Once Upon a Time – Recap & Review – The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

photo: abc

Once Upon a Time
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Original Air Date: Dec 11, 2011

Wyner C – TwoCents Reviewer
wyner@thetwocentscorp.com

The heart is vital to living. A logical person will automatically think of the blood pumping organ. A poetic person will interpret it as the essence of our humanity – without our heart, without compassion, without love – are we living?

Our heart is what lets us feel – sadness, happiness, hate, love. What if we didn’t have a heart? What would we do; who would we be? Apparently, a good-looking sheriff who is doing the nasty with evil and trying to wash away the shame.

In Fairytale, the Evil Queen has just killed Snow White’s father. She’s also trying to find the perfect person to assassinate Snow White. The Mirror suggests The Huntsman, a man thought to be adept at murder, bereft of mercy – someone with no heart. Except the sap cries when he kills a horrible CGI deer for food.

The Huntsman is thought to be inhuman not for his actions but for his company. He was raised by wolves after his folks abandoned him and he’s friends with a red eye/black eye wolf. Is that why he is the only person with an Irish accent? I guess wolves speak with Irish accents – you learn something new every day.

When The Huntsman meets the Queen, they strike a deal. He will get Snow White’s heart for her and she must outlaw the hunting of wolves (The Huntsman has just revealed himself to be a tree-hugging hippie). When the time comes for The Huntsman to assassinate Snow White, she clobbers him and run.

Snow White knows she’s going to die so she uses her lead to compose a letter of forgiveness to the Queen. The heartless assassin lets Snow White escape when he reads the letter. I’m starting to think the Queen chose the wrong person for the job. The Huntsman gives Snow White’s letter and a deer heart to the Queen. She finds out it’s not Snow White’s heart and takes The Huntsman’s heart as a consolation prize. She also takes The Huntsman as a prize too, he’s now her “pet” and by “pet” we mean love-toy. So gross, so gross.

In Storybrooke, Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman claims he feels nothing with Regina and drunk kisses Emma (she liked it, who wouldn’t) which leads to Fairytale memories fighting through the curse. He keeps seeing his wolf friend and he has flashes of Mary Margaret in Fairytale. He goes to see her and babbles about knowing her in another life. Mary Margaret, of course, tells him about Henry’s theory. So now Henry’s delusions are a conversation starter?

Graham visits Henry and they read Henry’s book together. Graham realizes he’s missing his heart. Emma was waiting for Graham and they both spot the wolf. They follow the wolf to a cemetery where Graham recognizes a symbol on a mausoleum – the place where his heart is located. Regina shows up and Graham dumps Regina – dude, words hurt and his were lethal!

Later, Graham and Emma start making out at the station. Emma begins to look happy so you know it’s bad news. Graham finally remembers everything and it seems like he starts feeling those elusive emotions. All the while, Regina goes down a secret staircase in the mausoleum, finds The Huntsman’s heart and pulverizes it. When she does this, Graham falls down and dies (before he can tell anyone Fairytale is real). Emma is heartbroken and so am I. Emma and Graham were finally happy!

I had a bad feeling when I knew Graham was going to get his Fairytale memories back but seeing it happen sucked. This was an episode where I was afraid of the ending but wanted to fast-forward to see what happens. I was on the edge of my seat, my heart was racing, and I savored every moment. This was our first major death. No one is safe.

Favorite moments/Things to ponder:
1. There is a recurring theme (just like Lost): Parent issues. The Huntsman was abandoned by his parents, Jiminy Cricket had lousy parents, and Prince Charming’s dad was willing to put him in danger for gold. I am so afraid to be a parent.
2. Graham had pounded on Regina’s door for a late night booty call and left through the bedroom door after their tryst – what ever happened to not letting Henry find out? Continuity writers – it’s the professional thing to do!
3. I never collected anything in my lift (except clothes but that’s hoarding). I have heard of stamp collections but heart collections?! The Queen is, in fact, evil.
4. When the Queen first met The Huntsman, you can tell she liked what she saw. Can you spot the double entendre? “A place at my court. You will become my official huntsman.” I bet he would. All this talk while shimmying in front of him in a skintight dress.
5. “Your life is now in my hands, forever. Take him to my bedchamber,” said the Evil Queen. That wide-eyed look on The Huntsman’s face was the realization he’s screwed. She spelled it out for him – gross!
6. There’s dumping someone gently and there’s Graham. “I don’t feel anything, Regina. And I know now it’s not me, it’s you.” Ouch. “I rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have.” Double ouch!!
7. The Queen left a few breadcrumbs on why she hates Snow White. Apparently, she told Snow White a secret, not knowing Snow White was a gossip. What was the life destroying secret? Why did Snow White blab? Who did she tell?
8. Rumpelstiltskin – friend or foe? I thought he was in cahoots with Regina after David Nolan’s windmill but he hinted at Graham’s memories. It was like Rumpel wanted Graham to know he’s The Huntsman. What is his game? Also, what was he burying in the woods? Gardening my behind! It’s the forest, not your backyard.

Since Emma’s arrival, Storybrooke is changing and finally moving forward (clock, crickets). I guess now, people can die. Is the death of Sheriff Graham comparable to Boone’s death on Lost? Were you shocked? Are you as sad as I am to see Sheriff Graham die (I mourned for about an hour – that is about a six months in my emotional years)? Do you feel bad for Emma, who finally opened herself to someone? Will we be seeing The Huntsman in Fairytale? I really hope so, didn’t he give Snow White a whistle? Best episode yet – cannot wait until next year! Discuss the loss of the sexy hippie sheriff!