Luffy Reacts - Once Upon a Time S1E07 - The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Where do I begin? First... there are a few reasons why Graham was killed off, one of which being because the actor (Jamie Dornan) needed to move on from Once Upon a Time so he could play the lead role in Fifty Shades of Gray. I wish this wasn't so, because I have no desire to ever see the Fifty Shades movies, but I love Jamie Dornan as Graham. You're absolutely right... this was his episode to shine and he shined brightly. However, more importantly... it's also because Regina knew that he was remembering his true life and she couldn't risk him fighting with Henry to help Emma come to know the truth as well. She killed him to keep her secret and to keep the curse in place. And the other reasons are meant to help build up Emma, to make her stronger and more resolved in her battle against Regina. A battle, which she has barely begun to even understand. I really love the backstory throughout this episode, that begins with Snow mourning after her father's death. And to answer a question about this part of the storyline... this is the Huntsman from the Snow White fairytale originally written by the Brothers Grimm, and from the Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He isn't actually meant to be the Huntsman from Little Red Riding Hood, who killed the Big Bad Wolf to free Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother from its belly liked you initially believed. Now, a major difference between the Snow White storylines from the Disney movie compared to Once Upon a Time, is that in the movie, the Evil Queen hates Snow White simply because her Magic Mirror tells her that Snow White is the fairest in all the land. The Evil Queen was simply vain and wanted to be the most beautiful, therefore she was jealous of Snow White and her beauty. This is why Snow White in the Pilot episode of Once Upon a Time makes a joke about Regina making her eat a poisoned apple because she was told Snow White was prettier than her. However, in Once Upon a Time, like we also learn in this episode, Regina has a much deeper reason for wanting Snow White dead. A yet to be revealed reason that involves a secret Snow White couldn't keep resulting in Regina losing someone she loved. Back to the backstory... I love learning that Graham is the Huntsman from the Snow White fairytale. And I love that Regina hires him to kill Snow because she believes from seeing him kill the men from the tavern without any emotion or sympathy whatsoever through her mirror, that this Huntsman has no heart. And for most humans, she would be right. It's revealed that Graham was abandoned in the forest by his parents and then raised by wolves. And the only humans he's ever really known are the other hunters who hold no remorse for killing the wolves and other animals in the forest. Graham only kills for food when he and his wolf need to eat, and when he does kill them, he cries and he prays for their forgiveness as he thanks them for giving their lives so that he might live. I really love this take on the Huntsman. Especially because we don't ever really get too much character development or storyline with him in the Disney movie whatsoever. However, Snow has good instincts and therefore upon walking with him through the woods, she knows that Graham isn't one of her father's guards like he's disguised as. So she strikes him and runs, only for him to find her minutes later as she's composing a letter to Regina... a letter that moves him and makes him see that she isn't like the other humans he knows. And he spares her life, then kills a deer to take its heart in her place. Sadly, his deception is quickly discovered by the Evil Queen when he takes the heart back to Regina and in punishment, Regina rips his out with her bare hands, placing a magical protection spell around it, which is why it glows, so that she can use his heart against him and to use him as she pleases. And is she ever cruel. This brings us into the main Storybrooke storyline, as Graham is struggling with his feelings because since Emma's arrival in Storybrooke, he's discovered he can't feel anything. And he suddenly kisses Emma, which immediately cause flashbacks from his true past life to seep into his mind, making him even more confused than ever before. However, because Emma is the Savior and the curse has slowly begun to weaken since she's changed things throughout Storybrooke, Graham senses feelings that he's never felt before. That he's never been able to feel before. Sadly, when Emma rejects him, like any sane woman would do if a man suddenly hit on her and was acting so erratic, Graham then goes to Regina in order to see if she can make him feel anything, unlike all the times he's been with her before and has failed to make him feel. Graham then sees the wolf, which leads him through the woods until Graham suddenly runs into Gold, who is mysteriously burying or digging something up in the woods. And Gold then states to Graham that dreams are like memories of a past life. And once Gold walks away, the wolf reappears to Graham so they can continue their quest, as Graham realizes that the wolf belongs to him and that they are friends. The wolf then brings on more flashbacks that lead Graham to talk with Mary Margaret, who then leads him to talk with Henry about possibly being in his storybook. Graham's acting in these scenes Is phenomenal and his character just grows so much in such a short amount of time. Eventually, Emma meets up with Graham once he's finished speaking with Henry, and when he tells her that he believes he has no heart, Emma lays her and and his own over his chest to find out and Graham states that it's only the curse that is making them feel it beating in his chest, and he would absolutely be right because the Evil Queen had ripped his heart out in the Enchanted Forest long ago. Emma then sees Graham's wolf too, and together they chase after it as it leads them to Regina's vault, or crypt. Graham then frantically searches for his heart after he breaks in, but as Emma's trying to calm him down, Regina suddenly arrives and trouble between the three of them, especially between Regina and Emma breaks out. Graham breaks up with Regina to do right by himself, not so much for Emma. However, Regina blames everything on Emma and the friction turns into a brawl between these powerful women until Graham gets between them to break the fight up. The brawl is short lived, but amazing, and Regina absolutely deserved that punch to the face, just as Emma did too, even though she was absolutely right by her words to Regina. Graham and Emma then walk away from Regina, leaving her alone to walk down inside the hidden room beneath her father's tomb... a room concealing the vaults containing a yet unknown number of hearts contained within them. Back at the station, Graham and Emma share a heartfelt moment as Graham tends to the cut she received from being punched by Regina. And at last... Emma begins to open herself up to him and they suddenly kiss, just as all of Graham's true memories of his past life come flooding back to him, allowing him to remember everything. But sadly... before he can say more to Emma, Regina crushes his heart with her bare hands, killing Graham before he can talk about the truth. Emma picks his upper body up in her arms as she cries out his name over and over after she fights to revive him, only to fail to save him. And she weeps. Such a heartbreaking, yet beautiful scene. Again... the acting between Graham, Emma, and Regina throughout this entire episode like you said, is absolutely beautiful. I was crushed that Graham dies so early on. I really came to love his character more than I already did. Regina is a real witch for sure. Sorry... I don't swear, otherwise I would have added the letter "b" in front of the word "witch". I'm so happy that you loved this episode. Thank you again, so much for your reaction for it!!! I can't wait for more. There's so much more to come. Until next time...

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum