Belle promoted to series regular!

I was absolutely THRILLED to learn this morning that Emilie de Ravin has been promoted to a series regular for Once Upon a Time's upcoming second season. That means MORE Belle and Rumple! SQUEE!!! :)

Last week it was also announced that Meghan Ory, a.k.a. Red, has also been promoted to series regular -- it is wonderful to see the show recognizing its strengths in planning for season two!

Once Upon a Time 1.16: "Heart of Darkness"

This episode of Once Upon a Time took us back to the aftermath of Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) failed attempt to stop Charming's (Josh Dallas) wedding to Abigail, leaving her so crushed and desperate she drinks Rumplestiltskin's potion, wiping out all memories of her lost love. Of course Snow COULDN'T WAIT FIVE MINUTES for Grumpy's (Lee Arenberg) news that Charming bolted from the altar...and OF COURSE making a deal with the wily Rumple doesn't come without some unexpected side effects -- namely, losing the true sense of one's very self.

But we'll get back to Snow's shenanigans in a moment. First we must discuss what is quite possibly the best opening of an episode of all time -- I speak of the impossible, amazingly deflected arrow. Now the impossible shot is a favorite cinematic device of mine, because who doesn't love a carefully orchestrated moment of computer generated awesomeness like that? But Once isn't content with the impossible shot, they have Charming DEFLECT IT WITH HIS SWORD. I could watch Charming be that amazing ALL DAY, I kid you not. :) Anyways, the shot in question is from Charming's evil faux father's lackeys (King George just will NOT SAY DIE!). Apparently Charming has still been hanging out with Red (Meghan Ory) -- good thing I like you, Red, just sayin'! -- so this is also after Red gets the little bomb dropped on her that she turns into a wolf and EATS PEOPLE. She seems to have come to terms with her dual nature, though, as she sends Charming on his way after Snow, buying him some time by transforming into a wolf and attacking the soldiers (which raises the question, is she somehow self-aware in her wolf state now? just wondering...). Like I said, AWESOME opening, right?! :)

Cut to Storybrooke, and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is taking Mary Margaret's MUG SHOT!! Mary is such a prim schoolteacher type the idea of murder is, of course, patently ridiculous -- but Emma has to follow the evidence or else she'll face ousting on charges of favoritism, and of course that wouldn't be helpful. So the mug shot is setting up the idea of Mary Margaret's guilt as a ridiculous concept -- or IS IT?? Because back in Fairy Tale Land we're treated to a glimpse of Snow, looking every inch the fairest of them all, humming a classic song and appearing to bond with a bird. All is sweetness and light until she tries to whack the bird with her broom -- and people that is yet another reason why I love this show. Turn some of the traditional fairy tale tropes on their heads! :)

Enter Grumpy, who leads Snow right into a dwarf-initiated INTERVENTION headed by none other than Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge)! It has been way too long since we've seen much of Jiminy or his Storybrooke counterpart, so this is a nice development, even if Snow is having none of her friends' concern. The formerly kind-hearted princess is hell-bent on alienating everyone who would call themselves her friend -- and what's supposed to be an intervention helping her recognize that Rumple's potion fundamentally changed her turns into something else entirely as Snow decides that all of her problems will be solved if she kills the Evil Queen. Yikes!

Back at the Sheriff's office, Emma prepares to interview Mary Margaret officially and all, and this raises a couple of questions -- like what in her bounty-hunting background qualifies her to be Sheriff? (I miss Graham.) And two, I have not seen a tape recorder like that since the early '90s. Really that is the best technology that Storybrooke law enforcement has to work with?! *sadness* Regina (Lana Parrilla) helpfully decides to sit in on the interrogation (ha!). When Emma brings out the box that held the heart Ruby discovered, there's a nice little shock because it is really Mary Margaret's jewellery box! *GASP* Okay I can buy this, but how can she not have realized that her jewellery box has been missing since before or shortly after Kathryn's disappearance (of course we know why there's no signs of a break-in -- Regina's creepy skull keys!)?! Regina tries to act all empathetic and nice (gag), because after all a broken heart can make a person do "unspeakable things" (methinks she speaks from experience).

In FTL Snow is all gung-ho about her plot to ambush the Queen en route to her summer palace, and this chick means business since she hijacks a lost knight and threatens to lay into him with a PICK AXE if he doesn't answer her questions. After she knocks him unconscious, Grumpy shows up (so he's a tracker too?) and insists that they revisit the Rumple issue -- perhaps he has a potion that can reverse damage losing the memories of her love for Charming did to her personality. For the convenience of the plot, Snow agrees --

Meanwhile, Emma and Henry (Jared Gilmore) are searching the apartment for signs of a break-in that will back up Mary Margaret's story that her jewellery box was stolen. Instead they find a GIGANTIC KNIFE in a floor vent! Henry is bummed because it looks like is grandmother is going to take a murder rap, which sends him moping to the diner where August (Eion Bailey) attempts to cheer him up. HAVE I MENTIONED LATELY THAT I LOVE THE NAME AUGUST? He suggests the answers Henry seeks may be in his precious storybook, which shocks Henry because here is an ADULT PERSON APPEARING TO VALIDATE OPERATION COBRA! This show is getting really good at slowly parsing out information about the erstwhile Stranger, because while it is a huge deal that he would actually affirm the storybook-as-history concept, we still have no idea why or how he came by the knowledge (the suspense is killing me!). Anyways this cheers Henry right up so he dives into the storybook (I want to read this book cover-to-cover so badly). 

David gets a momentary flash of Charming's awesomeness when he storms into Regina's office, insistent that Mary Margaret couldn't have had anything to do with Kathryn's likely murder. I nearly gag as Regina attempts to be all comforting and reasonable, launching into the age-old debate on the origins of evil -- it "isn't born, it's made" (well I have news for you, Regina, I STILL DON'T CARE if you used to be nice because you are the SHREW THAT GROUND GRAHAM'S HEART TO DUST!). She then blathers on about how "evil doesn't always look evil," and because David's biggest Storybrooke downfall is being RIDDLED WITH SELF-DOUBT her carefully placed words hit home. David decides to go see Archie, hoping that some hypnosis sessions will help him remember what he's done during his blackout periods (more on that in a sec).

At the jail, Emma is saddled with the unenviable task of advising Mary Margaret to get a lawyer when *BOOM* Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) walks in and offers his services -- OF COURSE HE'S A LAWYER TOO! Gah! I love this! Mary is getting pretty desperate so she agrees over Emma's objections. When she tells Gold she can't afford to pay him he surprisingly demurs, saying he'll take on the case for free because he's "invested in her future" (I AM DYING TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!).

In FTL, Grumpy and Snow have finally made it to Rumple's digs, where he drops the unfortunate news that there's no potion available that can restore Snow's niceness (so he helpfully provides her with a magic bow so she can kill the Queen). This hearkens back to earlier talk in the season about the soul-crushing price of magic, something we've seen over and over, particularly in Regina's desperate attempts to hold onto Henry's affection. The only cure is of course true love (which hasn't been bottled -- yet). After Rumple insists that the bow represents his "investment" in Snow's future, she takes off to kill the Queen and Grumpy presumably overtaxed with all of this patience and forbearance that he's had to practice in her presence heads home.

Now this, people, this is where this episode becomes pure awesome. There's been more of a focus on Storybrooke David, and with that comes a whole lot of wishy-washyness so a person could be tempted to forget just how fantastic Charming is in FTL -- and he's on fire here. :) First he braves Rumple's wiles, consequences be damned of making a deal with the green one because HE HAS TO SAVE SNOW FROM HERSELF. In an interesting twist, all Rumple demands as payment for a map to Snow's sniper location is Charming's cloak, from which he later removes a stray hair -- and combining that with the earlier hair he extracted from Snow as payment for the forgetful potion, the man has bottled true love. The question of course remains what the heck will he do with it?!

Fast forward a few hours (?) and Charming sneaks up on Snow and kisses her, sure that true love's kiss will magically restore her memories. Sadly that idea tanks and it appears Snow might succeed with her assassination attempt, but Jiminy (who really gets around) has freed the Prince and given him a valuable piece of advice -- Snow didn't only lose her memories of their love, she lost all memory of who she is at a very fundamental level. So just when we think Snow's arrow may hit its mark, Charming jumps in its path and at this point I'm ready to scream YES!!! Because if he's not fighting with a sword or horse, taking an arrow in the shoulder for his one true love is the next best thing. :) When Charming tells Snow he'd rather die for her than see her heart filled with darkness (shout-out to Joseph Conrad!), I absolutely melted into a puddle of goo. As Charming, Dallas is in the running for best film prince portrayal of all time. ALL TIME!

Charming's faith, his willingness to sacrifice his life for Snow's, that is the true love magic that brings Snow back. And just when I think (hope) that this adorable couple may have bought themselves five minutes of happiness in FTL, evil King George's men ride up and throw Charming in a paddywagon (boo!! hiss!!!), leaving Snow to co-opt Charming's declaration that she will always find him. GOSH I LOVE THESE CRAZY KIDS! So while Snow may be without Charming in FTL, now that she's nice again the dwarves vow to help her get him back. But in Storybrooke, things are not going so well for the ill-fated pair. David's hypnosis session with Archie has unearthed memories of evil Snow vowing to kill "her," memories hazy enough that David "assumes" they occurred in the present, not in an alternate reality (guess I should cut him some slack on that score). Riddled with doubts he once again CRUSHES Mary Margaret's faith the fact that there is any hope for their future (STUPID BOY), leaving her just desperate enough to use the skeleton key she found conveniently hidden in her jail mattress to break out (question -- key planted there by Regina or Mr. Gold?).

Henry's research has somehow led to him discovering Regina's ring of skull keys, which provides the concrete proof Emma needs to realize that Regina is somehow, for some reason, setting Mary Margaret up. THIS IS PROGRESS! She's so ticked she goes to Mr. Gold for help (YAY), because desperate times call for desperate measures. I may be delusional but I rather think Mr. Gold likes Emma -- and knowing he's no where near as heartless as he'd have us believe, I'm hopeful for a lot of Mr. Gold-related awesomeness in the near future. :) A pretty solid episode, great for picture opportunities, no? :)

Once Upon a Time 1.15: "Red-Handed"

This episode of Once Upon a Time was simply awesome. I mean flippin' fantastic. The show managed to take what is probably my least favorite fairy tale of all time and turn it completely on its head -- and goodness knows I love a well-executed twist on a classic. :) Plus, it didn't hurt that after dancing around the subject for FOURTEEN episodes, we finally, FINALLY get Ruby's Fairy Tale Land backstory as Red, and welcome layers of character depth shade Ruby's Storybrooke self with much-needed layers of sympathy and interest.

The episode opens with Emma (Jennifer Morrison) questioning a quite frankly flabbergasted David (Josh Dallas) at the Sheriff's office about the missing Kathryn. David, this curse has done you no favors because your Storybrooke self is S-L-O-W on the uptake. *sigh* She's pretty sure he's not guilty, which I'm pretty sure is a fair assessment because David, bless his heart, just doesn't act like he's got it together enough to plot a murder. Over at Granny's Diner, Ruby (Meghan Ory) is getting all flirty with August (Eion Bailey) -- BACK OFF, he belongs to Emma! -- and is completely enamoured with his travel stories about Nepal and lemurs (REALLY?? lemurs???). Granny (Beverley Elliott) is having NONE of this, she wants her granddaughter to GROW UP and WORK WEEKENDS and start MINDING THE BOOKS. Ruby is having none of that and after making a crack likening Granny to Norman Bates (which I thought was hilarious) she quits and storms out.

In Fairy Tale Land, we're introduced to this rather adorable looking woodsy type named Peter (Jesse Hutch) who apparently has this thing for Red, but Granny (surprise, surprise) does not approve. While the show has given us glimpses into Red's FTL character before, this episode drives home the stark differences between Red and Ruby -- Red is all sweetness and light and spunk compared to what we've seen of Ruby, who has been moody and sullen ALL THE TIME (when she isn't acting slutty that is). Before Red can make any crazy promises to run away with Peter, Granny calls her to their cabin's front door, where she's attempting to dissuade bunch of gung-ho townsmen from hunting a killer wolf. Granny clearly takes this wolf threat seriously, sending Red to bed with an injunction to wear her cloak ("because red repels wolves"?? really??) and settles in to wach their heavily-barred front door with a crossbow. Granny is a badass.

The next morning apparently all is well because Granny is still alive & kicking and the cottage door hasn't been smashed in. Red goes out to check on the family chickens and discovers Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) hiding in the hay from "something monstrous" out in the snow (so this is how they become friends). Red explains that it's just the big-as-a-horse wolf who is on the prowl (like wouldn't you be more concerned that wolves that large would BREED?? I digress...). On the way back to the cottage the pair stops to draw some water, and discovers a well full of blood (how did THAT happen?) and the mutilated bodes of last night's hunting party. This is pretty hardcore violence for this show, hmm?

Back in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret is in full-on "stand by her man" mode, but can't really offer Emma much in the way of meaningful assistance other than that they weren't together the night of Kathryn's disappearance. They come upon Ruby at the bus stop getting hit on by Dr. Whale (David Anders), who we haven't seen in a while -- and my first thought was "Whale is the wolf!" (I'm so gullible.) Mary Margaret offers to let Ruby crash with her & Emma for a few days while she figures things out (lucky for her, because otherwise I'm sure there would've been one heckuva bus crash as she tried to leave Storybrooke!).

Mary Margaret takes it upon herself to go hunting for Kathryn in the woods -- personally I think this would sorta make her look guilty, like she's trying to conceal evidence, but whatevs. She runs into David who now looks like he's been sleeping out there and the man is completely out of his head. Is it some sort of amnesia-related blackout?? Could Regina be drugging him?? Inquiring minds want to know!

So cut back to FTL for a little bit and Granny is attempting to convince the townspeople to let the wolf be, since back in the day another similar creature killed her father and seven brothers (that detail seems so random to me) in a bloodbath she witnessed as a child. Apparently this wolf couldn't kill her, though -- only nearly took her arm off, leaving her with gashing scars. Granny has a valid point, but Red doesn't care, she's just tired of the wolf being an excuse to keep her away from Peter. Snow, brilliant (*cough,cough*) Snow encourages this line of thinking, and then she's surprised when Red RUNS WITH IT and decides to track the wolf during the day while it is sleeping in his lair. Red has moxie and I love it. She proves surprisingly adept at tracking, and everything appears to be going their way until the tracks they're following transform from paw prints to half wolf, half boot -- and then all boot, tracks that lead STRAIGHT TO RED'S HOUSE. Of course this seems to point to Peter as the culprit, which is a bit of a buzzkill for young love, no? Snow agrees to masquerade as Red while Red attempts to stop her one true love from eating more townsmen -- though seriously they are not thinking this through, right? Because knowing what he is pre-transformation can't help him once the beast within takes over, right? I'm not feeling like werewolves are particularly sentient when it comes to human emotion but I'm open to being proven wrong. But Peter buys it and lets Red chain him to a tree and they VOW TO MAKE IT WORK. Oh those crazy kids...

At the Sheriff's office Henry (Jared Gilmore) is trying to help Ruby find a job, and does anyone besides me think it is funny how many courier positions are open in Storybrooke? I like Henry trying to help Ruby, for a young kid he seems so grounded by comparison. :) After answering a couple of non-emergency phone calls Ruby sort of falls into the position of department assistant, which at first turns out to be not much better than waitressing, when Emma asks her to go to Granny's Diner to pick up some lunch. However, showing a glimmer of the backbone we've seen in FTL, Ruby refuses to let her circumstances cow her. After Mary Margaret comes to the station whigging out about David acting all spacey in the woods, Henry tells mama Emma that Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood and that Emma should let her "do more."* Well Emma listens, and Ruby seems to have a sixth sense for navigating the woods because she finds David LYING IN A DITCH (I can't take David in a ditch, it's so WRONG!).

Later at the hospital Dr. Whale (seriously is he the only doctor in this town?) gives David the okay but drops the little bomb that he could be acting out during his blackout phases and NOT REMEMBER A THING. Regina (Lana Parrilla) then shows up and is all up in arms about Emma not reading David his rights (whatever!). Whale is SO IN LEAGUE with Regina it isn't even funny...the only question remains, what is his FTL identity? I want it to be a good one. Anyways, Emma remembers I HAVE AN ASSISTANT! and sends a reluctant Ruby to the toll bridge to to look for clues. Ruby follows her instincts and unearths a box containing -- wait for it -- a HUMAN HEART. As Emma tells her later, whatever she decides to do with her life she's more than capable (see, this episode is really all about Ruby SEEKING AFFIRMATION!).

Back in FTL, and Peter is chained to a tree screaming at an advancing wolf. Granny discovers Snow & Red's deception and attempts to fly to the rescue, along the way dropping the little bomb that RED IS THE WOLF!!! Apparently Red's mother was a wolf too, and Granny's managed to keep this knowledge from Red even though Red's been "turning" since she was thirteen years old (the red cloak is enchanted, preventing her from turning, which is why she's so insistent Red wear it ALL THE TIME). This raises all sorts of questions like, how did Red sneak out of the house the night the first hunting party was massacred without Granny knowing? Granny is apparently not the smartest watchwoman on the planet. Also, if Granny was turned by Red's grandfather (tell me if I'm remembering this incorrectly), does that mean werewolves aren't born, they're made like vampires? WHO KNEW? And then this becomes what may be Once's most tragic story yet, love done to death by a MAN-EATING WOLF. So now Red has to live with the knowledge that she's killer wolf, and she and Snow disappear into the night. It's all very dramatic, no? 

*I'm wondering if Henry's book includes the knowledge that Red is a wolf. Because I would hope that would at least give Henry pause when throwing around Ruby's fairy tale antecedents, know what I mean?

So after this little bomb the denouement in Storybrooke feels a bit hum-drum by comparison. Ruby decides she isn't cut out for sheriffing, and asks Granny for her job back. Turns out Granny's gruff demeanor masks a heart of gold, as she really just wants to train Ruby to take over the Diner, looking toward the day when she'll retire. Ruby and Granny make nice and ALL IS WELL, for now, anyway. Loved how this episode finally, finally gave me a reason to look past Ruby's previously (and mostly) annoying Storybrooke demeanor and to really care about her as an individual just in search of her own purpose and place in the world.

Cut to David and Mary Margaret -- now that Ruby found a friggin' HEART in the woods, Kathryn's disappearance is looking more and more like a murder investigation. Emma interrupts the guilt-ridden lovebirds hanging out at the animal shelter with the news that a fingerprint was found inside the box containing the heart, and SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKERS it belongs to the demure Mary Margaret! (I still don't think Kathryn is dead -- if in fact this is actually Kathryn's heart, I'm thinking it is part of Regina's heart stash -- possibly pointing to the threat that when she cast the curse she came into possession of everyone's hearts? Ick!) 

Now that we've touched on all of these wonderful, heart-warming personal growth issues for Ruby and appreciated the brilliance of the twist the writers applied to Red's traditional story, let's address the remaining critical question. Since Red RIPPED THE THROAT out of her love interest in FTL, it is safe to say we won't be seeing Peter again (*sobs*). Ruby needs a love interest -- I'd love to hear your ideas for likely candidates! :) 

The above is another gorgeous image I recently added to my Once Pinboard (click through for source). Don't you just love it? Very Snow White and Rose Red (well, almost Rose Red).

Once Upon a Time 1.13: "What Happened to Frederick"

This was an interesting episode of Once Upon a Time because it finally gave me a reason to see Kathryn as more than the Storybrooke curse's annoying obstacle to David and Mary Margaret's long-term happiness. From the moment we were first introduced to Midas's daughter Abigail (Anastasia Griffith) in Fairy Tale Land, I took an instant dislike to her -- she was so, so very cold. Turns out there's a reason for that, hmm? :) This episode opens shortly after Charming (Josh Dallas) has ditched his forced engagement to Abigail and is on the run from his faux-father (Alan Dale), in search of Snow White. First of all, WHY ON EARTH is Charming wearing a scarf/shawl/table cloth around his neck? Is this supposed to be a disguise? I mean REALLY??? Lame. Ditch the plush cloak first. :P I don't need Charming trying (and failing) to wear shawls and thus distracting from his FTL awesomeness. That aside, there's lots of Charming on horseback here which is always a win until he's trapped by random soldiers who, it turns out, work for Abigail. News flash: SHE DOESN'T WANT TO MARRY YOU. Like, AT ALL. Yay!

This is obviously a huge relief for Charming since it removes the biggest obstacle to his happiness with Snow (except for the whole her claiming not to love him to save him thing). Of course he has to know WHY she wants to help him escape his crazy fake father (he is a guy, after all *wink*), and Abigail explains that she hopes by helping him find happiness with his one true love that she can gain some consolation from having lost hers. She was in love with a knight named Frederick who was turned to GOLD while defending her father (we all knew this was going to be a problem when Midas was introduced, right?). Charming's all like LET ME FIX THIS because he is so RELIEVED she doesn't want to marry him, and she's all well if you get me this magic water Freddy will return to me, but there's a problem -- you have to get past the Lady of the Lake and she LIKES TO KILL PEOPLE (the L of the L of Arthurian legend fame is rolling over in her watery grave). Anyways, this is awesome because if you're like me you instinctively realize that Charming is GOOD AT QUESTING -- 1) he looks good on a horse 2) he can wield a sword and 3) I MELT INTO A PUDDLE OF GOO every time he looks at Snow. WIN.

Back in Storybrooke, David is still slogging through his marriage to Kathryn AND carryong on with Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) on the side because apparently the curse made him all wishy-washy and he lost his ability to be DECISIVE. *sigh* Mary Margaret upps the pressure to come clean about the whole thing so everyone can move on with their lives, and that he has to make a choice -- David agrees because little does Mary know, Kathryn wants him to move to Boston with her so they can try the whole fresh start in a new town thing. OH THE PRESSURE. At the last minute poor David caves, and only tells Kathryn he won't leave with her and they just "can't connect." She's devastated because she's forgotten the whole Freddy factor, and goes running to her B.F.F. (little does she know) Regina (Lana Parrilla), who spills the beans about David's affair with Mary Margaret (of course it is ALL Mary's fault, like David had nothing to do with it *sigh*).

Back in FTL, Charming meets the infamous Lady of the Lake/Siren (Aria Pullman), and boy does she have him pegged -- promising she can be his true love, and transforming into Snow White. The ruse almost works -- but I guess the whole point of this excerise to drive home the point that Charming can recognize true love because he's experienced it with Snow -- and NO FAKES are going to cut it. This guy has it in him to go the distance -- I need to remember that when I want to smack some sense into his Storybrooke self. So witchy siren tries to kill him, and he stabs her, and it's all very exciting and I'm thinking "ooohh, UNDERWATER SCENES...wonder what they are gonna do when Ariel is introduced?" Needless to say Charming's water works on Freddy, and Abigail is ecstatic -- so we know she has a happy ending out there somewhere (if E.Queen doesn't CRUSH IT first!).

Back in Storybrooke Kathryn goes postal all over Mary Margaret for breaking up her miserable marriage, and Mary is devasted when she realizes that David didn't have the guts to tell Kathryn the truth about why he wants to leave her. Once Kathryn cools down, though, she starts to flex her own muscles against the curse, realizing that she wants to be loved for herself because clearly, CLEARLY David is over the moon for Mary Margaret (girl, I HEAR you...the LOOKS he gives her kill me too). She leaves him a letter setting him free and resolves to go to Boston to attend law school and OF COURSE SHE HAS TO TELL HER ONLY FRIEND REGINA EVERTHING. *sigh* Regina of course burns said letter (probably muttering curses all the while -- and how creepy were her skull keys to every house in Storybrooke?!), so we know this is not going to end well, right... *double sigh*

Meanwhile things are finally starting to get really interesting as far as The Stranger (Eion Bailey) is concerned. First of all, his real name is August W. Booth. AUGUST. I love that. He finagles an agreement to take Emma (Jennifer Morrison) for a drink, which is not at ALL what you expect -- he takes her to a WISHING WELL where he gives her this whole speech about the water being magical and if you drink it something lost will be found (EEEP!!! So many possibilities!). When he's not flirting with Emma (I LOVE THEIR SCENES by the way) he's rebinding Henry's missing book -- and after this episode aired it was confirmed that he's adding pages. This seems to support my theory that he's the book's author -- but I've also been wondering, do you think it's possible he could be Rumple's missing son? Just throwing that out there (mainly because I want more Mr. Gold-centric storylines!). :)

Conveniently enough Emma discovers Henry's freshly rebound book shortly after her "date" with August -- and Henry (Jared Gilmore) is thrilled to have it returned to him. (Side note: I died inside a little when Regina gave him a friggin' VIDEO GAME as a replacement for his book, ergh!! This kid is a born reader if ever there was one!) I cannot wait to see how the show peels back the layers of August's character and his true purpose in Storybrooke -- the slow pace is maddening but the sparks between him & Emma, oh it makes the wait worthwhile. :)

ANYWAYS...wrapping things up here...poor Mary Margaret has been branded the town tramp. And seriously I love how everyone is giving her the cold shoulder and David seems strangely ignored. But whatevs...she finds David trying to remove graffitti from her car and rips him over the coals for not being forthright as he'd promised with Kathryn. This is yet another opportunity for Dallas to EMOTE and he does it so well -- and when Mary Margaret tells him they have no future together he cries. HE CRIES, PEOPLE! I seriously can barely handle it. *sobs*

BUT THERE'S HOPE, because back in FTL Charming is back on his horse, riding through the woods, yelling his head off for Snow. THIS IS COMMITMENT, PEOPLE. He runs into Red (Meghan Ory) who drops the surprise that she refused him to save his life, and he gives the whole "I'll find her, I'll ALWAYS FIND HER" speech which is so cliched but oh so INSPIRING when it's said with conviction like Dallas lends the lines. Excuse me while I swoon. :)

Back in Storybrooke, the episode ends with the high school gym teacher (Greyston Holt) discovering Kathryn's car...probably drawn there because he looks a heckuvalot like Freddy the former Gold Knight. Question: do we think Kathryn is dead, or has Regina spirited her off to some hidden prison? We're only on episode 13 of season one, personally I don't think we need to start killing characters off willy-nilly. Thoughts?

BONUS PICTURE OF CHARMING QUESTING:

BONUS PICTURE OF AUGUST LOOKING ADORABLE:

You're welcome. :)

Once Upon a Time 1.12: "Skin Deep"

"Skin Deep" is probably my favorite episode of Once Upon a Time to date. Not only does it introduce the Beauty and the Beast story to this world, which is a close second (if not tied for first) to Sleeping Beauty for all-time favorite fairy tale in my book, but it adds tremendous, fascinating layers to one of the show's most intriguing characters -- Rumplestiltskin the master trickster and deal-maker. I freely admit, when I learned that the show wasn't introducing a Prince/Beast character, instead using the whily Rumple to fill the Beast role, I was terribly concerned -- and honestly a bit disappointed. But all of my worries proved unfounded as this chapter of the enigmatic Mr. Gold's backstory is one of the show's most captivating hours of television.

The episode opens in Fairy Tale Land, where the master of yet another castle (seriously I would love to know if FTL is one big kingdom, because sometimes everything in Fairy Tale Land seems curiously disconnected) -- the aptly named Sir Maurice (Eric Keenleyside) -- receives the news that a nearby town as fallen to an Ogre attack (which brings up another question, is this a widespread problem in FTL?). Anyways, Maurice is pinning his hopes for deliverance on, of all people, Rumplestiltskin (I'm guessing Rumple's rep hasn't gotten around yet?). Rumple's price is Maurice's daughter, the lovely Belle (Emilie de Ravin), as he claims to need a housekeeper for his estate (REALLY?? Kinda lame reasoning but whatever...). In a nod to the fiesty, noble origins of her literary and filmic predecessors, Belle overrides all objections to the deal and agrees to go willingly with Rumple, because she and only she is the mistress of her fate.

Speaking of this story's antecedents, I loved seeing a "real-life" version of the gold gown made famous by the ball scene in the animated film. However, seeing Belle so exquisitely attired makes me wonder where exactly she ranks in FTL...a princess? a high-born lady? Also lifting the name of Maurice was a nice touch -- and his Storybrooke counterpart, a hapless rose seller in debt to Mr. Gold, shares a lot of personality characteristics with his scatter-brained animated counterpart. And I loved seeing Sage Brocklebank, better known as Buzz McNabb on Psych, as Belle's suitor Gaston -- but his appearance on the show was woefully underused (though I did like the no-nonsense way Rumple went about dispatching his "rival" ha!).

I'm going to try and cover the Storybrooke developments in this episode for everyone except Mr. Gold relatively quickly, since I'm all about Mr. Gold as far as this hour is concerned. :) Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which makes things sticky for Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas) since they want to be together openly but can't, all thanks to that pesky issue of his wife. Ashley (Jessy Schram), a.k.a. Cinderella, makes a welcome return appearance -- she's happier now that she's reunited with her baby's father, Sean (Tim Phillipps), but he's so busy picking up extra shifts that they hardly have any time together, much less plan a wedding (side note: factory work is quite a come-down from a prince gig, hmm?). In an attempt to get over the romance blues, Ruby (Meghan Ory) suggests that she, Mary Margaret, and Ashley enjoy a girls' night out.

The girls' night really only ends well for Ashley, as Sean unexpectedly shows up and proposes (will a rift in the earth open up to swallow the couple if they try to tie the knot, and make their happy ending official? only time will tell!). Ashley and Sean's commitment to work at their relationship has Mary Margaret distinctly dissatisfied with carrying on with David in secret -- a point that is driven home by David accidentally giving her the wrong Valentine's card, the one intended for Kathryn. Note to David: YOU CANNOT MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. The biggest effect of the curse on Charming appears to be wishy-washiness! :P

While all of these Valentine's Day shenanigans are going on, Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) returns to his home to find out that he's been robbed, and in response to Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) attempt to be ironic, he replies "Yeah well, I'm a difficult man to love." ANGST! OHMYGOSH I LOVE ANGST! Back in FTL, which let's remember is the best thing about this episode (gah! so good!), Belle has been settling into life at Rumple's castle. While I miss Belle's bookish tendencies, the show more than compensates for it by the way in which Belle refuses to be cowed by Rumple's manner (or lack thereof). While attempting to rip open some curtains (which Rumple had nailed shut, gotta love his thoroughness), Belle falls from a ladder and Rumple catches her AND THEY HAVE THIS MOMENT and this is the point where I just DIE because I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

So I have no idea how long, exactly, Belle was at Rumple's castle, but the point is it was long enough for them to build a wonderful little rapport and, perhaps most critically, for Rumple to not do the creepy psychotic laughing thing he does so often that drives me INSANE. So Rumple, because he has a boatload of issues and because he will look a gift horse in the mouth if you'll excuse the expression, reaches the point where he'll test Belle, sending her on an errand to fetch more straw for his spinning wheel, all the while fully expecting she won't return. And perhaps she would've run -- but seriously who is going to run from a guy like Rumple who is so CLEARLY REPRESSING A HEART, right? En route to the straw store (ha!) Belle meets the Queen (Lana Parrilla) -- and seriously does this woman get around or what? -- or else FTL is the size of Rhode Island. I can't decide. The Queen gets all chummy and plants the idea in the love-conflicted Belle that perhaps her employer is cursed, and OF COURSE all curses can be broken by true love's kiss.

And this is where things get heart-breaking. Filled with hope Belle returns to the castle and Rumple is absolutely adorable in how he WON'T admit he's happy she came back. *swoons* She kisses him and HE STARTS TO TRANSFORM! And I love this because I'm all about redemption stories! But this of course freaks the heck out of Rumple because if he becomes a normal man again he loses his powers. He goes completely off the rails then, accusing Belle of being in league with the Queen in a plot to destroy him and throws her in a prison cell. Oh the DRAMA, I can't TAKE IT PEOPLE!

Rumple ends up kicking Belle out into dark cold FTL, because power means more to him than love ever could. And this is why we love Belle, people, because she is so freaking NOBLE throughout the whole ordeal, leaving Rumple to his tortured aloneness. *sigh* A few days (weeks? who knows with this show) later, the Queen shows up and starts needling Rumple about Belle, dropping the bomb that her father kicked her out and she committed suicide. WHAT THE HECK, right?! This sends Rumple over the edge (again), and he throws a fit which is just HEART-BREAKING and then he sets a tea cup that Belle chipped (hellloooo CHIP!) as a memorial on a pedestal, his most treasured possession.

Back in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold has been arrested after Emma finds him beating the living daylights out of Belle's flower-selling Storybrooke father. Here's the thing -- I am not condoning vigilantism -- but holy cow seeing Mr. Gold in a rage over whatever the Storybrooke equivalent of driving Belle to suicide is -- the emotion and passion Carlyle puts in that moment is kinda hot. And here's where I might as well admit on the blog what I had a discussion with my friend Kaye about shortly after this episode aired -- I've always found Mr. Gold/Rumple kind of strangely hot. I have this problem with the random (apparent? assumed?) villain (see Chauvelin from The Scarlet Pimpernel). I think it has something to do with Mr. Gold's penchant for really sharp suits, unflappable (albeit cold) manners -- even in FTL Rumple wears sharp vests and his posture is to die for. Seriously. I really can overlook the scaly skin. Amazing!*

 

In jail Regina buys a few minutes of one-on-one time with Mr. Gold by giving Emma permission to (finally!) spend some time with Henry (Jared Gilmore). And this moment gave me chills -- she returns the chipped tea cup she arranged to have stolen from Gold's house only after he tells her is real name. When he breathes that word, "Rumplestiltskin," and all of their cards were on the table -- oh well-played Once, well-played. (The icing on the cake is, of course, the revelation that Belle is being held prisoner in like the friggin' basement of the Storybrooke hospital. BOOOOO REGINA!!!!)

 

I find it absolutely fascinating that this show has chosen to give viewers such hope for Rumple's character. Frankly after the whole Graham debacle they could reveal that Snow did in fact do something truly horrible to Regina, but I STILL wouldn't care because SHE CRUSHED GRAHAM'S HEART DANGIT. But Rumple -- oh goodness, the possibility that he has a happy ending out there if only he can bring himself to accept it, oh that is a tantalizing hope. Tread carefully, Once writers -- I am extremely emotionally invested in how this storyline turns out. I suspect that this story will be carefully parsed out over the course of the show -- and I hope, oh how I hope that Mr. Gold lives up to the promise hinted at in this episode.

 

Seeing as this is one of my favorite episodes, even though I'm a few weeks late I'd love to discuss. :)

 

*I'm really glad my Robert Carlyle/Rumple/Mr. Gold fascination is out in the open. :P

Once Upon a Time 1.10: "7:15 A.M."

So I've been a BAD Once Upon a Time blogger, haven't I? Never fear I do plan on catching up (eventually...). When we last saw the residents of Storybrooke, Henry and Ava (a.k.a. Hansel and Gretel) had been reunited with their father, and a mysterious stranger (Eion Bailey) rode into town on a motorcycle (oh the scandal!). Henry (Jared Gilmore) has a brief encounter with the nameless one (sorry I can't help being dramatic) outside his house, properly freaking Regina (Lana Parrilla) out, much to my amusement. The ever-savvy Henry is clearly suspicious and the Stranger isn't exactly forthcoming with details -- clearly he's there with a purpose, but what exactly remains to be seen. Before riding off on his bike the Stranger warns Henry that "a storm's coming" -- in more ways than one, hmm? Laying on the symbolism a little thick there, writers...

Meanwhile Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) has made zero progress in regards to Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) previous advice about forgetting David (Josh Dallas) since he chose to stay with his "wife" (the jury's still out as to whether or not this marriage is legit). It turns out that she basically has David's schedule memorized, which includes daily visits to Granny's Diner at promptly 7:15 every morning. She just wants to look at his gorgeous face, dangit! (Girl, I know eactly how you feel.) And they are so adorable together it KILLS me. If only there was a magic cure for the heartbreak of unrequited love...

We return to Fairy Tale Land just in time for Charming's wedding to Midas's daughter (Anastasia Griffith). Snow White's been living the life of an outlaw in the woods, occasionally brought supplies and news by Red (Meghan Ory). The most criticial thing to note about this exchange is that Red is about five hundred times classier than Ruby, her Storybrooke counterpart. Seriously her costume and hair are amazing! Disappointed, though, that the writers didn't use this opportunity to provide some depth to the Ruby/Red character -- she's still by far the most under-utilized cast regular. So apparently Snow White and Charming have both been moping around since their first meeting (awww). Snow approaches Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) seeking a cure for her broken heart, and he provides her with a potion that he promises will do the trick. Meanwhile the king is concerned that Charming's heart isn't in his upcoming marriage (blackmail can do that), and against his fake father's wishes Charming sends a note begging Snow to come via BIRD.

Seriously, what the heck is it with Snow White and BIRDS?! If all of this stems from the animated film, Disney did the girl no favors! The lost bird twist in the Storybrooke timeline didn't really work for me either -- Mary Margaret risking a severe storm in order to return a friggin' bird to the wild? I mean really? (Clearly I am not a bird person...)

Back in Storybrooke, Regina asks Emma for a favor (WEIRD) -- she wants her to investigate the Stranger. Emma, I'm afraid, isn't exactly subtle, but whatever -- there's chemistry between the two of them because Eion is freaking ADORABLE. And I love how aggravated she gets at his unflappability. After agreeing to have drinks with him, the Stranger reveals that his mysterious wooden box contains an old-fashioned typewriter. Personally I'm glad the writers didn't drag that mystery out. Here's my theory -- perhaps the Stranger is the author of Henry's storybook! Maybe he's an original Grimm brother? LOL! Thoughts?

After receiving the Prince's birdgram in Fairy Tale Land, Snow sneaks into the castle to meet him where she is promptly arrested (chick really thinks things through). Turns out it's in prison that she met one of the dwarves of legend -- Grumpy (Lee Arenberg), a surprisingly lovelorn, emotionally sensitive individual considering his moniker. (LOVED the fact that he was whistling the "Working Song," that was a nice touch!) Anyways, to make a long story short, Grumpy and Snow bond in prison (her in with the dwarf gang!), the escape and are caught again, and this time the king steps in, blackmailing Snow into telling Charming she doesn't care for him or HE'LL KILL HIM (seriously this king is a piece of WORK). The best thing about this latest wrench in Snow & the Prince's road to happiness is the Josh Dallas angst factor. This guy just kills me, he's so blatantly in love with Snow he can't hide it at all. Their chemistry is absolute perfection. When he picks her up and twirls her around (before she stomps on his heart and all), the joy on his face just blew me away. *swoon*

Back in Storybrooke, David has to rescue Mary from falling off a cliff during her whole bird-rescuing venture (yes, really). The pair seek shelter from the storm in an abandoned cabin in the woods where Mary Margaret reveals she still harbors feelings for David -- feelings he clearly reciprocates and almost acts on until Mary drops the little bomb that his wife, the woman he chose, is buying pregnancy tests at the grocery store. David you beautiful, noble, IDIOT you can't have BOTH. *sigh* I really want you to choose because I don't want you to be that guy, the guy who cheats (nevermind the curse). Mary Margaret and David resolve to forget each other -- yeah, we know that's gonna last.

I found the juxtaposition of Fairy Tale and Storybrooke scenes ending this episode really rather fascinating. Snow's taken refuge with her new dwarf friends, heartbroken over what she assumes is the finality of Charming's loss. Little does she know that Charming has thrown off the wedding and is on the hunt for his true love (Josh Dallas on a horse = WIN). Snow (oh ye of little faith) drinks Rumple's potion, wiping out her memories and feelings for the Prince (STUPID GIRL). Now when the season opened, Snow and the Prince were married, so we know they got together in Fairy Tale Land -- I just think it is interesting that the road to happiness in their previous lives is proving every bit as rocky as their cursed existence in Storybrooke.

Mary Margaret and David's resolution to avoid each other lasts all of five minutes (basically) when they accidentally run into each other and end up sharing a passionate kiss. I'm not even gonna try to hide it, I loved that kiss (in full view of Regina, no less!). Just thinking out loud here...I'm starting to wonder if Mary Margaret and David's biggest obstacle to their happy ending is their own innate sense of honor, skewed by lives their true inner selves don't recognize because of the curse? David knows he's not supposed to be with Kathryn, but because his is, he's reluctant to make a clean break, but he wants to be with Mary Margaret...and so the vicious cycle continues. I'm probably over-thinking things... (heck that's why I blog, hmm?). *wink* I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode!

Once Upon a Time 1.8: "Desperate Souls"

Following Graham's shocking death, Once Upon a Time returned this past Sunday proving that yes, indeed, there is life after that CRUSHING HEARTBREAK (maybe I'm still a little bitter, hmm? *wink*). Emma (Jennifer Morrison) appears to be this great mixture of heartbroken and determined after Graham's death, the grief over what could have been spurring her to carry on his work as sheriff. This desire is solidified by a conversation with the enigmatic Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle), who urges her to accept a keepsake from Graham's possessions and tells her that as deputy after two weeks she is free to assume the role of sheriff. Regina (Lana Parrilla) is of course having none of that, determined to remove the thorn that is Emma from her side once and for all by using her power as mayor to appoint her lackey Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito) as the new sheriff and firing Emma. Surprising us once again it's Mr. Gold who informs Emma that Regina is not as powerful as she might think, and offers to back Emma in an open election for Graham's empty office.

Unlike Emma, we all know that since Mr. Gold's Fairy Tale Land alter-ego is Rumplestiltskin that he can't and shouldn't be trusted, but the questions of what drives him and how he became a manipulative, power-hungry dealmaker have remained unanswered thus far. This episode begins to address that by lifting the curtain on Rumple's backstory. Not surprisingly, Rumple was a poor weaver (a nice nod to the character's traditional story), but more surprisingly he was a devoted father. At this point in Rumple's corner of Fairy Tale Land, children are being forcibly conscripted in the army to fight in the ogre wars, a sure death that Rumple is determined to protect his son from, especially since he lives in disgrace having fled from another battle in fear (where he earned his limp, apparently).

This episode plays with an idea that's been mentioned multiple times since the start of the series -- the idea of magic having a price, of exacting a terrible toll on those who use it. Rumple's story is perhaps the show's starkest example yet of the price of magic, and how it can strip one of his or her humanity, their ability to love and feel. I can't remember the show mentioning the "Dark One" prior to this episode, so please let me know if I'm forgetting something. ANYWAYS...a beggar (played by Brad Dourif -- yay for Lord of the Rings alum!) manipulates Rumple into stealing a dagger that controls the Dark One's power, only said beggar turns out to be the Dark One, who'd rather die than live with the burden of magic and its power any longer. YIKES. This idea that there are forces that just shouldn't be trifled with, that no matter how well-intentioned a person is when approaching the use of magic the temptation to take things too far will always be there -- it is a powerful, intriguing concept and I look forward to seeing how the show develops that theme. Particularly in relation to Emma, as her lack of knowledge and understanding about the curse and everyone's fairy tale counterpart is potentially a handicap and a very real threat to her well-being.

Besides providing us with Rumplestiltskin's backstory, this episode once again gave Morrison a chance to really shine and show us Emma's heart. I've liked the Emma/Henry (Jared Gilmore) dynamic from the beginning, but even more so now as Emma is really settling into life in Storybrooke and wrapping her head around the idea that she wants to be a part of her son's life. And seriously, who wouldn't? Henry is ADORABLE. When I saw how upset he was over Graham's death I just wanted to give him a hug -- that kind of guilt, over feeling responsible for Graham's death (and LIVING in the home of the woman you know is responsible) would be a heavy burden for anyone to bear, particularly a child. Graham's death was a wake-up call that "Operation Cobra" isn't just a game, this whole secret identities/curse thing is very real, with consequences to be weighed each step of the way.

Wonderful, messed-up Emma desperately wants to be a hero for her son. And for as much as love seeing Morrison open up her character, make Emma vulnerable, I can also see where this very well-intentioned desire has the potential to be Emma's greatest risk, her Achilles' Heel -- and Mr. Gold knows it. As far as the election results go, the jury's still out for me as to whether or not Mr. Gold engineered the whole thing -- the fire, Emma's response, the townspeople rallying around her, or if he just reacted to events and adjusted his response accordingly. I'm quite intrigued by the notion that people dislike Regina but fear Mr. Gold -- and I can't WAIT to see how that plays out in relation to the curse. I have a suspicion that in unleashing this curse, Regina (unintentionally?) put herself under Gold's power -- thoughts?

A few more quick notes -- first of all, how hilarious was it that Sidney Glass is a very literal mirror for Regina's thoughts and policies? Nicely done. :) It was great to see Archie (Raphael Sbarge) again during the pre-election debate, even though he was such a sorry moderator. And who else besides yours truly is ready for Granny (Beverley Elliott) and Ruby (Meghan Ory) to earn their status as series regulars? They regularly pop up in Storybrooke crowd scenes, but so for Ruby's most noticeable quality is looking pouty and wearing entirely inappropriate clothes. *sigh* It is past time for the show to delve into Little Red Riding Hood's story (apparently that is slated to occur in the January 22nd episode).

And finally, since I'm having to get used to a Graham-less Once, I have to draw special attention to Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David's (Josh Dallas) meeting while canvassing for opposing candidates in the sheriff election. COULD THEY BE ANY MORE ADORABLE?! I mean SERIOUSLY!!! The chemistry between them is just white-hot even when they're antagonizing each other. I love it. Note to the Once writers: After this whole Graham debacle, if you touch one HAIR, one SINGLE HAIR on Charming's head you all are DEAD to me. I don't think I could take THAT. :P

Once Upon a Time 1.4: "The Price of Gold"

The Price of Gold was Once Upon a Time's most controversial episode yet! (Okay it could just be me, the last scene had me almost throwing something through the television.) But more on that in a bit. :) This episode introduces a real power player from Fairy Tale Land -- Cinderella (Jessy Schram). Fair disclosure: I have a very decided bias towards the "princess stories" when it comes to ranking fairy tales -- Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White are "the big three," if you will. To the show's credit the writers throw a major twist in Cinderella's story -- instead of being sent to the ball by a beloved fairy godmother, Cinderella makes a deal with the devil -- literally. After Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) basically blows up the fairy godmother, in her desperation to escape her life of drudgery Cinderella promises him anything if only he'll work magic in her favor.

Interestingly enough Rumplestiltskin actually tries to talk Cinderella out of this -- he reiterates one of the show's major themes -- that all magic comes with a price, the implication being that the price is too dear to pay. But Cinderella persists and foolishly signs a veritable "blank check" -- she'll give Rumplestiltskin whatever he wants, whenever he requests it. As the previews for this episode hinted, Rumplestiltskin demands her unborn child. This raises the question of whether or not the show will ever tell the "traditional" Rumplestiltskin story, where he teaches the maid to spin straw into gold in exchange for her baby -- demanding too many unborn kids is apt to get a little weird, no?

Back in Storybrooke, I LOVED how Cinderella's story translated into Ashley's, the single, pregnant maid desperate to better her life so she can provide for the child no one thinks she can handle -- the child her Fairy Tale father-in-law arranged to "give" to Mr. Gold. And given as how I've always thought the Prince (Tim Phillipps) -- in the Disney film, anyway -- never had much of a personality, seeing that in Storybrooke he allows his father to talk him out of stepping up and caring for his unborn child wasn't too much of a stretch. Considering Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) own past as regards children, it was a given that Ashley's plight and doubts were going to hit home with her. The impact Ashley has on Emma was a most welcome one, as it gave Morrison her best opportunity to date to show some real emotional investment in Storybrooke and its world. (But seriously, yes Emma really was stupid enough to give Mr. Gold another blank check promise... *sigh*)

As Henry (Jared Gilmore) points out, Emma is the only one who can come and go from Storybrooke at will because she wasn't cursed in Fairy Tale Land. I really liked how this hour played with this idea that Emma is transforming who she is and who she wants to be now that she's met Henry. It seems likely, given her strong response to Ashley's doubts regarding motherhood, that perhaps she was convinced that she "had" to give up her child for adoption -- and she's been running ever since, with no desire to put down permanent roots until Henry started to weave his way into her heart. Gilmore's performance is one of the best parts of the show -- Henry is precocious and earnest and funny and sarcastic in turn -- and really like his relationship with Emma. I'm DYING to know what code name he was going to give her -- I'm thinking it is a clue as to what her Fairy Tale identity would be. Thoughts?

Couple of other things -- I loved the fact that we got to see Cinderella and her prince interact with Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) in Fairy Tale Land. As a kid I used to wonder what it would be like if -- as seemed logical -- they all inhabited the same world. *wink* Kudos to Charming for showing himself to be a prince among princes -- I wasn't terribly impressed with Cinderella's prince, but to his credit he did come through in Storybrooke, which was sweet. :) And I also liked Ruby's (Meghan Ory) friendship with Ashley, as it added some welcome and much-needed depth to what to date has been a pretty shallow character.

And now onto the ISSUE I mentioned at the beginning of this post -- Regina (Lana Parrilla) and the Sheriff (Jamie Dornan) ARE HAVING AN AFFAIR??? WHAT THE HECK???? Does this completely blow my personally beloved theory that Sheriff Graham is the Queen's huntsman out of the water -- because I like to think that the huntsman who spared Snow White wouldn't be shacking up with the Evil Queen (blech!!). I DON'T WANT GRAHAM TO BE EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do he and the mayor have this thing going on because his memory's been wiped by the curse??? (I realize I'm grasping at straws here...) It's not that I'm entirely sold on him as a romantic possibility for Emma, either -- though he's all flirty and "will you come work for me blah blah blah" and now I learn he's sleeping with the enemy? NOT COOL, no not AT ALL.

*sigh*

This Sheriff development is very upsetting, people, very upsetting...

Off to go sulk now... *wink* Throw me some hope in the comments! :)