Broken ( Once Upon a Time ) - wikipedia Broken ( Once Upon a Time ) `` Broken '' Once Upon a Time episode The mysterious man ( Michael Raymond - James ) receives a postcard titled `` Broken '' Episode no. Season 2 Episode 1 Directed by Ralph Hemecker Written by Edward Kitsis Adam Horowitz Original air date September 30, 2012 ( 2012 - 09 - 30 ) Guest appearance ( s ) David Anders as Dr. Whale Lee Arenberg as Grumpy / Leroy Sarah Bolger as Princess Aurora Jamie Chung as Mulan Beverley Elliott as Granny Julian Morris as Prince Phillip Michael Raymond - James as Mysterious Man Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket / Archie Hopper Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy / Mother Superior Episode chronology ← Previous `` A Land Without Magic '' Next → `` We Are Both '' Once Upon a Time ( season 2 ) List of Once Upon a Time episodes `` Broken '' is the first episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy / drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show 's 23rd episode overall. It premiered September 30, 2012. In this episode, Mr. Gold decides to get revenge on Regina ; and later in the Enchanted Forest, Phillip, Aurora, and Mulan face a wraith. It was co-written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, while being directed by Ralph Hemecker. Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Opening Sequence 1.2 Outside Storybrooke 1.3 In Storybrooke 1.4 In the Enchanted Forest 2 Production 3 Reception 3.1 Ratings 3.2 Reviews 4 References 5 External links Plot Opening sequence A wraith is shown hovering in the forest. Outside Storybrooke The first scene of the episode takes place in New York City, where a dove lands on the windowsill of an unidentified man ( Michael Raymond - James ). Stuck to its foot is a postcard from Storybrooke, with the word `` Broken '' written on it. In Storybrooke In Storybrooke, Emma Swan ( Jennifer Morrison ) prevents a mob of townspeople, led by Dr. Whale ( David Anders ), from attacking Regina Mills ( Lana Parrilla ), who is still powerless despite the fact that magic is now present in Storybrooke, and instead takes her to jail. There, Mr. Gold ( Robert Carlyle ) uses the wraith 's talisman to mark her. He then uses the talisman and his dagger to summon the wraith. Gold had promised Belle ( Emilie de Ravin ) that he would not kill Regina, which technically he has not since a wraith consumes souls, and she walked out on him after learning what he had done. Emma had also promised Henry ( Jared S. Gilmore ) that she would prevent Regina from being killed, so she, Mary Margaret ( Ginnifer Goodwin ), and David ( Josh Dallas ) join forces with Regina and use Jefferson 's hat to banish the wraith to the fairytale world. Regina informs the others that the fairytale world was destroyed by the curse, so this will have the effect of banishing the wraith to `` an oblivion. '' They succeed, but the wraith pulls Emma into the portal as well and Mary Margaret follows, unwilling to abandon her child again. David takes charge of Henry, who tells Regina that he will never speak to her again if she does not bring Mary Margaret and Emma back to Storybrooke. Belle returns to Gold who tries to send her away and explains that he is still a monster, but she responds that she must stay with him for that very reason. In the Enchanted Forest In the Enchanted Forest, Prince Phillip ( Julian Morris ) awakens Princess Aurora ( Sarah Bolger ) from a magical, year - long sleep with true love 's kiss. But they and Phillip 's traveling companion, the female warrior Mulan ( Jamie Chung ), are soon attacked by a wraith, a soul - sucking monster. Unbeknownst to the women, Phillip is `` marked '' by the wraith 's talisman as they drive it off, so the wraith will now follow him relentlessly. After they make camp, Phillip leaves the two women so they will not be harmed when he is attacked. When Aurora notices his absence, Mulan realizes what has happened and goes to pursue him while Aurora insists on following. Aurora then accuses Mulan of being in love with Phillip, but Mulan denies this. They find Phillip and Mulan offers to take on the mark so that Phillip and Aurora can be together, but Phillip refuses. Phillip succumbs to the wraith 's attack ; his last words are `` I love you, '' and it is left unclear to whom he was speaking. Aurora and Mulan lay Phillip in the palace where Aurora was sleeping. The final scene of the episode reveals a twist : the storyline of Aurora, Phillip, and Mulan is not a flashback, but rather takes place in a part of the fairytale world whose inhabitants were -- for an unknown reason -- not removed by the Evil Queen 's curse, and is contemporaneous with the Storybrooke plotline. Mulan explains to Aurora that they were frozen in time for 28 years until time resumed, allowing Phillip and Mulan to complete their quest. But the land has been ravaged by the effects of the curse and the survivors had gathered in a safe haven. Before Mulan and Aurora can begin to travel there, they discover Mary Margaret and Emma, unconscious under some debris, and Mulan blames them for the wraith 's arrival. Production `` Broken '' featured the first appearances of Jamie Chung ( left ) as Mulan and Sarah Bolger ( right ) as Princess Aurora. `` Broken '' was co-written by co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, while being directed by V veteran Ralph Hemecker. With the curse broken in the first season finale, the writers felt that they could now go farther with each of the characters. In an attempt to instill a `` whole different vibe '' into the series, they envisioned a larger ambition than the previous season. Horowitz explained, `` We have been allowed to do more at the start of the ( season ). Without addressing the budget, everybody at the studio is on board with this as a big - canvas show... A lot of it actually is the learning - curve aspect of season 1, where we figured out what we can do and how to do it well. We learned how to maximize our bang for our buck. The biggest key is time. If we can figure out our stories far enough in advance, the more time our effects team and department heads will have. '' First season recurring actresses Emilie de Ravin ( Belle ) and Meghan Ory ( Red Riding Hood / Ruby ) became members of this season 's main cast. Two additional actresses who joined the recurring cast were Sarah Bolger as Aurora and Jamie Chung as Mulan, who both made their debuts during this episode. Reception Ratings On its first broadcast, `` Broken '' was watched by an estimated 11.36 million viewers, placing second in its timeslot behind NBC 's Football Night in America. The episode earned a ratings share of 3.9 / 10, meaning that it was seen by 3.9 percent of all 18 - to 49 - year - olds, and 10 percent of all 18 - to 49 - year - olds watching television at the time of broadcast. The ratings it garnered were considered to be a success for the series, as it was down only five percent from the previous season premiere. Reviews The premiere of season two, `` Broken '' was received generally positive reviews. IGN 's Amy Ratcliffe graded `` Broken '' with 8.5 out of 10, an indication of a `` great '' episode. She found Snow and Emma 's descent into the hat to be a `` surprising turn of events and a fun way to force them together and make them work out their new mother / daughter roles. '' Ratcliffe also enjoyed the pairing for Mulan and Aurora, but criticized the wraith for its similarities to the Dementors from Harry Potter. She concluded, `` I was worried about the direction of the show once magic was back on the table in such a direct way, but the writers have set the stage for plenty of solid character development. The various relationships and their sorted issues -- including Mr. Gold & Belle and Snow & Emma ( who is none too pleased with being left without parents for 28 years ) -- have such potential. I 'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. '' Oliver Save from The A.V. Club gave a B+ rate to the episode saying that the opener of this season confirms that the show is going to be completely different beast going forward. `` Mr. Gold bringing magic back to Storybrooke in a wave of fuchsia fog, and this season 2 opener confirms that this show is going to be a completely different beast going forward. '' Laura Prudom from Huffpost TV stated that the writers of the show have pointed the show in a compelling direction with plenty of new mysteries to unravel. `` Overall, `` Broken '' was a gripping and competently plotted hour -- none of the scenes felt extraneous and although there was undoubtedly a lot of plot and set - up to get through in 42 minutes, the narrative certainly felt more liberated without the curse hanging over everyone 's heads. I think Horowitz and Kitsis have pointed the show in a compelling direction with plenty of new mysteries to unravel, and I 'm eager to see how magic affects our world. '' References Jump up ^ Kondolojy, Amanda ( July 26, 2012 ). `` ABC Announces Premiere Dates for Modern Family, Revenge, DWTS : All Stars, Greys Anatomy, Once Upon a Time & More ''. TV By the Numbers. Retrieved July 26, 2012. Jump up ^ McLennan, Cindy ( 2012 - 10 - 05 ). `` Might As Well Jump ''. Television Without Pity. Retrieved 2014 - 09 - 05. Jump up ^ Adam Horowitz ( @ AdamHorowitzLA ) ( 11 July 2012 ). `` For anyone interested... here 's a tiny season 2 # OnceUponATime premiere tidbit... '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( September 30, 2012 ). `` ' Once Upon a Time ' producers pledge intense season 2 ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Webb Mitovich, Matt ( June 14, 2012 ). `` Once Upon a Time Season 2 - Meghan Ory Promoted to Series Regular ''. TV Line. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Webb Mitovich, Matt ( June 19, 2012 ). `` Once Upon a Time Season 2 - Emilie de Ravin Promoted to Series Regular ''. TV Line. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Webb Mitovich, Matt ( July 5, 2012 ). `` Once Upon a Time Season 2 - Sarah Bolger Cast as Princess Aurora ''. TV Line. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( July 6, 2012 ). `` ' Once Upon a Time ' scoop : ' Hangover 2 ' actress cast as legendary warrior -- EXCLUSIVE ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Bibel, Sara ( October 2, 2012 ). `` Sunday Final Ratings : ' Once Upon A Time ', ' The Simpsons ', ' Bob 's Burgers ' Adjusted Up ; ' 666 Park Avenue ', ' 60 Minutes ' Adjusted Down & Final Football Numbers ''. TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Hibberd, James ( October 1, 2012 ). `` ' Once Upon a Time ' return delivers ratings magic ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Ratcliffe, Amy ( October 1, 2012 ). `` Once Upon a Time : `` Broken '' Review ``. IGN. Retrieved October 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Sava, Oliver ( September 30, 2012 ). `` '' Broken '' S2 / E1 ``. The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 17, 2012. Jump up ^ Prudom, Laura ( September 30, 2012 ). `` ' Once Upon A Time ' Season Premiere Recap : Magic Returns And Brings New Danger In ' Broken ' ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 17, 2012. External links `` Broken '' on IMDb `` Broken '' at TV.com Once Upon a Time episodes Season 1 `` Pilot '' `` The Thing You Love Most '' `` Snow Falls '' `` The Price of Gold '' `` That Still Small Voice '' `` The Shepherd '' `` The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter '' `` Desperate Souls '' `` True North '' `` 7 : 15 A.M. '' `` Fruit of the Poisonous Tree '' `` Skin Deep '' `` What Happened to Frederick '' `` Dreamy '' `` Red - Handed '' `` Heart of Darkness '' `` Hat Trick '' `` The Stable Boy '' `` The Return '' `` The Stranger '' `` An Apple Red as Blood '' `` A Land Without Magic '' Season 2 `` Broken '' `` We Are Both '' `` Lady of the Lake '' `` The Crocodile '' `` The Doctor '' `` Tallahassee '' `` Child of the Moon '' `` Into the Deep '' `` Queen of Hearts '' `` The Cricket Game '' `` The Outsider '' `` In the Name of the Brother '' `` Tiny '' `` Manhattan '' `` The Queen Is Dead '' `` The Miller 's Daughter '' `` Welcome to Storybrooke '' `` Selfless, Brave and True '' `` Lacey '' `` The Evil Queen '' `` Second Star to the Right '' `` And Straight On ' til Morning '' Season 3 `` The Heart of the Truest Believer '' `` Lost Girl '' `` Quite a Common Fairy '' `` Nasty Habits '' `` Good Form '' `` Ariel '' `` Dark Hollow '' `` Think Lovely Thoughts '' `` Save Henry '' `` The New Neverland '' `` Going Home '' `` New York City Serenade '' `` Witch Hunt '' `` The Tower '' `` Quiet Minds '' `` It 's Not Easy Being Green '' `` The Jolly Roger '' `` Bleeding Through '' `` A Curious Thing '' `` Kansas '' `` Snow Drifts '' `` There 's No Place Like Home '' Season 4 `` A Tale of Two Sisters '' `` White Out '' `` Rocky Road '' `` The Apprentice '' `` Breaking Glass '' `` Family Business '' `` The Snow Queen '' `` Smash the Mirror '' `` Fall '' `` Shattered Sight '' `` Heroes and Villains '' `` Darkness on the Edge of Town '' `` Unforgiven '' `` Enter the Dragon '' `` Poor Unfortunate Soul '' `` Best Laid Plans '' `` Heart of Gold '' `` Sympathy for the De Vil '' `` Lily '' `` Mother '' `` Operation Mongoose '' Season 5 `` The Dark Swan '' `` The Price '' `` Siege Perilous '' `` The Broken Kingdom '' `` Dreamcatcher '' `` The Bear and the Bow '' `` Nimue '' `` Birth '' `` The Bear King '' `` Broken Heart '' `` Swan Song '' `` Souls of the Departed '' `` Labor of Love '' `` Devil 's Due '' `` The Brothers Jones '' `` Our Decay '' `` Her Handsome Hero '' `` Ruby Slippers '' `` Sisters '' `` Firebird '' `` Last Rites '' `` Only You '' `` An Untold Story '' Season 6 `` The Savior '' `` A Bitter Draught '' `` The Other Shoe '' `` Strange Case '' `` Street Rats '' `` Dark Waters '' `` Heartless '' `` I 'll Be Your Mirror '' `` Changelings '' `` Wish You Were Here '' `` Tougher Than the Rest '' `` Murder Most Foul '' `` Ill - Boding Patterns '' `` Page 23 '' `` A Wondrous Place '' `` Mother 's Little Helper '' `` Awake '' `` Where Bluebirds Fly '' `` The Black Fairy '' `` The Song in Your Heart '' `` The Final Battle '' Season 7 `` Hyperion Heights '' `` A Pirate 's Life '' `` The Garden of Forking Paths `` `` Beauty '' `` Greenbacks '' `` Wake Up Call '' `` Eloise Gardener '' `` Pretty in Blue '' `` One Little Tear '' `` The Eighth Witch '' `` Secret Garden '' `` A Taste of the Heights '' `` Knightfall '' `` The Girl in the Tower '' Wonderland `` Down the Rabbit Hole '' `` Trust Me '' `` Forget Me Not '' `` The Serpent '' `` Heart of Stone '' `` Who 's Alice '' `` Bad Blood '' `` Home '' `` Nothing to Fear '' `` Dirty Little Secrets '' `` Heart of the Matter '' `` To Catch a Thief '' `` And They Lived... '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Broken_(Once_Upon_a_Time)&oldid=826944948 '' Categories : 2012 American television episodes Once Upon a Time ( season 2 ) episodes Hidden categories : Tv.com template using numeric id Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Edit links This page was last edited on 21 February 2018, at 21 : 46. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when is the first curse broken once upon a time
Answer: the first season finale