by Tracy Ladd:
Once Upon a Time Recap: “The Shepherd”
Original Air Date (ABC): Sunday December 4, 2011
Season 1 Episode 6
This week we finally learn Charming/James/David’s back story. Come to find out he’s not who we thought he was. Mary Margaret finds a short-lived happiness, then gets really bummed out again and Emma discovers one of Graham’s secrets. There wasn’t much Henry to be seen this week either. Actually, aside from the major players we didn’t see much of anyone else.
For once we don’t start off in Fairy Tale Land, we actually start in Storybrooke. Kathryn brings David home from the hospital and after looking at the outside of the house, he still doesn’t remember anything, not even when she asks him about a windmill that had but he hated. Once inside he’s introduced to friends and neighbors that he can’t recall and he has a chat with Emma and Henry asking about Mary Margaret. When Emma tells him that she wasn’t able to make it he seems a bit sad.
Regina actually plays nice with Kathryn in the kitchen and the two seem to have become friends. Regina tells Kathryn that she knows what it’s like to love someone and lose them, but we still don’t know who this person is. Kathryn goes to find David only to learn that he left the party. Cut to Mary Margaret trying to hang a bird house (at night…who does that??) when David shows up. He tells her that the man who married Kathryn isn’t him and that he’s got serious feeling for MM instead. She’s feeling conflicted but does the right thing and asks him to leave.
In FTL, James is fighting a brute twice his size and slays him. His father, a king who’s in need of gold for his kingdom, and King Midas watch with an audience. (Sidebar: My only complaint with this episode is the duel between James and the brute. Quick cut doesn’t even describe how this scene was filmed. It cut so quickly from shot to shot it looked like a strobe light.) Once the brute is dead, King Midas enlists James’ help to slay a dragon that has been terrorizing his kingdom in exchange for gold. James accepts the challenge but when the kings take their leave, James takes a spear to the chest from the brute, who apparently was only mostly dead. Luckily King Midas is none the wiser but James’ father now must find someone else to slay the dragon so that he can get the gold.
Enter Rumpelstiltskin. Of course he has his hand in this. Rump chastises the king saying he should be more careful with the toys that Rump provides. The king asks Rump to bring him back but Rump says that it’s not possible because he’s dead. The king says that he’ll give Rump anything. Rump asks for the wand of a fairy godmother that is attached to the King, to which the King replies “Done.” This would be the fairy godmother that helped Cinderella. Rump tells the King that he can’t bring back James, but he can get his twin. Cut to a meadow where we see James’ doppelgänger as a shepherd.
In Storybrooke Mary Margaret is taking her conflicted emotions out on her dishes by scrubbing them frantically. Enter Emma who tells her to take a load off and have a drink. MM tells her about the conversation she had with David, to which Emma replies “Generally speaking, if you think something you want to do is wrong, it is.” Cut to David sitting on his couch looking through old pictures. Kathyn sits next to him asking him if he wants to go to bed. The two kiss, but David pulls away saying it doesn’t feel right.
Back in FTL, the shepherd is doing his shepherding duties when his mother comes home to tell him she’s found a girl with a large dowry for him to court. He declines saying that he will only marry for love. Rumpelstiltskin appears and tells him about the twin brother, the quest to slay the dragon, and if he does this, it’ll save their farm. The shepherd reluctantly agrees to take James’ place.
Mary Margaret sits in the diner reading the paper when Regina storms in and makes herself at home at MM’s table. Regina proceed to lay into her about leaving David alone, and how they aren’t meant to be together. MM is confused and claims that she hasn’t done anything. Regina informs her that David left Kathryn, which leaves MM a bit stunned.
In FTL, James2 is preparing to battle the dragon. He leaves with his brother’s men to the dragon’s lair but is told that he’s only there for appearance, and that they will actually do the fighting. Once the dragon lights up one of the soldiers however, things change. In a surprising move, James2 is able to defeat the dragon by cutting off its head.
David shows up at Mary Margaret’s class telling her that he left Kathryn because he’s not the man who married her and that the worst thing he could do to her is pretend. He asks MM to meet him at the toll bridge where she found him at 8pm. She doesn’t commit but he tells her that if she shows, he’ll know her answer and if she doesn’t then he’ll respect that leave her alone.
Emma sits at the Sheriff’s department reading a paper when Graham shows up with a box of donuts. She’s suddenly suspicious and asks what he wants. He tells her that he needs her to work the night shift because he volunteers at an animal shelter and has to work there. She agrees to cover, but isn’t happy about it. Mary Margaret rushes in telling Emma about her conversation with David and asks what she should do. Emma says go because he made the decision to leave his wife for her.
King Midas has turned the head of the dragon gold, and agrees to payment for services rendered. He explains that he thinks long-term and offers his daughter’s hand in marriage. James2 isn’t really interested but when his “father” whispers that he better accept, or his mother will die and their farm will burn, he agrees.
In Storybrooke, David tries to find his way back to the toll bridge. Regina asks him if he’s lost and he says yes, and asks her for direction. He tells her that he’s meeting someone (stupid move buddy) so she gives him directions that take him past Mr. Gold’s shop (not good). He follows but finds out that the directions are wrong. He enters Mr. Gold’s shop to ask him for directions. After he enters he sees a mobile with crystal unicorns (Emma’s mobile from FTL). He asks Mr. Gold for directions telling him that the ones Regina gave him aren’t accurate. Mr. Gold gives him the directions and as David goes to leave, he spots the windmill that used to be in the front yard of his and Kathryn’s house. Just then, his memory returns.
In FTL, James2 goes to say goodbye to his mother. He explains what he has to do and she tells him not to go through with it and that she should have never suggested he marry for money. He comforts her and tells her that he just came to say goodbye. She gives him her ring (the one he chased Snow White for and the one that Mary Margaret currently wears) and tells him that she knows whoever he gives it to will bring love.
Mary Margaret waits at the toll bridge when David runs out of the darkness. He tells her that he remembers. He remembers how he felt with Kathryn and that he has to do the right thing and go back to her. Before walking away, she tells him that right thing would have been to not lead her on. Poor MM.
Emma is pulling the night shift and is out and about in the cruiser looking for any strange goings on. She spies someone coming out of the window at the mayor’s house and stops to catch the intruder. When she does, she’s shocked to see that it’s Graham. He admits to the affair with Regina and tells her that he snuck out because they don’t want Henry to know. Disgusted, Emma throws the car keys at him telling him to finish her shift, she’s going home.
David goes back home and tells Kathryn that she was right, he did hate that windmill that used to be in the front yard but now sits in Mr. Gold’s shop. He tells her that he remembers that they weren’t in a good place and he left to get some space, but then he had his accident. He tells her that he’d like to give them a shot.
In FTL, James2 is presented with Abigail, King Midas’ daughter. She’s snooty and says that “he’ll do.” His father tells him to be happy and that he’s on the road to love. Little do any of them know it’s the same road he has his first confrontation with Snow White. This all leads back to Snow’s origin episode.
Poor Mary Margaret. After she left David at the toll bridge, she headed to the diner. She’s upset, and crying when Dr. Whale from the hospital shows up. The same doc that she had a horrible date with a few episodes ago. He asks if she wants to talk about it, and then asks if he can buy her a drink. She tells him he can buy her two.
I guess it was a little too much hoping that MM and David would realize that they are meant to be together. It’s still early in the season so I’m sure there’s much more angst coming. As I mentioned before, I hated the scene where James slayed the brute and I really hope there aren’t any others filmed in that manner. Next week it looks like Graham is remembering his past and he may hook up with Emma. I like that pairing but I don’t think it’s going to last. Especially not with him shagging Regina. There is also going to death, though I don’t know who it is. I have my suspicions, but I won’t voice them until next week.
DarkMedia contributor Tracy Ladd has been writing about film since her days on the her high school newspaper. Even though she took a decade or two off to explore other things, she’s back to doing what she loves. She also bakes, can knit a pretty nifty scarf and makes lightsaber sounds with her knitting needles. Or chopsticks. Especially with the lightsaber chopsticks.
You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter @ReelGoddess, and on her website The Reel Goddess.
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