In Storybrooke, the battle between Emma and Regina continues. This week, Mr. Glass gets involved. He claims to have something on the mayor. At first Emma is skeptical to trust him, but after the mayor tears down the castle park where she and Henry would meet, she gives in. Mr. Glass has information that the mayor has set aside city funds of several thousands of dollars.

Emma doesn’t want to stoop low on her quest to out Regina, but after some nudging from Mr. Glass she bugs the mayor’s office and learns of a rendezvous she’s having to exchange payment. Driving to the location, they discover her brakes were cut and they have a small crash. But then they find Mr. Gold who informs them that he met the mayor to exchange his land for cash. But he tells them he doesn’t ask questions because that’s how business goes.

Emma and Mr. Glass break into Regina’s office and find blueprints for a lavish home. Thinking they finally have enough dirt, they announce the mayor’s secret plans at a town meeting. But Regina reveals that the plans were for a new playground to be built, replacing the old torn down one. Well played madam mayor, well played. So Emma and Mr. Glass look pretty silly. And Regina threatens Emma with a restraining order to stay away from Henry.

In the end, we find out that Mr. Glass has actually still been conspiring with Regina all along. He’s even the one that cut the brakes. They revel in the fact that they now have Emma in their pocket and will know her every move.

A couple of tidbits from Storybrooke…David and Mary Margaret have a secret little rendezvous in the woods. It’s a cute little picnic that he set up for them. Also, the stranger that arrived in Storybrooke approached Henry again discussing the book. And in the end, he’s the one who took Henry’s book, not Regina. I’m still thinking he has something to do with writing the book.

Meanwhile, in Fairytale Land we learn the origins of the Magic Mirror. The king, Snow’s father, discovers a lamp on the shores and rubs it to reveal a genie…from Agrabah. (Could it be that this is Aladdin’s genie?! Was the Magic Mirror really Aladdin’s genie before he became a mirror?!) The king asks for happiness in his kingdom and then wishes for the Genie to be set free…leaving one wish remaining.

The genie joins the king in his courts as great friends and meets his daughter, Snow, and wife, Regina. Before long, the genie realizes Regina is unhappy and falls in love with her. However, the king discovers the existence of a love affair in her journal and locks her away in her chambers. Regina’s father brings a box to the genie to give to Regina to help her escape. The contents are two vipers from Agrabah that she will let bite her and allow her to die. But the genie can’t allow this and he uses the vipers to kill the king. (We finally learn how the king died!)

Regina tells him the guards have found the vipers and traced their origins to Agrabah, thus he is known to be the culprit and is in danger. She tells him to flee, but he realizes it was all just a set up for him to kill the king for her. She tells him she does not love him, but it is clear that he still has love for her. He uses the last wish to wish that he’ll always be by her side…and thus he becomes trapped in the mirror.

I thought the writers did a phenomenal job with the Magic Mirror’s backstory. I love that he was a genie from Agrabah. I feel like he HAS to be Aladdin’s genie because that’s just too much of a coincidence! I love how the writers are meshing all of these fairytales together and how they do it so perfectly!

The jury is still out on the stranger in town. But I really do believe he has something to do with writing the book. Maybe if he didn’t pen the book himself, then he comes from an ancestry line of fairytale writers. It has potential.

Anyway, what did you think? Did you love the Magic Mirror’s backstory as much as I did? Leave your thoughts and comments!

This week Once takes us back to the central love story of Snow White and Prince James. It’s not am episode rich in suspense and revelations, but rather an emotional appeal to the story of Snow and her love.

Little happens in Storybrooke. Mary Margaret and David are both still pining for one another, to the point that they intentionally show up at the same places, at the same time (not knowing the other intended to do the same). It’s very cute to see their relationship grow. But there’s a pregnancy scare for Kathryn, which ends up being nothing. David feels drawn to both, but it’s obvious his love for Mary Margaret is true and his love for Kathryn is out of compulsion.

The magic moment for the two comes at the end. They both seemingly decide to part ways and do not show up at the diner at their usual time. However, both happen to show up later. That’s it, it’s fate! They embrace and kiss! And of course, Regina spots them and scowls from her car.

Additionally, Regina pressures Emma to investigate the new stranger in town that arrived in last week’s episode. All we really learn is that he has a box that contains a typewriter. Oh, and Emma now owes having a drink with him. New love interest? Possibly.

Meanwhile in Fairytale Land, Prince James’ wedding to Abigail is quickly approaching and he writes to Snow to come and give him reason to leave. Snow receives the letter and goes to him but is caught and imprisoned by the guards. It is here that she meets Grumpy, a dwarf. They both talk about their lost loves. And then Stealthy, apparent dwarf number eight, arrives to save Grumpy. Grumpy, with his new bond to Snow, also helps her to escape.

During the escape, Stealthy is shot…and that’s how they became seven. The king threatens to kill Prince James if Snow doesn’t cut it off; so in a tearful exchange, they part ways. Snow meets up with the dwarves and agrees to live with them. In the end, Prince James cannot bear to marry Abigail and goes in search of Snow. Unfortunately, against Grumpy’s advice, she drank a potion from Rumpelstiltskin to rid herself of the pain and no longer remembers him.

The episode was rich in storytelling this week. It continued building the background for Snow White and Prince James, and I loved the addition of the dwarves! Unfortunately, I was holding out for some more info on this stranger that arrived in Storybrooke! My interest is already piqued! You don’t have to build anymore!

Anyway, what did you think? Good episode? Were you bored with the story-telling/love story, or did it hit that warm-spot in your heart? Leave us your thoughts!

This week in Fairytale Land the story revolves around Hansel and Gretel. In a twist on the classic story, the lost children are found by the Evil Queen and sent to the Blind Witch’s gingerbread cottage to retrieve a satchel. They’re told not to eat anything.

But of course Hansel couldn’t avoid temptation and ate a cupcake, awakening the Blind Witch who then imprisons them with plans to eat them. However, the children outwit her, lock her in the oven and escape with the satchel.

When the children return with the satchel, we discover its contents to be the poison apple. She offers to keep the children, but they just want to return to their father, who we discover is also captured by the Queen. Ultimately she casts them all back into the woods to roam and try to find one another.

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, Henry meets Ava and Nicholas Zimmer who use him to try to shoplift. However, they are caught and it is revealed that Ava and Nicholas have no parents. Emma immediately has a connection and fights to prevent them from being place in fostering. She tracks down their father but he denies the possibility of the children being his.

Regina pressures Emma to take action with the children and eventually Emma must oblige, loading the children up and driving them out of town. But like Henry said, you can’t leave Storybrooke without something bad happening and Emma’s car breaks down. The mechanic she calls to come fix it is the children’s father and another happy ending is found when he decides to keep them! Hooray for Emma!

Henry actually asks Emma about his father, too. Emma shares that he was a firefighter and they met in a cute little diner. She became pregnant and when she searched for him, she discovered he had died saving a family in a fire. I was very pleased to hear this and totally believed it…but no, it was all a story she just told to give Henry a hero to look to.

The last scene shows a man on a motorcycle arriving in Storybrooke. Emma and Henry are both a little stunned. Strangers aren’t supposed to stop in Storybrooke. No one ever does. Yet, here he is.

Phenomenal episode. I wasn’t expecting much with a Hansel and Gretel episode, but there were so many great parts. Even though Fairytale Land revolved around Hansel and Gretel, I loved seeing the Evil Queen playing a big part. And I loved seeing her take some magic action…she is fierce!

The whole “who’s the daddy” plot had to come up at some point, and they revealed just enough to make me want more. He’s not the hero Emma told Henry he was, so who is he? I’m certainly curious. And how will he be integrated into Storybrooke and the fairytales.

Finally…that man?! Who is he? Is he fairytale or is he just a real-world man? Such a tease. My initial thought was maybe he’s Henry’s father, but surely Emma would recognize him. And if he’s arriving in Storybrooke, then doesn’t that mean he’s from elsewhere thus not a fairytale character? This one man has left me with so many questions!

Anyway, what did you think? Like the episode? And what are your thoughts on the mysterious man? Comment your thoughts!

At the start of the new year, we got word that Fox had axed the Results show portion of So You Think You Can Dance US. While that angered many fans, including this one here at the Yak, it now appears that this may be a blessing in disguise. While it doesn’t appear official yet by any stretch of the imagination, and while this still might eliminate some of the greatest and more artistic and inspiring group performances on television, it looks like SYTYCD might get an oversized season this summer!

The previous Dance format, after the initial audition and Vegas episodes, included a 2 hours performance show on Wednesday with a one hour Results show on Thursday. Now that the results show has been axed, which we have options for fans to counter it if they so choose, it appears that SYTYCD will air more 2 hour episodes during the summer, carrying the show through to the start of the fall season. Previously, Dance had been known to end sometime in August, about a month before Fall TV, leaving Fox with some “dead weeks.”

At the Television Critics Association press event, President Kevin Reilly added “We wanted to get a few more shows on over the summer. We also wanted to smooth out our summer so we don’t stop early and then have these dead weeks leading up to the season.”

Initially, fans were concerned that the axing of the results shows meant Fox wanted to air more programming over the summer. While that might be true, this may not spell doom for the under-appreciated, highly-talented dance show. “The total number of hours that we committed to Dance, it’s a couple hours less. It wasn’t really like we wanted to reduce the total number of hours. In fact, we wanted to figure out how to spread it out over the summer, which is now what we’re doing,” Reilly said. It appears that the results show might very well be built into the new format, possibly a la The Voice or The Sing-Off?

In other dance news, the developer and producer of Strictly Come Dancing, which came to be known as Dancing With the Stars in the United States, has died. Richard Hopkins, 47, died from a brain tumor. He initially pitched the idea to BBC in the UK before working on the current US hit. Our thoughts and prayers go to the Hopkins family and friends.

Previously on Once, we were all starting to warm up to Sheriff Graham, even Emma Swan. In fact, the closer Sheriff Graham got to Emma, the more he remembered Fairytale Land. But Mayor Regina could not take that and she killed him. Apparently no one is safe.

You’d think the entire town would be torn up over the death of their Sheriff, but really the only one to show any emotion is Emma. Mr. Gold gives her the nudge to seek the office of sheriff, but Regina throws her support behind Sydney Glass, reporter for The Daily Mirror. Henry warns Emma to stop because of Sheriff Graham’s death and how good can’t compete with evil because good doesn’t play dirty.

Emma saves Regina from a fire but then decides to stop campaigning since she didn’t want to stoop to the level of smear campaigning. This ultimately leads to her winning the election as most townspeople saw her stance as standing up to Mr. Gold. As Regina put it, the only thing people like better than a strong ally is someone standing up to a formidable enemy.

Christmas music is no longer on repeat, holiday programming comes to an end, and people begin to reflect on one year as they prepare for the next. As the holiday season comes to an end and we enter a new chapter in television, we here at the Yak decided it was finally time to preview the new fare that the major networks will be offering us this winter and spring. In addition to our Winter Midseason Television Preview, be sure to check the calendar on the right side of this very page for all winter premiere dates for the month of January! We’ll work on getting February dates up there, as well, but until then, be reminded of when your favorite shows return! We’ve got a lot of fun things planned in the winter with upcoming reality shows, the awards season and more, so stay tuned!

Click here for Fox’s Midseason Schedule

Alcatraz, January 16 @ 8/7c on Fox!

When San Francisco Police Department DET. REBECCA MADSEN is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a shocking suspect: JACK SYLVANE, a former Alcatraz inmate who died decades ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, RAY ARCHER, were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued, and once the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent EMERSON HAUSER tries to impede her investigation, she’s doggedly committed. Madsen turns to Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast, DR. DIEGO “DOC” SOTO, to piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The twosome discovers that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since he was in Alcatraz, when the prison was ruled by the iron-fisted WARDEN EDWIN JAMES and the merciless ASSOCIATE WARDEN E.B. TILLER.

Madsen and Soto reluctantly team with Agent Hauser and his technician, LUCY BANERJEE, to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. For while he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last prisoner to reappear from Alcatraz.

Through the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Agent Hauser has known about the prison’s secret history and has been awaiting the prisoners’ return. Soto will witness his life’s work – the history of Alcatraz – come alive. Madsen will be forced to keep her supportive San Francisco cop fiancé, JIMMY DICKENS, at arm’s length from the highly classified assignment as she sees everything she thought she knew about her family’s past shattered, all while fighting to keep the country safe from history’s most dangerous criminals.

Next Up: Are You There, Chelsea

Other sites have been making lists based on their preference, telling you who they believe was the best of 2011. We here at the Yak like to do it another way … put you in command. You nominated, you voted, and now it’s time to reveal who YOU chose as the Best of 2011. As 2011 comes to a close in just a few days, we figured it’s time to take you down memory lane as we reminisce about what made these people, TV shows, songs, albums, and celebrities the best (or in some cases the worst) of 2011. There were some EXTREMELY tight races this year, but fans came out in full force to make sure their favorites got to the top. No more yakking, let’s just get right to it. Click on a pic below to see what they won – or just click on the first pic and scroll through to see who and what made YOUR list of favorites in television, music, movies and more in 2011.

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Song of the Year:

Favorite Live Performance of the Year:

Most Viral Video of the Year:

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, ABC has canned Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show will close its doors at the end of the current season, its ninth overall. The show, however, will not be completely gone from ABC’s primetime schedule right away. The network has announced that it will air four upcoming specials, but it will not be a weekly staple in some homes. The two-time Emmy award winning show will make its final bow on January 13th, which happens to be it’s 200th episode. The finale will feature the team rebuilding homes and changing lives for those affected in Joplin, Missouri.

After the show transitioned to Friday nights, ratings haven’t been the same. Struggling against other network offerings, ratings have been sub-par to ABC’s expectations. To date, the team has designed and rebuilt more than 200 homes, in addition to firehouses, schools, daycares and more, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“It is with a somber heart I close this chapter, but with such excitement I begin the next one,” designer Michael Moloney said in a statement. “I have EM:HE to thank for the platform I have to continue doing good work and great design in 2012 and on.”

As for Ty Pennington, the show’s host, he has a new gig already lined up. He joins Tim Gunn and Harley Pasternak in a new ABC Daytime health and lifestyle series called The Revolution. The show will premiere in January.

It’s nomination season here at the Yak. Between the Yak’s Best of 2011 and the SAG awards being announced yesterday, ’tis the season to acknowledge greatness, right? Earlier this morning, the Golden Globes nominees were announced and some new blood have joined the foray, while some old favorites are up for contention once again. Homeland (notably Claire Danes and Damien Lewis) join Fox’s New Girl and Big Bang‘s Johnny Galecki as part of the fresh blood looking to take home a Golden Globe early next year. What has been a likely predictor for the Oscars, the Globes still make a unique name for themselves year after year.

The Golden Globes will be handed out LIVE at 8/7c on January 15 on NBC. The telecast will be hosted by Ricky Gervais, once again. What do you think? You can check out the Television and Film nominees below!

TELEVISION

DRAMA SERIES
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

DRAMA – ACTOR
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland

DRAMA – ACTRESS
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

COMEDY SERIES
New Girl
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family

COMEDY – ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

COMEDY – ACTRESS
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Laura Linney, The Big C

Vote for your favorites in TELEVISION in the Yak’s Best of 2011

SERIES, TV-MOVIE OR MINISERIES – SUPPORTING ACTOR
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

SERIES, TV-MOVIE OR MINISERIES – SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

TV-MOVIE OR MINISERIES
The Hour
Downton Abbey
Cinema Verite
Mildred Pierce
Too Big to Fail

TV-MOVIE OR MINISERIES – ACTOR
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big to Fail
Bill Nigh, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

TV-MOVIE OR MINISERIES – ACTRESS
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Yak fandom unites to vote for the Best of 2011

MOVIES

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
My Week With Marilyn
Midnight in Paris

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Vote for the best in MOVIES in the Yak’s Best of 2011

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss In Boots
Rango

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Separation (Iran)
The Flowers Of War (China)
The Kid With The Bike (Belgium)
In The Land Of Blood and Honey (USA)
The Skin I Live In (Spain)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
The Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Ludovic Bource – The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski – W.E.
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore – Hugo
John Williams – War Horse

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Hello Hello” – Gnomeo & Juliet – Elton John
“Lay Your Head Down” – Albert Nobbs – Sinead O’Connor
“The Living Proof” – The Help – Mary J. Blige
“The Keeper” – Machine Gun Preacher – Gerard Butler
“Masterpiece” – W.E. – Madonna

2011 was a year full of royal weddings, celebrity breakups, celebrity meltdowns, political distaste, television specials, reality TV takeovers … and the list goes on and on. Some moments of 2011 you will want to relive and some you’ll just want to forget. Some moments you’ll wish never happened and some you’ll wish happened differently. In the second annual “Best Of…” poll at YakkityYaks, we want to take you on a short trip down memory lane looking at the moments that defined 2011 – for better or for worse. Dabbling a little into television, movies, music and just about everything else, we want you to speak up and vote for the moments you think best defined the start of a new decade! Which reality TV star was most deserving of their victory this year? Which television sitcom ranks as the best comedy of 2011? Which celebrity could you have gone the whole year without hearing about? What do you think 2012 will bring in the world of news? All that and more in our polls that we’ll be unveiling all week long! Read on below for the nominations in TELEVISION and get your voting on! Nominees for Movies and Music (click to vote) will be announced tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Vote for everything else Pop Culture Here!

Continue Voting

The buzz has been building for the fall finale of Once. Who is going to die? And do we finally find out who Sheriff Graham’s fairytale alter ego is? Yes, both are revealed.

After catching Sheriff Graham sneaking out of Mayor Regina’s house for a little rendezvous, Emma doesn’t really want to talk to him or be around him. But Graham pursues her and actually kisses her! This kiss ignites a burst of memories for Graham, memories of the woods and a wolf with red and black eyes. We then learn that Sheriff Graham is…THE HUNTSMAN!

Yes, he is in fact the Huntsman. He is the one sent to kill Snow White and bring the Evil Queen her heart. In Fairytale Land, Snow mourns the death of her father and the queen pretends to grieve, but secretly begins to plot the demise of Snow. We’re given a little tidbit that there is a reason why the queen is seeking ‘revenge.’ However, that reason is withheld from us.

Cue the Huntsman. After his kills, he gives thanks to the animal for its life. Wolves raised him, and so the wolf with red and black eyes guides him. He also has compassion. But he can also turn and slaughter people if they threaten the wolves. The queen summons him and demands he bring Snow’s heart to her.

The Huntsman goes out and intends to complete the task, but is overcome when Snow gives him a letter to pass on to the queen. The letter asks the queen to have compassion on the people of the kingdom and to stop seeking revenge. The Huntsman cannot kill Snow and sends her out into the woods. He returns to the queen with a stag’s heart, which she quickly realizes. Furious, she rips his heart from his chest (it’s a glowing heart and the Huntsman is still alive). He no longer can feel and she has complete control over him.

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, Graham is putting the pieces together after kissing Emma. He goes to Henry and they decide he must be the Huntsman from the fairytale book. While trying to convince Emma of his revelation, they both see the wolf and follow it. They come to a mausoleum and enter it, with Graham believing his heart to be inside.

While searching the mausoleum, Regina shows up. She confronts the two and blames Emma for trying to steal people from her. But Emma suggests that maybe they are fleeing from Regina on their own accord, to which a physical fight breaks out. Graham and Emma leave, so Regina enters the mausoleum. And of course there’s a secret chamber beneath the coffin where she is keeping her collection of hearts.

Graham and Emma finally get cozy with one another. They kiss again, Graham receives more memories and knows without a doubt that the two worlds and two lives exist. Meanwhile, Regina locates his heart and crushes it in her fist. Graham falls to the ground and is presumed dead. Yes, that did actually happen. I heard the rumors that a death was coming, but I didn’t really actually think they would knock out Sheriff Graham, especially with his budding romance with Emma. I’m deeply saddened by this turn of events and hope this isn’t the last of him!

Loved the episode! It had great build-up and just enough unpredictability. I like that Sheriff Graham has planted the seed in Mary Margaret that they cannot remember meeting anyone for the first time. Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty strange! I also love any random Rumpelstiltskin appearance. He wasn’t really key to this week’s plot, but Mr. Gold was out in the woods…gardening…in a suit. I have a feeling there’s more to that, as well.

I really want to know why the Evil Queen is seeking out revenge on Snow White. Why did she kill her husband/Snow’s father? I thought it was greed and such, but she specifically said ‘revenge.’ I’m also wondering who else has their heart locked up by Regina. It seems to me that she could just go around and take everybody’s heart, but I don’t believe she does.

Anyway, what did you think? What’s your reaction to Sheriff Graham’s backstory and apparent death? Any little tidbits that we missed? Leave a comment!

In the town of Storybrooke, David Nolan is officially discharged and receives a welcome home party with many people from the town attending. Noticeably missing, as noted by David himself, is Mary Margaret. Henry tells Emma that they need to get David and Mary Margaret together again, recalling that their first encounter cause David to wake from his coma. Henry also speculates that since David has amnesia, he isn’t currently affected by the curse. Thus, this would be the prime opportunity to jog his fairytale memory.

David continues to pursue Mary Margaret, but Emma warns her against reciprocating the actions. David finally decides to leave Kathryn and plans to meet Mary Margaret. On the way, he gets lost and runs into the mayor. Of course he does. She gives him directions, which actually lead him to Mr. Gold’s pawnshop. Of course she does. At the shop, he spots a small windmill that jogs his memory. He breaks Mary Margaret’s heart and returns to Abigail.

A small side story has Emma patrolling while Sheriff Graham is “volunteering.” She spots someone climbing out of the window of the mayor’s home. Confronting the man, it turns out to be Sheriff Graham. He’s totally busted for hooking up with the mayor. Emma is disgusted, especially since Henry is basically right there.

Meanwhile we learn the juicy details of Charming’s backstory in Fairytale Land. The big shocker…THERE ARE TWO PRINCE CHARMINGS! Well, they’re twins. And we only find the other one after the first one is dead. The king and queen couldn’t have a child, so one of the twins became their prince. The other, the one we know, was raised a peasant. After the real Prince Charming is killed, the king enlists the peasant Prince Charming to kill a dragon for King Midas who will then help their kingdom out of financial ruin. Yes, it sounds complicated. But it is actually really cool how the writers are developing this fairytale world where all of these stories can take place harmoniously. Also, who is really the one behind all of the wheeling and dealing? Rumpelstiltskin. Because he has a hold on every single person’s life.

Charming defeats the dragon, which leads to King Midas’ other stipulation. He must marry his daughter Abigail. Charming’s king threatens to kill his mother and destroy his farm if he does not comply. Thus, after bidding his mother farewell, he accepts King Midas’ request. Abigail doesn’t really show an interest, and she actually seems to be rather perturbed by her father as well.

We see Charming and Abigail riding in their carriage through the woods with Snow waiting to ambush…just where we picked up in her backstory episode! I love the sense of it coming full circle!

Another thrilling episode! I must say, I wasn’t expecting the twin storyline at all. But it does leave room for more development and further backstory. (As well as some baggage that may certainly pop up again…I mean, do you expect a mother to stay away forever?) I’m also glad to now know why Charming was with that bratty woman in the first place. I don’t so much mind Kathryn in Storybrooke, but Abigail in Fairytale Land just bothers me. A lot. Also, is it just me or does David Anders seem to pop up everywhere? As Dr. Wales, I’m very curious of a) his interest in Mary Margaret, b) his fairytale counterpart, and c) if he’s good or bad. I get a weird vibe from him.

It was interesting to see the camera linger on the wooden dolls of Geppetto’s parents again. Will they be significant later on or did they simply serve to set the scene? Also, I definitely chuckled when Mr. Gold said “charming” to David, and then clarified he was talking about the mobile. Sure he was, sure he was.

Next week someone gets a little too close to figuring out their link to Fairytale Land, and it may cost them their life. And maybe we finally discover Sheriff Graham’s fairytale counterpart. (The promo insinuates the Queen’s Huntsman or the Big Bad Wolf…I’m leaning towards the Huntsman.)

Let’s hear your thought! How did you like Charming’s backstory? Was the twin revelation an interesting twist or not so much? And who do you think is in trouble next week? Leave a comment!

Prepare yourself. The schedule which you are about to see reproduced below from the network that brings you American Idol, Bones, The X Factor and Glee is about to give you a coronary. Earlier today, Fox revealed their midseason plans and let me tell you … it’s a doozy. Marking a return for it’s 11th season, American Idol premieres January 18. Idol will follow the Wednesday/Thursday airing pattern. Making its debuts will be Alcatraz, the drama from JJ Abrams, and Touch, featuring Keifer Sutherland. Fox will also join its fellow networks in offering a 2 hour block of sitcom entertainment. Tuesdays will now be known as Fox’s night of comedy. Per the schedule, it appears that Glee will bow with its finale in February and will finish it’s 3rd season in the spring.

Take a breath and check out the midseason schedule below. When confusion sets in and all else fails, be sure to bookmark our forum calendar for up-to-date and clear layouts of what’s airing each night!

All times below EST and new shows are marked in red. For midseason schedules for ABC and NBC click the network’s name!

MONDAY
Monday, Jan. 16:
8:00PM Alcatraz (Series Premiere)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 23:
8:00PM House
9:00PM Alcatraz (Time Period Premiere)

Monday, March 12:
8:00PM Alcatraz (Two-Hour Episode)

Mondays, beginning March 19:
8:00PM House
9:00PM Touch (Series Premiere)

TUESDAY
Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 17:
8:00PM Glee
9:00PM New Girl
9:30PM Raising Hope

Tuesdays, beginning March 6:
8:00PM New Girl (encore)
8:30PM Breaking In (Season Premiere)
9:00PM New Girl
9:30PM Raising Hope

WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Jan. 4:
8:00PM Glee (encore)
9:00PM Mobbed

Wednesday, Jan. 11:
8:00PM Mobbed (encore)
9:00PM Mobbed

Wednesday, Jan. 18:
8:00PM American Idol (Season Premiere, Part One)

Wednesday, Jan. 25:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM Touch (Special Preview)

Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 1:
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM Mobbed

Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 15:
8:00PM American Idol

THURSDAY
Thursday, Jan. 12:
8:00PM Bones (encore)
9:00PM The Finder (Series Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 19:
8:00PM American Idol (Season Premiere, Part Two)
9:00PM The Finder

FRIDAY
Friday, Jan. 6:
8:00PM AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC (Live)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 13:
8:00PM Kitchen Nightmares
9:00PM Fringe

SATURDAY
Saturdays, beginning Jan. 7:
8:00PM Cops
8:30PM Cops
9:00PM Drama Encore
11:00PM – 12:30AM Encores

Saturday, Feb. 11:
8:00PM America’s Most Wanted Special Edition
11:00PM – 12:30AM Encores

SUNDAY
Sunday, Jan. 8:
7:00PM Bob’s Burgers (encore)
7:30PM The Cleveland Show (encore)
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM The Cleveland Show
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM American Dad

Sunday, Jan. 15:
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM Napoleon Dynamite (Series Premiere)
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM Napoleon Dynamite (Special Time)

Sunday, Jan. 22:
6:00PM NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Live)
10:00PM/7:00PT American Idol (Special Broadcast)

Sundays, beginning Jan. 29:
7:00PM Bob’s Burgers (encore)
7:30PM The Cleveland Show
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM Napoleon Dynamite
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM American Dad

Sundays, beginning March 11:
7:00PM Animation Domination Encores
7:30PM The Cleveland Show
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM Bob’s Burgers (Season Premiere)
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM American Dad

One word. Well, four actually. Kris, Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim. You’re reading this correctly. Barbara joins much of America in keeping up with the Kardashian clan so much so that they’ll be featured on her primetime special this December when she names her 10 most fascinating people of 2011. The full list will be featured on her special airing December 14th on ABC. Joining the Kardashians is Simon Cowell (of American Idol and The X Factor), Derek Jeter of the Yankees, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family, Pippa Middleton, Katy Perry and Donald Trump. As for who will round off the list as the #1 most fascinating person of 2011 … well, you have a couple weeks to dig deep in your pop culture knowledge to figure out just who might top the list. Who do you think is #1? Who is missing from the list? And do we even have to ask who is perhaps the most polarizing choice(s) of this list?

Previously on Once Upon A Time, Emma Swan moved to Storybrooke, Maine after her biological son, Henry, showed up. Henry showed Emma a storybook of fairy tales and claimed the town was actually made up of those characters. After much coaxing, Emma decided to stay and investigate, if only to humor the young boy. Oh, and Henry’s adopted mother is actually the Evil Queen who enacted the curse to take away everyone’s happy endings.

Emma officially joins Storybrooke’s police squad as Sherriff Graham’s new deputy. And as soon as she puts on the badge…KABOOM…a sinkhole opens up at an abandoned mine site. The mayor arrives at the site (as well as the rest of the town), finds a shiny piece of what looks like glass and promptly states that the mines will be filled up and paved over. Henry immediately goes against her, believing the mines contain some clue to the fairy tales.

The mayor threatens to ruin Archie Hopper (aka Jiminy Cricket) if he does not change his therapy method with Henry in which he let’s Henry continue to dwell on the fantasies. In doing so, Henry is devastated and goes to the mines alone. Archie and Emma both go looking for him, and Archie gets trapped in the mines with Henry. It is there that Archie finds his conscience and vows to continue helping Henry, telling the mayor he is no longer afraid of her. Thus, another character is changed since Emma’s arrival! And the songs of the crickets return to Storybrooke!

In a bit of a side story, Mary Margaret (Snow White) continues to visit David (Charming) since his wake-up from the coma. Their relationship continues to blossom, but Kathryn, claiming to be David’s wife, keeps butting in. Ultimately, Mary Margaret is conflicted and puts in her resignation at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the backstory in Fairytale Land is Jiminy Cricket. As a young boy, he travels with his parents from town to town as street performers. But they are very crooked and steal from anyone they can. As he grows up, he gets weary of this life of crime and seeks out Rumpelstiltskin who offers him a magic potion to sprinkle on his parents. In a twist of events, his parents con him and the potion is actually given to an innocent couple that is turned into wooden dolls. And even worse, the couple had a young son. Jiminy makes a wish to the blue fairy and he is transformed into his favorite creature, the cricket, and goes to offer his guide and conscience to the young boy for as long as the boy needs. Of course that young boy turns out to be Geppetto.

I loved this episode! I thought it was rich in backstory while also moving the present day story forward. Rumpelstiltskin continues to have his hand in everyone’s lives, in fairy tale time and present day. Did anyone catch the wooden dolls in Mr. Gold’s Storybrooke shop?

I also thought the actors playing Jiminy’s parents were fantastic! I couldn’t help but picture The Princess Bride’s Miracle Max and Valerie every time the two bantered back and forth. I thought the little tidbit of Archie’s dog being named Pongo from 101 Dalmatians was a nice touch as well.

I’m very curious about the piece of glass the mayor found and threw back into the mines. There is speculation that is may be the Magic Mirror, but I’m not sold on that theory. For one, the Magic Mirror already has a present day representation as The Daily Mirror’s reporter, Sydney. Also, the shards looked more like broken glass than broken mirror to me. There is also the fact of the mines. Could it have something to do with the dwarves’ mines from Snow White? Or perhaps the coffin of Snow White?

Anyway, let us know what you think! Do you agree or disagree with these thoughts? Do you have other theories? Did we miss any interesting bits? Leave us a comment!