The Shepherd (4 Dec. 2011)

David - aka John Doe - must choose between staying with Kathryn or leaving her to be with Mary Margaret, with whom he's fallen deeply, and inexplicably, in love; and Emma catches Sheriff ... See full summary »

Director:

Victor Nelli Jr.

Writers:

Edward Kitsis (creator), Adam Horowitz (creator),

Stars:

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard
Jennifer Morrison	...	Emma Swan
Lana Parrilla	...	Regina Mills
Josh Dallas	...	Prince Charming / David Nolan
Jared Gilmore	...	Henry Mills (as Jared S. Gilmore)
Raphael Sbarge	...	Jiminy Cricket / Archie Hopper (credit only)
Jamie Dornan	...	Sheriff Graham
Robert Carlyle	...	Rumplestiltskin / Mr. Gold
David Anders	...	Dr. Whale
Alan Dale	...	King George
Anastasia Griffith	...	Abigail / Kathryn Nolan
Gabrielle Rose	...	Ruth
Alex Zahara	...	King Midas
Ian Butcher	...	Burly Knight
Demord Dann	...	Aide

Storyline

David - aka John Doe - must choose between staying with Kathryn or leaving her to be with Mary Margaret, with whom he's fallen deeply, and inexplicably, in love; and Emma catches Sheriff Graham in a lie. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, Prince Charming is about to encounter a life-changing event that will forever alter his destiny.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kitsis/Horowitz, ABC Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emma pours Mary Margaret a glass of McCutcheon's scotch - the same as Mr. Widmore (played by Alan Dale, who is also King George in this episode) refuses to pour for Desmond on Lost.

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Goofs

The Prince's armor is the same before and after it is damaged.

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Quotes

[the knight is taking Prince Charming's sword off the latter, who is supposed to kill a dragon]
Prince Charming: How will I fight? How will I protect myself?
Burly Knight: You won't. You will stay outside the cave while we kill the dragon. If you don't come out of this alive, Midas won't give our kingdom any gold. You might have the title of hero, but not the job.

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Connections

References Lost (2004)

User Reviews

Do you believe in fairy tales? You will.

Who doesn't love a good fairy tale, with the potential for a "happily ever after" ending? I say 'with the potential for' because (like all good fairy tales) this one is fraught with villains and dangers, twists and turns in every episode. That's part of what makes it so appealing. It begins in the realm of fantasy (in fairy tale land) ...with Snow White (nicknamed "Snow") about to marry her Prince Charming after being awakened with a lover's kiss from the same. The Evil Queen crashes Snow's wedding to Prince Charming and declares her intention to destroy their "happily ever after," which of course she succeeds in doing... for the time being anyway. What happens proceeding and leading up to their wedding, the birth of their child and the evil queen's wicked "curse" upon the entire kingdom we get glimpses of in flash-back form. In the "curse," they are all ushered (unbeknownst to them) into present day reality land... to a town called Storybrook. Here, they live different lives and are totally oblivious to their own "reality" ...that is, until a young boy is given a book by his teacher. That book somehow 'awakens' his imagination and courage to believe what others refuse to... that "reality" and "truth" are only a possibility away. He enlists the help of a young woman, named Emma, who he claims to be his birth mother. She gave him up for adoption to give him the best possible chance at a good life, which at the time she was not able to give him. The truth is, Emma is also the child that was born to Snow White and Prince Charming. To her advantage, she was sent ahead to the present in an effort to spare her from the "curse." Though she considers it to have been an abandonment on her folks part, the fact that she was spared from the "curse" gives her a particular advantage. Soon Emma meets her nemesis, who just so happens to be her 'son's' mother. A battle ensues, ...a battle of the mind, emotions and wills. But behind this battle stands a young boy, who just so happens to "believe" in fairy tales and "happy endings." He'll have you believing too.