Heart of Darkness

"Heart of Darkness" is the 16th episode of Once Upon a Time. It aired on March 18, 2012.

Summary
Mary Margaret hires Mr. Gold as her attorney when Emma is forced to arrest her for the suspected murder of David's wife, Kathryn. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, Prince Charming sets out to stop a determined and unhinged Snow White, whose memory is still clouded by Rumplestiltskin's potion, from assassinating the Evil Queen.

Plot
"Once upon a time, an evil queen banished every storybook character you've ever known to our world."

Queen Regina enacts the Dark Curse. Hansel and Gretel walk through the Enchanted Forest. Red emerges from some bushes. Snow and Charming get married. David and Mary Margaret take a romantic stroll.

"Who knows the truth?"

Regina clutches Henry's book and stares menacingly into a mirror. Mr. Gold crosses a street in Storybrooke.

"And who can break the spell?"

Emma glares at Mr. Gold. August shows Emma his typewriter. Henry tells Emma that you don't play with the curse. Regina uses her magic to cast a fireball. Snow is forced to break Charming's heart. Snow asks if a potion Rumplestiltskin has will stop her from loving Charming, but he says she won't even remember him. Kathryn tells Regina that she told David he should be with Mary Margaret. David and Mary Margaret kiss, angering Regina. King George and his man hunt down Charming, so the prince escapes from them on his horse with Red. Kathryn attempts to leave Storybrooke, but goes missing. Ruby finds a box containing a heart. Emma tells David and Mary Margaret about the box and reveals that the latter's fingerprints are on it.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
Night is dawning in the fairytale land that was. A flaming arrow flies through the air and then begins to lose its trajectory, dropping to the ground towards a make-shift camp Prince Charming and Red Riding Hood have set up. The arrow heads straight for Red, but the prince notices it so tell her to look out before deflecting it with his sword. King George's men soon arrive on their horses and with their bows. Charming says they need to move because they've been found. They run to the horse as the guards open fire. Charming jumps on and offers Red a hand, but she tells him to go, stating she'll take care of them. The prince refuses to leave her, but she tells him to find Snow because that's all that matters. As she steps away from him, he asks what she's going to do, so she looks up to the skies and at a full moon that is emerging from the clouds. "I'm giving you a head start" she says as she removes her magical red cloak. Realizing what she's doing, Charming quickly rides away with his horse. Red watches him ride off and her eyes glow with a golden shine. She then turns around to the guards who are approaching her and then she begins to also run at them in her human form. Suddenly, she transforms into her wolf form and then pounces onto the guards, who scream in fear as she viciously attacks them. As the prince rides away, he hears Red howl in her wolf form, taking his attention from a wanted sign for Snow White that's nailed to a tree.

In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret Blanchard is stood in the Sheriff's Station having her mugshot taken by Emma Swan, much to both their displeasure. After being instructed to turn to the right, Mary Margaret says it's a mistake because she didn't kill Kathryn. Emma agrees, but explains that she's the sheriff, so she has to go with the evidence leads. Shocked, Mary Margaret asks if they point to her and then she points out that yesterday David was a suspect, so something isn't right. Emma frustratedly agrees but says Mary Margaret's fingerprints were on the box and his weren't, so they have to go with that. Mary Margaret says that evidence suggesting she cut out Kathryn's heart and buried it in the woods is insane. Emma explains that if she doesn't "book" Mary Margaret, it'll look like favortism and then she can be fired, meaning someone new will be hired. She begs the teacher for her patience and trust, assuring her than nothing can happen until the DNA results return. Upset, Mary Margaret nods in agreement. Emma then tells Mary Margaret that in the meantime, she'll have to bare with her while she asks her a few questions. Mary Margaret walks to the questioning room, stating it's crazy as she'd never hurt anyone. Emma watches her friend walk away, upset that she's been put in this awkward position.

It's a beautiful morning in the fairytale land that was. Snow White is in her small cottage which she shares with the seven dwarfs, and she's sweeping the floor whilst cheerfully humming "A Smile and a Song" to a blue bird that is sat in the house. She gently holds her hand out for the bird and it flies onto it. She slowly places the bird onto a table and then her smiling and humming vanishes into an angry frown. She swings her broomstick to crush the bird, but it flies away. She then chases the bird around the room, swinging her brush at it. Suddenly, Grumpy enters, shocked by her behaviour. He asks what she's doing, so she tells him she's getting rid of the vermin in the house. She then swings at the bird one more time, causing it to fly out of the window in fear. Snow rushes to the window and huffs, asking what Grumpy wants in an agitated tone. He tells her its dinner time, but she says she isn't hungry. She closes the window as Grumpy approaches her, explaining they made something "extra special" tonight. He takes the broom off Snow and then grabs her hand. She rolls her eyes as she reluctantly agrees to go to dinner.

As they exit the room, they enter the main eating area of the house and all the other dwarves are gathered around a table, however, there is no food and they are discussing Snow's recent behaviour. When they see her, they stop talking and look at her in silence. "Did somebody die?" she sarcastically asks. Suddenly, Jiminy Cricket flies in front of Snow and asks her to take a seat. She tries to shoo him, asking why there's a "dirty cricket" in their house. He introduces himself as Jiminy, she's shocked that he can talk. He explains that her friends asked him to come and talk to her, because they're concerned and have something to say. He asks Grumpy to start, so Grumpy pulls out a piece of paper he prepared and reads from it. He tells Snow that she's changed and she's become angry, irritable and mean. Frustrated, Snow asks who he is to tell her she's changed. Jiminy reminds Snow that they're all her friends and they're here because they care about her. He asks who wants to go next, so Sneezy reads from a piece of paper. He complains that Snow brought bails of straw into the house, knowing he's allergic. Snow angrily complains that he's allergic to everything. Happy then yells she she broke his mug, so Snow tells him he's lucky it wasn't that "mug he calls a face". An angered happy calls Snow nasty words, but Grumpy stops him. "Look what you're doing to happy" Grumpy tells Snow.

Grumpy tells Snow that the potion she took that made her forget the prince changed her. Snow explains it helped her forget what she needed to forget, so she's clearly better off for it. She then tells the dwarves that the potion was the solution, not the problem. She then adds that the problem is that she's living with dwarves instead of her palace as a princess with her father. She then yells that she can't do that anymore because her father was murdered by the same person who sent a huntsman to kill her. Jiminy assures Snow that her anger towards the queen is understandable, but begs her not to take it out on her friends. Snow realizes that he's right, but says she should be taking it out on "her". Jiminy says revenge isn't the answer and then tries to dissuade her, but she traps him in glass, making him inaudible. She announces that she's leaving as she has more important things to do. As she picks up a bag and pickaxe, Grumpy asks where she's going. "To kill the queen" she growls before exiting the small cottage.

Act II
Back in Storybrooke, Emma and Mary Margaret walk towards the questioning room. As they enter, the latter is shocked to see Regina Mills sat waiting at the desk. Regina says hello, but Mary Margaret asks her friend what she's doing here. Emma explains that she asked to be a third party to ensure she stayed impartial, she assures her that this can only help. After sitting down at the table, Mary Margaret says she has nothing to hide so tells them to ask her anything. Emma starts the recorder and begins the questioning. She explains that the heart was found buried near the Toll Bridge and it appeared to be cut out by a hunting knife. She asks the teacher if she's ever been to that bridge before. She admits she has many times because its where she and David liked to meet. Emma asks if this is "Mr. Nolan", so she confirms. As she stands up to retrieve something from a locker, Emma asks Mary Margaret why they met at the Toll Bridge. She confesses to having an affair with him. She adds she isn't proud of what happened and apologizes, but she explains it doesn't change the fact that she did not kill Kathryn. Emma then places a box onto the table, asking if Mary Margaret has seen it before. Confused, she explains its her jewellery box. Emma says it's what they found the heart in, everyone is shocked. Mary Margaret insists someone stole the box and put the heart in it because she didn't do anything. When she yells that she's innocent, Regina grabs her hand comfortingly and tells her it's okay. Feigning sympathy, she tells the suspect that she knows what she's going through and to lose someone you love, being publicly humiliated. "Put me in a very dark place, changed me" she says, bewildering Emma. Regina says she can only imagine what losing David did to her. Mary Margaret pulls her hand away and says she hasn't changed, claiming to be the same person she's always been, a good person. She reiterates that she did not kill Kathryn. Emma frustratedly asks to speak with Regina in the hallway, so the two step outside the room. "I told you to leave the questioning to me" Emma growls. Regina asks how Emma knows she didn't do it. She explains that if the box was stolen there'd be signs of a break-in, so asks Emma if there was a break-in. "She is a woman who has had her heart broken, and that...that can make you do unspeakable things" Regina says. Emma glances into the interrogation room at Mary Margaret.

It's night time in the fairytale land that was. Snow White is hiding behind a tree, peering out as one of the queen's guards rides around on his horse. Unaware of Snow's presence, he rides closer towards her. As he gets even closer, Snow pulls down on a rope, tightening it. The knight rides into it and is thrown off his horse, which stops running. Holding the pickaxe, Snow approaches the stunned knight who is lying on the floor. She smashes down the blunt end of the axe onto the knight's leg, hurting him so much he screams in agony. She then stares evilly down at the man and sarcastically assures him it'll heal...eventually. He asks what she wants, so she tells him she wants information. She asks where the queen is. He chuckles and asks why he'd tell her. Snow kneels closer to the man and asks him if he knows what a diamond is, she explains its the strongest substance known to man and its beautiful, precious and nearly impervious to destruction. She then shows him the pickaxe she's holding and explains it's from the dwarf mines and it has a special blade that can cut through diamond. She then smiles sinisterly and asks what it could do to human flesh which is soft, pliable and tender. As she readies to swing her axe, the knight stops her by saying the queen is at her castle...but not for long. He explains that in the morning, the queen will leave for the summer palace. Snow readies to strike him with her axe again, but he begs her not to as that's all he knows. "That summer palace was built for my mother!" Snow roars before heavily striking the knight's face with the blunt end of the axe. He is knocked out cold.

After a short while, Snow has removed all of the knight's armour and taken his weapons, leaving him in the middle of the forest, naked. As she prepares to leave with his things, Grumpy arrives, asking what she thinks she's doing. "I already told you...I'm going to kill the queen" Snow says with a hint of joy in her voice. Grumpy is shocked that she'd steal the armour off a knight, but she tells him she'll do whatever it takes to get into that castle. She tells Grumpy to get out of her way so she can find the queen before she departs. When she begins to walk away, Grumpy stops her, asking if she's lost her mind and asks if she thinks the disguise will fool anybody. "I'm getting in there" she smiles, determined. As she heads for the knight's horse, Grumpy tells her to listen to herself because she can't see reality any more. Snow tells him she doesn't need to be lectured by a "dwarf with a bad attitude". He says he didn't come to lecture her, but to help her. She asks how, so he explains he'll take her back to Rumplestiltskin as he's the one who gave her the potion, so if anyone can give her memories back, it's him. She says she doesn't want her memories back, explaining that's why she took the potion. Grumpy tells her that it changed her so explains he might be able to bring her back to the person she used to be. He states that Rumple is the most powerful man in the world and he can do anything. "Anything?" Snow asks, intrigued.

Back in Storybrooke, at Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment, the former is examining the front door to see if there is any signs of a break-in, there doesn't seem to be, so she moved over to a window and begins to examine that. Suddenly, Henry walks into the apartment. She asks what he's doing here and why he isn't at school. "We have to help Miss Blanchard" he says. Emma tells him she knows and then explains she is helping, stating that's why she's searching the apartment. She tells the kid he has to go home, but he says that's "not gonna happen". She playfully tells him to stay out of the way as she continues her search. As she heads for Mary Margaret's bedroom, Henry asks what they're looking for, so she explains she's trying to see if someone broke in. She examines the window in the bedroom and lists the type of things she's looking out for. Henry asks if she thinks someone is setting her up, so she says it's the only thing that makes sense, but adds that nobody has a motive. "My mom does" Henry smiles. Emma acts shocked. "She hates Snow White" Henry explains. Emma gives him a doubtful look, so he tells her she wanted a motive. "Well I think 'she hates Snow White' will hold up in a court, Henry" Emma says. Henry looks around the room as Emma looks sadly at a picture of Mary Margaret and some of her students. She puts the picture down and then flops down on the bed, seeming defeated. Suddenly, a clunking sound is quietly heard coming from somewhere close, attracting both their attention to a vent in the floor. Emma takes off the cover of the vent and then reaches her arm inside, grabbing something. "Did you find something?" Henry asks. She pulls out a long thin object covered by a cloth, intriguing them both. She unwraps the cloth, revealing a long hunting knife. They both look at each other with horror.

Act III
At Granny's Diner, Henry is sat at the bar, depressed, with a hot chocolate. Ruby sprinkles some chocolate powder on it before going to find her granny. He sits and stares sadly at his drink, so August approaches him from behind and says it won't drink itself. Henry is silent, so August asks if he's upset about his teacher. Henry insists that she didn't "do it" and asks why nobody can see that. August explains that most people only see what's right in front of them and then tells the kid he won't find the answers to his problem at the bottom of the mug. After taking a sip of his drink, he asks where. August tells him in the book in his bag. He tells Henry he knows he's a writer, so explains he's impartial to finding his answers in the literary form. "It's just a book" Henry mumbles. August explains that they both know that isn't the case and then asks for a water, Henry is curious. He asks what August knows about the book. After Ruby gives him his water, he explains it's a book of stories. "Aren't all books?" Henry asks. "Stories that really happened" he adds, Henry is shocked and then asks if he thinks the book is real. "As real as I am" he says. The young boy asks how he knows, so August explains that he's a believer and he wants to help others see the light, which is why he's really in Storybrooke. Henry explains he already believes. "I'm not here for you, buddy. I'm here for Emma" he says. Henry wonders why he doesn't just tell Emma if he wants her to believe. August explains that some people, like the both of them, can go on faith, but others, like Emma, need proof. Henry explains that the last time he tried to find proof he got trapped in a sink hole, so August says there are less dangerous places to look. He then looks into Henry's bag at the book and stands up, leaving the diner. Henry takes out the book and opens it to a page showing a picture of Prince Charming sat on a horse. August pats Henry on the back and then walks away.

In the fairytale land that was, Prince Charming is sat on his horse. He gets off it to examine something in the ground, fresh footprints. He looks around cautiously and then draws his sword. He grabs his horse's reins and then walks with it. After finding the naked guard that Snow White attacked walking around, he follows him and points his sword from behind, telling him to put his hands where he can see them. The guard turns around, holding his helmet in front of his private area. Charming is disgusted and tells him not to. He throws the man a blanket to cover himself and then asks who did this. The knight, in a panic, states "she's crazy" and explains she had a pickaxe and threatened to skin him. Charming asks if he's talking about the evil queen, but the knight claims it was Snow White. Angered, Charming places the sword at the knights throat, asking what he's talking about. He explains that Snow wanted to kill the queen and says he's never seen someone so bloodthirsty. Charming pushes the sword harder and insists Snow isn't bloodthirsty or a killer, claiming to know her. "Maybe you don't" the knight supposes. Charming is left doubtful and confused.

Back in Storybrooke, Regina is sat in her office, peeling a red apple with a knife when there is a knock at her door. She looks over to see David Nolan, who asks if he can talk to her. "Of course" she smiles. He enters the room and explains the accusations against Mary Margaret have been gnawing away at him, insisting she didn't do it. She offers David a seat and explains she knows what David is going through, stating it's painful when someone we love betrays us. David insists she's a good person, saying he knows her. "Maybe you don't, maybe you just want to" the mayor supposes. She tells David that everyone has a dark side, he agrees with this but says having a dark side and doing something so evil is different, stating that's not what Mary Margaret is. "Perhaps, but I always believe evil isn't born...it's made" the mayor says. With all due respect, David tells Regina that he thinks she doesn't know much about evil. Regina tries to contain a smile as David walks away. "Well if she didn't do it then who did?" she asks. He says he doesn't know, stating he's been trying to figure it out. He explains the blackouts he's been having has made everything so hazy. Worried, Regina asks if he's accusing himself. He wonders if he could clear up his missing time he might be able to prove Mary Margaret's innocence. Regina tells David that he is sweet, but also wrong. "Evil doesn't always look evil, sometimes its staring right at us, and we don't even realize it" Regina says, implying herself.

Meanwhile, at the sheriff's station, Emma has just told Mary Margaret the news of her discovery. Mary Margaret is very upset. "The heating vent? Emma, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is" she cries. Emma says that someone did and put a hunting knife in there, adding she checked for signs of a break-in, but there weren't any. Mary Margaret asks her friend if she doesn't believe her, but she is assured that she does. However, she says it doesn't matter what she thinks and explains the evidence is piling up. Confused, Mary Margaret asks what she's saying, so she's told she should get a lawyer. "An excellent idea" Mr. Gold says from the entrance of the station. Mary Margaret awkwardly acknowledges him and Emma asks what he's doing here. "Offering my legal services" he says. Shocked, Emma asks if he's a lawyer. He points out that it's why he's so adept at contracts. He explains to the suspect that he's been following the facts of her case and advises she hire him. She asks why, so he explains he can be very persuasive. Emma states his assertive influence isn't needed, as they need to find the truth. As they both debate, Mary Margaret asks Emma to leave. She explains that Gold is right about needing help and says Emma needs to do her job or else she's screwed. She then asks Emma to do her job the best she can and she'll prove her innocent, but for the meantime, she needs some practical help. Gold tells Emma to trust him as he's acting in Miss Blanchard's best interests. Emma wishes her luck and hopes her best interests are what he's looking out for. She then leaves the two alone. Mary Margaret tells Gold she cannot pay him, but he says he didn't ask for money. She asks why he's doing this, so he tells her he's invested in her future.

In the fairytale land that was, at Rumplestiltskin's castle, Rumple is spinning thread while Grumpy tells him the potion he gave Snow White changed her, stating she isn't the same. Rumple says that of course it changed her, because it took away her love, leaving her with a big hole in her heart. Meanwhile, Snow walks around the room, uninterested in the conversation. Rumple says there is no cure for what she has got and says there is no way to bring the person she was back. He then opens a cabinet full of potions, explaining that no potion can bring back true love, because true love is the most powerful magic of all, the only thing he hasn't been able to bottle. As he says this, he stares at the one empty space for a potion. He explains that if you bottle love, you can do anything. He then turns to Snow and playfully states that's not what she wants, he then asks what she really wants. "I want your help to kill the queen" she says. "Now we're talking, dearie" Rumple smiles. He moves towards a bow and readies it with the thread he just made. Grumpy tries to dissuade Snow, but she doesn't listen, and then asks Rumple what the bow is. He explains it's how she'll kill the queen. She asks how it will help her into the castle, but he claims that is impossible. He says she has to kill the queen when she's on the move to her summer palace. He then uses magic to create a map and then he points out the best location to shoot from. He then adds that an arrow fired from his bow will give her exactly what she needs because it always finds its target. Grumpy tells Snow that if she takes the weapon, she does it alone, but she tells him that was always the plan. She takes the bow and Rumple squeaks with excitement. She asks what she has to do in return, but he says she doesn't have to do anything. She reminds him that everything comes with a price for him, stating last time he took her hair, so she asks what is in it for him this time. "Let's just say, I'm invested in your future" Rumple smiles crazily.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.