What Happened to Frederick

"My heart also belongs to another. A man I was once to wed. A man named Frederick."

- Abigail to Prince Charming

"What Happened to Frederick" is the thirteenth episode of Season One of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by David H. Goodman and directed by Dean White. It is the thirteenth episode of the series overall, and premiered on February 19, 2012.

Synopsis
With their love for each other growing stronger, David finally agrees to tell Kathryn about his relationship with Mary Margaret and put an end to his loveless marriage. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, while runaway groom Prince Charming searches for Snow White, he agrees to aid Abigail on a dangerous mission to recover something precious that was lost to her.

Recap
In the former Enchanted Forest, Abigail meets with King George. The king tells one of his knights to "find him." We then see Prince Charming riding through the forest on horseback, while knights pursue him. He successfully hides from George's men, but the moment he turns to go another pair of men kidnap him. It is shown later that Abigail is responsible for this. She tells him that she knows of his love for Snow White, and that she has no feelings for him either. She asks him to do something for her.

In Storybrooke, David and Kathryn Nolan are having dinner when she tells him that she has applied to law school. She has been accepted, but the school is in Boston. Kathryn suggests that this could be a fresh start for both of them, but he makes the excuse of going to get some air and leaves. Mary Margaret Blanchard meets David. She asks him why they must keep lying to Kathryn and says that they should tell her about them. He does not want to hurt her, but she tells him that the only way that no one will be hurt is if they are not together. He says that he chooses her, and Mary Margaret tells him then he needs to tell Kathryn the truth.

The Stranger and Emma Swan bump into each other, and he asks her out for the drink. Emma asks him what his name is, he claims his name is August Booth. August wants to meet Emma outside of Granny's later. Mary Margaret tells Emma about her relationship with David, as they chat inside. David and Kathryn talk, and he tells her that he can't go to Boston. He breaks up with her, but fails to mention Mary Margaret.

Abigail tells Prince Charming that she loves someone else as well. He tells her about what Snow White said to him. Abigail takes him to see a golden statue, which he thinks is a representation of the man. In actuality it is Frederick her lost love. He was turned into gold by Midas' power, when he saved the King's life. Abigail has tried breaking the curse many times, by means of true love's kiss. She tells him of Lake Nostos, where the waters are said to be able to bring back something you have lost. He agrees to go to the lake to help her, though she warns him that it is protected by a guardian and no one has ever returned.

August is seen dipping the pages from Henry's book into an unknown liquid and then hanging them up to dry. He then takes pages which are either new or already dry and places them into the book.

Regina gives the present of a handheld game to Henry, apologizing for destroying his book. Kathryn walks in and, after Henry leaves, she confides in Regina that David is leaving her. Regina tells her that David and Mary Margaret have been having an affair. She shows Kathryn photos of them together, which Sidney took. David is looking through photos and calls Mary Margaret to tell her about himself and Kathryn. Kathryn shows up at the school and in front of a crowd of people confronts Mary Margaret and slaps her. Kathryn reveals that she knows about the affair even though David had not told her. When Kathryn goes, she leaves a very hurt and confused Mary Margaret.

Abigail shows Prince Charming a shrine, where men asking for the guardian's mercy leave peace offerings. Prince Charming goes to collect water from the lake the Siren guards. She appears to him as a beautiful unarmed woman. The Siren tries to seduce Prince Charming, but fails as his heart belongs to Snow. She then takes on the appearance of Snow White. He tries to tell himself that it is just an illusion, but he kisses her and drops his sword. She leads him out into the water, but he is still fighting her influence as she kisses him again. The Siren's effect fails and he is pulling away from her, so she does not get a good grip, as she grabs and tries to drown him. The Siren is almost successful, but he finds a dagger belonging to one of the many skeletons that litter the lakebed and he uses it to stab her.

August and Emma meet, when he picks her up and brings her out to an old well. He tells her that the water in the well is magical and will return something that they have lost and proceeds to tell Emma to have a little faith. Mary Margaret is walking down the street, and many people are avoiding her. She bumps into Granny who tells her that she should be ashamed of herself. Mary Margaret runs into David as he is washing the word tramp off of her car. She asks him why he never told Kathryn the truth, to which he replies that he did not want anyone to get hurt. She tells him that they are not in love, but what they have is destructive and needs to stop, so she breaks up with him.

Emma is brushing leafs off of her car, when she finds a red metal box in the street gutter. Inside it holds Henry's book. August is seen looking at her from around the corner. Kathryn goes to see Regina to apologize for what she said. Kathryn admits that she and David were never in love and that she has never been in love. Kathryn says that she is moving to Boston alone, and tells Regina that she wrote a letter telling David and Mary Margaret to be together, which upsets Regina's plans to keep them apart.

Abigail is at Frederick's shrine, when Prince Charming brings her the water. She pours the water over Frederick's head and the gold melts away revealing that he is alive and free. The two kiss, and she introduces him to Prince Charming as his savior. Abigail thanks Prince Charming for freeing her true love, and he tells her that he is going after Snow White. Abigail tells him to be careful, as King George will soon come after him. Prince Charming rides into the forest where he runs into Red Riding Hood who tells him that Snow White wants to be with him. King George shows up, Prince Charming and Red ride off together, with King George following them.

Regina enters David's house using a key from a large key ring and takes the letter Kathryn left.

Henry is sitting outside, when Emma sits down next to him. Emma gives him the book. Henry sees the book coming back as a sign that things are going to get better. Emma finds an upset Mary Margaret laying in bed. Emma lays down with her so they can talk. Regina opens her desk showing a can of spray paint and the letter addressed to David. Regina takes a lighter and burns the letter. Kathryn is leaving Storybrooke when she gets into an accident. The gym teacher finds her car, only to see it abandoned.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Raphael Sbarge (Credit only)
 * Robert Carlyle (Credit only)

Guest Starring

 * Eion Bailey as August Booth
 * Alan Dale as King George
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Anastasia Griffith as Abigail/Kathryn Nolan
 * Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby

Co-Starring

 * Greyston Holt as Frederick/Gym Teacher
 * Aria Pullman as Siren

Uncredited

 * Unknown as Tony

Trivia
Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The opening title card features Frederick as a statue.
 * The recap video at the beginning of this episode and "Heart of Darkness", contains an alternate take of the shot where August shows Emma his typewriter in "7:15 A.M.". In the original scene, a smiling August opens the lid on the box. The alternate take has a different color palette, and August has a blank, expressionless look on his face.


 * -|Episode Connections=

Episode Chronology

 * The Storybrooke events of this episode occur after those seen in "Skin Deep" and before those seen in "Dreamy".
 * The Enchanted Forest events of this episode occur after the events of "7:15 A.M." (with the ending in this episode taking place concurrently and after them) and precede those seen in "Heart of Darkness".

Episode Connections

 * David and Mary Margaret's affair began in "7:15 A.M.".
 * How August knew about the storybook, is explained in "Operation Mongoose Part 1".
 * The tree where Emma has a date with August (note that the Storybrooke Wishing Well appears by this tree in this episode; in later episodes, the well appears in a different location), is the same location where Lily transforms back into a human and reconciles with her mother in "Mother", and where Merida is sparring with Mr. Gold in "Dreamcatcher".
 * The fate of Lake Nostos after Prince Charming killed the Siren becomes known in "Lady of the Lake" and then explored further in "Queen of Hearts".
 * Prince Charming and Red Riding Hood first met in "There's No Place Like Home".
 * When Kathryn reconciles with Regina, the photograph that she shows Regina (one of Sidney's photos) was taken during David and Mary Margaret's date in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * Regina tells Kathryn that she has been in love, something that is explored in "The Stable Boy".
 * Kathryn Nolan's disappearance becomes a major storyline for the remainder of Season One.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * Space Paranoids, the game that Henry is playing, references the Disney film Tron. In Tron, the game was invented by the protagonist Kevin Flynn. Emma's line, "It's all in the wrists" comes directly from the movie.

Lost

 * The stranger says that his name is August. August is the 8th month of the year, and the second Lost number.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode is a rendition of the Midas myth, focusing on Princess Abigail's plight in losing her true love, Frederick, to the golden touch of her father King Midas.
 * This episode features Prince Charming from the Snow White fairytale as well as Red Riding Hood from the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale.
 * Also featured is the Siren. In mythology, sirens are dangerous and beautiful humanoid creatures that lure sailors on passing sea ships to death with the power of their enchanting voices and music.
 * The word "Nostos" references Homer's The Odyssey as it is the Greek word for "homecoming".

Pop Culture

 * "Nostos" is also the title of the third and final section of James Joyce's novel Ulysses.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * Regina has a Vitra Eames EA 217 Soft Pad Office Chair behind her desk in the mayor's office.
 * One of the pages which August adds to Henry's storybook, contains an excerpt from the fairytale Snow-White and Rose-Red. Another page contains an excerpt from The Golden Bird.
 * The wishing well plaque, which August reads, says:

WISHING WELL For centuries, local legend has claimed that mystical waters run beneath this great land. It is said that these waters possess the power to return that which is lost to its rightful place. If you have lost something precious to you, drink from this well and bear witness to this miracle as what is missing shall be returned.

Set Dressing

 * Among the objects at the Siren's shrine is a pomegranate. This is a reference to the Greek myth where Hades tricks Persephone into eating the seeds of a pomegranate, and thereby condemning her to live with him in the underworld six months out of every year.
 * A pomegranate can also be seen inside the Genie's lamp in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", and the captain's quarters board the Jolly Roger in "Poor Unfortunate Soul".
 * In the scene where Kathryn confronts Mary Margaret at school, a banner in the hallway says "Storybrooke Elementary School Art Fair".
 * There is a Storybrooke Daily Mirror newspaper stand and a Storybrooke Daily Mirror vending machine outside Granny's Diner.
 * When Emma arrives in Storybrooke in "Pilot", the expiration date on her license plate is December 2011. When she finds Henry's storybook next to her car in this episode, the license plate sticker still carries the same date. Since "Selfless, Brave and True" establishes that Emma came to Storybrooke in October 2011, and "What Happened to Frederick" takes place after "Skin Deep" (which takes place on Valentine's Day 2012), this means that Emma has neglected to renew her Massachusetts registration, nor has she registered her car in Maine.
 * Kathryn's license plate number is 94D1 CZ.

Costume Notes

 * Abigail's hat was made by Canadian-based fine headwear maker Kelly Dunlap, also known as The Saucy Milliner. On the hat, there is center tail feather from a pheasant, which was secured with a brass finding on the side. Due to the feather not being actually sewn on the hat, it moves frequently as Abigail is walking or riding her horse. A duplicate hat was also made for Abigail's stunt double.


 * -|Goofs=

Goofs

 * Jim's car license plate is 40F5TH, which is the same as Regina's; indicating it was a reused prop.


 * -|Other Notes=

Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale

 * David and Mary Margaret have been having an affair "for the last couple of weeks".
 * When Kathryn disappears, Emma receives several emergency calls, first from a motorist, then from David, and lastly from Regina.