This week on "Once Upon a Time," people seem to have moved on fairly quickly from Sheriff Graham's untimely demise.
Fairytale Land
Rumpelstiltskin, before he's who we all know and love, was a peasant farmer and the town coward. The Duke's men take his son Balthar to fight in the Ogre war. An old man approaches Rumpel to steal the dagger the Duke is using to enthrall the "dark one," which will help him keep his son safe. The old man says there is a name written on the dagger - the true name of the "dark one."
So Rumpel and his son set the Duke's castle on fire and Rumpel steals the dagger. He conjurs and takes control of the "dark one," then stabs him with the dagger and discovers it is now his name (Rumpelstiltskin) written on the dagger.
Rumpel is now the "dark one" and stands up to the Duke's guards when they come back for his son. But when he kills them all, it completely horrifies and frightens his son.
Storybrooke
The Mayor is promoting Sidney Glass from the Daily Mirror to the Sheriff's position over Emma, who should get the automatic promotion since she's the deputy. So Mr. Gold backs Emma to run against Sidney in an election.
In the election, it comes out that Emma gave birth to Henry in jail, which Regina leaked to Sidney for the paper. But while Emma and Regina are arguing about their opposing sides, a fire breaks out at City Hall. Emma saves the Mayor and confronts Mr. Gold about setting the fire. He needed her to be the hero in order to win the election.
Prior to the debate, Mary Margaret runs into David and they're adorable. And that's all we see of them this week. At the debate, Sidney is parroting all the Mayor told him to say, which is predictably a lot of mishmash (not unlike real-life debates). Emma goes for honesty about her troubled past and the fire being a set up. She comes totally clean.
After the debate, Henry is proud of Emma and vows not to give up on Operation Cobra. Then the Mayor comes in to announce that Emma won. And to scarily congratulate Emma on making an enemy of Mr. Gold.
Mr. Gold eventually comes to the Sheriff's office and we find out his plan all along was that Emma would rat him out and win over the town. He played her like a fiddle, and now he's salivating about her repaying the favor she owes him. Nice twist.
Thoughts & Tidbits
I love how the gist of the episode is "evil will always triumph over good because good is dumb." (Not exactly, but it's a fun "Spaceballs" quote). But it's a good theme - good won't fight as dirty as evil.
Was it weird for anyone else how easily Sheriff Graham's death was glossed over? We thought that would have more gravitas than it did.
It's interesting that Rumpel took over being the "dark one," I hope they explore that further in another episode, especially because Robert Carlyle is so great as Rumpel.
The smile on Lana Parrilla's face when she told Emma Mr. Gold makes a superlative enemy was terrifying, no? Could freeze fire.
