emma." Rumpy says, "Emma. Ah."
Our World: Emma and Henry drive past a sign that reads, "Welcome to Storybrooke," and right into a commercial. After the break, they drive through Storybrooke's downtown. When he refuses to give her his address, she brings the car to a stop. Getting out of the car, Emma tells Henry it's been a long night. "It's almost..." she looks up at a clock tower in the town square, and finishes: "...8:15?" Henry tells her the clock hasn't worked in his whole life. "Time's frozen here. [...] The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here. [...] And now they're trapped." Emma, of course, doesn't believe him, despite her superpower. When he persists, she asks why everyone doesn't just leave. Henry: "They can't. If they try, bad things happen."
A man, who is walking his Dalmatian down the street, calls out to Henry and asks him what he's doing there. It's Archie Hopper (Raphael Sbarge). He asks Henry who Emma is. When Emma says she's just giving him a ride home, Henry corrects her. "She's my mom, Archie." When asked, Archie tells Emma the name of Henry's street, and adds, "It's the Mayor's house -- biggest one on the block." Emma: "You're the Mayor's kid?" Henry: "Maybe."
When Archie asks Henry why he missed their session today, Henry fibs that he went on a field trip. Archie reminds Henry that he shouldn't lie. "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything." Archie reminds Henry to be good and takes his leave, whistling all the way.
Once they're alone, Emma says, "So that's your shrink?" Henry insists he's not crazy. Emma says she didn't say he was, but notes that Archie doesn't seem cursed to her, and is probably just trying to help. Henry says, "He's the one who needs help, because he doesn't know..." He goes on to explain that none of the Storybrookers know who they truly are. Emma asks who Archie is supposed to be. Henry: "Jiminy Cricket." Emma: "Right the lying thing. Thought your nose grew a little bit." Henry: "I'm not Pinocchio." Emma: "Of course you're not, because that would be ridiculous." They get back in the car and Emma drives towards Henry's street. For the trivia buffs among you, I'll note her Massachusetts license plate reads: 836 M4X.
Enchanted Forest: A very pregnant Snow and an angry Charming host a round table meeting. When Charming bangs the table and suggests they fight, the camera pans to a large magnifying glass. Through it, we see Jiminy Cricket in cricket form. "Fighting is a bad idea. Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything." Charming asks how many wars a clear conscience has won. He wants to take Queenie out before she can inflict her curse. Grammy and Little Red Riding Hood listen as one of the dwarfs (Doc, I think) asks if they can trust Rumpy. Charming doesn't answer directly. Instead he says that his men report that the forest animals are abuzz about Queenie's plan. "This is going to happen unless we do something." Snow finally throws in her two cents. "There's no point. The future is written." Charming says, "Good can't just lose." Snow thinks perhaps it can. Charming: "Not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior."
The Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy) enters with some knights trailing in her wake. They're carrying a tree. Grumpy (played by Lee Arenberg, and not to be confused with Robert Carlyle's Rumpy) is not impressed when Blue says the tree is their only hope for saving the child. He likes the fighting plan. Blue ignores him and says, "The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse. Geppetto, can you build such a thing?" Geppetto (Tomy Amendola) says he and his boy can do it. He pats the head of the real boy seated as his foot. Blue tells Snow that it will work, and that they all must have faith. "There is, however, a catch." My word, look at her breasts. Sorry. But my word. "The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits..." Except the power of your corset, Blue. "And this tree can protect only one." One boob? Oh, sorry. One person. Right. Check.
Our World, Mayoral Manse, Exterior: Henry begs Emma not to take him back, but she says his parents must be worried sick. Henry says he has no parents -- just a mother who is evil and only pretends to love him. Just then, his mother, Mayor Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla, who plays the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest) runs out the door and hugs Henry. Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) follows. Regina asks Henry if he's okay and where he's been. Henry snits: "I found my real mom," and runs inside the house. Regina looks devastated as she turns to Emma and asks if she's Henry's birth mother. When Emma says an awkward, "Hi," in return, Regina asks, "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" Don't do it, Emma! Emma shakes her head. "Got anything stronger?" Good girl.
Inside, Emma and Regina discuss that they have no idea how Henry found Emma, since the birth records were sealed. When Regina inquires about Henry's biological father, Emma only says, "There was one." Regina wonders if she needs to be worried about him. Emma: "Nope. He doesn't even know." Regina then asks if she needs to be worried about Emma. Emma takes her drink and says, "Absolutely not." They're interrupted by Sheriff Graham, who earlier followed Henry into the house. He tells Regina she can relax. Henry's tired, but otherwise fine. Regina thanks him, then he walks off.
Regina brings Emma into her study and closes the door. She explains that she's had trouble balancing things in her life since she took office. When she asks about Emma's job, Emma just says she keeps busy. When she sets her glass on the coffee table, she can't help but notice the big bowl of apples sitting in the middle of it. Regina talks about the challenges of being a single mom. She admits she's strict, but says she wants Henry to excel in life. "I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"
Emma says she thinks Henry just says that because of the "fairy tale thing." Regina doesn't know what Emma means. Emma reminds Regina of Henry's Once Upon A Time book and how he thinks everyone he knows is a character from it. "Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket." Regina has no idea what Emma is talking about. Emma says to never mind. "It's none of my business and I really should be headed back." Regina sees her to the door, then shuts it behind her.
Emma walks down the walkway, and stops when she gets to the end. When she turns around and looks up at the house, she spots Henry watching her from a second floor window. He disappears from view and shuts off the light in his room.
Emma is driving down the highway in the rain when she notices Henry's book still sitting on her passenger seat. She shakes her head and says, "Sneaky bastard." When she turns her eyes back to the road, she realizes that she's about to run over a wolf. She slams on the brakes, swerves to avoid him, and her car crashes into the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign, because bad things happen when people try to leave. Remember? Upon impact, Emma's head slams into the steering wheel and her passenger door flies open. The wolf howls. Emma is unconscious. The book is now open on the floor of the car. The pages flip until we see an illustration of Geppetto carving the enchanted tree.
Enchanted Forest: Geppetto and real-live Pinocchio work on building the enchanted vessel -- a wardrobe, in ye olde royal wood shop. Meanwhile, in the Royal quarters, Charming insists that Snow must hide in the enchanted wardrobe. She can't stand to leave him, and reminds him that Rumpy prophesied that Emma wouldn't save them until her 28th birthday. Charming: "What's 28 years, when you have eternal love?" Aww. He continues: "I have faith you'll save me, as I did you." They start making out, which drives Snow into labor.
Grumpy watches over the castle, but he's not whistling while he works. He's drinking. When he notices a disturbance on the horizon, he wakes up a dwarf who I'm going to assume is Sleepy. Some evil looking demon-y bird screeches as it flies toward them. Then the dark smoke of an evil enchantment approaches. Grumpy yells, "The curse," and sounds the warning bell. "IT'S HERE!" Commercial.
Storybrooke, Maine: Emma wakes in a jail cell. We open on her eye, the way Lost always used to open on a character's eye. My kids yell, "JACK!" Heh. Leroy (Lee Arenberg -- Grumpy in the Enchanted Forest) is in another cell, whistling, "Whistle While You Work." When Emma turns to look at him, he says, "What are you looking at, sister?" A workman, Marco (Tony Amendola aka Geppetto), scolds Leroy about his manners with their guest, and then asks Emma if she's Henry's mother. When Leroy grumbles about kids, Marco says he wishes he had one. He and his wife tried for many years. The sheriff soon enters and lets Leroy out on the condition that he behaves. Leroy smiles the most malignant smile as he exits the cell.
Emma says, "Seriously?" to the Sheriff, when he doesn't also open her cell. He says something about Regina's drinks being stronger than they thought. Emma says she wasn't drunk. "There was a wolf in the middle of the road." The Sheriff isn't buying. Regina enters, complaining that Henry has run away again. She's surprised to see Emma and asks, "Do you know where he is?" Emma says, "I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house and..." she gestures to the bars she is currently behind, "...I have a pretty good alibi." She suggests a few things like checking with friends (Regina says Henry has none) and checking his email. Regina gets snitty and wonders why Emma thinks she knows so much about this. Emma says, "Finding people is what I do. Here's an idea, how about you guys let me out and I'll help you find him."
Mayoral Manse: Henry has wiped his email, so Emma uses some "hard disc recovery utility" and finds a receipt for a website called whosyourmomma.org. He used a credit card to pay the $265.50 registration fee. The card he used belongs to a Mary Margaret Blanchard. Regina says Ms. Blanchard is Henry's teacher.
Storybrooke School: Ms. Mary Margaret Blanchard (Ginnifer Goodwin aka Snow White) has a cute little pixie haircut, that reveals she has a Stephen Colbert ear. She's holding a beautiful blue bird just like one Snow White held earlier in the episode (which I forgot to mention) as she lectures her class about the purpose of the birdhouses they are building. "It's a home, not a cage. A bird is free. It will do what it will. This is for them, not for us. They're loyal creatures." At the open window, she sets her bird free, and it flies 'til it lands on its blue house. The children are enchanted. Ms. Blanchard continues. "If you love them and they love you, they will always find you."
When the bell rings, the children leave for recess. One little girl gives the teacher not an apple, but a pear. Nice touch, Show. Blanchard thanks her and looks up to see Regina enter the room. "Where's my son?" When Emma enters too, Regina asks the teacher if she gave Henry her credit card, so that Henry could find Emma. Mary Margaret looks at Emma. "I'm sorry, who are you?" When Emma stammers, Regina snaps, "The woman who gave him up for adoption."
Mary Margaret digs through her wallet and finds her credit card is missing. "Clever boy. I never should have given him that book." Regina demands to know what is up with all the talk about this confounded book. Mary Margaret assures her it's just a book of old stories she gave him. "As you well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart. So creative. And as you might be aware -- lonely. He needed it." Regina: "What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time." Regina's purse catches on some books and knocks them to the ground. She doesn't let that slow her down. She growls at Emma to have a nice trip back to Boston, and stomps off.
Emma goes over to Mary Margaret and apologizes for bothering her, as she helps her pick up the books. Mary Margaret reassures her that it's okay and says the situation partially her fault. Emma asks how the book was supposed to help Henry. Mary says, "What do you think stories are for? These stories -- the classics -- there's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world -- a world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't always had the easiest life." Emma agrees. "Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass." Mary says, "No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face. Why would anyone give me away." As soon as the words have passed her princess-y lips, Mary falls all over herself apologizing to Emma. "I didn't mean in any way to judge you. [...] Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have -- hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing." Emma says, "You know where he is, don't you?" Mary: "You might want to check his castle."
Enchanted Forest: Snow White is in hard labor as the curse creeps ever closer to the castle. Dark Knights follow the Evil Queen's coach as it races through the forest. Geppetto bursts into Snow's chamber and announces the enchanted wardrobe is ready. When Charming starts to pick up Snow, Doc says, "It's too late. We can't move her." Cut to the coach, with the cursed fog following behind. We get a wide shot of the castle and watch the curse approach from two directions. Inside, Emma cries as Charming and Snow snuggle her. Snow realizes the wardrobe will only take and protect one and that they'll have to put Emma in it alone. She convinces Charming to take the baby to the wardrobe. "We have to believe that she'll come back for us. We have to give her -- her best chance." Charming rushes off with his newborn daughter in one arm, and grabs his sword with his free hand.
In the castle hallway, Charming has to battle the Dark Knights who have come to kill the baby. He defeats two of them and makes it to the wardrobe. He stows Emma inside, kisses her forehead and whispers, "Find us," before shutting her in. Another pair of Dark Knights find Charming. He fends them off for but a moment, before he is dealt what seems to be a mortal wound. Once Charming falls to the floor, one of the knights sets about to forcing open the wardrobe. When he finally succeeds, he finds it empty. Charming sees this before he loses consciousness.
Storybrooke, Maine, Seaside Park, Day: Emma has the Once Upon A Time book with her, when she finds Henry on a castle-shaped play structure at a nearby park. She hands it to him and tells him he left it in the car. They look across at the clock tower and Emma comments that it still hasn't moved. Henry: "I was hoping that when I brought you back -- things would change here -- that the final battle would begin. Emma says she's not fighting any battles, but Henry insists this is her destiny. When she tells him to cut it with the book crap, he says, "You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me. I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."
Emma fights back the tears as she asks how he knows that. Henry says, "It's the same reason Snow White gave you away." Emma tells him she's a real person, not a book character. "And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance, but it's not with me. Come on, let's go." Henry pleads with Emma not to take him back. He begs her to stay, just for a week and tells her how badly life sucks living with Regina. Emma: "You want to know what sucking is -- being left abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system, and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kids, so they sent me back. Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you."
Henry talks to Emma the way a tolerant parent addresses a clueless child who refuses to face facts. "Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway. That's just where you came through. [...] The wardrobe -- when you went through the wardrobe, you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse." Emma smiles through her tears and patronizes him. "Sure they were. Come on, Henry." He takes her hand and they head off.
Enchanted Forest, Castle: Poor post-partum Snow White hobbles through the castle until she finds Charming lying seemingly lifeless on the floor. She drops to her knees and begs him to come back to her. As she holds his face, she gets an idea, and plants a big kiss on him, then leans back and waits for it to wake him, the way his kiss woke her. When nothing happens she tries again.
While Snow is still crying over Charming, Queenie struts in. "Oh don't worry, dear. In a few moments you won't remember you knew him, let alone loved him." Snow White looks up at her nemesis. "Why did you do this?" Queenie: "Because this is my happy ending." When two Dark Knights arrive at the door, the Queen asks about "the child." A knight replies, "Gone. It was in the wardrobe and then it was gone. It's nowhere to be found." Queenie looks to Snow White and says, "Where is she?" Snow White smiles as she cradles Charming. "She got away. You're going to lose. I know that, now. Good will always win." Queenie says, "We'll see about that." When she looks up, the castle ceiling starts to crumble. Wild winds carry in the misty curse. Everything swirls around Snow, Charming and Queenie. Snow asks, "Where we going?" Queenie laughs. "Somewhere horrible. Absolutely horrible." As glass shatters around them, she continues her villainous ramble, because every good villain loves to ramble. "...A place where the only happy ending will be mine." Thunder, lightning, flying shards of glass, and the thick, dark smoke of the curse surround them, until they're obscured from our view.
Storybrooke, Maine: Emma brings Henry home yet again. Regina says nothing when she opens the door, and nothing when Henry runs past her and into the house. She has to think it over before even thanking Emma, but then adds that Henry seems to have taken a shine to her. Emma: "You know what's kinda crazy? Yesterday was my birthday, and when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish that I didn't have to be alone on my birthday, and then Henry showed up."
Regina makes it clear that she's not inviting Emma back into Henry's life. For the last ten years she has, "Changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son." She adds that Emma gave every right when she "tossed" Henry away and reminds her that a closed adoption gives her no legal right to Henry, and tells her to get in her car and get out of town. "Because if you don't, I will destroy you, if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye Miss Swan." As Regina storms off toward her door, Emma asks, "Do you love him?" Regina turns around all, "Excuse me?!" Emma: "Henry. Do you love him?" The Mayor's eyes are stone cold as she answers, "Of course I love him." Emma's superpower kicks in. She knows that Henry is right about his mother.
Henry is lying on his bed. Regina stands behind him, book in hand. She removes it from his room, carries it downstairs and stops to consider her reflection in front of her magic mirror. She looks down at the book, then clutches it to her bosom and looks back in the mirror.
Hospital: Mary Margaret Blanchard pushes a flower cart through a ward. She stops by a male patient's bedside, leaves a vase of white flowers on his table. When he raises his hand, she grabs it and gives it a squeeze. She leaves the ward for a single-patient room enclosed by glass walls reminiscent of Snow White's coffin. The patient's hospital I.D. bracelet reads: "JOHN DO; DOB: UNKNOWN; ." Mary lays flowers on his bedside table, takes a quick look at him and walks out to the main ward, again. The patient never stirs. When the camera zooms out we see it's a comatose Charming.
Mayoral Manse: Henry stares out the window at the clock tower a block or two away. Light fog drifts nearby. We close in on the clock and then cut to Emma, who is approaching a Tudor style home. The sign on the lintel reads, "Granny's Bed & Breakfast." Inside, Granny (Beverly Elliott) is arguing with her granddaughter, Ruby (Meghan Ory, aka Red Riding Hood) about being out all night the night before and going out again, tonight. Ruby spits that she should have moved to Boston.
Granny says, "I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard." Why Granny, what a big mouth you have! The better to snark at you, my dear. Emma makes her presence known and requests a room. Granny can't believe anyone would actually want to stay there and gets in a tizzy as she offers Emma either a forest view or a square view. She'll even waive the upgrade fee for the square view.
When Granny asks her name, our girl says, "Emma. Emma Swan." Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle, aka Rumplestiltskin) walks up behind her, nodding and smiling. "Emma, what a lovely name." Emma thanks him and turns back to Granny, who has grabbed a big roll of cash, and is handing it to Mr. Gold. "It's--it's all here." Gold says, "Of course it is dear, thank you." He turns back to the new girl in town. "Enjoy your stay... Emma."
Once Gold is gone, Emma asks who he was. Ruby says, "Mr. Gold. He owns this place." Emma says, "The inn?" Granny: "No. The town." When Emma looks surprised, Granny kind of shakes it off and asks how long she'll be staying with them. Emma answers, "A week. Just a week." Granny says, "Great," and hands Emma a giant skeleton key on an elaborate key chain featuring a swan.
We cut back to Henry who is still watching the town clock. It moves from 8:15 to 8:16. Henry smiles and laughs to himself. We fade to black.
In my recaplet, I mentioned that I'm not generally big on pilot episodes. They have the thankless job of setting everything up, and sometimes that can be tedious. While I wasn't sure this pilot lived up to earlier rave reviews, I thought, upon first watch, that it was better than many the less favorable reviews led me to believe. I've watched it multiple times now. When I recap, I do a lot of playing, pausing and rewinding. This episode improved with each re-watch. That seldom happens for me, but I liked this better the more I saw it. The production values are great. The acting is tight. There are also a lot of little grace notes too (for example, loaded "Our World" character names like Regina, Blanchard, Mr. Gold, and more obviously -- Ruby and Hopper). The premise intrigues me the more I think about it. My friend Denise says she thinks it has the potential hit the sort of emotional notes that will really resonate with her. I'm inclined to agree, especially after watching at the level of detail I do when covering a show. I hope you all enjoyed it and this recap, too. I'm sorry I didn't give you much snark. It's hard to muster it up for a new show. Don't you worry, though. Familiarity breeds contempt, so I'm sure that will change over time.
I'll be back Monday morning with the recaplet of "The Thing You Love The Most," in which Regina tries to drive Emma out of Storybrooke, and we learn more about guts of Queenie's curse. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then join us in the forum, where all apples have been thoroughly inspected, but you probably shouldn't drink the cider.
I'll be back Monday morning with the recaplet of "The Thing You Love The Most," in which Regina tries to drive Emma out of Storybrooke, and we learn more about guts of Queenie's curse. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then join us in the forum, where all apples have been thoroughly inspected, but you probably shouldn't drink the cider.