A young boy locates his birth mother in Boston, bringing her to the curious town of Storybrooke, Maine -- and claiming that she is the savior of the entire town, who are fairy tale characters trapped in the real world by an evil queen.
Regina and Emma clash over her continued presence in Storybrooke. In the fairy tale world, the Evil Queen attempts to acquire the Dark Curse in order to enact her wicked plan, but is surprised when it does not work -- without a great sacrifice.
Struggling to find true love in the real world, Mary Margaret agrees to read to a coma patient from Henry's storybook -- the story of how Prince Charming and Snow White first met.
Emma comes to the aide of a young pregnant woman, who is having second thoughts about her deal with Mr. Gold to give up her baby. In the fairy tale world, Cinderella strikes a terrible bargain with Rumpelstiltskin.
After a series of tunnels are discovered outside Storybrooke, the Mayor pressures Dr. Hopper to break Henry of his fantasy world. Jiminy Cricket tries to break free from his thieving, con artist parents and be a better man.
David returns to his home and the wife he can't remember, but attempts to reconnect with Mary Margaret instead. In the fairy tale world, Prince Charming is called upon to slay a dragon and save two kingdoms.
Sheriff Graham begins to remember his past after an encounter with Emma. In the fairy tale world, the Evil Queen calls upon the Huntsman to kill Snow White and complete her revenge.
The Mayor forces Emma to run in a public election before she can take the sheriff's job, pitting her against a candidate who will do the Mayor's bidding. Mr. Gold surprisingly supports Emma, while Rumpelstiltskin's desperation to keep his son out of war leads to a dark fate.
Emma tries to help a pair of homeless kids find their missing father to keep them out of the foster system. Meanwhile, the Evil Queen attempts to use Hansel and Gretel for her own wicked purposes.
As Prince Charming prepares to marry, Snow White seeks the cure for a broken heart. A stranger's arrival in Storybrooke arouses Regina's suspicions, and Mary Margaret tries to rescue a solitary bird as a storm approaches the town.
Emma is surprised by Sidney's request to help him expose corruption in the Mayor's office. In the fantasy world, the Genie of the Lamp is entangled in the Queen's flagging relationship with King Leopold.
Rumpelstiltskin takes Belle to be caretaker of his fortress, and is surprised when she gets close to him. In Storybrooke, Mr. Gold looks for revenge after his house is robbed and something very precious taken from him, and Mary Margaret and Ruby take Ashley out for a girl's night.
When Kathryn suggests that she and David leave Storybrooke, his romance with Mary Margaret is revealed with destructive consequences. Emma gets to know the stranger in town, and Prince Charming volunteers for a quest to reunite his unwanted fiancee with her true love.
Shunned by the town, Mary Margaret turns to Leroy, the grumpy town drunk, to help with a fundraiser needed to save the nuns' home. Emma discovers Kathryn's car on the edge of town, and in the fairy tale world, Dreamy the Dwarf discovers true love in an unlikely place.
Mary Margaret and Emma take in Ruby after she quits her job at the diner in a plan to seek adventure. Red Riding Hood and Snow White hunt a giant wolf that is terrorizing the village, leading to an unexpected culprit.
Snow White's friends try and stop her when she sets out on a revenge quest against the Evil Queen. In Storybrooke, Emma works to clear Mary Margaret's name after she is implicated in Kathryn's disappearance.
While searching for an escaped prisoner Emma is kidnapped by an unstable man with a troubled past in the fairy tale world. Meanwhile, the Evil Queen manipulates a man into taking her to Wonderland to steal from the Queen of Hearts.
Under the thumb of her wicked and powerful mother, the young Regina's love of a poor stable boy is complicated by the arrival of a young girl. Mary Margaret tries to defend her innocence before the district attorney, and Emma finds a new clue.
Kathryn's reappearance in Storybrooke risks exposing the Mayor's dirty dealings, while Mr. Gold attempts to discover August's true identity. In the fairy tale world, Rumpelstiltskin's son seeks a way to restore his father to the way he was.
The blue fairy calls upon Geppetto and his son Pinocchio to help save the realm. In the hopes of convincing Emma to believe in fairy tales, Mr. Gold points her to August to find a way to beat Regina -- who is attempting to work her way into David's good graces.
Fearing that the curse is weakening, Regina calls on the Mad Hatter in an attempt to strengthen her position in Storybrooke. In the fairy tale world the Queen plots to use Charming to lure Snow White into a trap, while Snow and her friends march to his rescue.
Emma and Regina are forced to work together in a race to save Henry's life, forcing the Queen to reveal an underground secret. Meanwhile, Mr. Gold uses the situation to his advantage. In the fairy tale world, Prince Charming goes to great lengths to reunite with Snow White.
