Ep 11. The Outsider

In Once Upon a Time season 2 episode 11, titled The Outsider, viewers are transported to the small town of Storybrooke where various characters from famous fairy tales exist in human form. This episode primarily follows the storyline of Belle and Mr. Gold (aka Rumpelstiltskin), as Belle begins to question the true nature of the man she loves.

The episode opens with a flashback of Belle, pre-amnesia, giving up her life as a wealthy socialite to travel the world. We see her in a tavern, searching for information about a mysterious dagger she's heard of. As she's pursued by some unsavory characters, Rumple suddenly appears to rescue her. Through this interaction, we see the burgeoning of their love story, as Belle sees the vulnerability and humanity within Rumpelstiltskin's terrifying exterior.

In present-day Storybrooke, Belle is disillusioned with Mr. Gold's behavior, as she's discovered that he's been lying to her about his dealings with magic. She also notes that he's been increasingly focused on finding a way to leave town, despite the consequences this could have for their loved ones. Meanwhile, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David are working to find a way to track down the identity of a cloaked stranger who's been lurking around town.

As the episode progresses, we see the various threads begin to intertwine. Belle decides to take matters into her own hands and finds a spell to track down the stranger's car, discovering that it belongs to an outsider named Greg Mendell. Emma and company manage to track Greg down and bring him in for questioning, though he's understandably confused by the odd happenings in Storybrooke. Meanwhile, Belle confronts Mr. Gold about his secrets and threatens to leave him if he can't be honest with her.

The tension builds as we learn more about Greg's involvement in Storybrooke – it turns out he's investigating some strange power surges in the area, and suspects that there's something not quite right about the town and its inhabitants. His motives are complicated by his own backstory, which involves the death of his father in a car accident that he believes was caused by a mysterious force.

As the pieces begin to fall into place, we see that Greg's investigation and Mr. Gold's desire to leave town are both related to a larger conspiracy involving one of Storybrooke's most powerful residents. The episode ends with a shocking reveal that has major implications for the rest of the season.

Overall, this episode of Once Upon a Time is a tense and engaging installment that draws on the show's greater mythology while also advancing several key plot points. The writing is strong throughout, with effective character development and a good balance of action and emotion. Fans of the show will no doubt be eager to see how the events of The Outsider ripple throughout the rest of the season.