The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" is the seventh episode of Season One of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by David M. Barrett. It is the seventh episode of the series overall, and premiered on December 11, 2011.

Synopsis
One of the town's residents begins to remember their fairytale past, and Storybrooke mourns the loss of one of their own. Meanwhile, in the fairytale world that was, the Evil Queen attempts to find a heartless assassin to murder Snow White.

Recap
In Granny's Diner, Sheriff Graham is throwing darts at a target. Emma walks in and ignores him as he walks by. He throws one of his darts at her, and it just misses her head as it flies by. Emma walks out of the diner, and Graham follows her out. He tells her that he did not want to tell her about his affairs with Regina because he did not want her to look at him poorly. She asks him why, and he grabs her and kisses her. As he does this, a bunch of memories from his life before the curse come flooding back to him.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas (Credit only)
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Raphael Sbarge (Credit only)
 * Jamie Dornan as the Huntsman/Sheriff Graham
 * Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Giancarlo Esposito as Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass
 * Meghan Ory as Ruby

Co-Starring

 * Scott Heindl as Bartholomew
 * Tristan Jensen as Horatio
 * Kam Kozak as Black Guard
 * Howard Siegel as Tavern Owner

Quotes
Regina: I'm so sorry, Snow White. Snow White: I loved him so much. Regina: So did I, dear. So did I. The loss I feel for my husband must be nothing compared to the loss you feel for your father. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. I may only be your mother through marriage, but I'm here for you, dear, truly and forever.

Magic Mirror: Congratulations. Your revenge is almost complete. Regina: One down, one to go.

Graham: There was a wolf. Regina: A wolf? Graham: Its eyes: one was blood red and the other was black as night. The funny thing is, I think I've seen it before.

Regina: I always felt there were two kinds of people: wolves and sheep. Those who kill and those who get killed. And you, Huntsman, are most certainly a wolf.

Regina: (to Emma) Stay away from Graham. You may think you're doing nothing, but you're putting thoughts in his head, thoughts that are not in his best interest. You are leading him on a path to self-destruction. Stay away.

The Huntsman: What did she do to you? Regina: I shared a secret with her, and she couldn't keep it. And that betrayal cost me dearly.

Graham: I don't feel anything, Regina...I'd rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, and the only way to do that is to give myself a chance.

The Huntsman: What are you going to do to me? Regina: You're now mine, my pet. And this is your cage. From this moment forward, you will do everything that I say. And if you ever disobey me, if you ever try to run away, all I have to do is squeeze.

Production Notes

 * The opening title card features the wolf.
 * This is the first episode in which Josh Dallas does not appear.
 * This episode confirms Regina has memories from her past.
 * The grave of Regina's father is seen in Storybrooke for the first time.
 * A scene involving Rumplestiltskin was cut.

Episode Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest events happen after the events of "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree " and before those of "Red-Handed" and possibly concurrent with "Skin Deep".
 * The Storybrooke events of this episode occur after "The Shepherd" and a few weeks before "Desperate Souls".

Episode Connections

 * The events surrounding the death of King Leopold are explored in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * The Huntsman's fate following the ripping out of his heart is shown in "A Land Without Magic".
 * The Huntsman's failed attempt in killing Snow White is mentioned again in "The Evil Queen".
 * Sheriff Graham's life during the first week after the casting of the curse is explored in "Welcome to Storybrooke".

Disney

 * The Evil Queen sends the Huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back her ripped out heart as proof, but he is unable to do so.

Lost

 * The Evil Queen's vault where she keeps the Huntsman's heart has 9 columns and 12 rows, which equals 108 total boxes, one of the Lost numbers.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Snow White fairytale, focusing on the Evil Queen's attempted assassination of Snow White by giving a Huntsman the job of killing her.
 * This episode also features the Magic Mirror from the same fairytale.

Goofs

 * After Regina's scuffle with Emma, there is blood on the lower right corner of her lip. The blood disappears in the next shot.

Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale

 * Snow White states she "watched (her father) fall in love with Regina".