Once Upon a Time (TV Series) The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (2011) User Reviews

Great episode with a bittersweet ending

[babydollbonkers88 · 8/10 · 30 September 2015]

I really enjoyed this episode. When the show first began, I wasn't sure what to think of Sheriff Graham. I was leaning more towards the "he's a bad guy in cahoots with Regina" for the first few, but this one definitely cleared that misconception up for me. I loved the way they delved into his past little by little and revealed things about who he was as the Huntsman before the curse.

One of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Graham goes to Mary Margaret, telling her that he thinks they know each other - not from this current life they're living in, but from a past life. And the forlorn look on his face when he asks her if he's ever hurt her was enough to give me a lifetime of feels.

I mentally cheered as I watched him stand up to Regina at the cemetery (Regina: "You're leaving me for her?" Graham: "I'm leaving you for me" - more of us, I think, could use that attitude when it comes to being in abusive relationships), and cheered again when he took Emma back to the station to dress her cut.

And then I nearly cried, as he kissed Emma and thanked her for helping him remember his past life, and I was also optimistic, because this meant that he and Emma could start addressing their feelings for one another, and maybe Graham could help her believe.

And then I nearly cried for a different reason.

Just when we were getting to understand Graham's story and the reason he was the way he was, he got snatched away from us by Regina crushing his heart - literally. The episode ends with Emma frantically trying to revive him, to no avail, and as the scene fades, you're left with a sort of bittersweet feeling - happy that Graham died knowing he wasn't going crazy, that his dreams and visions were actual memories, but heartbroken that he had to die at all.

Awesome catfight

[gkeith_1 · 10/10 · 12 December 2011]

Way to go, Emma. Rock 'em sock 'em at that mean lady Queen whatserface (Regina, I know, means queen, lol). Regina is one sick puppy, and it looks like she is going to get her comeuppance from several characters as time goes by. I did miss seeing James/Charming, but seeing Mary Margaret/Snow was great. Looks like Regina killed her own father plus Snow's father, not to mention boy-toy Graham. Graham is a doll. I wasn't sure if he was good or evil for quite awhile. He did seem to be a victim of Regina. He was always at her beck and call, for various and sundry "commandments", lol. I wonder if shrink Hopper has a similar arrangement. Ugh.

Graham's huntsman getup was very well designed IMO. His sheriff's badge looks like it came out of the Old West. His Storybrooke leather uniform isn't too bad, though. I did miss seeing shrink Hopper tonight. Looks like Henry is getting the people in the town in his pocket, and there may be less need for Hopper, except maybe for Regina's mangled mind. I think that Hopper stood up to her on a recent show, too. I wait for the new episodes, because this show is colorful and with a new twist around every corner. It has clever writing, and an excellent cast. I think Regina as the Evil Queen has the best costuming, and that standup jeweled collar was great on her tonight. I love her dark red lipstick and dark burgundy dress/skirt she was wearing. Some viewers say Graham is not really dead, and may come back in later episodes. I can't wait. January 2012 cannot get here soon enough. 10/10.

Another solid episode especially for the Huntsman

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 9/10 · 18 August 2015]

This episode delivers quite a bit on continuing the backstory of the Huntsman on how he first met the Queen and how he was sent to kill Snow White, but deep down inside he has a good heart and decided not to. The dialog this time is a bit clichéd, but that's about it. The writing is really good, the scenery is very pretty especially the woods, the pacing's well done and it's still well-acted. The scene that I loved the most in this episode was when Emma stood up for Sheriff Graham and herself against Regina before they punched each other. This quote, for instance.

"Henry came and found me. Graham kissed me. Both were miserable. Maybe, Madam Mayor, you need to take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that is. Why is everyone running away from you?"

Epic. Just epic.

Anyway, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is another solid episode and worthwhile for your time.

The Evil Queen and the Huntsman

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 25 November 2017]

When 'Once Upon a Time' first started it was highly addictive and made the most of a truly great and creative premise. Really loved the idea of turning familiar fairy tales on their heads and putting own interpretations on them and the show early on clearly had clearly had a ball. Watched it without fail every time it came on and it was often a highlight of the week. Which was why it was sad when it ran out of ideas and lost its magic in the later seasons.

"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" continues the very good to wonderful standard of the first season up to this point. As said it is demonstrative of 'Once Upon a Time's' first season growing all the time, with the dialogue and acting in particular having come on quite a long way.

It's not a perfect episode. It did feel a little rushed to me, would have liked for it to have been part of a few-episode character-arc without falling into the trap of being dragged out. Not providing a reason for the Evil Queen's grudge was also somewhat of a missed opportunity, a cheat if you will because the episode did cry out for one. This would have been solved if this story lasted for more than one episode.

However, "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" is a very handsomely mounted episode, with improved visual effects over the previous episode "The Shepherd", settings and costumes (especially for the Evil Queen) that are both colourful and atmospheric, not too dark or garish and never cookie-cutter. It is photographed beautifully and there were some make-up that suited the characters perfectly. The music is haunting, ethereal and cleverly used with a memorable main theme.

As said, the writing has come on a lot since 'Once Upon a Time' first started and it's humorous and engaging with emotional impact too. The story is highly successful in making Graham an interesting conflicted character, with a very compelling back-story, and establishes the concept and intertwines and mirrors the real and fantasy worlds very well. The flashbacks are thrilling and give the episode freshness, while the final scene is shocking, heart-wrenching and in a way pretty cool.

Lana Parilla continues to steal all her scenes while one does not expect Jamie Dornan to be as good as he is here, bringing out Graham's conflicts with surprising nuance. The acting is all fine but these two are particularly good as they rightly should be as the story is centred mainly around them.

Overall, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Be Still My Beating Heart ... Literally

[onmydvr · 10/10 · 3 January 2012]

This is a partial recap and review of a full blog entry which was originally posted on www.onmydvr.com. Find more recaps for Once Upon a Time and other shows at www.onmydvr.com. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onmydvr.

**CONTAINS SPOILERS*

So, we're at the "fall finale" for Once Upon a Time and it was a doozy of an episode. I'll say right now that I feel slightly manipulated by the show for making me care about Scruffy Graham when he could have easily remained a secondary character but twas not to be and I think its interesting to think that his character's importance will only grow after (and because of?) his demise. Suffice it to say, I am really looking forward to this show's return from hiatus and continuing Emma's journey and dealing with the fallout from this episode.

Scruffy Graham is playing Deer Darts in Ruby's and drinking. For what its worth, Scruffy Graham is EXCELLENT at Deer Darts and well, he should have been some kind of huntsman *cough*. Emma comes through (she's not living in Granny's Inn, where is she coming from? Does Mary Margaret not have laundry facilities at her place?!?!) and when she sees Scruffy Graham, she begs off Ruby's offer to sit and starts to leave. Graham turns his drunken aim on Emma and, just as she reaches the front door, throws a Deer Dart in her general direction plunging deep into the door jam right next to her head. Little advice Graham? Not the way to say, "I'm Sorry" or "I love you." She's obviously freaked out by the near Deer Dart disaster but he slurs that he never misses (and hence, she was in now danger). Still in the diner, they quite loudly begin an argument about her being mad at him for shtupping the Mayor; its only at this point that they move the fight outside and wow, I hope the Sheriff/Mayor affair wasn't a secret in the town. Scruffy Graham continues to slur that he doesn't feel anything for Regina and asks if Emma can understand that? Emma thinks he means just being in a bad relationship and so sure, she gets that. He slurs that he didn't tell Emma because he didn't want her to look at him the way she is now ... so how'd that work out for you? Also, with Emma's Regina issues (as if Emma is the only one with Regina issues), he admits he should have maybe could have told her before Emma took the Deputy Sheriff job. Oops. Why all the secrecy anyway Scruffy Graham, we're all adults (mostly)? He doesn't answer her so much as kisses her ...

And the crazies begin. We see his eyes fly wide open and suddenly there are flashes of a white wolf in the wild with one red eye and one black and its kinda creepy. I told you all that JenMo was looking good on this show, his reaction to kissing her proves it. When the break the kiss, she's all "way over the line" and he just wants to know if she saw "that." She didn't and storms away. Perhaps to see if he has the same chemistry with Regina, he booty calls the Mayor and as he's working his way down from her lips to her neck, she stares off into the distance (with some light moaning I'll add) and we flash to the Evil Queen's castle which looks kind of like a 1950's era rendering of a futuristic spaceship. The Evil Queen stands on a balcony overlooking an empty throne. And she has a sad. We cut to Snow White placing a rose and saying goodbye to her father. The Evil Queen comes up behind her and offers her condolences ... wait don't these two hate each other? Anyway, they compare notes on how much they each loved the dead king and then the Evil Queen assures Snow that she's here for her, truly and forever. Some time later, a much more composed Evil Queen is conspiring with her Mirror, Mirror. She catches us up that she's responsible for dead king and that is one down and one to go, making her Revenge (it would be awesome if the Evil Queen jetted out to the Hamptons to help out Em and Nolan with their Revenge plans). That being said, Evil Queen recognizes that the people love Snow and that her death must be handled with care; specifically, she is looking for someone adept at murder, with no heart. Mirror, Mirror suggests she get a huntsman. And hey! There is a Huntsman! We watch him takes down a deer and then pray over its body, thanking it for dying so he may live. Aww, A sensitive Huntsman! The weird eyed wolf appears and the Huntsman tells him he wont go hungry tonight. Be kind to your animal friends is probably a good rule when you live among them.

Find the entire recap for this episode and more recaps for Once Upon a Time and other shows at www.onmydvr.com. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onmydvr.