The Thing You Love Most
"The Thing You Love Most" | |
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Adam Horowitz | |
Original air date | October 30, 2011 |
Guest appearances | |
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"The Thing You Love Most" is the second episode of the
The episode was co-written by co-creators
"The Thing You Love Most" first aired in the United States on ABC on October 30, 2011. It was watched by an estimated 11.64 million viewers, scoring a 3.9 ratings share in the 18-49 demographic. The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics; many were complimentary towards Emma and Regina's feud and thought the episode was superior to the pilot, but believed Bauer van Straten was underused. A novelization of the episode was published in 2013.
Plot
Opening sequence
Maleficent's unicorn is shown galloping through the forest.
In the characters' past
At the wedding of Snow White (Goodwin) and Prince Charming (
To find out why the curse failed, the Queen turns to Rumpelstiltskin (Carlyle), the original owner of the curse. Rumpelstiltskin offers to help the Queen if, in turn, she makes him a wealthy and respected person in the new world and promises that she will do anything he asks so long as he says "please." The Queen agrees, reminding him that in the new world, they would have no recollection of their agreement. Rumpelstiltskin then tells the Queen that she must cut out the heart of the thing she loves the most and use it to complete the spell. The Queen protests that what she loved most died because of Snow White, but Rumpelstiltskin suggests that there is something else the Queen also loves. He also tells the Queen that he has informed Snow White and Prince Charming that their unborn daughter will be able to break the Queen's curse.
On returning to her castle, the Queen is distraught over what Rumpelstiltskin told her. She confides in her valet, who is revealed to be her father. Knowing he is the thing the Queen loves the most, her father tries to dissuade her from her plan, saying that she could still find love again. Appearing to be persuaded, the Queen pulls her father in for an embrace, then kills him and removes his heart, and immediately starts crying.
Alone in the forest, the Queen uses her father's heart to complete the Dark Curse. As the curse takes shape, she lays a black rose on her father's grave. The headstone bears the inscription "Henry, Beloved Father."
In Storybrooke
Around Storybrooke, residents notice the clock tower's hands moving. Regina (Parrilla) looks through the book of fairy tales and discovers that the last few pages are torn out. She confronts Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), who lies and says that the pages are missing because it is an old book. Regina learns Emma is still in town when the clock's hands move forward. Believing that Emma Swan (Morrison) will try to take Henry away from her, Regina encourages Emma to leave town. Regina meets with The Daily Mirror editor, Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito), who has run a front-page story about Emma's auto accident (where she crashed into the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign after trying to avoid hitting a wolf, and was believed to have been drunk driving), which portrays Emma in a poor light, but tells Regina that he has found very little of interest in Emma's past.
Henry tells Emma that he has a plan for them to break the curse, called "Operation Cobra". The first step is to associate his book's characters with each of the Storybrooke residents, as no one can remember their past. Henry explains to a skeptical Emma that she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Concerned about Henry, Emma goes to see his therapist, Archie Hopper (Raphael Sbarge). She is willingly given Henry's file, only to be arrested when Archie claims she stole it. Regina unsuccessfully tries to use the incident to divide Emma and Henry. Emma retaliates by attacking Regina's apple tree with a chainsaw, provoking another confrontation.
Back at the inn, Granny (Beverley Elliott) apologetically kicks Emma out, telling her they have a no-felons policy. Regina suggests to Emma that they meet at her office to make peace. Once there, Emma tells Regina that she does not plan to take Henry away, but that she is worried about Henry's sanity because of his "crazy" fairy-tale theory. Henry overhears Emma and runs away, hurt. Regina acknowledges that she knew Henry would arrive just in time to hear their conversation.
Emma later tells Henry that she thinks the curse is crazy, but that does not mean it is not true. She also tells him that in order to break the curse, they must keep Regina off their trail by making her think that they don't believe in the curse.
As Regina tends the apple tree, Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) offers to help Regina get rid of Emma, for a price. Regina says that she is not in the business of making deals with him anymore, and Gold acknowledges that she had made a deal with him in the past to procure Henry. He asks Regina how she chose the name Henry; she does not answer. She questions him about Emma's past, and he is equally evasive. When Gold attempts to walk away, Regina presses him for an answer, causing Gold to say "please", forcing Regina to obey. As Gold walks away, Regina watches in shock and worry, suggesting that she suspects that Gold remembers their lives in the Enchanted Forest.
Production
As with the pilot, "The Thing You Love Most" was co-written by series co-creators
In September 2011,
"The Thing You Love Most" is the first episode to feature Mary Margaret's loft, which is filmed on a small sound stage in Vancouver;[7] most of the first season's interior shots are also filmed in the city, while many exterior shots are of nearby Steveston, British Columbia.[8] The production team led by set decorator Mark Lane and production designer Michael Joy designed the residence to seem "locked in time a little bit, so there's not a lot of new stuff."[7] They included working class antiques such as a Hoosier cabinet, an old gas stove, and a Bakelite radio. The loft was meant to be located above a store and near a lumber mill and water, so the crew also designed it to feel like a fish cannery.[7]
The episode was included in Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale – a novelization of the first season – which was published by Hyperion Books in 2013.[9][10]
Reception
Ratings
The episode was first broadcast on October 30, 2011. According to
Reviews
The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics.
IGN's Amy Ratcliffe rated "The Thing You Love Most" with a score of 7.5 out of 10, describing it as "fun" with "not impressive but not horrible" special effects and a story that was "enjoyable and entertaining but not gripping."[15] Ratcliffe enjoyed the interactions between Emma and Regina, but commented that she "could do with less of Regina's withering stares" and "precious apples."[15] She also found the change of music when switching to the fairy tale realm to be "an unnecessary bat over the head."[15] Cindy McLennan of Television Without Pity graded the episode with an A−. While she liked Bauer van Straten's performance, McLennan wished that her character had been "fiercer" in her first appearance.[16] Entertainment Weekly columnist Shaunna Murphy thought it was more fun than the pilot and praised Morrison's "tough-as-nails-but-with-a-secret-heart-of-gold" performance, as well as her character's feud with Regina.[17]
Writing for The A.V. Club, Oliver Sava criticized the episode for possessing "the same problems as the pilot: It takes itself too seriously, the flashbacks are hilariously campy, and Henry is a horribly obnoxious character in an unfortunately central role."[18] In addition to giving a negative opinion of the episode's CGI, Sava opined that Bauer van Staten was misused and disliked Gilmore's performance, but praised Esposito's. He gave the episode a "C".[18] TV Fanatic's Christine Orlando was more positive, and gave the episode 4.6 out of 5 stars, saying that "The Thing You Love Most" was "a great second outing" for the series. She complimented the production design and applauded the conflict between Emma and Regina, citing her favorite scene as "when Emma took a chainsaw to the Regina's beloved apple tree."[19] Orlando thought that Maleficent was underused and criticized her hair and the scene for its poor special effects.[19]
References
- ^ "Once Upon a Time: "The Thing You Love Most"". The Futon Critic. October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (October 23, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time' stars give scoop on season ahead". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^ a b "Tonight on Once Upon a Time: The Queen's Backstory & Regina's Relationships with Emma & Henry". TV Overmind. October 30, 2011. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Nededog, Jethro (September 27, 2011). "'True Blood's' Kristin Bauer Guest Starring on ABC's 'Once Upon a Time'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Masters, Megan (October 28, 2011). "Once Upon a Time Visitor Kristin Bauer: 'Evil-Bitch Typecasting Is an Awesome Thing!'". TVLine. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- ^ a b "'True Blood's' Kristin Bauer Van Straten Talks 'Once Upon A Time'". Access Hollywood. October 29, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- ^ ProQuest 900331513. (subscription required)
- Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
- ISBN 9781401305499.
- OCLC 837922499.
- ^ Hibberd, James (October 31, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time' ratings remain strong; 'Allen Gregory' soft". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^ Siedman, Bill (October 31, 2011). "TV Ratings Sunday: 'Once Upon a Time' Holds Up; 'Allen Gregory' Debuts Weakly". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Hibberd, James (November 3, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time,' Tim Allen get full season orders". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- BBM Canada. 2011. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
- ^ a b c Ratcliffe, Amy (October 31, 2011). "Once Upon a Time: "The Thing You Love Most" Review". IGN. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ^ McLennan, Cindy (October 30, 2011). "Let my wrath be unleashed". Television Without Pity. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Shaunna, Murphy (October 31, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time' recap: This Town Ain't Big Enough". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ^ a b Sava, Oliver (October 30, 2011). "The Thing You Love Most". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Orlando, Christine (October 31, 2011). "Once Upon a Time Review: The Price of Power". TV Fanatic. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
External links
- "The Thing You Love Most" at IMDb