Season One Episode Recaps and Secrets

We open with David staring blankly at a house that is supposed to be his but with no memory of it. His wife Kathryn tries to reassure him. She tells him he had the same look on his face when they bought the place. He couldn’t get past the ugly windmill on the lawn. When she asks him if he remembers what changed his mind all that David...

We open in Storybrooke were Graham is at Granny’s throwing darts when Emma walks in. There is tension between them after Emma saw him leaving the previous night Regina’s house in the last episode. He points out that she’s been avoiding him since last night. Emma tells him it’s his life and she doesn’t care what he does. She...

A disheveled looking Mr. Gold sits at a loom and spinning wheel weaving wool in a dark room. When a boy bursts in calling out, “Papa, papa! They’ve come for Moraine!” we realize this in not Mr. Gold but Rumpelstiltskin. He looks quite human and has a 13 year-old son, whose name is Baelfire. As he gets up to see what the commotion...

We open in the Storybrooke pharmacy, where Henry is engrossed with a Hulk vs. Wolverine comic. His reverie is broken by a young girl’s voice, “Whatchya reading?” The young girl, Ava, introduces herself and Henry is smitten. Her brother Nicholas walks up and tells her it’s time to go. She invites Henry to go with them. Henry joins them, happy to be included. But before they can leave they are stopped by Mr. Clark. He accuses Henry of stealing. He...

Outside Regina’s house the Stranger, who rode into town at the end of the last episode, is tinkering with his bike. Henry asks him what he’s doing in Storybrooke. The Stranger says he’s just visiting. Henry asks him what’s inside the box strapped to his motorcycle. A small smile creeps on his face, “Just something I need to do what I came here for.” Regina opens the front door of her house and sees Henry talking to the Stranger. She urgently strides...

In Storybrooke, Henry rides up to his “castle” to find it damaged from the storm. He frantically digs under it looking for his story book as Emma looks on. She asks why he doesn’t hide it under his mattress or with her. Henry says that’s the first place Regina would look. He’s relived when he finds it right where he buried it. Henry tells her his mom doesn’t know about the “castle”, “No, this is our secret.” Just then Regina shows up. She orders...

In Fairy Tale Land, inside a once grand castle surrounded by his military advisers and beautiful daughter, Sir Maurice receives sobering news that a nearby town has fallen to the Ogres as he’s expecting help from someone who hasn’t shown up, his daughter tries to comfort him to no avail. Unexpectedly, the help he was waiting for arrives… it’s Rumpelstiltskin. Rumple will help not for gold but he will help in exchange for Sir Maurice’s daughter,...

We open in Fairy Tale Land, King George graciously greets Princess Abigail as she exits her carriage on the road to the palace. He tells her it’s an honor to have her join his family. Meanwhile, a group of his soldiers are rushing about in the background. Abigail asks if everything is okay. King George’s face tightens but he covers, telling her they’re simply ensuring the safety of their guests.Then he steps up to one of his soldiers, all business...

Up in the clouds in Fairy Tale Land, a fairy crash lands on a cloud, spilling some fairy dust. The Blue Fairy tells her to be careful because the fairy dust is the most precious substance in all the land and it’s magic is what powers the world. She tells the younger fairy, Nova, that the fairy dust she is carrying is the year’s supply. Nova wants to be a fairy godmother by the next year but the Blue Fairy laughs at the mention of that, “Oh,...

At the Sheriff's Station, David is with Emma and hopes aloud that Kathryn's okay. Emma tells him that he needs to start thinking about himself, "Your wife is missing. You're in love with another woman. There is this unexplained phone call--" He knows but can't explain the call. She tells him she's pretty good at spotting a liar and doesn't think he is. Then she sends him home but not before telling him he might want to think about getting...

In Fairy Tale Land, out in a field an arrow arcs through the air and speeds towards its target --- Red. But before it hits her, Charming comes to the rescue, slicing it out of the air with his sword. It's King George's men who fired the arrow and they're after Charming. He jumps on his horse to leave and tries to take Red with him but she tells him to go find Snow. When he asks her what she's going to do, Red looks up at the full moon rising...

We open in Storybrooke to find Mary Margaret's cell in the Sheriff's Station empty. Next we see her running through the woods at night. Back at the Sheriff's Station, Henry is looking at a picture of a girl in his storybook when Emma walks up with Mr. Gold in tow. She asks him what he's doing there. He thinks that Emma helped Mary Margaret escape. Emma and Mr. Gold are both shocked to see the empty cell and Mary Margaret gone. They realize...

In Storybrooke, Regina is in her office holding a small brass ring, lost in thought. Her reverie is broken when Mr. Gold walks in and wants to make a deal with her. If she helps use her influence to help him in court case, he'll help with her Mary Margaret problem. Mr. Gold, "If something tragic... were to happen to David's wife, and Mary Margaret should take blame ---" Regina finishes the thought, "--she'd be ruined." Then Regina would...

We open in Storybrooke with August in his room at Granny's. He's writhing around on his bed in pain. As he tries to get out of bed, he stumbles to the ground. After he picks himself off the floor, he makes his way over to the phone. Out of breath, he calls someone and cryptically tells them, "This is taking too long. We need to accelerate the plan."

Later, August uses Henry as a distraction in Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop while he enters...

"No one is getting through that...." We're in Storybrooke where August, aka The Stranger, just finished installing a solid wooden slide-bolt lock on Emma and Mary Margaret's front door to keep Regina, and her skeleton keys, out. It seems they don't want the Mayor over for another one of her unexpected visits, especially now that Emma has declared that she's going after custody of Henry.

Speaking of Henry, he calls a "code red" for...

It's a quiet evening at the Mayor's house. She and Henry are enjoying a rather sedate dinner when the doorbell rings. Regina answers the door to find Emma standing there. Regina is obviously in no mood to have Ms. Swan over for dinner--especially considering their ongoing fight over custody of Henry--but Emma says she's not there for dinner. "Then what did you come for," the Mayor asks.

"You."

Regina turns to look for Henry,...

Clang! Clang! Prince Charming wearily tries to break the lock on his cage with a stone clutched in his bruised and bloody hands. He seems near exhaustion when two of The Queen's guards arrive to take him to his execution. As they escort him down the hall, he starts to collapse from the exertion when suddenly he moves with with amazing speed, knocking out one guard before taking out the second--all while he's still in manacles. He breaks into...