The Thing You Love Most

"The Thing You Love Most" is the second episode of Season One of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Greg Beeman. It is the second episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 30, 2011.

Synopsis
Regina does everything in her power to force Emma out of Storybrooke and out of her and Henry's lives forever. Meanwhile, the chilling circumstances of how the Evil Queen released the curse upon the fairytale world is revealed.

Recap
The next morning, the townspeople notice the town clock has started to move. Regina goes through her son Henry's storybook and notices that there are missing pages near the back. She goes to Henry and asks where the pages are, but he says that it is an old book, and they have always been gone. Regina complains that he thinks of her as an evil queen, rather than as his mother. He insists that he does not, and she asks who he does think his mother is. Regina assures him that Emma is no longer an issue, but then hears the town clock chime.

She goes to see it and notices that Emma's car is still in town. Regina goes to see Emma with a basket of apples, saying that they're from the tree that she has had since she was a little girl. The mayor suggests that Emma should enjoy them on her way home.

Emma points out that Regina telling her to leave is just encouraging her to stay, and that she wants to stay and make sure her biological son is okay. When Regina says that she has things under control, Emma asks what she means, and Regina says that she has the boy in therapy and warns Emma not to underestimate her.

The Evil Queen teleports back to her castle, as Prince Charming tries to kill her by throwing his sword. The Magic Mirror asks what she has done, and the Evil Queen explains that she has cast the Dark Curse, much to the surprise of her servant and the Magic Mirror. She then goes to the Forbidden Fortress to see Maleficent, and the two briefly spar verbally.

The Evil Queen then demands her curse back, but Maleficent says that they have already made their exchange, and it is hers now. The Evil Queen says that she knows that it is hidden in the orb on Maleficent's staff; Maleficent points out that it is contained for good reason and asks where it came from. The Evil Queen summons one of her magical forces, a fireball from the fireplace. Maleficent fights back, as the Evil Queen animates all of the weapons, and throws them at Maleficent's pet, a black unicorn.

The mistress protects her pet, but the Evil Queen binds her to the wall, with the metal from the chandelier, and takes the staff, smashing the orb to retrieve the curse. When Maleficent tells her to do her worse, the Evil Queen refuses, saying that she is her only friend, and ignores her friend's warning that the Dark Curse will create a void within her that she cannot fill. The Evil Queen accepts that and leaves with the curse.

Later, the Evil Queen meets with the other dark forces of the land and tells them that today is the day that they will finally emerge triumphant. They ask if they will be happy, and the Evil Queen says that they will, but she needs a lock of hair from the darkest souls of the land. At her gesture, the trees around them animate, surrounding them. They each contribute a lock, and the Evil Queen causes the limbs to withdraw.

She then takes out the final ingredient: the heart of her prized steed from her childhood. She unleashes the Dark Curse, and a column of magical smoke swirls up into the air, as the others look on, but then disappears. A gnome laughs at the Evil Queen for her failure, and she transforms him into a stone statue.

Regina is in the garden admiring the apples and a gnome statue, when the newspaper editor, Sidney, approaches her. He has already published an article in the town newspaper, the Mirror, about Emma destroying the town's boundary marker, but admits that he has learned little of Emma's background. Regina points out that he's learned nothing of value and warns him to find something, or she'll dispose of him.

Emma is at Granny's Diner getting breakfast, when the waitress, Ruby, brings her a cup of hot chocolate. She tells Emma that someone has bought it for her, and Emma, seeing Sheriff Graham, assumes it is from him. Emma tells him that she does not want gifts from him, and Henry looks up from the next booth and says that he sent it over. He invites her to walk him to school and tells her that his plan is to free everyone from the curse. As Emma attempts to eat one of Regina's apples, Henry grabs it and throws it away. She asks why the citizens do not remember their past lives, and Henry explains that they all live in a haze, and Emma is the only one who can free everyone. He removed the pages from the storybook, to keep Regina from learning that Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Henry tells her to read the pages and learn about her past, but to make sure that Regina does not see them because it would be bad, if she learned who Emma is. They arrive at the school, and Henry goes inside, after saying that he is glad Emma believes him. Henry's teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, sees them talking and comes over to thank Emma for making Henry smile. She explains to Emma that Regina has managed to remain mayor through intimidation and that Henry thinks she is Snow White. When Mary Margaret asks who Henry thinks Emma is, Emma lies and she says she is not in the book.

Emma goes to see Archie Hopper and asks why Henry thinks that people are storybook characters. Archie explains that Henry is using the book to deal with his problems, but Emma points out that Henry only got the book a month ago, while Henry's problems go back further. The psychiatrist admits that Henry has had problems with his adoptive mother, and he offers Emma the file.

Emma wonders why he is violating doctor-patient confidentiality, and Archie says that Emma is very important to Henry. As she goes, Archie tells her to be careful not to destroy the boy's imagination. Once Emma leaves, Archie calls Regina and says that she was right, and that Emma took the file. When Archie wonders why Emma came there, Regina says that she is the one who gave Emma the idea.

Emma is in her room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast reading the file, when Graham comes by to visit. He says that Archie has filed a complaint that Emma stole the file. Emma shows him the file, and Graham arrests her. She points out that she's being set up, but Graham asks who would want to set her up.

Regina comes to see Henry at school and tells Mary Margaret that it is important. She takes him aside and tells him that Emma has been arrested and that she is a con woman, trying to take advantage of them. Henry does not believe it, but Regina insists that she is just trying to protect them. As Graham takes Emma's photos, Emma warns him that Regina is trying to get rid of her and asks what influence she has, with the police. Henry arrives with Mary Margret and tells Emma that he knew she was gathering intel, for his operation. Mary Margaret offers to post bail, much to Emma's surprise.

Regina is working in her office, when she hears a noise outside. She looks outside and sees Emma taking a chainsaw to her apple tree. Regina storms out, and Emma tells her that she will have to do better than that to get her out of town. She tells Regina that it is her move and walks away.

The Valet tells the Evil Queen that perhaps it is for the best that she failed, since the dark forces are more powerful than she can conceive. He assures her that helping her is his life, and she asks for his help to find out why the Dark Curse did not work. The Valet suggest that she goes to the person who gave her the curse and warns that, after going for revenge, there is no going back. The Evil Queen wonders what she has to go back to.

Rumplestiltskin is in his cell, when he realizes that the rat outside his cell is the Evil Queen. She transforms to her human form and tells him that the Dark Curse he gave her is not working. Rumplestiltskin says that Snow White and Prince Charming visited him and that he told them that only their unborn child can stop the darkness. She asks what she did wrong, and Rumplestiltskin says that he will tell her, in return for a good life in her new future. She must agree that she will heed his every request, as long as he says "please". The Evil Queen notes that he will not remember anything, if the curse succeeds, and so she agrees. He then tells her that she needs to sacrifice the heart of something precious. When she states that she used the heart of her most prized steed, Rumplestiltskin hisses that what she requires is more than just a horse's heart, for the curse to work. The Evil Queen asks what will suffice, and he says the heart of what she loves most. When she says that what she loved most died, because of Snow White, Rumplestiltskin says that there must be something else and tells her to consider how far she's willing to go. The Evil Queen says that she will go as far as it takes, and he tells her to stop wasting time and go kill it.

As Emma returns to her room, Granny approaches her and asks her to leave, because they have a no-felons city ordinance. Granny asks for her key back, and Emma hands it over. Graham comes to see Regina, who demands that he arrest Emma, for destroying city property. The sheriff remarks that Emma may be innocent and wonders who convinced Archie to lie. Regina warns him not to let a crush get the better of him.

Graham agrees to arrest Emma, but warns her that she will keep coming, no matter what, and Henry will be hurt if the situation escalates. As Emma goes to get her car, she discovers that it has been booted. Regina calls and offers to meet with her, so that they can make peace. When Emma gets there, Regina apologizes and then suggests that Emma wants to take Henry away. Emma denies it and says that she simply wants to make sure that Henry is okay, given his troubles.

Emma explains that Henry cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality and that she worries he is delusional. Henry overhears them and runs away, and Emma realizes that Regina set her up. Regina says that she did know he would be there, because she is his mother. Emma wonders how Regina has become so soulless and walks away.

The Evil Queen returns to her castle, and the Magic Mirror asks what happened. She ignores him, and the Valet asks if she learned what she needed to know. The Evil Queen admits that she is conflicted and explains what she has to do, and the Valet realizes that he is the one that she loves most. She calls him "Daddy" and admits that she doesn't know what to do. He tells her to move past it, but the Evil Queen says that she cannot live with what Snow White took from her.

The Valet suggests that she start over, so they can have a new life, but the Evil Queen says that her power will disappear, and the others will think she is nothing. He tells her that she can have love again and hugs her, saying they can find happiness together. However, the choice is hers. The Evil Queen cries and then says that he can be right, and stabs him in the heart, as he stares at her in shock. As he collapses to the ground, the Evil Queen apologizes.

Emma goes to see Mary Margaret, to pay back the bail money. The teacher offers to hear her out and offers her cinnamon hot chocolate and cookies. Emma asks why Mary Margaret trusts her, and she says that she has the feeling that they have met before.

She believes that Emma is innocent, but Emma says that she is leaving to keep Henry from being hurt. Mary Margaret points out that the fact that Emma wants to leave is the very reason to stay, because she cares about him and there'll be no one else to protect him.

Henry goes to see Archie for therapy, and he says that he does not think Archie is Jiminy Cricket. Emma storms in, and Archie tries to apologize, for what he did, but she tells Henry that she wants to stay and get to know him. She admits that she thinks the curse is crazy, but that does not mean that it is not true. Emma told Regina what she needed to hear, and that the only way to break the curse is by tricking the Evil Queen, into thinking that they are both nonbelievers.

Henry cheers up, tells her that the pages are dangerous, and burns them in Archie's fireplace, to make sure that Regina never sees them. He gets up and hugs her, saying that he knew she was there to help him. Emma assures him that not even a curse will stop her from helping him.

The Evil Queen takes her father's heart to the clearing and tosses it into the fire. This time the curse expands throughout the land, changing everything in its path. The Evil Queen then goes to a gravestone and leaves a flower at her father Henry's grave.

Henry and Emma leave Archie's office together. As Regina tends to her apple tree, Mr. Gold comes by and congratulates her on being in high spirits. When the mayor says that she has triumphed, Mr. Gold warns her that he saw Emma and Henry together.

He suggests that Regina should have come to him for help... for a price. When Regina says that she's not in the business of making deals with him anymore, Mr. Gold points out that he procured Henry for her and asks how she chose the name.

Regina realizes that Mr. Gold wanted Emma to come to Storybrooke and asks where he obtained Henry. Mr. Gold says he will not answer her questions and asks her to let it go... please. Regina stares at him in dawning realization, as he walks away.

Deleted Scenes
These are scenes that are included on Once Upon a Time: Season 1.

"Motherly Love" (Scene 38)

Henry Mills is laying on his bed, when Regina Mills enters. She is persuading him to go to therapy, but he doesn't want to go. She thinks it would be good for him to talk to someone. He gets up, and Regina tries to give him back the Once Upon a Time book, explaining that she was too harsh in taking it. However, he tells her that he doesn't want it and throws it onto the bed. After he leaves, Regina smiles.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White*/Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina Mills
 * Josh Dallas as Prince Charming*
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills
 * Raphael Sbarge as Archie Hopper
 * Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham
 * Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold

Guest Starring

 * Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent
 * Giancarlo Esposito as Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass
 * Tony Perez as Valet
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Meghan Ory as Ruby

Co-Starring

 * Patti Allan as Blind Witch
 * David-Paul Grove (Credit only)
 * C. Ernst Harth as Ogre
 * Layton Keely as Gnome

Uncredited

 * Cinder as Pongo

Note:
 * Only in archive footage.

Quotes
Regina Mills: Don't underestimate me, Miss Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of.

Evil Queen: Since when do I care about anyone's happiness, but mine?

Evil Queen: The only comfort for me is Snow White's suffering. Maleficent: Well, it's her wedding night. I bet she's suffering right now.

Evil Queen: Love is weakness, Maleficent. I thought you knew that.

Maleficent: Don't do this, this curse. There are lines even we shouldn't cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you—a void you will never be able to fill. Evil Queen: Then so be it.

Emma Swan: You come after me one more time, and I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I'm capable of. Your move.

Rumplestiltskin: In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request. You must do whatever I say, so long as I say please. Evil Queen: You do realize that should I succeed, you won't remember any of this. Rumplestiltskin: Oh well then, what's the harm?

Emma: If I stay, Henry's only going to keep getting hurt. Mary Margaret: What'll happen if you go? I think the very fact that you want to leave is why you have to stay. You care about him. Who will protect Henry if you won't?

Henry Mills: I knew you were here to help me. Emma: That's right, I am. And nothing, not even a curse, is going to stop that.

Production Notes

 * The title card features a unicorn.
 * In "Pilot", the sign for "Storybrooke Free Public Library" is a green house-shaped structure, but in this episode, it is changed to a white rectangular sign.
 * On the last page of the book (that isn't ripped out) the story Snow-White and Rose-Red appears.
 * When meeting with Maleficent, the "Sleeping Beauty" the Evil Queen refers to is Princess Aurora's mother.
 * The Evil Queen's black feather tattoo on her right wrist is visible as she picks up Maleficent's staff.
 * At the Evil Queen's first attempt to cast the Dark Curse, three of her assembled allies, a man in a red, horned mask, a bearded man with a large ax, and a woman with a horned headpiece, are uncredited for the episode and have yet to be further focused upon.
 * The diner wallpaper is called Mirage.
 * The Storybrooke Daily Mirror shares its name with a well-known British tabloid.
 * The mayoral office wallpaper is called Birch Tree Grey and is made by Fine Decor.
 * The chest that once held the heart of the Evil Queen's horse in the Enchanted Forest can be seen on Regina's desk in her office.
 * The statue above the fireplace is known as the Horse Statue in White Porcelain.
 * The apple bowl on the table is a White Coral Bowl made by Little Palm Design Group.
 * This episode reveals that the name of the Evil Queen's father, her Valet, is Henry, after whom she would name her son in Storybrooke.
 * This is the first episode in which Prince Charming appears, but his counterpart, David, does not.

Event Chronology

 * The Enchanted Forest flashbacks of the Evil Queen visiting Maleficent occur immediately following the wedding ceremony seen in "Pilot", and before the estimated occurrence of Pinocchio and Geppetto's battle with Monstro in "The Stranger". The Queen's failed, and subsequent successful, attempt to cast the Dark Curse occurs after she gives her farewell to her mother in "Queen of Hearts", immediately before "Save Henry", and before/during Snow White's labor and birth of Emma, events seen in "Pilot" and "The Stranger".
 * The Storybrooke events of this episode occur immediately after the events of "Pilot", and immediately before the events of "Snow Falls".

Episode Connections

 * As Regina Mills reads Henry's storybook, the last illustration left in the book is the Evil Queen interrupting Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding; events that are detailed in "Pilot". This scene is used again in this episode.
 * Regina's shock at the clock tower's movement is understandable; in "Pilot", Henry Mills informs Emma that the clock has been stuck at 8:15 his entire life.
 * Regina's gifting of apples to Emma with the words, "I do hope you like apples", is used again in "An Apple Red as Blood" when she bakes an apple turnover to give to Emma as a parting present.
 * Henry's therapy sessions with Archie are explored further in "That Still Small Voice".
 * The Magic Mirror first met the Evil Queen in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * What happened to Sleeping Beauty's daughter is revealed in "Broken". Aurora's mother is also referred to again in this episode.
 * The Evil Queen recalls Prince Charming breaking the Sleeping Curse on Snow White withtrue love's kiss in "Pilot".
 * The Evil Queen's notion that "love is weakness" was learned from her mother. The origins of the idea are seen in "The Miller's Daughter", and the Queen's harsh introduction to it is detailed in "The Stable Boy".
 * The apple tree Regina tends is from her former life, and appears in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * Emma's juvenile record, despite being "locked up pretty tight", is later dug up and revealed in Sidney's newspaper article in "Desperate Souls".
 * Emma's habit of moving around and running from place to place is referred to again in "The Price of Gold ", "Snow Drifts" and "There's No Place Like Home".
 * Sidney notes that Emma gave birth to Henry in Phoenix, Arizona. The events surrounding Henry's birth are detailed in "Tallahassee".
 * The newspaper headline Emma reads in Granny's Diner reads, "Stranger Destroys Historic Sign". This event occurred in "Pilot".
 * Why Henry thinks Regina's apples are dangerous is explained in "An Apple Red as Blood".
 * Henry's "Operation Cobra" is mentioned again in such episodes as "Desperate Souls", "True North", "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree", "The Evil Queen" and "A Curious Thing".
 * The pages of the storybook Henry gives to Emma include Prince Charming putting her infant self into the magic wardrobe. This event is detailed in "Pilot".
 * This is not Emma's first brush with the law. She was arrested by Sheriff Graham in "Pilot", and the felony Granny evicts her from the inn for is explored in "Tallahassee".
 * Regina's apple tree is magical and this comes into play in "We Are Both".
 * Rumplestiltskin and the Evil Queen have a long and storied relationship. They first meet during the flashback events of "We Are Both", and their relationship is further explored in "The Doctor" and "Quite a Common Fairy".
 * The origins of Rumplestiltskin's imprisonment in the Dark Dungeon is revealed in "The Price of Gold".
 * Rumplestiltskin's cell is revisited again in "Queen of Hearts".
 * The origins of the Evil Queen's mention of the thing she loved most being dead because of Snow White is explored in "The Stable Boy".
 * How Mr. Gold "procured" Henry for Regina is shown in "Save Henry".
 * Mr. Gold's deliberate use of the word "please" towards Regina is used again in "Skin Deep", and fails in "We Are Both".

Disney

 * The Sleeping Curse was made and used by Maleficent to make Sleeping Beauty fall into a deep eternal sleep.

Lost
As in "Pilot", the Storybrooke clock unfroze at 8:15, then chimed at 8:16. The next morning, Regina sees the clock at 8:23. 8, 15, 16 and 23 are all Lost numbers.

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features the Wicked Fairy from the Sleeping Beauty fairytale as well as the Evil Queen and Magic Mirror from the Snow White fairytale.
 * The Evil Queen alludes to Maleficent's past feud against Sleeping Beauty.
 * Henry's insistence Emma does not eat Regina's apple hints at the Evil Queen's poisoned apples.
 * Also featured is Rumplestiltskin from the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale.

Pop Culture

 * The song playing at the beginning of this episode is "Don't Be Shy" by Cat Stevens.

Goofs

 * Regina claims to Emma that her apples are from a Honeycrisp tree. However, the apples in the basket, on the tree, and everywhere else that apples are used in this episode are Red Delicious, which have a totally different shape and color from Honeycrisp apples. Honeycrisp apples were not commercially available until 1991, and must be specifically bred.
 * When Emma is walking Henry to school, at the beginning of their conversation about the Curse, they are walking down the street away from Storybrooke Country Bread and Storybrooke Hardware and Paint, they are visible in the background. However, as they walk they pass the sign for Storybrooke Hardware and Paint twice. At the end of the conversation, when Henry gives Emma the pages from the storybook, they are in front of Storybrooke Country Bread. Also during this scene, when Emma pauses and stops walking, the clock tower is reflected in the window, but without the actual clock tower. (The clock and the uppermost part of the tower are CGI; they are not part of the actual building in Steveston Village).
 * During Regina's conversation with Emma in her office, she states that today is a Thursday. This is later proven incorrect. According to "The Stranger" and "Selfless, Brave and True", August woke up in pain in Phuket on October 24, 2011 at 8:15 A.M. the exact minute that Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke at 8:15 P.M. on October 23 (since Thailand is 12 hours ahead of Maine's timezone). This episode takes place the next day, but October 24, 2011 was a Monday.