Once Upon A Time
Season 1, Episode 16
Original Airdate: 3/18/2012
Heart of Darkness

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Nakeesha

Recap: This week, both Snow and Mary Margaret are wanted women. Mary Margaret’s in jail, while Snow has become an unwelcomed houseguest of the dwarves. I guess no one told her the contraindications of the forget-potion because she has become a hurtful, vengeful…well, bitch. Having had it up to here, the dwarves stage an intervention led by Jiminy Cricket. Only it doesn’t go as planned when Snow deflects responsibility of her actions in favor of killing the Queen.

Back in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret fairs far worse. She’s behind bars and evidence is piling up against her. Added to Mary Margaret’s jewelry box having Katherine’s still heart in it, the murder weapon is found under a heating vent in her bedroom. But even worse, her best friend Emma, allows her to be interrogated without a lawyer present! On cue, Mr. Gold steps in and offers his services as her defense attorney. His services come at no cost as he has an interest in her future. Hasn’t he used that pickup line on Snow and Emma? Well, it works again because Mary Margaret accepts his help.

But Gold isn’t the only man trying to come to Mary Margaret’s rescue. In a futile attempt to help, David goes to Dr. Hopper to help him recover the lost memories from his blackouts. In the session, David sees snippets of Charming trying to convince Snow not to kill the Queen. Unfortunately, the Queen is never named and David believes they’re talking about Katherine. He bolts off the doctor’s couch and heads to the Sheriff’s office.
Charming’s plea doesn’t work because Snow, who still doesn’t remember him, is not interested in words. She now believes in action which she’s about to take on the approaching Queen. In response Charming takes the blow of the arrow Snow aims at the Queen. Somehow this act proves his love and with True-Love’s-Kiss all of Snow’s memories and feelings return just in time for King George’s men to discover them and capture Charming. Snow, who’s left un-captured even though she’s wanted by the Queen and there’s a bounty on her head, pledges to find him as they cart him away.

Back in Storybrooke, David comes to Mary Margaret and reveals his memories to her. He asks her for an explanation in that helpless, confused way of his. She’s stunned. Only days ago, he was accused of this same crime and she stood by him. Now with the roles reversed he cracks under the first sign of pressure. Thankfully she tells him to get out! And soon she leaves too when a key that just happens to fit the jail cell turns up in her bed. The episode fades to black on an empty jail cell.

Review: This show has been praised for its strong female leads. Though arguably misguided, Regina is committed to her revenge plot and takes every action she can to ensure its success. Snow White has never been portrayed as a damsel in this show. Even though a princess, she has time and again demonstrated that she has the skills and moxie to take care of herself. Each week we see Emma take action as both Sheriff and Henry’s confidante. But what is up with these men!

It takes a full episode for Sean, Cinderella’s Prince, and Mr. Tillman, Hansel and Gretel’s father, to take responsibility for their children. Graham was under Regina’s thumb, and as soon as he developed a backbone and started on his own path, he got axed. And then there’s David: the storybook Prince Charming who is supposed to rescue the damsel, but is saved by Mary Margaret who he leaves high and dry when he’s to chicken to confront his wife. Aren’t princes supposed to go on quests to save their lady and their kingdom? But this dude blacks out anytime he takes action. Women hold Prince Charming as the ideal spouse. Do I even need to talk about David’s adultery, lies, and his cop out of not making a choice for fear of hurting either of the women in his life? Is this what it’s come to ladies? Is this our reward for breaking the glass ceiling? Or maybe we should stop looking for princes and start looking for executives?

CHARACTER NOTES
•   Apparently, Red has embraced her inner wolf and perhaps learned to control it because she shifts into an attack, giving Charming time to escape an ambush during the opening of the   episode.
•   August, the mysterious writer, confesses to Henry that he believes the story book and that he’s here to help Emma.
•   Henry and Emma suspect Regina is behind Mary Margaret’s framing when they find she has a set of keys to Mary Margaret’s and Emma’s apartment.
•   Rumplestiltskin makes a coveted potion for love when he snags a hair from Charming and bottles it with the hair he got from Snow.
•   Once Snow is her old self again and returned from losing Charming, the dwarves offer to go with her to rescue him.