Recap: ‘Once Upon a Time,’ Season 1, Episode 9, ‘True North’

“Once Upon a Time,” Season 1, Episode 9, “True North” tells the story of Hansel and Gretel, both in the fairy tale world and the real world. In both worlds, the twins are in more than a little bit of trouble.

Spoilers surely follow.

In the fairy tale world the Woodcutter is felling trees while his Hansel and Gretel are gathering kindling. The dad vanishes, after giving Gretel a compass, and the Evil Queen and her escort show up demanding to know what they are doing in her woods. This is but a ploy to get them to do something for her.

That something is to slip into the gingerbread house of an evil, blind witch and grab a black satchel that has something the Evil Queen wants. If they do this, they will be reunited with daddy. They proceed to do so, but things go wrong when Hansel takes a bite of one of the many lovely tasties in the house, waking up the witch, and getting them both locked up and ready for dinner. “Gravy or butter?” the witch asks, wanting to know what they prefer to be basted in. I would have answered olive oil on the theory that it is likely rare in a land that is the analogue of Northern Europe.

In any case, Hansel and Gretel make their escape much as in the story, grabbing the satchel on the way out. It is also revealed that they are not the first kids the Evil Queen has sent in. They are the first who have made their way out.

After delivering the satchel, which amusingly enough contains the poison apple, the Evil Queen tries to welsh on the deal, telling them that daddy has abandoned them. Instead they can live like a little prince and princess in the Evil Queen’s castle. The kids are having none of it, so the Evil Queen teleports them to the middle of the woods. Naturally she kidnapped the Woodcutter and, after interrogating him about the meaning of family, teleports him to another part of the woods.

Back in the real world Hansel and Gretel are Nicholas and Ava, orphan kids who live in an abandoned house and live by shoplifting. Emma, as the duly elected Sheriff of Storeybrook, is obliged to take them to Boston to live in separate fosters homes. But using the very same compass that Ava conveniently has, she tracks down the kids’ dad, who in the real world is a struggling owner of an auto shop. He is reluctant at first to take on the added responsibility, but Emma tricks him into meeting the kids and, well, he cannot help himself now. Another family reunited, thanks to Emma.

But who is that mysterious stranger on the motorcycle? Obviously a new plot twist has ridden into town.

Source: Once Upon a Time, True North, TV.Rage


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