The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" is the 7th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
One of the town's residents begins to remember their fairytale past, and Storybrooke mourns the loss of one of their own. Meanwhile, in the fairytale world that was, the Evil Queen attempts to find a heartless assassin to murder Snow White.

Plot
"There is a town in Maine..."

We see an overview of the streets of Storybrooke, Maine. Emma Swan appraoches Granny's Bed and Breakfast, inside, she requests a room, Granny hands her a key - "Welcome to Storybrooke.". "Where every storybook character you've ever known..."

Henry Mills reads from his storybook and looks at a picture of the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming. Prince Charming kisses a sleeping Snow White who's lying in a glass coffin, awakening her. "Is trapped between two worlds..."

Mary Margaret Blanchard releases a blue bird from her hand out of the window of her classroom. Snow White releases a blue bird in the same fashion from her balcony. "An Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here?", Emma asks Henry. The Evil Queen crashes Snow and Charming's wedding. Regina Mills stares at Emma from her doorstep. "And now they don't remember who they are.", Henry tells Emma, answering her question. "Victims of a powerful curse..."

The Dark Curse envelopes Prince Charming's Castle. "Everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you.", Queen Regina promises in front of the kingdom whilst crashing the royal wedding. "Only one knows the truth..."

Regina looks down at Henry's storybook and then up to the mirror, worried about the safety of her curse. "And only one can break her spell..."

Emma stares back at Regina who's standing on her doorstep. "It's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings.", Henry tells Emma as the two of them sit on his "castle". "Enjoy your stay.", Mr. Gold tells Emma who's just asked for a room. The Storybrooke clock ticks.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
The shot moves up on a photograph of a deer and a dart is soon seen hitting it. Graham is the thrower of said dart, and is preparing himself to throw another, within Granny's Diner. He throws the second dart, hitting the deer picture on the dart board in a similar place as before. "Nice shot, chief. I bet you twenty bucks you can't do it again.", says Sidney Glass, sitting in one of the diner's booths. Graham downs a drink which is served to him by Ruby, and he throws the dart, hitting the picture precisely in the deer's face. Sidney is surprised. Emma walks out of the bathroom and is surprised to see Graham, "Emma, what can I get you?", Ruby asks, "Nothing.", Emma states, walking past Graham and to the diner's door. As Emma is about to leave, Graham throws a fourth dart in her direction, it hits the door frame rigt next to her, she is startled, as is everyone else in the diner. "What the hell?! You could have hit me!", Emma exclaims, "I never miss.", Graham says, shrugging. Graham begins to walk towards Emma, "Have you been avoiding me? Since last night when you saw me-", "Leaving the mayor? And yes, that is a euphamism. I'm not avoiding you, Graham, I just have no interest in having this conversation. It's your life, I really don't care.", Emma tells him. The blonde leaves the diner.

Soon, Graham is walking after Emma down the street, "If you don't care, then why're you so upset?!", Graham asks, "I'm not upset!", Emma exclaims, "If that were true, you'd be at the bar with me having drink and not running away.", he tells her, running in front of her, stopping her so that they may talk. "It's none of my business, really.", she tells him, walking past him. "But can we please talk about this? I need you to understand.", Graham says, stopping Emma again, "Why?!", she asks, "I don't know, maybe so... I can understand.", he tells her, "IF you want analysis, go talk to Archie!", Emma recommends, "I want to talk to you.", he explains. "Well, your bad judgement is your problem, not mine.", she tells him before walking away again, Graham walks after her, "You don;t know what it's like with her, I don't feel anything!", Graham exclaims, stopping Emma yet again. He asks her if she can understand that, "A bad relationship, yeah, I understand a bad relationship, I just don't wanna talk about yours.", she says, continuing to walk with Graham not far behind. "Look, I know you and Regina have your own issues and I should've told you about that before you took the job.", he explains, walking in front of her, "Yeah, why the secrecy?! We're all adults, you can do whatever you want!", Emma tells him, "Because I... I didn't want you to look at me how you are right now.", he explains. Emma asks him why he cares how she looks at him, "Because...", he starts, "What?", Emma asks, impatiently, Graham says nothing, he merely leans in and kisses her.

As this happens, Graham is startled as he has flashes of another life, he sees the trees of the Enchanted Forest and a wolf walking down a hill within it, the wolf growls and the shot moves in on its eyes, one normal, one red.

"What the hell was that?!", Emma yells, backing out of the kiss, a frightened Graham asks her if she saw what he saw, Emma asks him how much he's been drinking, telling him that that was way over the line. "I'm sorry, I just...", he tries, "What?! You what?!", Emma yells, madly, "I need to feel something.", he tells her. "Listen to me, Graham, you are drunk and full of regret, I get it, but whatever it is you are looking to feel, I can tell you one thing: you're not getting it with me.", Emma states bluntly. Emma walks across the street, leaving Graham alone. He does not follow.

Later, Sheriff Graham knocks on Regina's door, a light turns on and Regina answers it, she is surprised to see him, "Is Henry asleep?", he asks, "Yes, why?", she tells him, Graham walks in and kisses Regina, she pulls him away but he persists, he gives in and the door closes. He begins to kiss her neck and the shot moves into her eye, leading into the fairytale land that was.

Within the past land, the shot moves into the Dark Palace and a distressed looking Queen Regina is seen looking out over the Enchanted Forest. She sees on a floor below her, a figure walking towards a tomb. Snow White places a white rose upon the tomb of her father, King Leopold, she is deeply saddened. "Goodbye, father.", Snow weeps, Regina walks up behind the princess and lightly touches her shoulder, shocking her slightly, she turns to her stepmother, "I'm so sorry, Snow.", Regina tells her. "I loved him so much.", Snow cries, Regina hugs her crying stepdaughter, "So did I, dear. So did I.", she says, sounding sincere. "The loss I feel for my husband must be nothing compared for the loss you feel for your father.", Regina states, "If tehre is anything I can do, please let me know. I may only be your mother through marriage, but I'm here for you, dear. Truly and forever.", the queen offers. Snow hugs her again.

Queen Regina walks through her castle, "Congratulations, your revenge is almost complete.", he Magic Mirror tells her. "One down, one to go.", Regina states, happily. She walks towards her dressing table and the magic mirror appears in another, "She has no idea, does she?", she asks, "That I'm responsible for his passing? She sought comfort with me.", Regina says, sitting down. "Sickening. I could've ended her miserable existence right there. Believe me, it was tempting.", the queen says. "It would have sated your soul.", the mirror tells her, Regina goes on to mention how the kingdom's still loyal to Snow and would turn on her if she killed her - "They don;t know the retcheantness inside her like I do. They don't know what she did to me.", she says. She leans into her mirror, "We msut be delicate in this next phase. Her demise must be handled with care.", Regian stands up and walks past another mirror which the magic one appears in, "Perhaps one of your knights, your majesty.", he suggests, "No, I need someone adept at murder.", Regina tells him, saying she needs someone with no mercy, the Magic Mirror suggests someone with no heart, "Now you understand.", she tells him, "Well, in that case, you need a huntsman.", he suggests. Regina is intrigued.

Elsewhere in the Enchanted Forest, a deer is feeding from the floor and hears something, it begins to run but an arrow is soon fired at it and it drops to the floor, dead. The Huntsman, Sheriff Graham's counterpart, approaches the animal, having just killed it, and crouches over it, "You have died so that I may live. Forgive me. Your sacrifice is honorable. I thank you.", the Huntsman tells the beast, crying. The Huntsman places his hand around the arrow in the deer and hears a wolf, he looks up to see one with one normal eye and one red eye, it walks towards him. "Don;t worry, boy. You won't go hungry tonight.", the Hunstman promises the wolf, pulling the bloody arrow out of the deer.

In Storybrooke, Graham wakes up in Regina's bed, sitting up, shocked. "What is it?", Regina asks, placing a hand on his arm, "I just has the most intense dream, I was... in the woods... hunting... and I killed a deer... there was a wolf.", he says, confused, Regina reacts to this, "A wolf?", she asks, sitting up. "And its eyes, one was blood red, the other was black as night. The funny thing is... I think I've seen the wolf before.", he says, exhaling heavily. Regina tells him to come back to bed, assuring him that it was just a dream. "It didn't feel like a dream... it felt like a memory.", he tells her. Regina becomes worried. Graham stands up out of bed and begins to get dressed, telling Regina that he needs some air and time to think. Regina asks her lover to return to bed, says he left his credit card somehwere and needs to go get it, he sits on the bed to put his boots on. "Graham, it's late, you're tired, you're still drunk, don't leave.", she asks of him, "Since when did you want me to stay, anyway?", Graham asks. She tells him that he's not well but he assures her that he's fine, Graham leaves and Regina is wary.

Outside, a scruffy Graham appraoches his sheriff's car, he drops his keys and crouches down to pick them up, however, before grabbing them, he looks up to see that standing before him is a wolf with one eye that's blood red and the other that's black as night. He backs away, shocked to the core. The wolf soon walks away and a creeped out Graham leans against his car, shaken.

Act II
Emma walks down the stairs at her apartment to discover a bouquet of flowers on the table, assuming that they're an apologetic gift from Graham, Emma prepares to throw them in the trash, however, Mary Margaret sees this and quickly stops her, asking her what she's doing, Emma throws them in the trash can, "If Graham thinks flowers will work on me-", "No, those... were mine.", Mary Margaret says, "Oh... from David?", Emma asks, applying her coat, "No, er... Dr. Whale.", Mary Margaret admits. Emma begins to wonder why Dr. Whale would send her flowers but soon gets the message - he and Mary Margaret slept together. "Are you serious?", Emma says, "I know, it's a disaster.", Mary Margaret tells her, however, Emma assures her that it's amazing as she's getting over David. "First of all, there's nothing to get over, and second of all... it's just a one-night stand.", Mary Margaret says, "Not according to those flowers.", Emma points out, Mary Margaret admits that she perhaps shouldn't have called him, "Oh, my God. You called him?", Emma says, registering this as a mistake, "That is definitely not a one-night stand.", she tells her roommate. Mary Margaret tells her friend that she's still learning as she;s never had one before, she says she feels guilty, "Why? There's nothing wrong with what you did. Trust me... one-nighters is as far as I ever go.", Emma assures her. "Well, yeah, but that's because you're-", "Because I'm what?", Emma asks, "Never mind.", Mary Margaret tells her, turning backt o her coffee, "No, tell me, what do I do?", Emma insists, Mary Margaret pauses, "...you're just protecting yourself... with that wall you put up.", she spits out. Emma says that she doesn't get emotional over men but Mary Margaret tells her that what she did to the flowers tells a different story. "What story's that?", Emma wonders, "The one that's obvious to everyone except, aparantly, you. That you have feelings for Graham.", Mary Margaret tells her, Emma is refusant to believe this, Mary Margaret points out that she's using the wall. Emma tries to tell her that it's not a wall but Mary Margaret is refusant to believe this. "There's nothing wrong with being cautious.", Emma tells Mary Margaret who's fished the flowers from the trash can and is now placing them in a vase with some water, "True, but Emma, that wall fo yours... it may keep out pain... but it also may keep out love.", Mary Margaret warns her. Mary Margaret takes the vase and leaves, leaving Emma to ponder what her friend just told her.

In Storybrooke's forest, Sheriff Graham is running through it and comes to a sudden stop, seeing a rustling in the bushes, having presumably followed the wolf. The person causing the rustling is soon seen to be none other that Mr. Gold, "Good morning, sheriff. Sorry if I startled you.", Gold tells him, "Sorry, I thought you were a wolf.", Graham tells him, "Did I forget to shave?", Gold jokes, "What are you doing out here so early?", Graham wonders, Mr. Gold says that he was just doing a spot of gardening and asks Graham the likewise question, "I was looking for a-", "A wolf." Gold nods, "Yeah, I think I'm beginning to catch on. You know, to the best of my knowledge, sheriff, there are no wolves in Storybrooke... not the literall kind, anyway. Why are you looking?", Mr. Gold asks, "You'll think I'm crazy.", "Try me.", Gold says, "...I saw one in my dreams... and then I saw one for real. Just a couole hours ago. Did you see anything unusual out there?", asks Graham. Gold walks closer to Graham, looking at the shovel in his hand, "I'm afraid not.", he tells him, saying that he wishes he could be more helpful. "You know, sheriff... they say that dreams, dreams are memories... memories of another life.", Mr. Gold informs him. This deeply confuses Graham and he is wished luck by Mr. Gold, "I do hope you find waht you're looking for.", Gold says before leaving. Graham continues to trek through the woods.

In the fairyatle land that was, the Huntsman and his wolf are walking through the Enchanted Forest, the Huntsman comes across a bar and decides to go in.

Inside, the Huntsman and his wolf walk through and sit down, becoming at everyone's eye, "They're letting animals in here now? This isn't a slaughter house.", says a guy at the bar. "Forget him, he might as well be one too, I heard he was raised by him.", says another guy, "He does smell like him.", says the first guy, "Pathetic, I hear he cries over his kills, can you believe that?", asks the second guy. The first guy downs his drink and appraoches the Huntsman, "Tell me, Hunstman, what kind of man cries over an animal?", he asks, "An honorable one.", the Huntsman tells him, the guy asks him what he knows about honor, "I have it, they have it, you don't.", the Huntsman explains. "Animals have it?", the guy asks, "They're pure of heart, not selfish, and self-serving, like... people", the Huntsman tells him. The wolf growls madly at this, "You tell him to stop threatening me.", the guy says, "Because, do you know what I do to pets who threaten me?", he asks, drawing his sword at the growling wolf, "I hang them on my wall.", the guy finishes. At this attack, the Huntsman quickly draws his dagger and stabs the guy in the shoulder, he drops to the floor, "He's not a pet.", the Huntsman tells him. The second guy runs at hm witha sword but the Huntsman grabs him and smashes his head into a mirror, knocking him unconscious. A thrid guy approaches the Huntsman witha sword and so he grabs a large shard of the mirror and approaches the guy with it, he backs off. The Huntsman places down the shard and looks at his reflection.

The Evil Queen is watching the scene of the Huntsman through her Magic Mirror, "He's perfect.", she mentions, "Bring him to me.", she requests. Her soldiers nod.

Sheriff Graham continues to run speedily through the woods of Storybrooke, he stops momentarily when he hears a wolf's howl and decides to follow the noise, still running. Soon, Graham hears another howl and a growl and then sees the wolf running throught the forest, Graham follows the wolf and eventually becomes face to face with it. Its red eye and black eye both stare at him, "What do you want?!", Graham exclaims. The wolf stares at him before walking away, Graham gives a whistle and the wolf stops, it walks towards its master and Graham strokes the creature.

Suddenly, Graham has another set of flashes, it begins with Snow White, of a knife being drawn on her, he then sees the wolf howling followed by a strange symbol on a roof.

Graham snaps out of it only to realize that the wolf is now gone, he looks at the forest around him but there is no sign of the animal. Graham leaves the forest, confused.

The school bell rings and the children leave Miss Blanchard's class as Graham walks in, "Mary Margaret...", he says, addressing the teacher, "Can I talk to you?", he asks. "Graham, what's the matter, are you okay?", she wonders, "I think we, um... I think we know each other.", he tells her, "Of course we do.", she tells him, "No, no, no. Not from here. Not from Storybrooke.", "From where then?", she asks him, "...another life.", he tells her. Mary Margaret is intrigued.

Act III
In the fairytale land that was, in the Dark Palace, Queen Regina sits as the Huntsman is introduced to her by one of her guards. "Do you have a name? Or should I just call you 'the Huntsman'?", Regina asks, he is silent and so she stands up and walks towards him, "You're a tortured one, aren't you, Huntsman? Is this because your parents abandoned you to the wolves?", she asks, "Those weren't my parents, all they did was give birth to me. The wolves are my family.", he tells her, "Wolves indeed.", she says. "I alwaysd felt there were two kinds of people... wolves and sheep. Those who kill and those who get killed. And you, Huntsman, you are most certainly a wolf.", Regina tells him, "Why am I here?", he asks, "I'd like you to kill someone for me, can ou do that?", she requests, "I kill for me," he points out, "Why would I do anything for you?", "Because I have so much to offer. A place at my court. You will become my official Huntsman.", she offers. He tells her that he has no interest in being a pet and likens Regina's palace to a cage. She says she can offer him luxury but he points out that she has an army at her disposal and asks what she needs of him. "My prey is beloved by all the kingdom, I need someone who won't be blinded by that, someone without compassion, someone whowill have no quarms carving a heart out and bringing it back for my collection.", she says sternly, placing a hand upon his chest which he shakes off. "That's me.", he confirms, "As I suspected... Now tell me,, what will it take?", she asks, walking past him. "What do you want?2, she asks, turning to him, "There must be something,", the queen says. The Huntsman requests that there will be no more hunting of wolves, that they are to be left alone, that they are to be protected. "...simple enough.", she tells him, closing the deal, "So, who do you want me to kill?", the Huntsman asks.

Mary Margaret sits in her classroom, listening to Sheriff Graham, "Mary Margaret, how long have we known each other?", he asks her. She pauses. "Um, I don't know. A while.", she tells him, "Do you remember when we met?", he asks her, sitting down, she goes to answer but stops herself, realizing she cannot remember, "...um... no.", she tells him, "Me neither. I can't remember when I met you or when I met anyone. Isn't that odd?", he asks the teacher, "I don't know... I suppose...", she says, now utterly confused. "I think that's just life,", she says, "Things get hazy.". "Have I ever hurt you?", Graham asks, worried, "Oh, Graham, no, of course not, what is going on?", she asks him. "Do you believe in other lives?", he wonders, "You mean like Heaven?", she asks, "I mean like past lives.", he tells her, she laughs, "You've been talking to Henry.", she notes, "Henry?", Graham is curious, "Well he has this book of stories, he's been going on about how he thinks we're all characters from them. Of another land. We've forgotten who we are. Which, of course, makes no sense.", she assures him. "Right... no, of course.", he agrees. Mary Margaret places her forearm on his forhead and tells him that he's burning up, she tells him to go home and get some rest, thinking that he'll be much better once he's had some sleep. "Right, you're absolutely right.", she tells her, apologizing for disturbing her. He thanks her before leaving and she begins to really think about what he said.

In the Enchanted Forest, the Huntsman, dressed in the armor of Regina's soliders, is walking Snow White through the woods. She tells him that when she was a little girl, the forest was her favorite place, saying it felt like a cradle that allowed her to feel safe, she says she looks forward to returning to it now. The Huntsman adjusts his helemt, "Stuffy in there?", she asks him, he removes the helmet altogether and Snow retrieves two apples from her satchel, offering him one, he refuses it. Snow takes a large bite from her apple and pauses, "You're not knight, are you?", she asks him, "What makes you say that?", he wonders, "Without fail, every one of my father's men has offered me condolences... except you.", she points out, "Please accept my condolences.", he requests, "And they all know how to wear armor. She picked you to take me. Why?", Snow asks, "I think you know.", he tells her, "You're going to kill me.", she states, "You have good instincts.", "And you have too much armor.", she tells him, he begins to take out a knife and so Snow picks up a large log from the ground and strikes the Huntsman with it, flooring him, before speeding away into the forest herself. The Huntsman stands up and begins to chase the princess.

In the sheriff's office in Storybrooke, Emma places some files on her desk and throws a dart at the dart borad, missing it completely. She picks the dart up off the floor, "Our tax dollars hard at work, I see.", says Regina, walking into the office. "Graham isn't here. I assumed he took a sick day... with you.", Emma tells the mayor, pulling the darts fromt he board. "Oh, so you're aware of us.", Regina notes, "Good. That's why I'm here. Because I'm also aware of your relationship with him.", Regina tells her, "I don't have a relationship with him.", Emma makes clear. "Oh? So nothing's ever happened between the two of you?", Regina asks, Emma smiles, "You forget, Miss Swan, I have eyes everywhere.", Regina reminds her, "Not that it meant anything.", Emma tells her, "Well, of course not, Because you're incapable of feeling anything for anyone. There's a reason you're alone, isn't there?", "All due respect, the way I live my life is my business.", Emma tells the mayor. "It is until it infringes on my life. Stay away from Graham. You may think you're doing nothing, but you're putting thoughts in his head, thoughts that are not in his best interest. You are leading him on a path of self-destruction... stay away.", Regina warns the deputy. The mayor leaves and Emma is confused.

Sheriff Graham rings Regina's doorbell and Henry answers, he greets the sheriff, telling him his mom's not there, "Actually, I'm here to see you, Henry. I was hoping you could help me.", Graham tells him, "Help you with what?", Henry wonders, "It's about your book, am I... in it?", Graham asks.

Act IV
Snow White is sitting on a large log in the Enchanted Forest, writing a letter as she does so, she hears rustling in the bushes near her and knows it's the Huntsman who's been sent to kill her, she begins to write faster. The Huntsman sees her, "I hunt you so you stop to compose a letter? I will never understand your kind.", he tells her. "I don't know these woods, you're obviously a skilled hunter, you'd find me. No matter what I do, I know how this ends.", she tells him, he agrees with this. She tells him that there's one thing she needs him to do for her after he kills her, she finishes the letter and hands it to him - "Please deliver this to the queen.", she requests. "Your trick won't work on me.", he tells her, "It's not a trick,", she assures him, "Please, give it to her. Tell her I mean every word.", she says, tearing up. The Hintsman takes the letter and unfolds it, ready to read, he reads the letter as Snow White sadly anticipates her fate. After finishing the letter, the Huntsman is tearing up himself. The hunter raises his knife and prepares to plunge it into the princesses' heart, however, when he stabs down he shears a plant stem from a bush next to her, an expectant Snow White is stunned. He makes a couple of cuts into the stem with his knife and hands it to Snow, telling her to use it whenever she needs help, she accepts it but is crying and confused, he explains that it's a whistle and it'll bring her aid and she'll be led to safety, "I don't understand, are you not going to kill me?", she weeps, "Run!", he exclaims. Snow obliges, taking the whistle, standing up from the log and running in a random direction throught the forest. As the princess flees, the Huntsman sees a near-by deer and gets an idea.

The same deer is seen in Henry's storybook before the boy turns the page, "When did your flashes begin?", Henry asks Graham, the two of them sitting on the former's bed, storybook at hand, "Right after I kissed Emma", Graham explains, "You kissed my mom?!", Henry exclaims, before asking the sheriff what he saw. "A wolf. I saw that I had a knife in my hand. And I was with Mary Margaret.", he explains, "Were you about to hurt her?", Henry asks, figuring it out. "Yes. How do you know that?", "Mary Margaret is Snow White...", Henry explains, turning the page, "Which makes you... the Huntsman.", he deciphers, turing to a page of the book with a picture of the Huntsman on it, "So you really think that I could be another person~", Graham wonders, "Makes total sense, you were raised by wolves, that's why you keep seeing one. It's your friend, your guide. It's trying to help you.", Henry tells him. Graham asks how he's remembering this just because he kissed Emma, he wonders how that's possible, "Well, you two do have a special connection. She owes you her life.", he says, Graham asks why, Henry explains that Snow White's Emma's mother, and he spared her - "If you hadn't... my mom wouldn't have been born.", he tells him. Graham asks what happened after he spared Snow White. "The queen took your heart. She ripped it out. It's kinda her thing. She never wwanted you to be able to feel again.", this deeply worried Graham and he asks to see the book, he turns to a page of the Evil Queen standing in front of a mausoleum with a symbol on the roof, "What is that?", he asks, "I saw that too, the wolf was howling at it.", Graham tells the kid, "That's her vault. It's where she put your heart.", Henry informs him, "The wolf wants me to find it... Thank you, Henry.", Graham says, handing him the book back, Graham runs out of the room.

Outside, Emma steps out of her bug to greet Graham who's walking out of the mayor's house, "I heard you're having a rough day.", Emma says, "Who says?", he asks, "Pretty much everyone.", she tells him, saying he should go home and get some rest. He assures her that he's fine, "Okay, you're not fine, you just went to see a ten-year-old for help.", she points out, "He's the only one making any sense.", Graham tells her, Emma asks him what's going on - "What's really going on?", she asks. "It's my heart, Emma, I need to find it.", he tells her, she asks him how he's planning to do that, "I just need to follow the wolf.", he informs her. "What wolf?", she asks, "From my dreams, It's going to help me find my heart.", he tells her, in all seriousness. "I'm sorry, I thought we were talking in a metaphor here, do you really think you don't have a heart?", "It's the only thing that makes sense. That's... that's the only thing that explains why I don't feel anything.", he says. "Listen to me Graham,", Emma instructs him, "You have a heart... I can rpove it.", she assures him after he shakes his head at this. The deputy places her hand upon the left side of the sheriff's chest, feeling for a heart beat, he seems doubtful but she assures him that it's beating and that it's real, he shakes his head again. At this, Emma the places Graham's own hand upon his chest so that he may feel his own heart beating, "Feel that?, she asks, "That is your heart.", "No, it's the curse.", he tells her, shaking her off. "You can't really believe it's true?", Emma wonders, she soon looks at something behind Graham and becomes stunned, speechless, he asks her what's wrong befor turning around to see his wolf, one red eye, one black one. They are both shocked and both of them begin to chase after the wolf as it runs away.

Soon, Emma and Graham are chasing the wolf through a graveyard, it stops and looks at them with it's different-coloured eyes and Graham stops, Emma does the same. He assures her that it won't hurt them and Emma watches worridly as it howls. It walks around before trotting off and Graham runs after it, a tuckered out Emma runs after him again. It runs past a mausoleum and Graham and Emma stop at it, the wolf is gone, Grahm looks up at the symbol on the roof and sees that it's exactly the same as in Henry's storybook as well as in his flashes. "What is it?", Emma asks, "It's my heart,", Graham says, staring up at the symbol, "It's in there.".

Act V
Emma and Graham stand outside of the mausoleum that supposadly contains the latter's heart, it's now dark out and Graham shines his torch on the building, "I have to look in there.", he tells Emma, moving towards it, however, she restrains him, telling him to stop, he begs her to let him in, "Come on, you really think your heart is in there?", she asks him, he nods very seriously and Emma suggests that they find out. The deputy walks up to the door of the mausoleum and tries to open it, however, the doors are locked, and, after several pushes fail, Emma steps back and simply kicks the door in, causing it to swing open. Her and Graham walk inside as the shot moves up to the symbol on the mausoleum roof.

In the Dark Palace of the fairytale land that was, the Huntsman is walked through the halls by one of Regina's guards, and told by him to wait. As the Huntsman obliges, the guard leaves, it is not long before the Evil Queen shows up. She walks closer to him and asks him if Snow's dead, the Huntsman lifts his satchel, "The young girl's heart, as you requested.", he tells her, she goes to grab it but he pulls it away, telling her that first, there's something he must do. The Huntsman pulls Snow's letter from his pocket and holds it before Regina, "What's this?", the queen asks, "The girl wanted you to have it.", the Huntsman explains. Regina pauses before requesting that the Huntsman read it to her, the Huntsman obliges and begins to read aloud... "Dearest stepmother, by the time you read this, I will be dead. I understand that you will never have love in your life because of me, so it's only fitting that I be denied that same joy as well. For the sake of the kingdom, I hope my death satisfies your need for revenge, allowing you to rule my father's subjects as they deserve: with compassion and a gentle hand. I know what you think you're doing is vengeance, I prefer to think of it as sacrifice for the good of all. With that in mind, I welcome the end. I want you to take my last message to heart, I'm sorry, and I forgive you."

- Snow White

The Huntsman finishes reading, however, the letter seems to have made Regina far more angry. The queen seizes the letter from his hand and stroms over to her fireplace, throwing it into the flames, fuelled with rage, "Don't tell me you're becoming a sheep!", she exclaims. "She put others before herself, and yet you hate her. What did she do to you?", the Huntsman asks, "I shared a secret with her,", Regina tells him, "And she couldn't keep it. And that betrayal cost me dearly.". Regina walks away fromt he fireplace and storms up to the Huntsman, "Now show me her heart!", Regina shouts, the Huntsman slowly removes his satchel but Regina snatches it from his hands, hastily walking to her vault in the next room, with drawers filled with hearts. There is a chest reserved for Snow's heart and Regina removes it from the satchel, holding it in her hand, staring at it, she opens the chest and slowly places the heart inside, closing the lid. The Huntsman seems relieved but when Regina goes to place the chest amongst the others, she stops. The queen pops the chest open and lets it drop to the floor, holding a heart in her hand, she angrily walks towards the Huntsman, "This isn't her heart! This isn't a human heart! What did you do?!", she exclaims, squaring up to him.

Graham shines his torch around the mausoleum, in Storybrooke, "It's gotta be in here,", he tells Emma, "Somewhere.". He begins to look around at random objects, inculding the tomb, he says that there'll be a hidden door or lever, he grabs a pot from a shelf and tries to pry it open, however, it won't budge and he returns it to its position. Emma stops him, "Graham, Graham... there's nothing in here.", she assures him, he tells her that there has to be. She tries to reassure him that it's going to be okay and Grahm looks at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!", exclaims Regina from outside the building. The sheriff and the deputy step out of the mausoleum and Emma asks Regina what she's doing there, "Bringing flowers to my father's grave like I do every Wednesday.", Regina explains, pointing out the bouquet in her hands. "Don't blame her, it's my fault. I wanted to look in there.", Graham says, defending Emma. "Why, what were you looking for?", Regina asks, "Nothing.", he tells her. The mayor tells him that he doesn't look well and grabs his arm, pulling him along, saying that she's taking him home, however, he stops, haulting her, telling her that he doesn't want to go home - "...not with you.", he says. "But you'll go with her?", Regina wonders, Emma says that it's between the two of them and requests that she be kept out of it. Graham tells Regina that Emma's right, it's between them and things need to change. "And I wonder why that is all of a sudden.", she says, "It's nothing to do with her. I realize that... I don't feel anything, Regina... and I know now it's not me, it's you.", he tells her, "So you're leaving me for her?", she makes clear, "I'm leaving you for me.", he explains. Regina tries to tell him that he's not thinking straight, however, he tells her that for the first time, he is. "I'd rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, and... the only way to do that is to give myself a chance.", he explains, Regina tries to shake this off but he maKes it clear that it's over.

Regina turns to Emma, "I don't know what I ever did to you, Miss Swan, to deserve this, to have you keep coming after everything I hold dear.", Regina says, tearing up, "I told you, it's not her.", Graham tells her, "None of this happened until she got here!", Regina exclaims. Emma decides to weigh in, "I'm sorry, but did you ever stop to think that maybe the problem isn't with me, but with you?", she asks, "Excuse me?", says an insulted Regina, "Henry came and found me. Graham kissed me. Both were miserable. Maybe, Madam Mayor, you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that is. Why is everyone's running away from you?", Emma says, walking up to Regina. At this, Regina smiles before punching Emma hard in the face, causing the blonde to fall into Graham's arms nd be lifted back to her feet, in pain. Emma retaliates by punching Regina in a similar fashion, before grabbing her by the arms from behind and dragging her over to the wall of the mausoleum, pinning her up against it. Emma gets ready to attack the mayor when Grahm restrains her, pulling an angered Emma away from Regina. The latter walks away from the wall and retrieves her bouquet from the ground, Emma walks up behind her, able to attack, "Not worth it.", she tells Regina before leaving her and Graham alone. Regina turns to him but he follows on from Emma without saying a word. The mayor watches in anger as Emma steals her man.

Act VI
Over at the sheriff's office, Graham grabs an ice pack from the first aid kit on the desk and places it upon Emma's forehead, apologizing for the events of the evening. Emma takes ice pack and keeps it compressed to her wounds. "I don't know what came over me, I... kinda lost my mind.", Graham says, Emma assures him that it's okay, reminding him that he was tired, feverish and heart broken. "I don't know why I let myself get caught up with her.", Graham says, "Because it was easy... and safe. Not feeling anything's an attractive option when what you feel sucks.", Emma tells him. Graham smiles at this and takes the ice pack, as Emma is done with it, he then leans in and tries to clean her wound witha tissue, she flinches at first but soon succumbs. They smile at each other.

Over at the mausoleum, Regina walks in, still angered from earlier events of the night. Inside, she closes the door and looks at her father's tomb, she places her bouquet of flowers upon it and runs her hand along the lid. Regina then slowly moves her hand down to the bottom of the lid and pushes it off of the body of the tomb. This then reveals a staircase within the tomb, leading down to an underground vault kept secret by Regina. The mayor walks down the stairs and into the lair beneath.

"You thought you could fool me with the heart of a stag?!", yells the Evil Queen in the fairytale land that was, slamming the stag's heart down as she does so. The Huntsman remains silent and Regina closes the doors behind him with magic, "You're not going anywhere.", the queen tells him. "She doesn't deserve to die.", the Huntsman professes, "That's not up to you.", the queen makes clear. Regina says that she wanted a heart, and a heart she will have. The Evil Queen quickly phand into the Huntsman's chest, he squeals in pain and is pinned to the closed door, Regina soon retracts her hand to reveal a glowing, red, beating heart within it, the Huntsman's heart. "What are you going to do to me?", the heartless man asks, to his surprise, Regina grabs his face and kisses him, telling him that he is now her pet. Regina storms over to her drawers and opens one, heart still in hand, "And this is your cage.", she tells him, saying that from that moment forward, he will do everything that she says. "And if you ever disobey me, if you ever try to run away... all I have to do is squeeze...", she says, the queen proceeds to squeeze the glowing heart within her hand, this clearly causes the Huntsman great pain, he then collapses to the floor due to this. She continues to squeeze his heart and he writhes in pain, "Guards!", Regina yells in anger, two of her knights walk in and take the Huntsman away, she relinquishes her grip and tells the hunter that his life is now in her hands forever. She instructs the guards to take him to her bed chamber and they oblige, she continues to place the heart within the drawer and close it.

Regina continues to walk down the stairs of the tomb into her vault in Storybrooke. The mayor walks up to a wall filled with drawers filled with chests filled with glowing hearts that have been ripped from her victims. Regina looks at one in particular and places a hand upon it, pulling the drawer open. Regina proceeds to remove the chest from the drawer, she walks a little away from the wall of hearts and pops open the chest's lid. The Huntsman's glowing heart is seen within the chest and Regina retrieves it with one hand.

In the sheriff's office, Graham is still cleaning Emma's wound. He removes the tissue and tells her that it's all better. Emma stops as Graham returns his equipment to the first aid kit, he notices her, "What?", he asks, Emma walks closer towards him, not saying a word, Emma, still a little teary eyed, proceeds to kiss Graham.

at this, Graham flashes to his former life, he sees a deer in the Enchanted Forest, this is followed by an arrow shooting the deer, he then sees the different-eyed wolf growl, followed by him being restrained by one of the queen's guards. Graham then flashes to Queen Regina sitting in her chambers, this is then followed by Snow White offering him an apple which is before he flashes to himself drawing a knife before the princess. He carves a mark into a blade of grass, making a whistle. He sees the Evil Queen once more, he flashes to her fireplace and again to her, slamming the stag's heart onto a podium, enraged. The Evil Queen holds Graham's glowing heart.

The flashes end and Graham falls backwards, worrying Emma who has just kissed him. "Graham...?", she asks.

In her vault, Regina continues to hold the heart in her hand, she lifts it and inspects it before her face.

Emma looks at Graham, worried. "You okay?", Emma asks, "I remember...", Graham tells her. She does not understand and he repeats himself, Emma asks him what he remembers.

Regina stares at the Huntsman's heart, sadly, almost in tears.

A single tear is seen on Graham's face and he thanks Emma before leaning in to kiss her.

Regina begins to compress the heart within her fist. It begins to beat more faster, glowing brighter between beats, clearly strained and in a struggle. Regina begins to relish her squeeze as her grip becomes tighter.

As Graham is about to kiss Emma when suddenly, before their lips touch, he jerks, clenching his chest, in pain. Graham falls to the floor, his eyes close and Emma quickly kneels down to his aid, she grabs his head and lifts him to lay across her, his head resting in her arm, she calls out his name, crying.

Regina has now crushed the heart to dust and that dust falls from her clenched fist, to the ground, killing Graham from afar.

"Graham!", Emma exclaims, shaking the sheriff, hoping to revive him, tears in her eyes. There is no response from him and she continues to shake him madly, hoping for a sign of life, he shows none. Emma soon gives up, realizing that he's dead, and cries over her loss, leaning her head aginst the death, Graham's body still lying in her arms.

Trivia

 * The title card features a wolf.
 * Although credited, Josh Dallas (David Nolan/Prince Charming) and Raphael Sbarge (Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket) do not appear in this episode.

Production
The episode was co-written by co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and was directed by The Mentalist veteran David M. Barrett. Guest actor Giancarlo Esposito made his second appearance in the series as Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass. Meghan Ory returned as Ruby/Red Riding Hood, while Scott Heindl made his only appearance for the series as Bartholomew. Leading up to the episode broadcast, Kitsis and Horowitz noted that "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" would feature consequences of events that occurred in the previous episode. Horowitz explained, "Emma is in a raw emotional place, trying to come to terms with her feelings about what she discovered about Graham. Graham is also in a very raw emotional place because he's clearly conflicted and it's this cauldron of emotions that leads to the kiss." Kitsis added that, "We're really excited that the kiss that you've seen is really just the jumping off point of the story we're telling. It's not like it ends with the kiss, it starts with that and it takes us somewhere that we're excited to show you."

In the episode, the character of Sheriff Graham was killed off, something that actor Jamie Dornan had known would happen since ABC picked up the pilot. It was the first major death of the series. In an interview with E! reporter Kristin Dos Santos, Dornan hinted that while his counterpart in Storybrooke has died, the huntsman could return at some point, as Dornan is still a regular on the series. As much of the episode involves Graham discovering his fairytale past, the writers designed the episode to mislead viewers by having them invest in the character. Kitsis and Horowitz commented that while the death made them "sad," the battle between Emma and Regina requires "stakes and unfortunately, sometimes stakes are people's lives." They also decided to kill the character relatively early in the series in order to show viewers that "it's real. It's not in Henry's head." Kitsis continued, "It’s interesting, but part of the intent was to make you love him and we loved him very much. And the fact that the audience seems to have loved him means a lot to us, in that we feel like we succeeded on that front. If you don’t feel sad, then it was a failure of the execution of the story."

Actress Lana Parrilla believed that Graham helped fill a void for her character, commenting that his loss "was not easy for [Regina]. That’s why, when she crushes his heart, there’s a tear coming out of her eye. She didn’t want to do it, but she had no choice — almost like how she had no choice to kill her father. I’m not saying I agree with it, but for the character, it’s what she had to do." Parrilla also cited "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" as the first episode where viewers see "how the two worlds collided," a reference to Regina's ability to kill Graham by squeezing the heart of his fairytale counterpart. The revelation of the vault, Kitsis and Horowitz explained, "is a very important thing for us in terms of moving forward in the season in that we wanted to send a very clear message that Regina knows what’s going on and has some very clear intentions in Storybrooke."

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.