7:15 A.M.

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7:15 A.M. is the tenth episode of the first season of Once Upon a Time. The story jumps between the fairytale world of the Enchanted Forest and the modern town of Storybrooke, Maine, where the residents are living in a cursed real world.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White is in love with Prince James, who is set to marry Abigail. The king orders Snow to forget James, so he can marry for power. Rumplestiltskin helps Snow with a potion that would erase her feelings, but warns that love is powerful and the cure can be extreme. Snow reaches the palace, but is captured and forced to face a choice: tell James she doesn’t love him, or he will be killed. Snow chooses James, even though it breaks both their hearts, and the king vows to proceed with the wedding. The next day, James calls off the wedding to search for Snow, while Grumpy and other dwarfs help Snow escape. Snow drinks the potion to forget James, and discovers she has chosen heartbreak over losing him. The escape story ends with Snow’s memory of James fading, while in Storybrooke the curse’s consequences begin to reveal themselves.

In Storybrooke, Henry notices the Stranger fixing his motorcycle, and Emma Swan begins to investigate him. Regina suspects Emma’s interest in the Stranger and keeps an eye on Emma. Mary Margaret (Snow’s Storybrooke counterpart) and David (Prince James’ Storybrooke counterpart) grow closer, which mirrors the past romance. The Stranger reveals he is a writer who came to Storybrooke for inspiration, and he offers to buy Emma a drink if she’ll listen to him.

A key part of the present-day plot is Mary Margaret’s morning routine: she has been going to Granny’s at 7:15 every day to see David. Emma follows her and confronts her about the habit. Meanwhile, David saves Mary Margaret when a trapped dove nearly leads to a fall, and they end up taking shelter in a cabin during a rainstorm. They admit their true feelings for each other, resolve to forget their complicated relationships with Kathryn, and share a kiss—though Regina watches from afar.

The episode was written by Daniel T. Thomsen (teleplay) with the story by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and directed by Ralph Hemecker. Filming took place in November 2011 in Vancouver and nearby areas. This episode marks the full introduction of Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory) and the Stranger (Eion Bailey). It aired on January 22, 2012 in the U.S. to about 9.3 million viewers, placing second in its time slot, and received mixed to positive reviews, with praise for the Snow-Charming storyline and the actors’ chemistry.

Extras and notes: the episode is included in the novel Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale. Damon Lindelof (from Lost) has an uncredited voice cameo as the Storybrooke weatherman, and Apollo bars appear as a nod to Lindelof’s other work. Mary Margaret reads The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, a book also linked to TRON: Legacy.

Reception highlights: critics were mixed to positive. Some praised Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas for their chemistry and performances, while others found some elements predictable.