OUAT: Crushing Hearts Since 2011

So, way back in 2011 I first watched Once Upon a Time. And I really, really meant to recap it since the first season. But life got in the way then and I didn’t start recapping until last year with season 3B.

My sister put me on her Netflix account (thanks KB!) and so I’ve been able to go back to watch Season 1 Once Upon a Time again. Since season 5 doesn’t start until September 27th, I’m going to recap an episode until it comes back. (Yes, I realize I probably should’ve started earlier. But oh well). Maybe I can catch up soon.

So, let’s all go back to the eh year of 2011 and recall how we started the strange yet incredible journey that is Once Upon a Time.

Way, way back in the pilot: Prince Charming awakens Snow White and they get married. The Evil Queen shows up to threaten their happily ever afters and destroy the couple. Snow becomes pregnant and as she gives birth, the Queen casts her spell. Purple clouds devour everything as Charming gets their daughter to a magical escape hatch, being fatally wounded in the process.

That daughter may or may not be Emma Swan, who on her 28th birthday is found by the son she gave up for adoption. He says he’s been adopted by the Evil Queen and he lives in a town where everyone is a fairy tale character but they don’t know it. Emma takes him home and she gets the feeling that something is wrong. Henry asks her to say, his mother (the Mayor) practically bullies Emma to leave and some guy named Gold is creepy.

As she goes to bed, the town clock that’s been broke forever starts to move.

dun dun DUN!


It’s a new day in Storybrooke and citizens across the town are noticing that their clock is moving again. Henry watches it with a smile while downstairs, his mother flips through the storybook and reads her story. But when she comes to the end, the pages are missing.

Regina storms upstairs and asks her son why he ripped out the pages from his book. He fakes ignorance and says he has to go to school. She stops him and says it hurts her that he thinks she’s the evil queen. She’s his mother. But Henry is like “Emma’s my mother.”

(Somewhere deep underneath Storybrooke General, Belle is cringing and she doesn't know why)

Ouch.

She then catches sight of the clock tower, noticing it has started moving. Henry gloats as he loves and Regina hurries into the street to figure out what’s going on. Dr. Hopper makes a comment about the clock before moving on.

Emma wakes up in Granny’s to someone knocking on her door. She opens it to find Regina holding a basket of apples, a so-called parting gift. But Emma reveals that she isn’t leaving at all. She’s staying to make sure Regina is being a good mother to Henry. Regina says she is and suggests that Emma talk to Dr. Hopper.

(I wouldn't trust it, Emma)

So time to recap what’s been going on in the Enchanted Forest: Snow and Charming got hitched and Regina showed up with the second worst wedding gift, after cursing their firstborn: threatening to take away their happiness. Regina returns to her own palace and her servant is like, “Did you have a good time at the wedding?” Regina glares at him before talking to her magic mirror. He advises her that there’s only one thing she can do—cast the Dark Curse. But she’ll need to get it back.

Regina goes to visit her best friend, Maleficent. She asks Maleficent about the curse but Mal reminds Regina that she traded it for the sleeping curse she used on Snow White. Mal pretty much invokes the rule of “no-takesies-backsies” before telling Regina to chill out. To accept that Snow’s won and move on. Maybe she should get a pet, like Mal’s beloved unicorn.

Methinks Mal’s been hitting her own sleeping curse a bit too hard lately.

Oh, no, wait. According to Season 4, she would be pregnant by now. That’s why she’s so chill.

Regina is dead set on getting that curse and starts a magic fight with Maleficent. She threatens the unicorn and Maleficent yells at her not to. This allows Regina to capture her friend, take her staff and get the Dark Curse contained inside. She tells Maleficent that love is weakness and Mal warns her that if she casts the curse, it’ll cause a hole she will never be able to fill. Regina decides to take the chance.

(Looking back, it's a good thing they decided to change her costume for Season 4)

Who knows? Maybe a boy named Henry, a certain thief and his dimpled son might finally fill it three seasons later.

The Evil Queen gathers a bunch of witches, goblins and that mysterious seer at a stone outcropping. She says she needs things from them so she can cast the Dark Curse and give them their happy endings. They do so  and she tosses the items in a cauldron before beckoning her servant closer. He holds a box and she takes a heart, saying it came from her beloved steed but that his sacrifice would be worth it. She crushes it and throws it in the cauldron, ready for the spell to be enacted…

Nothing happens. Everyone gets uppity and a gnome sasses Regina. This turns out to be the wrong decision as she turns him into stone, silencing both him and the others. She’s determined to figure out what happened.

That poor gnome ends up in Regina’s yard in Storybrooke. She checks the apples on her tree as Sidney approaches, brandishing the latest edition of the Storybrooke Mirror. It’s all about Emma Swan and how she is a very bad, no good, horrible con-woman. Because that’s going to send Henry running back to you.

(Oh, the inhumanity)

Sorry. I may be an Evil Regal now, but Season 1 Regina is just…ugh. I still love her and want to take her aside to have a long conversation.

Emma walks into Granny’s and is given a hot chocolate with cinnamon. She is told someone got it for her and she immediately sees Graham. He guesses that she’s staying in town and she confirms it. They exchange some banter and maybe flirt, before Emma asks how he knew she liked cinnamon on her hot chocolate. Graham tells her that he didn’t send her the beverage.

Henry turns around from another booth and says that he bought it for her. He likes cinnamon on his hot chocolate, so he figured she did as well. Emma sits down and asks why he isn’t in school. He wants her to walk with him so they can talk more about her breaking the curse.

(He's adorable)

They walk down the street and Henry notices Emma’s apple. He asks her where she got it and she reveals it was his mother. Henry takes the apple and tosses it away, telling her not to eat it. He then shows her the pages he ripped out so Regina won’t learn who Emma really is. He believes it will give them an advantage.
Emma and Henry arrive at school where Mary Margaret greets them. She tells Emma that she’s happy to see Henry looking so much happier now that the blonde woman is staying in town. They talk about the book and Emma asks Mary Margaret who Henry thinks she is. Mary Margaret replies “Snow White” and Emma’s like, “Great, my kid thinks his teacher is my mom.” Mary Margaret asks her who he thinks she is and Emma replies, “Not in the book.”

After Henry is safe at school, Emma goes to visit Dr. Hopper. She asks him about the fairy tale obsession and he explains that it’s just Henry’s way of understanding his world. He pulls out Henry’s file and offers to let her read it, in clear violation of patient confidentiality laws. But hey, our laws have never seemed to apply to Storybrooke, have they? Emma thanks him and leaves. Once she’s gone, Doc Hopper gives the mayor a call and says that Emma took it. He asks her how she knew Emma would come to him and Regina says it’s because she gave Emma the idea.

(And Emma doesn't realize this is a trap?)

Emma reads through the file when someone knocks on her door. She opens it to find Graham there and he says that Dr. Hopper claims they got into a fight. Emma denies it and Graham teases her before revealing that the good doctor claimed she stole Henry’s file. She says he gave it to her and shows Graham that she has it on her bed. Graham says Dr. Hopper says otherwise and arrests her. Emma’s getting used to this.

Regina stalks into Storybrooke Academy, finding her son’s class having lessons outside. Sweet! She asks Mary Margaret if she can speak with Henry and they step aside. Regina tells him that Emma’s been arrested and that she’s a conwoman. Henry sees right through her lies and calls her on them. He then says he has to rejoin his class, leaving Regina hanging.

(Dayum)

Graham takes Emma’s mug shot and she continues to protest that she’s been set up. He has a similar feeling but asks her why the doctor would lie. Emma thinks the mayor is behind it and asks him exactly how powerful Regina Mills is. Graham acts like she’s being paranoid but you know he knows exactly what Regina is capable of.

Henry and Margaret burst into the sheriff’s office and Emma tells Henry that she didn’t steal the file. He says he believes her and tells Graham that Mary Margaret is going to pay Emma’s bail. Surprising, Emma asks her why. Mary Margaret hesitates but says she believes Emma. I think she’s just doing it because Henry may have strong-armed her into it. He’s not Regina’s biologically, but over the seasons, he’s proven to be as much her son as if he did share her genes. Emma holds out her cuffs and tells Graham to let her go.

(Can't you feel the tension in this screenshot?)

Regina looks up at the sound of a chainsaw and she gazes out her window to find Emma. The blonde is hacking her apple tree. Regina runs out and demands to know what she’s doing. Emma pretty much declares war.

(Don't mess with Emma Swan)

Back in the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen seethes over the fact her Dark Curse didn’t work. Her servant suggests she goes to ask “him” for help. Regina thinks that’s a great idea.

So who is “him”? Well, it’s not the half-lobster, half-devil creature from The PowerPuff Girls. It’s Rumple, still in his cell. He calls out into the darkness and says they are alone so there’s no need to hide. A mouse scurrying about transforms into the Evil Queen. 

(Now you see a mouse...)

(...now you see an Evil Queen)

She asks him about the curse and Rumple admonishes her for using a horse’s heart. He says it’s the Dark Curse and will need something more than her prized steed’s heart. She says the only person she loves is dead. But Rumple says there is another and she knows who it is. He then extracts a promise from her because it’s Rumple. Nothing comes free. He makes Regina promise that he’ll have a good life during the curse and that he’ll be powerful. She agrees. He then also makes her promise to do him a favor if he ever asks for it. She agrees to that as well.

Graham visits Regina as she tries to pick up all her apples. She demands that he arrest Emma for destruction of public property and he advises her that maybe it would be better if she backed off her vendetta. Regina reminds him that he owes his job to her so he better do what she says. She’s going to make life hell for Emma Swan.

Starting with booting her car. Emma gives it a kick as she receives a call. Regina invites her to a peace conference and for them to talk about their problems. Emma agrees before heading into Granny’s. As she opens her room door, Granny appears and apologizes. Emma knows where she is going—the Mayor has asked Granny to evict her. Granny lets her gather her things but asks for her key back. Emma hands it over.

(Granny has some fancy keys)

Emma goes to Regina’s office and talks to her about the fairy tale obsession. Regina lets her do most of the talking and eventually Emma uses the word crazy. And it’s just at the right moment—Henry overhears and runs off, upset. Emma looks at Regina and realizes she’s been set up. Sitting in her chair like the queen the audience (and Henry) knows she is, Regina confirms that she did. All that’s missing is the evil laugh.

(Seriously, look at her! A queen through and through)

Regina returns to her palace and approaches her servant. Except he’s not her servant. He’s her father! (Okay, okay, I already knew that because I’m going back several seasons later to watch this. But I imagine I would’ve been shocked—shocked—to learn this).

Anyway, Regina tells her father that she’s not sure she’s willing to pay the price for the curse. He tells her she doesn’t have to. That she can give up her grudge against Snow and they can go some place to start over. Regina hesitates, saying she’d lose her power.

(I just want to give her a hug!)

Her father hugs her and assures her she can be happy again. She just has to want it. Regina says he’s always been there for her and she knows she can be happy. Just not in the Enchanted Forest. Her father’s eyes bulge out and she pulls out his heart. I knew it was coming but it was still shocking.

Emma goes to visit Mary Margaret and gives her the money for her bail back. Mary Margaret asks if she’s leaving and Emma reveals she blew it with Henry. So the schoolteacher invites her in for some hot chocolate and a chat. Like Henry and Emma, Mary Margaret likes cinnamon on her hot chocolate. She tells Emma that Henry needs someone to believe him. She says that can be very powerful and Emma takes it to heart.

(Mother-daughter time!)

Dr. Hopper tries to get Henry to talk, but he just focuses on the umbrella instead. Doc Hopper asks about the fairy tales but Henry pouts that they aren’t real. Uh oh. You’re the Truest Believer, Henry! Don’t stop believing!

Emma burst in and Doc Hopper lets her. God help him when Regina finds out. Anyway, Emma tells Henry that she believes him and that she’s in for Operation Cobra. She’ll help him defeat the Evil Queen. To prove it, she burns the last pages so that Regina will never get her hands on them. Henry hugs her and they head out into the street.

(How is this a good idea?)
(Also, I imagine Isaac is twitching)

Regina thanks her father for his heart and lays a flower at his grave. As the camera zooms in on it, we see his name was Henry. She named her son after her father!

Yes, yes, I knew this. But to be honest, I’m still not over the fact that Henry’s middle name is Daniel. So I’m still not over this either.

She goes back to her cauldron and puts the ash that had been her father’s heart into it. A plume of purple smoke curls up and the Dark Curse begins to consume the Enchanted Forest.

Gold pays Regina a visit as she tends to her apple trees again. How much attention do those things need? Anyway, he makes some small talk and then makes a comment about Emma. Regina says Emma is no doubt long gone, which leads to Gold revealing that she was with Henry and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. She then asks him if she knew who Henry’s mother was when he got Henry for her. Gold says he didn’t (and while we learn he was still cursed when he arranged for Regina to adopt Henry, it still couldn’t be much of a coincidence) and then he makes some vague comments that makes Regina realize he has his memories back.

(Villain confab)

As he stalks off, Regina tries to figure out who is her bigger problem—Gold or Emma. Or at least that’s how I figure it.

Oh, it’s always interesting to go back to watch earlier seasons of a show. You want to yell at a character to hold on, things get better. Or in the case of most of these characters, “You will not believe what you will have to deal with later on.”

I also believe if I was as serious a watcher in season 1 as I became in season 2, I would’ve been an Evil Regal sooner. Because while I want to alternately shake and strangle Regina, there are still moments where Lana Parrilla slays me and I want to hug her instead.

Next time: We see how Snow and Charming met while Henry convinces Mary Margaret to read to the comatose patient in the hospital.

Screen caps from here.