In "7:15 A.M." we spend a lot of our time with Mary Margaret. She starts off rushing to the coffee shop to see David collecting coffee for himself and his wife, Kathryn. I felt so bad for her while watching that scene unfold. I don't know how someone can look so in love and yet so miserable at the same time, but she definitely does. Emma catches her there. Mary lied about leaving early for school that morning and she confesses her slightly stalker-ish ways. Emma understands, but tries to discourage her from coming to the coffee shop the next day.
Afterwards, Mary goes shopping and literally bumps into Kathryn, only to find a pregnancy test included in the items spilled from her basket. Talk about a shot through the heart. Later, she treks through the woods and finds a trapped dove. She takes it to the town's animal hospital, which we haven't seen before and is a really cute place. David works there and insists on helping Mary Margaret return the dove to the forest. Mary quickly dismisses the idea, trying to stay as far away from David as she can. She's adamant to return this bird to its flock so it is not forced to spend the rest of its life alone. Obviously Mary Margaret is drawing some parallels between the bird's life and her own, whether she knows it or not.
She hurries off into the forest as the storm approaches, wipes out and almost falls off an extremely steep cliff (which seemed really close to the road, did anyone think?) only to be saved by her literal, Prince Charming (but in this world we call him David). They end up in a cabin, seeking refuge from the rain and admit they both go to the coffee shop at 7:15 every morning to see each other. They ALMOST kiss before Mary Margaret admits she saw Kathryn's pregnancy test. David looks floored, obviously knowing nothing about it. I had really hoped Kathryn and David hadn't been intimate since his their reconciliation, but apparently not. Eventually, Mary Margaret and David free the dove and David tries to hold Mary's hand. She says no, they'll just have to stay away from each other, which is easier said than done.
The next day, they both wait until 7:45 a.m. to get their coffee, hoping to avoid each other but managing the opposite. David confesses Kathryn's not pregnant, while he agreed to seek counselling with his wife, he can't deny the connection to Mary and vice versa. They kiss passionately in the middle of the street, while Regina, of course, looks on. I'm so mad they finally kissed in such a public place. I KNEW Regina would be watching! That can never be good!
During the storm Emma seeks temporary refuge in the coffee shop, finding the stranger (we still don't know his name) there sitting alone. Emma chats him up, wanting to know his purpose in town and the mysterious box he's been carting around. After some banter back in forth in which Emma agrees to have a drink with him "some time," he reveals the content of the box is a typewriter and he is a writer.
He says he's come to Storybrooke because it gives him inspiration. When Emma asks him if he's been there before he cryptically replies he didn't say that. But come on, he kind of did! So the typewriter officially has me stumped, I can't think of any fairy tale characters that involve a typewriter. My first thought was that he wrote Henry's book and somehow knows the truth. So where did Mary Margaret get the book she gave to Henry anyway? Intriguing. Could he be Mr. Gold's son? I think would be a really good twist!
In Fairy Tale, things are not fairing much better for Snow White and Prince Charming. Snow has been living in the woods with her wounded heart, agonizing over the upcoming marriage of Prince James. Red Riding Hood brings her food and reveals the wedding will take place in two days time. Snow is even more heartbroken and vocalizes her wish to get Prince James out of her mind.
After some hesitation, Red reveals that there may be someone who could give her what she wants -- Rumpelstilskin of course. Rumpelstiltskin looks especially creepy when he meets with Snow. I wonder if his appears has something to do with the passing of time? That maniacal laugh is brilliant by the way. He gives Snow the cure she asks for in a vial only asking for a strand of her hair in return (which we all know, can't be good).
Meanwhile, Prince James is bound by the agreement with King Midas to marry his daughter, but sends a message to Snow asking her to come to him if she loves him too. Of course she does and makes it to the castle before she's found by the guards, thrown in jail next to her fellow prisoner, Grumpy the dwarf. Snow is determined to escape and looks for every possible way to do so -- which is what makes her such a great character. She doesn't just accept her fate, she tries to do something about it. Eventually another dwarf named "Stealthy" (give me a break) comes and frees them both but they part ways in the castle. The two dwarves are found and Stealthy is killed instantly. Grumpy looks like he will fare no better but Snow White shows herself in sacrifice to save the dwarf, who is set free.
From there Snow meets mean King George who warns her she must lie to Prince James and claim not to love him, or he will kill him. The King also admits that James is not really his son. Fearing for his life, in a very heartbreaking scene, Snow does what the King asks and lies to Prince James. He doesn't believe her at first, but she is quite convincing.
When she goes back to the forest, the (now seven) dwarves approach her and tell her to come and live with them. Grumpy urges her not to drink the vial, which will wipe Prince James completely from her mind, but explains pain and heart break is what makes people who they are. She agrees now to drink it for now.
The next day it is revealed that somehow James called off the wedding, he is in the forest and looking for Snow White. Grumpy runs to tell her the news of the cancelled wedding to find her laying in bed with a blank and dreamy expression, asking, "Prince who?" She drank the vial. I was so disappointed! But we know from past episodes that eventually Snow and James do get married, so what happens to bring back her memory? How was James able to cancel the wedding and keep his life? I really want to know the story there! What will Rumpelstiltskin do with Snow's lock of hair?
The promos next week show a return to a time when Snow's Father is still alive and a major throwdown between Emma and Regina. Sidney offers to help Emma take down Regina, but why? Is it all a set up? What has raised the stakes between the two women so quickly? I guess we'll find out next week!