What I’m Watching: Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time: Season 1, Episode 10 “7:15 A.M.” (C+)

This episode was a departure from the usual format for one major reason: there was a new character in the real world, but no corresponding back story in the fairy tale world. The mysterious stranger, revealed to be a writer, is played by Eion Bailey, who played the similarly shady Ben Mercer on “Covert Affairs,” and has no discernible qualities other than an extreme awareness of his effect on Emma and all the other people in Storybrooke. The fact that he makes Regina nervous is disconcerting, to say the least. The core of this episode refines the story of Snow White and Prince Charming, as the greedy king steps in to ruin their love. The pigeon sent by Charming to Snow somehow managed to get to Storybrooke, mainly as a plot device to get Mary Margaret and David, who had both been frequenting the diner at the same time every morning, alone together to discuss their feelings for each other. A pregnancy scare and some conflicted musings on David’s part were just bumps in the road towards their eventual passionate kiss, but it’s never a good idea to make out in public, especially when the most vengeful resident of the town is watching. It’s relatively easy to piece together what’s going to happen in the fairy tale world, adjusted from the stories we all grew up reading in the style that this show has established, but what lies ahead for Storybrooke is an entirely different question altogether, and part of what makes this show worth watching week to week.