Once Upon a Time, Season 1, Episode 7--"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"

Did you guys notice Jamie Dornan is the one who plays Sheriff Graham on this show? I mention it because you should definitely NOT feel bad for him, whatever happens in this episode. He went on to be the male lead in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movies. That's a much better gig for him than this show. 

Okay, so the curse is totally real. They never make any intimations otherwise here. But, if you ever had any doubts, this episode will clear those away for you. It will also show you why Regina is the worst character on Once Upon a Time. 

Some people like her; she's got a passionate and vocal fan base. Personally, I don't get it. I can't stand her. Ugh. I wish they would have killed her off at the end of Season 1 or shortly thereafter. Regina ruined a lot of my enjoyment of Once Upon a Time for me. 

Remember, don't feel bad for Jamie Dornan, and Regina is the WORST.

Off we go.

Storybrooke, The Present--Graham is shooting darts at Granny's diner. Sidney and Red look on in admiration. 

Emma walks in and gives Graham the cold shoulder. He throws a dart in her direction that barely avoids hitting her. He's GOOD. She's pissed at the near-miss, and also about him having sex with Regina, and storms out.

However, Graham is not so easily dismissed. He follows her out of the diner and begs her to listen to him. He's pretty desperate for her to listen to him and give him some sympathy. She's not into it, and she SO does not want to talk to him about his sex life with Regina.

But, that's the thing. Graham doesn't know WHY he's been having sex with Regina. He feels nothing when he's with her. And so, on impulse, he leans in and gives Emma a passionate kiss.

When he does, memories of walking through the woods, and of a wolf, come flooding back to him.

He's stunned and confused.

"Did you see it?" he asks her.

Emma thinks he's kind of a psycho.

"I just need to feel SOMETHING," he beseeches her.

She assures him that whatever he wants to "feel," he won't be finding it with her.

Cut away to Graham pounding his fists on Regina's door in the middle of the night. She opens, surprised to see him there, and he kisses HER. He kisses her SOOOO much. She's obviously into it, but he seems like he's doing it to try to feel that elusive "something" he told Emma about.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Snow's father is dead, yo. Poor Snow is dressed in black, crying over his coffin. Regina comes over to her, also in black (but that's her signature color), and pretends to be sympathetic and loving. Not knowing Regina hates her, Snow hugs her step-mother, who reluctantly hugs her in return.

Walking into her bedroom, Regina reveals to her Magic Mirror (Sidney) that SHE is responsible for the King's demise.

Regina: "One down, one to go."

She is disgusted that Snow sought comfort with her, and says she could have ended Snow right there, but the matter has to be handled delicately. The people love Snow, and they must know the terrible thing Snow did to Regina before Regina offs her.

It is decided that Regina needs someone who specializes in cold-blooded murder (though, since she just killed the king, doesn't she qualify?).

Magic Mirror/Sidney: "You need a huntsman."

Dun dun DUUUNNNN. The HUNTSMAN!

Cut to the woods. There's the huntsman in action right there, downing a deer. 

It's GRAHAM!

He thanks the deer for its sacrifice and says he honors it.

A white wolf with one red eye and one black one approaches. He assures the wolf it will not go hungry that night. I guess the wolf is his pet?

Storybrooke, The Present--In bed with Regina, Graham wakes up after dreaming about this incident with the deer. He describes the dream to Regina, who gets a hint of concern in her voice when he mentions the wolf. He tells her it felt more like a memory than a dream, and he wants to leave. He left his car at Granny's, anyway.

Regina insists he should stay.

Graham: "When did you ever want me to stay?"

She says he's either not well or still drunk, and should come back to bed. He does not.

When next we see him, Graham is fumbling for his car keys next to his car, when he is approached on the streets of Storybrooke by the same wolf from his dream/memory.

He is surprised/aghast/horrified/bewildered. All those things.

The wolf looks him in the eye, and then walks away.

The next morning, at Snow's apartment, there are flowers on the table. Emma throws them away.

Emma: "If he thinks flowers will work on me...."

Snow tells her the flowers were hers. They're from Dr. Frankenstein, with whom Snow just had a one-night stand. She's never had one before, and she feels guilty.

Emma says there's nothing wrong with one-night stands, and it's pretty much all SHE ever has.

Snow: "Yeah, but that's because you...."

People aren't finishing their sentences very well at Snow's place today.

Emma is justifiably defensive and demands to know what Snow means. Snow gently and delicately (don't poke the bear, Snow) tells her that she has these emotional walls that keep people from getting too close. While the walls are understandable, Snow thinks Emma obviously has feelings for Graham. 

The walls may protect her, Snow warns, but they may also keep out love.

Successfully deflecting the conversation away from her one-night stand with Dr. Frankenstein, Snow leaves to go teach.

In the woods of Storybrooke, Graham is all sweaty and crazy-eyed, and is searching for the wolf. He thinks he found it, but it's only Rumplestiltskin, screwing around in the brush. Rumple claims he's gardening. The apron he's wearing and shovel he's carrying say otherwise.

Graham says he's looking for a wolf, but Rumple says there ARE no wolves in Storybrooke's woods. He also tells Graham that some people say dreams are memories of another life. Wishing Graham luck on his wolf search, Rumple ambles off to wherever Rumple goes. Maybe his shop. Who knows. He has a house somewhere in town, but we hardly ever have scenes there.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Graham and his pet wolf are at a tavern. The other customers say they heard he was raised by wolves and cries over his kills. Graham ignores them, but the jerks continue to bully him, asking him what kind of man cries over animals.

Graham: "An honorable one."

Graham says he has honor, and animals have honor. The tavern bullies approach him and provoke his wolf. When the wolf bares its teeth, a dude threatens to hang it on his wall. 

That's when Graham uses a handy dagger to kill the bully.

He and the wolf leave the tavern. They don't know Regina has been watching them through Magic Mirror/Sidney. 

Regina: "He's perfect. Bring him to me."

Storybrooke, The Present--Graham is still going crazy searching for that wolf. He catches a glimpse of it, and the wolf allows him to approach.

Graham: "What do you want?"

The wolf starts to walk away, but Graham calls it back. The wolf returns and lets Graham pet it.

When he pets the wolf, he remembers almost killing Snow White back in the Enchanted Forest. When the memory is over, Graham opens his eyes and the wolf is gone.

What do you do when you've just remembered almost killing Snow White? Why, you go talk to her, of course. Graham shows up at Snow's classroom, just as her students are leaving. He tells her he thinks they know each other.

Well, of course they do, Snow gently agrees.

That's not what Graham meant.

Graham: "I mean, from another life."

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Regina's castle looks like it's made of swords. It's a sharp place for a person who is painful for everyone to be around (or to have on their TV screens). One of her Black Guards brings her the huntsman. He won't give her his real name, so she will just call him the huntsman. 

It seems it IS true that his parents gave him to wolves to raise. Graham says the wolves are his real family.

Blah, blah, blah.....Regina wants him to take Snow White's heart....blah, blah, blah.

If he does it, he will have a place of luxury at her castle, where he will want for nothing. Graham is not impressed. But, he DOES agree he is the type of person to kill an innocent and carve out their heart for Regina's collection, just because.

Rather than a place at her castle, Graham wants Regina to outlaw the hunting of wolves in the kingdom. Instead, they are to be protected.

Regina agrees, and Graham goes after Snow.

Storybrooke, The Present--Graham asks Snow when they met. A while ago, she says. She's not sure when, exactly. Neither is Graham. He can't remember when he met ANYONE in town, except Emma and Henry. Isn't that weird? Snow isn't sure.

Snow's explanation is that it's just life, that things get hazy. Yeah, go with that Snow.

Graham asks Snow if he ever hurt her. Snow assures him he hasn't.

He asks her if she believes in other lives. She thinks he means heaven. He doesn't. He doesn't even mean reincarnation. He's not sure what he means. 

Snow thinks she knows what he means....Henry's theory about how everyone in town is a storybook character who has lost their memory. It's ridiculous, of course, she says. Graham gets a look that might as well have been a light bulb appearing over his head.

Snow feels his forehead and says he's feverish and should go home. He leaves, but I'm pretty sure he's not going home.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Snow and Graham walk along together in the woods, Snow reminiscing about times with her father, Graham disguised as a Black Guard. Snow quickly decides he's not really a palace guard, because every one of them, without fail, have offered her their condolences about her father when they've been alone with her, and he didn't. 

She takes an apple out of her dress pocket and munches it. She doesn't seem too concerned about being alone in the woods with an imposter.

Snow is smart. She guesses Regina wants him to kill her. She is correct. Snow has some moves, and temporarily disables him, but he isn't down long. The chase is on.

Storybrooke, The Present--Emma is cleaning up at the Storybrooke jail and police station. Regina enters, and says she knows Graham and Emma kissed, because she "has eyes everywhere." She warns her to stay away from Graham. Emma correctly says her personal life is none of Regina's business. 

Well, that's just not true, Regina insists, not when it interferes in HER life. She knows Emma is incapable of loving anyone (wishful thinking, Regina, as Emma clearly loves Henry), but she believes Emma is putting dangerous thoughts in Graham's head that will lead him down a path of self-destruction.

Without bothering to clarify what she meant, Regina leaves Emma alone to do her deputy job.

Graham next goes to Regina's house once more, but not to see Regina. Henry answers the door, and Graham straight-up asks him if HE is in Henry's storybook.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Snow sits on a log in the forest, writing a letter. Graham walks up on her, incredulous she would be doing this when he is hunting her. 

Snow says she doesn't know the woods (she will later), and she knows how this ends, with him eventually finding her. He agrees. 

She hands him the letter and asks him to give it to Regina after he kills her, and to tell Regina Snow means every word in it.

Graham reads the letter, and a tear rolls down his cheek. He pulls out his sword, and Snow smiles, raising her head to the sky and closing her eyes, shaking a little, but ready to take it. Graham brings down the sword, but doesn't hurt Snow. In fact, he totally misses her on purpose.

Instead, he gives her a whistle, and tells her if she is ever in danger, to use it to call for assistance. I assume it brings one of his wolf family. Snow doesn't understand why he didn't kill her, but he tells her to get out of there. She does. Graham watches her go.

Storybrooke, The Present--Henry asks when Graham's flashes of Enchanted Forest memory began, and he says after he kissed Emma.

Henry, disgusted: "You kissed my mom?"

He asks what Graham saw. Graham says he had a knife, a wolf, and was with Snow, trying to hurt her.

That's all the info Henry needs.

Henry: "You're the Huntsman."

Henry goes on to explain that Graham was raised by wolves, and the wolf he saw is his friend and guide. He also shows Graham a picture of him as the Huntsman in the storybook.

Graham is skeptical he is remembering all this because he kissed Emma. Henry says they have a special connection, because Emma owes Graham her life. Snow is Emma's mother. If he had killed Snow, Emma wouldn't have been born.

And what happened after he didn't kill Snow White? Graham wants to know.

Henry sadly informs him Regina took his heart, because she didn't want him to be able to feel anything.

"It's kind of her thing," Henry says about his adoptive mother's penchant for taking people's hearts.

Graham asks to see the book again. Henry obliges. He finds a picture of Regina standing in front of her Vault O'Hearts. The wolf was trying to lead him there. He is supposed to find his heart. The wolf was trying to lead him to his heart. He leaves to go find it.

Graham encounters Emma on the street. She somehow already knows he went to Henry for consultation. He talks about going to find his heart, and Emma quickly realizes he isn't talking in metaphors. She places her hand over his heart and tells him it's there and beating, so it's real and where it's supposed to be.

Graham looks like he wishes this was true, but says it's just a trick of the curse. The wolf appears and Emma sees it. She and Graham chase the wolf to the Vault O'Hearts in the deep Storybrooke woods.

Graham wants to go in and find his heart. Emma tries to dissuade him, but when she can't, she opens the vault and they enter it.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Graham gives Regina the letter Snow wrote. In the letter, Snow tells Regina that she knows Regina will never have love because of her, and so it is only fitting that Snow be denied it, too. She hopes Regina will rule over her father's subjects with kindness and compassion. She also wants Regina to know she forgives her, and welcomes Graham killing her.

Regina is pissed and throws the letter in the fireplace. 

Why does Regina hate such a good person so much, Graham asks?

Because Regina told her a secret and Snow couldn't keep it, and that betrayal cost Regina dearly. Regina doesn't elaborate.

Blah, blah, blah, Graham tricks Regina with the deer's heart. Regina realizes the trick.

Storybrooke, The Present--Graham is looking all over for a hidden door or lever that will reveal the room with his heart. He's got his hands all over vases and such. Emma tells Graham it will be okay, and seems legit concerned about him.

Regina shows up and asks why they are there. They want to know why SHE is there. Why, she's there to put flowers on her (murdered by her to cast the curse) father's grave like she does every Wednesday. Regina says Graham should go home or go with her.

Only, Graham doesn't want to go with her.

Regina (looking at Emma): "Oh, but you'll go with HER."

Emma wishes to be left out of this, as it has nothing to do with her. Graham agrees. He tells Regina he doesn't feel anything and wishes to change that. 

Graham: "It's not me, Regina. It's you."

Haha! He reverse "it's not you, it's me"-ed her. 

Regina (looking at Emma): "So, you're leaving me for her."

Graham: "Actually, I'm leaving you for me."

He tells her he would rather have nothing than to be with her.

Regina yells at Emma, wondering aloud what she ever did to Emma that makes Emma want to come after everything she holds dear. Graham reminds Regina that this has nothing to do with Emma.

Actually, Emma thinks it might have everything to do with Regina. Walking around Graham and Regina and thinking out loud, Emma points out that Henry came to find HER (Emma), Graham kissed HER (Emma), and both guys were miserable. 

Maybe, Emma taunts, Regina should look in the mirror and ask herself why everyone is running away from her. What is she doing to make all these people want to get away from her?

Regina punches Emma in the face. 

Graham is outraged.

Emma punches Regina in the face right back, and throws her up against one of the columns on the vault. Graham has to pull the two fighting women apart.

Emma stalks off, saying Regina isn't worth it. Graham bails, too, leaving Regina alone in the woods.

Back at the Storybrooke jail and police station, Graham puts an ice pack on Emma's head. He says he doesn't know what came over him, being with Regina. Emma understands. Sometimes, she says, feeling nothing is better when what you do feel is not making you happy. 

They look like they're going to kiss again.

However, in the Vault O'Hearts, Regina moves her father's cement tomb to reveal a set of stairs going downward.

Enchanted Forest, The Past--Regina takes Graham's heart, puts it in her vault, and informs him he is now her pet, forever. She orders her Black Guards to take Graham to her bedchamber.

Storybrooke, The Present--Regina brought her heart collection over from the Enchanted Forest. She finds the box that holds Graham's.

At the Storybrooke jail and police station, Emma kisses Graham, and he gets ALL his memories back. 

In the vault, Regina picks up Graham's heart.

At the police station, Graham tells a concerned Emma he remembers his entire life before the curse....his real one. He thanks her, and leans in for another kiss.

Regina squeezes Graham's heart.

Graham falls over, just as he's about to kiss Emma

Regina smashes Graham's heart into dust.

Graham is dead on the police station floor. 

Emma sobs.

Well, that was a happy tale. Incidentally, this show has a firm rule that any dead character can come back to life with relative ease, unless they are:

• Graham
• Henry's biological father (Seasons 2 and 3)
• Regina's boyfriend (Seasons 3, 4, and 5)

It's an unwritten, unstated rule, but pretty consistently applied.

Again, the writers of Lost bring you this show. The same ones who wanted to kill off Jack in the first episode to show the audience this was a show where anything could happen (the network wouldn't let them), and who wanted to kill off Charming for the same reason in the first episode of THIS show (the network wouldn't let them). So, I guess Graham was their first victim in their quest to be "surprising."

Ah, well. Graham will be waiting for you in his "play room" over in Fifty Shades of Grey world. If you want to check in with him.

Next: Season 1, Episode 8--"Desperate Souls"

*All photos are Creative Commons