ABC/JACK ROWANDYou think you know, but you have do idea: This is the real story of Lancelot.
OK, so not the real story, but it's not your grandparents' version of the famed knight. Once again, ABC's Once Upon a Time has re-introduced viewers to a famous character and put their own crazy-cool twist on the character. In this week's episode, "The Lady of the Lake," we met their version of Lancelot (played with charm and charisma by Teen Wolf scene-stealer Sinqua Walls), who turned out to have quite the friendship with Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas).
Plus, fan-favorite Jefferson (Sebastian Stan) made a quick appearance, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) learned more about her mother and the introduction of Ogres!
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: Though we first get a taste of Lancelot in a flashback, where he captures Snow and takes her to King George, their reunion in present-day Fairy-Tale Land is sweet and full of warmth. We learn that after the king tricked Snow into drinking a potion that would prevent her from having children (Grumpy old men = super bitter), Lancelot decides to help the princess.
Mother-in-Law of the Century: As if making Snow incapable of having children wasn't enough, King George also sent men to Charming's cabin to attack Ruth, his mother. While her son is fighting, she gets shot in the chest with an arrow. Fortunately, Snow and Lancelot get there in time and go on a quest to find an antidote.
On the trip, Ruth gives her a necklace that reveals the sex of the first-borne child. Snow tries to avoid it, but mama Charming plays the "I'm dying, do it to make me happy" card. Snow is forced to tell her the truth and Ruth promises they will find a way to reverse the curse. She's kind of the bee's knees.
Wedding Woes: When the gang gets to the lake, it's gone. Thankfully, Lancelot was raised by a lake and finds water in a small shell. Ruth wants Snow to drink it, sacrificing herself for the couple's future. Snow, however, says no. Too bad the water doesn't work, but before she dies, she's able to see her son get married. Yes, even a disgraced knight (because of a woman, he reveals in the episode) can perform a wedding ceremony, and Lancelot marries Snow and Charming just before his mother dies. (No, we're not crying. It's just that we were chopping onions while recapping. OK, fine you caught us. We cried.) Snow soon realizes Ruth never drank the potion and that Lancelot tricked her into drinking it. And guess what?! Snow is pregnant with Emma! Awww alert!
Stolen Identity: Lancelot is the leader of the present-day Fairy-Tale basecamp and offers Snow and Emma food and advice: "Leaving is unwise. Ogres have returned." When Snow tells him she may know where a portal is (her wardrobe in the old castle), he allows them to leave and offers up Mulan (Jamie Chung), his best warrior, as a guide. Unfortunately, Aurora (Sara Bolger), who is still blaming the mother-daughter duo for Phillip's (Julian Morris) death, follows along.
Aurora tries to attack Snow, who shows her who's the HPIC (Head Princess in Charge) in the Enchanted Forest. The girlfight is broken up by Emma, who shoots off her gun, attracting the Ogres. Fortunately, Snow is total badass and shoots the Ogre that is about to attack her daughter in the eye, yelling, "Stay away from my daughter!" Boom!
Though Emma and Snow get to the portal, the same one Emma was sent through to Storybrooke in 28 years ago, they are thwarted by Cora (Barbara Hershey), Regina's (Lana Parrilla) mother whom Snow warned Emma not to trust in the beginning of the episode, who reveals she killed Lancelot long ago and has been posing as him. Cora thanks the girls for leading her straight to a portal and is about to go through whn Emma torches the portal to save Henry. Mulan and Aurora show up to save Snow and Emma; Cora escapes. It's official: Cora. Is. The. Worst. Needing a new leader, Mulan elects Snow and vows to help them get home.
And then it's time for the episode's best scene: Mother and daughter bonding time! After spending the hour fighting her mother and not listening, Emma cries, "I'm not used to someone putting me first." And the two share a much-needed (on our end) hug. After Emma leaves, Snow envisions the life they never got the chance to have in the nursery and we begin to cry all over again. After she leaves, Cora returns and finds portion of the portal. Ruh-roh.
Reunions and Sword Fights: That's basically what this episode was about for Henry (Jared Gilmore), who found time to inspire Jefferson to finally reunite with his daughter Grace (Gotta love happy endings...at least for now!) and time to bond with his grandfather. The adorable duo end the hour with Charming playfully teaching Henry how to sword-fight...as King George looks on. Yikes!