OUAT: The Hunter and the Haunted

Last time on “Once:” David returned home from the hospital but still couldn’t remember anything. He was still drawn to Mary Margaret so he made the decision to leave Kathryn and try a relationship with her. Mary Margaret wasn’t too sure but Emma convinced her to go. On the way, David was misdirected by Regina and ended up in Gold’s shop. Using a windmill that had once been on the Nolans’ lawn, Gold brought back David’s cursed memories. David let Mary Margaret down and returned home to Kathryn while Mary Margaret had a one night stand with Whale.

In the Enchanted Forest, we met Prince James, a noted monster slayer. He agreed to slay a dragon for King Midas but got killed seconds later. King George, desperate to save his kingdom, called upon Rumple—who had given James to the king when he and his wife couldn’t have a child. Rumple agreed to bring the king James’ twin brother, David. David only agreed to it to save his family farm. He slayed the dragon and ended up engaged to Princess Whatever. David said goodbye to his mother and then went off to live happily ever after with Princess Don’t Care.

Until Snow White intervened.

Meanwhile, Emma did Graham a favor and worked a night shift. As she patrolled the area, she discovered someone sneaking out of the mayor’s house. When she confronted the person, she learned it was Graham and that he had a sexual relationship with Regina. She stormed off, no doubt looking for some brain bleach to get those mental pictures out of her mind.
We open on a nice forest scene. A young doe grazes in the field as sunlight bathes her. It’s nice and peaceful…

Until a dart lands on the picture taped to the center of the dartboard at Granny’s. From his booth, Sidney beats that Graham couldn’t do it again. He downs some more alcohol and then lands the shot, telling Ruby the next round of drinks are on Sidney.

Emma comes out of…someplace. I guess the ladies’ room? She takes one look at Graham and hurries away. Right before she can reach the door, a dart lodges in the doorjamb. At this point, we’re going to start to see a few similarities between Graham and Robin. These wouldn’t have been noticed back then as Robin wasn’t introduced until Season 2 and became Regina’s potential love interest in Season 3. But now that I’m watching this ahead of Season 5, I can see them. And here’s one.

(See?)

Graham goes to confront Emma, but she’s in no mood to listen to him as he’s drunk and clearly angry. But he wants her to understand. Emma says that what he does with the mayor is none of her concern, though she’s disgusted by it. She doesn’t understand why he needs her to understand…until he kisses her.

When he does, he sees a wildlife scene. But it’s only a flash as Emma pushes him off. She yells at him and Graham says he can’t feel anything. Emma says he’s drunk and tells him to go home.

Except he goes to Regina’s house. She’s surprised to see him on her doorstep but not complaining when he kisses her. He pushes her against the wall, still kissing her as a very clever edit sends us to the Enchanted Forest through Regina’s gaze.

(I guess Regina doesn't care he's using her since she's using him)

We go to the Winter Palace where Snow is dressed in black and crying next to a coffin. Her father is dead and she is inconsolable. Regina puts on the performance of her life, consoling Snow and saying the pain of losing her husband is nothing compared to Snow’s. (Which isn’t a lie). Snow takes comfort in her stepmother and goes off to mourn her father.

(And the award goes to...)

Regina storms into her chambers and looks ready to be sick. But she needs to get rid of Snow. However the kingdom loves Snow. She can’t do anything that can be traced back to her or else the kingdom will revolt. Her magic mirror makes a suggestion:

In that beautiful forest glen, a deer appears in the sunlight. This still isn’t going to end well, is it? Nope, because here comes an arrow to take the deer out. As the doe lays dying on the ground, Graham shows up. Yes, he prefers arrows…just like Robin. Anyway, he thanks the deer and says she will be used to feed him and his wolf companion. He then finishes her off.

(Food?)

Graham and his wolf companion head into a pub. Everyone gets quiet and stares at them. Finally, one man makes a fuss about the wolf being in the pub. He takes a jab at Graham, mentioning how he was raised by wolves after his mother abandoned him. Graham says that wolves have more honor than some men and he respects them for that. So he has a thing about honor, just like Robin.

The man approaches Graham but the wolf starts to growl at him. Instead of backing off, the man continues to harass Graham and threaten the wolf. So Graham attacks and a fight ensues. When it ends, the man is dead and Graham challenges anyone else to say anything about him or his wolf. No one does.

Back in the Winter Palace, Regina smiles. She declares he is perfect and orders her guards to fetch him.

Graham sits up in Regina’s bed, panting. She asks him what’s wrong and he says he saw a wolf. Regina tells him it was just a dream but he says it felt like something else…like it was a memory. Regina tries to get him to go back to sleep, saying he’s not well and needs rest. But Graham gathers his clothing and runs out.

He heads out to his car and his keys fall. With everyone commenting how drunk he is—Emma and Regina—no one thought to take his car keys? To at least call him a cab? At this point, I’m surprised Graham’s demise isn’t from drunk driving!

Thankfully, a white wolf decides to be the responsible party in Storybrooke and manages to startle Graham before he can get in the car. Instead of leading him to his room, a glass of water and some aspirin though, the wolf leads him into the woods.

(Wolf friends make sure human friends don't drink and drive)

In the morning, Emma spots a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table and assumes they are from Graham. She rants about him as she tosses them before Mary Margaret can point out that they were for her. She says Whale sent them after their one night stand. Emma puts her Graham-induced rage on hold to get the details from Mary Margaret. Essentially, Mary Margaret now regrets sleeping with Whale but is too polite to shut him down.

Mary Margaret then moves onto Emma. She says that Emma keeps people away and puts up walls to keep her from getting hurt. Maybe she’s so mad at Graham because she does have feelings for him.

(Mary Margaret's about to lay down some truths)

Graham loses the wolf deep in the woods around Storybrooke. Instead, he finds Gold doing…something. I would be worried but Graham’s too focused on the wolf. Gold says he didn’t see any wolves go past and asks if Graham is feeling alright. Graham says he just needs to go home and get some rest. Gold watches him leave with a suspicious look in his eyes.

Oh, come on, Graham. Just go home and get some sleep. And did you drive? Someone take the man’s keys. Stat. Anyway, Graham shows up at Storybrooke Academy before Mary Margaret’s class. He says he knows her and Mary Margaret is like, “Yeah, it’s a small town. We pretty much know everyone.” But he says he’s known her before and asks if he’s ever hurt her.

The Evil Queen reclines on a chaise lounge, giving Graham a very come hither look as he enters. She asks if he has a name or if she should just call him “Huntsman.” He seems okay with Huntsman. 

(Hot damn)

Regina explains that she needs Snow White taken care of and that she wants him to do it. She explains he is going to take her into the woods, kill her and then carve out her heart to bring back to the Queen.

Graham doesn’t say much, except to ask why he’d do anything for her. Regina says he’ll be given a place of honor at her court. He won’t have to live in the woods or worry about hunting for his food. But Graham isn’t one for courtly life. He just wants people to stop killing the wolves. She agrees.

We come back to Mary Margaret’s classroom. She tries to get Graham to go home and get some rest, saying he’s burning up. But he asks her about how long they’ve known each other. Mary Margaret thinks about it before replying that it’s been a long time. He presses her to recall the first time they met and it’s clear by the look on Mary Margaret’s face that she can’t remember. But she passes it off as just time passing by and memories fading.

(Things are not adding up for Mary Margaret)

Graham repeats his feeling that they knew each other in another life. Mary Margaret believes he’s been talking to Henry and asks him who Henry thinks he is in the book. Graham doesn’t know and asks Mary Margaret who she is. She replies “Snow White” and things start to click for him. She tells him to go home but still doesn’t do something like call him a cab. Because when we next see Graham…

He’s at Regina’s again. Henry opens the door and tells him that his mother isn’t there. So Henry probably has some idea of the relationship between the sheriff and his mother. He tells the boy that he’s here to see him and his book.

Snow and Graham walk through the woods, he in heavy black gear. She goes on about how much she loves the Summer Palace and that it will be great to go back. She says she feels safe there. As she prattles on, Graham tries to get more comfortable in his armor.

They pause as Graham removes his helmet. Snow pulls out and apple, offering it to him. He refuses and she takes a bite, studying him. 

(Suspicious Snow is suspicious)

Snow says he’s not a guard and Graham tries to say he is. But she’s more savvy than that. She’s grown up around guards her whole life. First, she notes that he hasn’t expressed any condolences toward her over the loss of her father, which every one of his guards had already done. Second, he’d be used to wearing armor. She uses that to her advantage, knocking him down and running off. Graham manages to pull himself up and pursues her as we cut to…

The sheriff’s office. Emma mans the station since Graham is off chasing a wolf. Regina comes in as if she’s about to walk a catwalk and says she needs to talk to Emma. She tells her to leave Graham alone. Emma says she hasn’t done anything to Graham but Regina begs to differ. She says that Graham has been acting weird since Emma arrived and it’s upsetting him. Emma takes a shot at their relationship before Regina leaves.

((Regina Mills, America's Next Top Model)

Graham finds Snow sitting on a log, writing a letter. He wonders why she stopped and Snow says she knows the Queen wants her dead. She says she can run but she’ll never be faster than him. So she accepts her fate. First, though, she hands him the letter and asks him to give it to the queen. He then reads it and studies her.

Snow sits on the log, eyes closed and prepared to meet her fate as Graham pulls out his knife. He undoes something and tells her to flee into the woods. Graham warns her the queen wants her dead but he won’t be the one to harm her. Snow thanks him and runs off as Graham spots a deer.

(Suspicious Snow is now Confused Snow)

Henry’s room. He and Graham go through the book and Henry reveals that Graham is the huntsman. That’s why he remembers trying to hurt Mary Margaret AKA Snow White. Henry also tells him that the Queen took the huntsman's heart. Graham thanks him and hurries out.

(Just go home Graham. You need sleep, not advice from a precocious ten year old)

Emma runs into him outside and she’s even more concerned about him. She says he needs to go home and go to sleep, not talk to her ten-years-old son. But Graham says Henry makes the most sense. That he needs to find his heart. Emma presses her hand to his chest and then brings his hand there. She says his heart is right there, beating. But Graham says it’s the curse. Before Emma can convince him otherwise, he spots the wolf and runs after it.

Emma pursues him and the wolf leads them to a vault that is now very familiar to Oncers. Especially us Outlaw Queen fans. (More Vault S’mores 2K15!) The wolf disappears but Graham recognizes the crest above the door. He tells Emma his heart is inside and heads in. She follows.

(Someone uses antlers in all of their decorating)

Graham returns to the Queen and she demands Snow’s heart. But first, he says he has to honor her last request and give Regina her letter. Regina doesn’t want to hear it so Graham reads it. In it, Snow apologizes for ruining Regina’s life and hopes that her death will bring Regina some comfort. She also hopes it means good for the kingdom and that Regina will become a good queen to her people.

Regina doesn’t care about the letter. She just wants what she ordered Graham to bring her. So he pulls it out of his bag and hands her the heart. She takes it and places it in the special box she had made for it. Then she goes to her wall o’ hearts and tries to add it to her collection. When its selected slot doesn’t open, she frowns and turns to Graham. She says it’s supposed to open and she knows the reason why it’s not—he didn’t bring her Snow’s heart.

(Uh oh)

Emma and Graham scope out the vault and he grows frantic as he searches for wherever his heart is. Emma tells him it’s just a vault, just someone’s final resting place. But he’s convinced there’s a trap door somewhere. Have you actually checked the coffin? Cause I’d put my trap door in there. Everyone would be too creeped out to open it and find it.

(Seriously. Great hiding spot)

Emma finally convinces Graham that there’s nothing in there but a dead body and that they should go. When they leave, they come face to face with Regina. Emma asks her what she’s doing there and Regina holds up a bouquet of flowers, saying she takes a bouquet every week to her father’s grave. Yes, they’ve broken into her family crypt and she wants to know why.

Graham decides he’s had enough. He essentially breaks up with her and tells her that he’s moving on. That he’s through being at her beck and call, being her little secret. Regina stands there, looking like no one’s ever dared to break up with her before and on the verge of tears. 

So Regina does what she does best—she channels it into anger and unleashes it on Emma. She says everything was fine until Emma came into town. Now, she’s ruining everything. She’s encouraging Henry to keep seeing her as the Evil Queen and now she’s taken Graham from Regina too. She wonders what’s next. 

Emma decides she has had enough and lays into Madam Mayor. She points out that Henry went and searched for her. That Graham kissed her. She didn’t have to do anything. Regina did it all—she drove them away. 

Regina lunges for Emma and a good old-fashioned smack down occurs. It seems to be an homage to great prime time soaps of a bygone era, like Dynasty. Regina lands a good punch on Emma but Emma gives as good as she can take it. Graham manages to pull the women apart and drags Emma away, leaving Regina to seethe. 

(Fight! Fight! Fight!)

Graham takes Emma back to the station and tends to her wounds. They have a cute moment and Emma finally opens herself up to him. Things turn sensual as they lean in for a kiss. 

Meanwhile, Regina goes into her vault and lays flowers on the coffin. She then pushes it aside, revealing a secret set of stairs. Cool, but I think I’d still put mine in the coffin, not just underneath it. She heads down and we discover her wall o’ hearts. This is pretty much the show’s first confirmation that it isn’t all in Henry’s head and that Regina truly is the Evil Queen.

Except, you know, for the narration they sometimes put before episodes.

We cut back to the Enchanted Forest. Graham tells Regina that he couldn’t kill Snow because it wasn’t honorable. He gave her a doe’s heart instead. This enrages Regina and she pulls out his heart again. She tells him that he is now hers and he will do what she says. Because he if he doesn’t, all she has to do is squeeze. She does so and Graham goes weak with pain.

Regina then kisses him, surprising him. He then gives in a bit before she pulls away. She tells him that he’s her pet and he knows what will happen if he ever leaves her. Regina squeezes the heart again and he collapses on the ground. She pulls out a box, puts the heart in and adds it to her collection. Her guards come in and she orders them to take Graham to her room. His eyes go wide as he’s hauled off.

("I think you need to practice for an upcoming role, Mr. Grey.") 

("What are you talking about?")

Now as Graham starts to remember more and more, Regina pulls out his heart. He goes to kiss Emma again when he collapses in pain. We see Regina as she squeezes his heart until it is dust. She has a look of regret for a moment before her mask slips back on.

At the station, Emma cradles a dead Graham in her arms. She tries to revive him but it is too late. All she can do is lean against the desk and cry.

(Heart-wrenching)

This ending is still controversial to this day because a lot of fans feel like Regina continues to get away with his murder. It has never been brought up again and Emma no doubt still thinks Graham died of natural causes. At this point, though, in the show, (by which I mean season 5) I’m not sure how it would be resolved unless used to drive a wedge between Emma and Regina and their budding friendship.

Next week: Rumpelstiltskin’s backstory! Emma runs for sheriff!

Screen caps from here.