Snow Falls is the third episode of the series.
Synopsis
Mary Margaret is astonished at the outcome after she reads to John Doe from the storybook while visiting him at the hospital. Back in fairytale world, Snow White and Prince James Charming meet up for the first time.
Summary
A coach containing Prince James Charming and his fiancée, Annette, makes its way through the woods. She complains about the bumpy ride and how they should have taken the Troll Road. They come to a tree blocking the road and Prince Charming gets out to help his men move it, but realizes that it's been cut down. Meanwhile, a thief reaches into the coach, steals a package of jewels, and rides off. Prince Charming goes after the thief, knocks the person off their horse, and discovers that it's a woman. She knocks him in the head with a rock, leaving a cut on his chin, and then takes his horse, and rides off. As he watches her go, Prince James Charming vows that he'll find her no matter where she goes.
Mary Margaret is at the diner chatting with her date, Dr. Whale, who is busy admiring Ruby, the waitress. When she realizes it isn't going well, Mary Margaret leaves and notices Emma Swan staying in her car on the streets because no one will give her a room. Clearly pleased that Emma stayed for Henry Mill's sake, Mary Margaret offers to let Emma stay with her, but Emma warns that she's not the roommate type.
The next day, Mary Margaret is volunteering at the hospital and notices Henry sitting with John Doe . He asks what's wrong with the patient and Mary Margaret explains that he's been there as long as she's been volunteering, and no one knows who he is or what family he has. Henry asks if she's sure she doesn't know who he is, and Mary Margaret says that she doesn't. Henry meets with Emma and tells her that she's found her father, Prince James Charming, and that he's the John Doe patient. He shows Emma the storybook and points out that Prince Charming and John Doe have the same scar on the cheek. Henry believes that the curse is keeping John Doe and Mary Margaret apart by keeping him in a coma. Emma doesn't believe it but Henry insists that they have to remind them by having Mary Margaret read the story to the coma patient. Emma agrees but says that she'll ask her. Emma then talks to Mary Margaret and suggests that she play along with Henry's idea so that he'll realize that he's wrong on his own when nothing happens. Mary Margaret admits that it's a good idea and Emma tells her that they'll meet at Granny's Diner the next day for breakfast for a full report.
Mary Margaret starts reading the fairy tale book to John Doe, telling the story of how Prince Charming chased the thief and they fell in love. As she reads, John Doe suddenly grabs her hand. She summons Dr. Whale, but he says all the instrument readings are still steady with no changes. He suggests that she might have dozed off and imagined things, and then tells her to go home and get some sleep. Once Mary Margaret leaves, Dr. Whale calls Regina Mills and tells her what happened, including the fact that Mary Margaret was involved and that there was some minor brain-wave fluctuation. At home, Mary Margaret resumes reading the story to herself.
Snow White prepares to leave her crude home in a log, taking her few possessions with her. She steps out and immediately is snagged in a trap set by Prince Charming. He demands that she return the pouch with the jewelry, but Snow White says that she sold them. She points out that he must have hundreds of jewels, but Prince Charming says that one of them was his mother's ring, which he planned to give to his fiancée. Disgusted, Snow White says that it must be a marriage of convenience because no one marries for true love, and Prince Charming defends it as a necessary merger. When Snow White refuses, Prince James Charming threatens to turn her over to the Evil Queen, who has sentenced her to death for murder and treason. Snow White agrees and Prince Charming releases her.
Emma Swan meets Henry at the diner and Mary Margaret comes in to tell them that John Doe grabbed her hand. Henry is pleased and says that she has to read to him again, and Mary Margaret immediately races off, telling Emma that he may not be Prince Charming but that she must have reached him somehow. When they get to the hospital, Sheriff Graham is there and informs them that the patient has gone missing. Regina is there, looking into the matter as well, and demands to know why Emma is there. She realizes that Henry lied to her when he said he was going to the arcade. Henry wonders aloud what Regina had to do with John Doe's disappearance, and Emma points out that it's unusual that she would be there. Regina explains that she's the patient's emergency contact, after found him by the road years ago and brought him to the hospital. Emma offers to help find him, but Regina tells her to stay out of it and walks away with Henry.
Graham begins organizing the search and talks to the two employees, Leroy and Walter. They check the security tapes and Emma realizes it's the wrong tape. When they find the right one, they confirm that, four hours ago, John Doe walked out on his own into the nearby woods.
Snow White leads Prince James Charming through the woods to where she sold the jewels, and he notices her holding a necklace. She tells him not to worry about it but he snatches it away. He realizes that it's filled with dust, and she explains that it contains fairy dust that can transform an adversary into a harmless form. Prince Charming figures that she plans to use it on the Evil Queen and points out that Snow White has a lot of anger. The thief explains that the charges against her are false and that she only lived because the Queen sent the Huntsman to rip out her heart, but he took pity on her and let her go. Snow White tells Prince Charming that she only wants to get enough money to leave for another realm, and she thought the coach belonged to the Queen. They come to a stream and Snow White asks for a drink. When Prince Charming agrees, they drink and she shoves him into the water and runs off. However, the Evil Queen's Black Knight finds her and close in, and Snow White realizes that Prince Charming still has her necklace.
Graham, Emma, and Mary Margaret follow John Doe's trail. While the sheriff goes ahead, Mary Margaret asks Emma how she became a bail bondsman. Emma replies that she's been doing it as long as she can remember. When Mary Margaret pushes the issue and asks about her parents, Emma says that she never did find her parents. Henry sneaks away from his mother and comes to find them, and tells Mary Margaret that John Doe is looking for her.
The lead Black Knight prepares to kill Snow White when Prince Charming arrives and kills him with an arrow. He takes on the second knight while the third one snatches up Snow White and rides away. Prince Charming grabs an arrow and manages to shoot the knight, killing him, and Snow White rides back. She points out that he saved him and Prince James Charming says that it was the honorable thing to do. He reminds her that they need to get is jewels, and Snow White says that the trolls she sold it to are just over the next rise.
Mary Margaret doesn't believe Henry, who insists that she needs to stop and let John Doe catch up to her. Emma tells him to go home, but as Henry argues, Graham calls them over. He's found John Doe's patient tag with blood on it.
Prince Charming and Snow White arrive at the Troll Bridge and proceed on foot. The trolls climb up over the edge to surround them, and Snow White tries to negotiate for the ring. They suspect it's a setup and attack, and the lead troll has his men search Prince Charming. They find Snow White's necklace and toss it to the ground, and then find the poster for Snow White and realize who she is. Prince Charming grabs his sword and drives them back, and Snow White grabs her necklace and runs. However, the trolls grab Prince Charming and prepare to kill him. Snow White returns and uses the fairy dust to transform the trolls into insects, saving the prince but using all of the dust. He thanks her, to which she retorts with his words, that it was the honorable thing to do. They continue on with the jewels.
The group follows the trail to the old toll bridge and finds John Doe lying in the stream. They pull him out and Mary Margaret begs him to come back to them, and to her. She administers CPR and he finally revives. Looking up, he says that she saved her, while an astonished Emma looks on. John Doe admits that he doesn't know who he is, and Mary Margaret tells him that he'll be okay. They take him to the hospital and Dr. Whale works on him. A woman runs in, calling the patient "David", and Dr. Whale ushers her back. Regina arrives to confirm that the woman is Kathryn Nolan, the man's wife.
Prince Charming gives Snow White the gold back, and she gives him the ring. He comments that it's not her style and she tries it on. He stares at her for a moment, and then Snow White says that it isn't her style and hands it back. Prince Charming offers her the rest of the jewels, but she says that she has what she needs. He wishes her well, and says that if she needs anything... and Snow White finishes the sentiment: "he'll always find her". They say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. Snow White turns and looks back, hesitating for a moment, and then continuing on.
Kathryn comes over to Mary Margaret, Emma, and Henry in the hospital, thanking them for their help. She explains she and her husband were having marital problems, so she told him to leave if he didn't want to be married to her. When he left, she assumed that he left town and didn't know he'd been injured. Now Kathryn has a second chance, to say she's sorry. Dr. Whale tells everyone present that David is physically okay, but he has no memory of his past life. Dr Whale suggests that David's first instinct was to find something familiar, and Henry says he was looking for someone. As Kathryn goes to her husband, Henry goes to get his backpack and whispers to Mary Margaret that David was going to the bridge and really was looking for her, that they belong together. As Regina leaves with Henry, Emma catches up to her and points out that Kathryn's story sounds fake. She points out how convenient it is that Regina just now found Kathryn, and Regina says that after Emma went over the tapes, they checked past tapes and found out that David mentioned Kathryn's name in his sleep from time to time. The mayor tells Emma that true love won out and that thanks to Emma and Mary Margaret, the couple will now be together forever. Regina says that not having someone is the worst curse imaginable and leaves. Mary Margaret watches as Kathryn and David embrace. He looks up at her and seems to recognize her, while Mary Margaret looks at the ring that she's wearing. Later, Mary Margaret is at home when Emma arrives at her doorstep and says she wants to take her up on her offer of a spare room.
Appearances
Fairytale Background
- Snow White and Prince Charming
Quotes
• Mary Margaret: Guess if true love was easy, we'd all have it.
• Snow White: Is this is the only way you can catch a woman--by entrapping her?
Prince Charming: It's the only way to catch thieving scum.
{C
Snow White: Oh. Aren't you a real Prince Charming?
Prince Charming: I have a name, you know.
Snow White: Don't care. "Charming" suits you. Now cut me down... Charming.
• Prince Charming: I'll release you when you return the leather pouch you stole with my jewels.
Snow White: Not the jewelry type.
Prince Charming: Indeed. I noticed.
Snow White: What is that supposed to mean? Are you insulting me?
Prince Charming: No, quite right. My apologies. How dare I cast aspersions on the person who robbed me?
• Emma (about the comatose John Doe): I told Henry we would all meet tomorrow for breakfast at Granny's and you would give a full report.
{C
Mary Margaret: Well, then, I suppose I should get ready for my date. I'll have to do all the talking.
• Mary Margaret (reading from storybook): They didn't need words to express how they felt in their hearts. It was here in the shadow of the troll bridge that their love was born. Where they knew no matter how they were separated they would always...(John awakes)
• Emma: Kid, you need to go home. Where's your mom? She's gonna kill me and then you and then me again.
• Snow White: Anyway, how could I let Prince Charming die?
{C
Prince Charming: I told you. I have a name. It's James.
Snow White: It's nice to meet you, James.
• Prince Charming: Well, goodbye, Snow White.
{C
Snow White: Goodbye, Prince Charming.
{C
Prince Charming: I told you, it's James.
Snow White: Nah. Still like "Charming" better.
• Regina: We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means? It means you're grounded.
Trivia
- Prince Charming's name of James is given.
- In the scene where Snow White was captured by the Queen's henchmen, actress Ginnifer Goodwin tweeted that the horse ran right into her, sending her flying and injuring her hand and face.
- Jennifer Morrison taught Ginnifer Goodwin how to do CPR when she had used it it in a scene in which Mary Margeret gave David CPR because as Morrison learned how to use CPR when she was a regular on House M.D.
- The episode "The Shepherd" takes place directly before this in the fairytale events and the events in the real world after David's out of the hosptail's makes it an unreliable narrative of events.
- Behind the opening title, a troll can be seen.