That Still Small Voice

"That Still Small Voice" is the fifth episode of Season One of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Paul Edwards. It is the fifth episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 27, 2011.

Synopsis
As Sheriff Graham deputizes Emma, the ground shakes and a giant sinkhole mysteriously appears at the edge of town. But a curious Henry's life is placed in danger when he decides to explore the innards of the sinkhole to see if its contents can link the inhabitants of Storybrooke to the fairytale world. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world, Jiminy Cricket yearns to leave the family business and transform into the person he wants to be.

Recap
In the former Enchanted Forest, villagers gather around a puppet stand to watch the performance put on by young Jiminy Cricket's parents, Myrna and Martin. During the performance, Jiminy pickpockets the spectators. Later, Jiminy expresses his desire to be good and not steal anymore. His parents immediately dissuade him.

In Storybrooke, during one of Henry's sessions, Henry tells Archie that there has never been any crickets in Storybrooke, which is proof of the curse's existence. Archie then asks Henry why it's so important for him to believe that the curse is real. Henry replies that "It just is," and Archie urges him to keep thinking about it, because something is buried there.

At the Storybrooke Sheriff Department, Sheriff Graham gives Emma a uniform and a deputy badge. She refuses to wear the uniform, but clips the badge onto her belt; setting off a small earthquake.

A crowd surrounds a sinkhole that has formed outside of an abandoned mining tunnel. Regina, Sheriff Graham and Emma arrive, and Regina finds out that Graham has made Emma his deputy, much to her annoyance. She addresses the crowd and announces her plans to bulldoze the mine and pave the area, despite Henry's protests. Regina picks up a small piece of glass from the ground, inspects it, then puts it in her pocket. Henry calls Archie and Emma over, saying they must use Operation Cobra to stop Regina from collapsing the mine. He insists that the sinkhole is a sign that Emma is breaking the curse. After breaking the group up, Regina orders Archie to destroy Henry's delusion, threatening to take his job and house.

Back in the former Enchanted Forest, Jiminy once again pleads his parents not to steal, saying he wants to quit. Myrna and Martin invent excuses for him to stay. Later, Jiminy sets up the puppet stand in the rain and is approached by a young boy who was listening to the crickets. He is surprised to learn that Jiminy doesn't like his job, advises him to find a new job, then gives him his umbrella.

In Storybrooke, Marco stops by Archie's office for lunch, but Archie had forgotten and scheduled a therapy session with Henry. Henry excitedly tells Archie about his plan to search the mine for proof of the curse, but Archie tells him that his delusion is turning into psychosis and it must end. Upset, Henry leaves.

At the Storybrooke General Hospital, Mary Margaret is playing hangman with David when Kathryn drops by with pictures to help David remember his old life.

In her apartment, Mary Margaret tells Emma how hard it is to dislike Kathryn because she's "so nice." Emma advises her not to get involved with a married man. Henry knocks on the door, crying, and steps into the apartment.

Emma angrily confronts Archie as to why he took away Henry's fantasy, ignoring his own conscience. Regina calls Emma, telling her that Henry is not at her house, even though Emma dropped him off there an hour ago. Sighing, Archie says he knows where Henry is. At the sinkhole, Henry puts on a determined face and enters the mine with a flashlight and a backpack.

In the Dark Castle, Rumplestiltskin is spinning straw into gold when Jiminy enters, giving him a sack of treasures and a list of names. Rumplestiltskin sees that Jiminy wants something else, and Jiminy reveals that he wants to be free, but his parents are holding him back. Rumplestiltskin gives him a potion to sprinkle on his parents. When he is done, he should leave them where they are and Rumplestiltskin will collect them as a fee for the potion.

Back in Storybrooke, Archie and Emma approach the mine and find a candy bar that was dropped by Henry. Inside the mine, Henry walks the tunnels and finds a shard of glass similar to the one Regina found. Parts of the mine, including the entrance, then collapse, trapping Archie inside the mine. He finds Henry, but he flees when he realizes that Archie still doesn't believe him.

In the former Enchanted Forest, Jiminy and his parents stop at a young couple's house for dinner. Myrna and Martin end up convincing the couple that they need their elf-tonic to survive the plague, and take the contents of their house as payment. The couple thanks Jiminy for the tonic. At the wagon, Jiminy complains that they were good people. He takes Rumplestiltskin's potion and flings it onto his parents, but nothing happens. Jiminy realizes that Martin switched Rumplestiltskin's vial with the one they gave to the kind couple. He runs back to the house and is horrified to see that the couple had been turned into dolls. The young boy that Jiminy met earlier arrives, sees his parents and is furious at Jiminy.

Back in Storybrooke, In the mine, Archie tries to convince Henry to leave, saying it's not safe. Outside the mine, a construction crew tries to clear the entrance, but their efforts only trigger more collapsing inside. Regina and Emma start to blame each other for Henry's predicament. Meanwhile, Archie and Henry follow the sound of Pongo's barking to an old elevator shaft and decide to use it to get to the surface. Above the ground, Regina and Emma follow Marco's advice and use dynamite to clear the mine entrance, but it doesn't work. The explosion causes the elevator to fall deeper down the shaft.

At the hospital, Mary Margaret is about to leave when David invites her to take a walk with him. He reveals that he lied to Kathryn about remembering his life through the pictures, and that Mary Margaret is the only thing that feels real and right to him. Kathryn finds them, and Mary Margaret starts to leave. David tells her he'll see her tomorrow; she smiles and leaves.

At the sinkhole, Pongo leads Emma and Regina to the top of an air shaft. Trapped below, Henry apologizes to Archie. Archie apologizes to Henry also, saying he doesn't believe he's scary but his mother has a very set path for him. He believes Henry should be free to think and do what he wants. When asked, Archie says he only tried to destroy Henry's fantasy because he's not the man he wants to be. Above the ground, Emma and the crew lift the cover off the shaft and peer down. Emma volunteers to be lowered down.

Archie asks Henry once again why it's important that his fairy tale theory is true. Henry says that this can't be all there is, and Archie agrees with that. Emma appears above them, and lifts Henry out of the elevator. The elevator falls all the way down, but Archie manages to hook the handle of his umbrella on a carabiner on Emma's belt. They are pulled up out of the shaft amidst cheers from the crowd. Archie informs Regina that he will continue to treat Henry his own way, reasoning that in a custody battle, an expert who has treated the child is consulted. He decides to follow his conscience and do the right thing despite her threats.

In the former Enchanted Forest, Jiminy makes a wish and the Blue Fairy appears. She tells him that she cannot bring the boy's parents back. At his request, the Blue Fairy turns him into a cricket, so that he can find the boy and help him, and others like him. She reveals his name is Geppetto.

At the sinkhole, Emma asks if Marco is Archie's father, but Henry tells her they're just old friends. Marco and Archie walk over to them, and Henry and Archie realizes that they can hear the crickets chirping.

In the pawnshop, Mr. Gold walks past as two familiar looking puppets, Geppetto's parents, sit on a nearby counter.

At the hospital, Mary Margaret resigns from volunteer work.

At the sinkhole, various townspeople are engaging in conversation; among them Emma, Henry, Marco, Archie, Billy and Ruby. None of them notice Regina, who approaches and stands next to a mine elevator shaft. Out of her pocket, she pulls out a glass from her pocket and drops it down the shaft. It falls and lands on the rest of Snow White's fractured glass coffin, which is hidden deep in the mine.

Deleted Scenes
These are scenes that are included on the Season One DVD.

"Blood is Thick" (Scene 37-38)
While walking alongside his parents, Jiminy protests what is going on and wants to leave them. He feels bad for the boy whose parents he turned into puppets. He tells his parents to just leave him, but they threaten to have him arrested, for what he did to the boy's parents and what he tried to do to them. They tell him to get in the back of the carriage, because he is just like them.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as David Nolan
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper
 * Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham
 * Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Tony Amendola as Marco
 * Anastasia Griffith as Kathryn Nolan
 * Harry Groener as Martin
 * Carolyn Hennesy as Myrna
 * Meghan Ory as Ruby
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Blue Fairy

Co-Starring

 * Laura Bertram as Donna
 * Luke Camilleri as Stephen
 * Jarod Joseph as Billy
 * Michael Strusievici as Little Fairy Tale Boy
 * Adam Young as Pickpocket Boy/Child Jiminy

Uncredited

 * Morgan Roff as Teenage Jiminy
 * Cinder as Pongo

Quotes
Jiminy: Look, can't we skip this tonight? We don't need the money. Myrna: Everything isn't about money, Jiminy. It's the principle.

Martin: A commitment to excellence. Myrna: Excellence at stealing money.

Myrna: We have elf tonic. Martin: Made by elves from elves. Myrna: Four out of five court physicians recommend it. Martin: Fifth one died, before he could try it.

Martin: You are what you are. There's no changing it, Jiminy.

Emma Swan A tie? You know you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority. Sheriff Graham: So, you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat? Emma: I'm getting you to do what I want, right now.

Regina Mills: People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed. We've always known that this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But, fear not, I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe, to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it.

Henry Mills: We can't let her do this. What if there is something down there? Emma: They're just some old tunnels. Henry: That just happened to collapse right after you get here? You're changing things. You're weakening the curse. Henry: Did you do anything differently today, because something made this happen? Emma: [Glances at deputy badge]

David Nolan: I'm trying to remember this place. It's like I woke up in some strange land...None of it makes sense. None of it feels real. Mary Margaret Blanchard: That sounds lonely. David: Actually, one thing does feel real: you. Mary Margaret: What? David: I know it's crazy, but I swear, you're the only thing in this whole place that feels right.

Regina: Lower me down. Emma: Oh, no way. Regina: He's my son. Emma: He's my son, too.

Archie Hopper: Why do you think it's so important that your fairy-tale theory is true? Henry: I don't know. Archie: Give it a shot. Henry: 'Cause, this can't be all that there is.

Regina: You will do as I say, or ... Archie: Or what? You'll ruin my life? You'll do your worst? Because, I will always do my best. Regina: Don't test me. Archie: Oh, I don't need to, because you're going to leave me alone and let me do my work, in peace. Regina: Really, why is that? Archie: Because someday, Madam Mayor, you may find yourself in a custody battle. And do you know how the court determines who is a fit parent? They consult an expert, particularly one who has treated the child. So, I suggest that you think about that, and you allow me to do my work, and let me do it as my conscience tells me to.

Production Notes

 * The opening title card features Rumplestiltskin's spinning wheel.
 * In the scene Mary Margaret exits David's hospital room and stands at the counter, she is holding a pear.

Event Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest flashbacks take place in an estimated gap of centuries long after the occurrence of Rumplestiltskin gaining the power of future sight from a Seer and receiving the last prophecy as seen in "Manhattan", and before the estimated gap in which the Ogre Wars Granny mentioned in "Red-Handed" occurred.
 * The Storybrooke events of this episode occur after the events of "The Price of Gold" and before the events of "The Shepherd".

Episode Connections

 * Sheriff Graham makes a reference to Emma's iconic red leather jacket, which first appeared in "Pilot".
 * The event in which Jiminy accidentally kills Geppetto's parents is mentioned in "The Stranger".
 * Donna and Stephen's marionette forms reappear in other episodes: "The Price of Gold", "The Shepherd", "The Stranger", "An Apple Red as Blood" and "A Land Without Magic", in Mr. Gold's pawnshop; and "Skin Deep", in the Dark Castle.
 * The hidden purpose of Snow White's glass coffin is revealed in "The Evil Queen".
 * The title card is used again in the episodes "Skin Deep" and "The Miller's Daughter".

Disney

 * Alludes to Disney's 1961 film One Hundred and One Dalmations with Archie's dog also named Pongo.

Lost

 * Henry has Apollo candy bars in his bag.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Pinocchio story, focusing on Geppetto's voice of consciousness, the Talking Cricket as well as the role of the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair.