A ton happens in this episode, and almost every scene is crucial, so I apologize that this review is so long! The ending of the previous episode of Once Upon A Time left us scratching our heads! What’s the real story behind Henry’s father? Who is the mysterious stranger that shows up in Storybrooke late at night? Could the stranger be Henry’s father? I sure hope so.
The stranger’s motorcycle is parked outside Henry’s house, and Henry can’t help but be curious. He keeps asking the stranger questions, and he asks about the box attached to the back of his bike, which he is very elusive about. As Regina calls out to Henry, the stranger quickly rides away.
Mary Margaret frantically brushes her teeth and runs out the door, but it is still pretty early in the morning. She goes to the diner where she “accidentally” runs into David. There is so much pent-up tension between them!! As soon as David walks out, Emma walks in. Mary Margaret cannot get David out of her head!
In the Enchanted Forest, Snow tries to hunt a turkey but is interrupted by Red. She informs Snow that Prince James is going through with his marriage to King Midas’s daughter. Snow wishes there was some way to stop thinking about him; Red says there might be away.
Snow goes to see the man who can help her, and, of course, it’s Rumplestiltsken. She needs a cure for a broken heart, but she needs to make a deal first. He gives her a vial of murky water and a strand of her hair. The next time she sees Prince James, she will no longer remember who he is. Naturally, it comes with a price, and he wants some of her hair.
While at the grocery store, Mary Margaret quite literally runs into David’s wife. As they are picking up their groceries, Mary Margaret hands her a pregnancy test that had fallen out of her basket. Mary Margaret is clearly disappointed, but she quickly recovers. Regina stands nearby, and we just know some snarky comment is going to escape her lips. She warns Mary Margaret to be “discreet”, not wanting her to get in their personal lives.
Prince James stands in his castle overlooking the water, a look of concern laced on his face. A feast is being held in his honor, but he is in his chambers. He receives an elaborate gold crown from King Midas, which he views with disgust. He admits to his father that his heart belongs to someone else, and his father reminds him that he is duty-bound to fulfill this marriage. James writes a letter to Snow and sends it away tied to a dove.
Mary Margaret is walking in the woods, and she hears a loud dove call. She finds the injured bird and rushes it to the pet shelter, conveniently where James works. The vet tells her that the dove is a special breed that forms monogamous bonds with other birds, and she needs to reunite her with her flock. David offers to drive her hope, but she says she doesn’t need his help.
Regina asks Emma to investigate the Stranger. She is afraid for Henry’s safety.
Snow looks at the vial of murky water, and suddenly, the dove lands on her arm. She reads the letter that Prince James sent to her. He wants her to come to him before he is married the next day. He cannot stop thinking about her. She enters the kingdom and is told where Prince James’s room is. As soon as she is inside, she takes off her cloak and hides the basket of flowers. She hears someone coming and hides, but it is Prince James. She is about to call out to him but is captured and sent to the dungeons. She tries to escape by climbing the walls, but there is no way out. It is here where we officially meet Grumpy. As we hear his story, another man, “Stealthy”, comes creeping in with the keys to the dungeon. They are about to leave Snow behind, but Grumpy feels guilty and lets her out.
Mary Margaret is in the woods trying to find the dove’s flock. She comes across a cliff, loses her footing, and falls, hanging desperately to the roots in the ground. The river roars thousands of feet below her. Just before she is about to lose her grip, David arrives and saves her. She is clearly trying to avoid him, and she quickly runs away, saying that she needs to find the flock. By now, the storm is raging. David finally convinces her to leave.
Snow parts ways with Grumpy and Stealthy, convinced that her way is better. Unfortunately, Stealthy is hit with an arrow. The King asks Grumpy where Snow is and orders his guards to kill him when he doesn’t tell. Snow arrives in the nick of time, holding a torch and threatening to set the courtyard on fire if they don’t let him go.
David and Mary Margaret come across an empty cabin to try and get out of the rain. She tries to avoid any contact with him. She suddenly burbles out that she still has feelings for him. She is sure a lot braver than I am! He admits that the only reason he goes to the diner every morning is to see her. He is about to kiss her, but she stops him. She tells him that Katherine thinks she is pregnant, which greatly surprises him.
Emma show up at the diner and accosts the Stranger. She asks him about his mysterious box. He convinces her to let him buy her a drink and shows her the contents of the box. A typewriter. How disappointing!
David is flabbergasted. She is suddenly very concerned about the dove, and she leaves the cabin with David in tow. She finds the dove’s flock and lets the bird go. He tries to hold her hand, but she pulls it away. He claims he has feelings for both Katherine and Mary Margaret. She is adamant that they can’t be together.
Snow stands in front of the King as he accuses her of ruining the Prince’s life. He orders her to tell the Prince that she doesn’t love him. That is the only way he can be “cured” of his love for Snow. If she doesn’t do what he says, the King will kill Prince James by way of an assassin. Sadly, she obeys the King. As she tells him, she remains stone-faced, but she breaks down when she leaves.
David asks Katherine what is wrong. Things have not been the same since David came out of his coma. She acknowledges everything that he has been through, but she is also having a hard time with it. She tells him she thought she was pregnant, but she was relieved when the test came back negative. She wants them to go to counseling to fix their relationship, and he agrees.
As Snow leaves the Kingdom, she meets up with the dwarves. They take her to their homes. She is about to take the vial, but Grumpy stops her. He tells her that he wouldn’t be himself without his pain, and he doesn’t want her to lose hers. He promises that the pain will be lessened by the dwarves’ company.
Prince James rides his horse to Snow’s cabin to find her, but Red tells him that she never came back. He vows to always find her. Grumpy bursts into Snow’s room and tells her that the Prince has left King Midas’s daughter. But she secretly took the vial and forgot all about Prince James.
As Mary Margaret gets her coffee at the diner, David walks in, looks at her, and runs away. She runs after him. He tells her that Katherine is not pregnant, and then he kisses her. In public. Bad idea!!! Regina watches from across the street, and she is definitely not happy.
This episode definitely left me wanting more. We know that the Stranger is a writer, but there is much more to him than meets the eye. And what is going to happen with David and Mary Margaret? Without a doubt, Regina is going to stir up some trouble.
