Once Upon a Time: Season 1, Episode 4- The Price of Gold

 "All magic comes at a price!"

Once again we get a very nice little deconstruction, this time of Cinderella. Once more we start in the fairytale world and events play out as we expect... except that Cindy's Fairy Godmother is killed and replaced by Rumpeltilskin, who extracts a price. And that price is Cindy's firstborn. Oh dear.

In Storybrooke, meanwhile, our Cinderella is a single pregnant teenager who, as we’re told with not a lot of subtlety, very much echoes Emma at her age- but decides to keep the baby. Interestingly, the baby’s father steps up at the end but is heavily encouraged to dodge his fatherly duties by his own dishonourable prick of an arrogant father.

Modern day, teenage pregnancy, boyfriend father a dishonourable dick. Henry connecting with Emma.  Seeming negotiated victory- but Emma owes Gold a favour. We know this will haunt her.

The structure of this episode is awfully clever, in both realities and how they echo one another. Cinderella’s attempt to magically trick Rumpel out of her firstborn by imprisoning him leads to the disappearance of her himbo husband and the end of her happiness. This makes us fear for Emma. There will, I know, be more to this.

All this, and Emma continues to bond with Henry. And the plot thickens- Emma is offered a police job by the sheriff, and eventually takes it... only for the final revelation that Regina is having Saturday sexy shenanigans with said lawman. Well then.

Again- nice plot, nice metatextual subtext, nice acting, nice realisation although inevitably with a bit of dodgy CGI... but the dialogue continues to be a bit lacking.