Fairy Tale Land
The animated wooden boy Pinocchio is on a boat during a storm with Geppetto. The Whale is circling them. Despite Geppetto’s protest Pinocchio sacrifices himself by letting the Whale swallow him. Geppetto wakes up alone on a shore. He yells for Pinocchio and finds his wooden body laying by the rocks. Pinocchio is not animated. Geppetto holds his small wooden body tight and weeps. The Blue Fairy comes along. She wakes Pinocchio up and transforms him into a human child. Geppetto cannot thank her enough. The Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio he will remain like this as long as he remains true and unselfish.
Pinocchio and Geppetto are fixing a clock. Jiminy Cricket emerges tied up. Geppetto unties him and scolds Pinocchio. The Blue Fairy visits to warn them of the curse. She propositions Geppetto to build the wardrobe for Snow White and her child. She takes them to the last of the enchanted trees. She explains that on the child’s 28th year she will be the only one able to save them. He agrees to build the wardrobe but on one condition. He wants Pinocchio to go in there as well. Jiminy argues with him as a voice of reason but Geppetto won’t hear any of it. Later they meet with Snow White and Charming, as well as others. The Blue Fairy tells them that the tree can only fit one just as Geppetto has requested.
Snow goes into labor. The Blue Fairy goes to Geppetto and tells him things have changed. Snow has gone into labor early and the curse is emerging. She pleads to allow Snow to go with her child so that she can make sure the child can later save them. He agrees. She leaves and he tells Pinocchio he will still be going in the wardrobe. Again Jiminy tries to reason with Geppetto but he won’t listen. Pinocchio climbs in the wardrobe. Geppetto instructs him to guide the child and protect her. He tells Pinocchio to make sure she believes. They hug and Geppetto shuts the door. He opens it again a moment later and sees his son is gone.
Pinocchio arrives in the other world. He emerges from a tree. He is startled when he hears a plane over head. He tries to climb back in the tree but a force field pushes him out. A moment later baby Emma arrives.
Storybrooke
Henry and Emma discuss the book of fairy tales. They realize the story of Pinocchio has been added in.
August makes a phone call. He tells Mr. Gold that Emma is too focused on Henry and he needs her to be focused on believing. He goes to exit his apartment and again is overcome with a sharp pain. He lifts his pant leg and reveals a wooden leg.
I approach Mary in the school yard. I tell her I am looking for Henry. I tell her again that is was Sidney who set her up and not me. She does not believe me. Suddenly Mary tells me she forgives me. I have no words for this. Making me feel even smaller she tells me that she basically pities me because I must be so empty and alone I need to destroy everyone else. Henry is now coming and she leaves me. I give him his lunch box and tell him I am thinking of having him transferred to a different teacher. Henry verbally attacks me telling me he knows I am the Evil Queen and I will be defeated and that Snow White and Prince Charming will be together.
August pays a visit to Mr. Gold. Marco happens to be in the pawn shop at the same time. This throws August off and amuses Gold to watch. Once Marco has left Gold asks why August doesn’t tell his father hi. The subject goes back to Emma. August wants Gold’s help changing Emma’s focus back to the curse.
David is locking his door. I just happen to be broken down out front. He sees me and being the Prince Charming that he is he cannot resist trying to help me. He gives me a ride home and even helps carry my groceries in. I ask him to stay for dinner and he declines. I pick up a note on my table which is actually nothing more than a blank piece of paper. I read it aloud giving a story of Henry again going to eat dinner at a friend’s house. I then put on my sad face and of course David agrees to stay for dinner. After dinner we talk and he asks me how I found him. I come up with this fantastic story of how one night after working late I had to return to the office because I forgot my cell phone. If this had not happened he would have froze to death. I am thinking this is the right time to seduce him. I lean in to kiss him but he pulls away before I can. I am humiliated but try and hide it. He thanks me again for dinner and leaves. Once he is gone I throw my wine glass at my mirror shattering it.
After Gold will not help Emma she turns to August. He brings her to a diner and she is angry. He tells her that this is the diner where a little boy found her. She wants to talk about Henry. He brings her back again by telling her he was that boy that found her. She is still not convinced but is confused when he is able to describe the blanket she was found in. They go to the forest and he shows her the tree they both came to this world in. He reveals himself to be Pinocchio. As she tries to leave he collapses. She wants to know what is wrong with him. August tells her that he failed because he was supposed to be in Storybrooke with her. Instead he had left, and once she arrived in Storybrooke and the clock started moving because he was not there he began to be punished and is now sick. He lifts his pant leg but all Emma sees is flesh. He realizes how strong her denial is. He pleads with her to believe as she is the only one who can save them. She tells him they should not believe in her and she leaves.
August has a flashback. He and baby Emma are in a foster home. He fixes her crib and soothes her from crying. A cruel man chastises him for using his tools and then leaves him. Another boy shows August a wad of money and tells him he and some others are going to run away and take a bus. The boy tells August he cannot take the baby. August chooses to leave with them.
August goes to see Marco who is working on a clock. As August watches he calls out what Marco should try to make it work. It does. Marco tells him his father must be proud but August tells him he has disappointed his father and broke a promise. Marco tells him that its not the case as he has admitted he made a mistake and wants to fix it. If he had a son that would be all he would want. August spots a wooden whale and offers to be Marco’s assistant. Marco cannot pay him but is happy to have his help. He invites August in.
Henry wakes up to Emma summoning him by walkie talkie. He goes outside to meet her. She asks him if he wants to leave with her. They get in the car and she tells him they are getting out of Storybrooke.
Watch the full episode of The Stranger here: