Once Upon a Time Recap, Season 1 Episode 9 ‘True North’ 1/15/12

Once Upon a Time Recap, Season 1 Episode 9 'True North'

ABC’s fairy tale drama Once Upon A Time is back tonight with a whole new episode.  If you have not been tuning in the story take place in the fantasy world of Snow White and the ‘reality’ setting of Storybrooke, Maine.  Last week’s episode was all about Rumpelstiltskin and that always means a great show.

We saw more of the deep animosity between Regina and Mr. Gold. It is clear Mr. Gold knows he is Rumpelstiltskin and that Regina knows this and that he knows that she know that he knows.  If you missed the episode you can read our recap here.

On tonight’s episode called ‘True North’, Emma tries to help two homeless children find their birth father before they’re separated and put into the foster care system.   Since Emma lived through the same experience she really understands how they feel.  Meanwhile, this week in the fairy tale we get to meet Hansel and Gretel.  The Evil Witch get them to steal something from a blind witch.  Emma Caulfield (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) guest stars as the Blind Witch.

Jennifer Morrison who plays Emma said about this episode, “Since you can’t flash back to my life in fairytale land, because it never happened, they’re using Hansel and Gretel as they did Cinderella in “The Price of Gold” to reveal some of Emma’s back story.  So what Emma goes through to try and help these children ends up becoming very personal for her, as her own life is revealed in a sense.”

I cannot wait to see tonight’s episode, it looks like it is going to be fun.  We will be live blogging the show at 7PM EST.  We are lucky that Once Upon A Time airs one hour earlier here, so you get the recap early!  Come back for all the fun!

Tonight’s show: Henry is reading a comic book when a girl Ava comes to talk to him and she introduces him to her brother Nicolas. As they leave the store they are in the owner asks him to open up his bad – he accuses Henry of stealing candy. He opens up Henry’s bad and find candy and other good = and Henry realizes Ava’s brother put it in his bag.

In the fairytale there is a woodcutter and two children, I assume Hansel and Gretal and they are going to the woods to collect wood and kindling. Their father the woodcutter gives Gretal a compass so she does not get lost and can always find him. When they have collected all their wood Gretal leads them back to their father with the compass but their father is not there. They hear a noise in the woods and see masked me riding a carriage. The carriage opens and the Evil Witch comes out and asks: ‘What they are doing in her forest.’

In Storybrooke the shopkeeper brings Henry to his mother Regina and Regina tells the shopkeeper Henry does not eat candy or steal and it must be the two children Ava and Nicolas not Henry. Emma comes and Regina tells her to take care of the children. The children asks Emma not to arrest them, because things will go worse for their parents.

In the fairytale the evil witch tells the guards to seize the children. The children run but the Evil Witch imprisons them and tells them running from her is foolish but also brave. She tells the children that the bravery may save their and their families lives. She tells Hansel and Gretal that she will find their father because they are going to do something for her first.

Emma takes Ava and Nicolas home, the children ask Emma not to come into their house because their parents will be embarrassed. Emma agrees to let them go in alone after the children assure Emma all is okay.

Once Emma leaves the children leave the house they claimed was theirs and go into the root cellar. They go back to the house and as they are walking around Emma comes behind them and asks Ava and Nicolas why they lied to her – she wants to know where their parents are. Ava and Nicolas tells them their parents are dead – they have no parents.

Emma brings Ava and Nicholas to her place she has with Mary Margaret and Mary Margaret says she has seen them but had not idea of their circumstances. Mary Margaret asks what social services said and then realizes that Emma has not told social services. Emma tells Mary Margaret that she wants to find their father to see if he wants them. Ava comes up behind them and asks if she will be separated from her brother and she asks Emma to please not let it happen.

Emma goes to visit Mr. K and tells him she wants to see the birth certificated of Ava and Nicolas. When he goes to look he tells Emma that the documents have been removed. Regina comes in and tells Emma not to worry because she has informed social services. Emma tells Regina that she is trying to find their father and Regina tells her they have no father. Regina tells Emma she needs to have the children in Boston that night she has found a place for the children: one will go to a boys home and the other a girls home.

In the fairytale the Evil Witch asks Gretal what her compass is and Gretal tells her it is a way to find her father. The Evil Witch takes the children to a house she cannot enter because it is protected by magic. Only children can go in and the Blind Witch lives there and there is something in a black satchel that she Witch wants. If they get it for her she will find their father for them. The Evil Witch tells them when they go in the house no matter how much they are tempted don’t eat anything… .

Henry comes into the Sheriff’s office and tells Emma he knows who they are, Hansel and Gretel. Henry tells her that their Dad abandoned them. Henry tells him that no one can leave or enter Storybrooke (except Emma) so their Dad has to be in Storybrooke.

Henry asks Emma to tell him about his father. Emma tells him she was pretty young and she worked at a diner and his dad was working as a trainee Fireman. They never got married and they hung out a couple of times. His life got better and Emma’s life got worse. She tried to contact Henry’s father but she found out that he died saving a family from a burning apartment building. Henry’s father was a real hero. Henry asks Emma for something of his and Emma tells him she does not have anything.

Emma tells Henry she has to leave she may have a way to find Ava and Nicolas’ father. She asks the children what they kept from her father. She tells the kids she needs their help if she has any hope of finding their father. Ava brings Emma a compass, their mom kept it because she said it was their dad’s. They ask Emma if she found her parents and she tells them not yet.

In the Fairy Tale the children go to the Blind Witch’s house and Hansel goes to eat something and Hansel stops him remembering the Evil Queen said. The Evil Witch is snoring on a rocking chair and they see the satchel they need and Gretel goes to get it and leaves Hansel alone. Hansel grabs a cupcake and takes a bite as Gretel grabs the satchel and the blind witch wakes up, triggered by Hansel’s bite of cupcake. The children run to the door and the door shuts and all the windows shut and the children notice in the fireplace bones and skulls. The blind witch says ‘I smell dinner.’

Emma goes to visit Mr. Gold and he tells her he is flattered she came to see him. She tells Mr. Gold she is looking for information on an old compass. Mr. Gold tells her it is an unusual piece. Mr. Gold tells Emma he knows who bought it but does not remember off the top of his head the name.

He then tells Emma he keeps good records and he happens to have the name. Emma asks what the price is and he tells her forgiveness. He tells her the name of the man who bought the compass. When Emma leaves the store we get a look at the paper the name was supposed to be written on and it is blank.

Emma goes to visit the man who Mr. Gold said bought the compass. The man denies he has children. The man asks why she is so sure and she shows him the compass. It Hansel and Gretal’s dad in the fairy tale but of course he can’t recall. He tells Emma he lost the compass. Emma tells Michael he has a choice he can have his children and if he does not take his kids he will regret if for the rest of his life and one day he will have to answer for it. He gives her back the compass, apologizes and tells her if it is a good home they are looking for it is not with him.

She calls Mary Margaret and asks her to come out and tells her that the children’s father does not want them. Mary Margaret tells her the children can take it, after all Henry accepts what Emma told her about his father. Emma tells Mary Margaret she did not tell Henry the truth – Henry doesn’t need to know who his real dad was. Meanwhile, Regina comes over and asks why she has not left to take the children to Boston.

In the fairy tale the Blind Witch has the children locked up and she is preparing the fire to cook the children. The Blind Witch takes Gretal from the cage and she fights with her. Meanwhile Hansel who stole the key for the cage from the Blind Witch’s pocket gets out and tries to hit her. She asks ask’s Hansel how should she baste him, gravy or butter. Both Ava and Hansel attack the Blind Witch and put her in the oven. The scene flashes over to the Evil Queen and she says “I would have gone gravy” after she burns the Blind Witch by magic flame.

The children go back to the Evil Queen and she asks if they were successful, they tell her they were and they give her the satchel. She tells them she waited a long time for the satchel. Inside the satchel is a red apple. The Evil Queen tells Gretel that she has a strong heart and she reminds her of herself. Gretel tells her that they did what she wanted and they want her to find their father now. The Evil Queen tells them that their father abandoned them and they deserve better. She tells them that they have impressed her and she invites them to live with her. Hansel and Gretel would have their own rooms and everything they want. Gretel tells her NO she wants her father and they will find him with or without her help and prove her wrong. She tells them, we will see about that and whirls up a spell.

In Storybrooke Emma gives Ava the compass back and puts them in her police car. She apologies and tells them they have to go. Henry who is watching runs over and tells Emma they cannot leave Storybrooke – if they do something bad will happen. Emma tells Henry – something bad has already happened.

Emma drives the children towards Boston and she pretends that the car breaks down. Emma tells them the engine stalled.  The Evil Queen is looking in the magic mirror and she sees Snow White with the dwarfs.

The guards bring Hansel and Gretel’s father in and she tells them she sent his kids away. She tells their father she offered his children everything and they refused and she wants to know why. He tells her because they are a family and a family always find each other. The Evil Queen tells the guards to release him. She tells him they can all be together once they find each other, knowing that will be almost impossible.

Hansel and Gretel are sleeping in the forest and Gretel wakes Hansel up and tells him the Evil Queen let them go. Hansel is afraid but Gretel takes his hand and tells him not to worry as they wander off through the woods.

The children are in the back to Emma’s police car and the tow truck pulls up. Ava’s compass starts to spin and the children’s father gets out of the tow truck and says ‘those are them?’ She wants him to see them just once. She tells him she was just as scared when she gave Henry up she wanted better for him but when she saw he did not have better she could not leave.
Their dad, Michael walks toward the car and asks her if she is talking the children to Boston and she tells him she does not have to. Michael tells her she does not have to. He goes over to the car to see the children.

Emma gets to her place and Mary Margaret asks her what happened. Emma tells her Ava and Nicolas’ father changed his mind. Mary Margaret says just like that and Emma says they might have had a nudge. Emma tells Mary Margaret she may give up looking for her parents, if they wanted her they would find her. Emma tells Mary Margaret that Henry thinks her parents put her in a magical cradle to save her and Henry thinks that Mary Margaret is her mother. She also tells Mary Margaret that Henry thinks she is Snow White. Mary Margaret tells Emma you think she would remember she had a baby. As Emma leaves Mary Margaret sees Emma’s baby blanket and for a second seems to have a memory.

Emma is sitting in her car and Henry comes over and brings her a piece of pie. Emma tells Henry that she is glad she told him about his father. Henry tells Emma that by what she did with Ava and Nicolas she really is changing things.

A motorcycle pulls up and the man asks Henry and Emma if there is a place to stay and Henry asks if he was staying. Emma asks him what his name is and he refuses to give it. Emma says to Henry, ‘It thought strangers did not come to Storybrooke?’ and Henry replies, ‘they don’t.’ Who is the mysterious stranger?