As David tries to restore order in Storybrooke, Regina continues to seek a way to regain her powers, and the Dwarves make a discovery when they investigate the town line.
Mary Margaret, Emma, Mulan and Aurora head for Snow White's castle to find a portal to Storybrooke, as flashbacks show King George curse Snow, preventing her from being able to conceive a child.
Belle threatens to leave Gold if he doesn't change his ways and the Dwarves try to find fairy dust, as flashbacks show Rumplestiltskin's wife join a band of pirates.
Mary Margaret, Emma, Mulan and Aurora return to their camp only to find everyone dead. Back in Storybrooke, Regina begins to see a ghost from her past, as flashbacks show her training with Rumplestiltskin.
When a murder occurs in Storybrooke on a full moon, Spencer tries to bring the town against David by implicating Ruby, as flashbacks show Red Riding Hood find a pack of wolves who adopt her into their family.
Cora does everything in her power to steal the compass and find a way to Storybrooke, while after Aurora is kidnapped, and to protect Henry from further danger, Mary Margaret and David try to communicate with each other in the Netherworld.
Mary Margaret, Emma, Mulan and Aurora try to prevent Cora and Hook from getting to Storybrooke, as flashbacks show Regina enlist the help of Hook to find and kill Cora.
As Hook and Cora arrive in Storybrooke, Regina struggles to gain the trust of the town, as flashbacks show Snow and Charming disagree over how to handle Regina now that they have taken over the kingdom.
Gold's plans to cross the town line to find his son without losing his memories are thwarted by Hook, forcing Belle to intervene, as flashbacks show her befriend Mulan on a quest to destroy a beast.
As a stranger poses a potential threat to Storybrooke, Cora approaches Regina, and Whale battles his inner demons, as flashbacks detail information about Victor Frankenstein's life.
Emma and Henry accompany Gold on his quest to find his son, while Mary Margaret, David and Leroy deal with a vengeful giant, as flashbacks detail information about his life.
Emma is shocked when she learns the true identity of Gold's son, as flashbacks show when Rumplestiltskin was called to war. Back in Storybrooke, Regina, Cora and Hook search for Rumplestiltskin's dagger.
Hook hunts down Gold in New York and Mary Margaret learns of Regina and Cora's plan for the dagger, as flashbacks show a young Snow White faced with a difficult choice when her mother falls ill.
Mary Margaret is tempted by dark magic and David, Emma and Neal attempt to protect Gold from Regina and Cora, as flashbacks show a young Cora seek revenge against the royal family after they degrade her in public.
Emma and David enlist Gold's help to protect Mary Margaret from a vengeful Regina, as flashbacks show a father and son stumble upon Storybrooke when the curse was first cast.
Mary Margaret encounters a completely wooden August and Neal's fiancée arrives in Storybrooke, as flashbacks show August seek the help of a healer in Phuket when he starts to turn into wood.
Emma grows suspicious of Tamara and Hook helps Regina retrieve the fail-safe key that will destroy Storybrooke, as flashbacks show the Evil Queen go undercover in order to kill Snow White.
As Greg and Tamara set out to destroy Storybrooke, the inhabitants of the town race to stop the destruction, while flashbacks show Hook take Baelfire on as a crew member on his ship.
