Last night's episode introduced Jefferson, a slight twist on the traditional Mad Hatter:

IN STORYBROOK

Mary Margaret flees and is captured and imprisoned by Jefferson, who apparently lives in a giant mansion that no one knows about in the middle of the forest.

Henry thinks the escape is all part of Emma's "genius plan" and is slightly disappointed to learn that not only is his mother not a genius, she is a little slow.  I mean she almost runs a guy over on a dark and rainy street and then she offers him a ride home.  And then she goes inside his house and they she accepts a cup of poisioned tea.  I mean...WORST.  SHERIFF.  EVAH...

Emma uses her McGuire skills to escape and is sneaking down the hallway while Jefferson sharpens scissor in a very creepy way.  She ducks into a room and happens to find MM.  Really?  She's all tied up and looking desperate.

The women try to escape but like traditional Disney Damsels they are once again apprehended and Emma is instructed to "Get the Hat to work".  Um...can you be a little more specific.

Jefferson goes on to tell her that Henry's book is indeed real.  That a little girl named Paige that goes to school with Henry is really Jefferson's daughter Grace.  That he has been trapped in Storybrook for 28 years.  Until she arrived all time had stopped.  That she has magic and that she must make the hat work.

Emma, of course, considers him to be mad but convinces him that she believes his ludicrous tale.  That she, too, believes in this curse and that she even thinks that MM is her mother.  Just as we too start to believe that Emma is sold on the story, she whacks Jefferson with a big stick and runs to save her mom MM.

It's starting to look promising for the women until Jefferson returns.  More fighting.  Gun pointing and then MM knocks him out the window.  All that is left of him...his hat.

Emma gives MM the chance to flee.  She doesn't.  Regina and Gold are not impressed.  They appear to be working together to convict MM.  Why?  Unclear at this time.


IN FAIRYTALE LAND

Jefferson and Grace seem to be a happy father and daughter.  They like playing in the forest and collecting mushrooms.  One day the EQ decides to visit.  Jefferson sends his daughter off to frolic while he visits with the Queen.

She propositions him.  She tells him that someone has stolen something from her and that she must get it back.  She tells him to stop "foraging for fungi" and to help her.  She promises to make it worth his while.

Jefferson stands his ground.  No.  He is happy with his daughter and with his mushrooms.  He eludes to losing her mother, but doesn't elaborate. 

The queen leaves and the couple head to the market.  Grace wants a stuffed rabbit but Jefferson is unable to purchase it because he doesn't have enough money.  He tries making her the bunny, but is unhappy with his sewing skills. 

Grace seems much wiser than Jefferson.  She tells him that all she needs is him, yet he insists on sending her to the neighbors and doing one last job for the Queen.

In true LOST fashion he takes his hat to the Queen and black smoke comes spewing out of it and the Queen and Jefferson jump into the black hole.  The enter Wonderland through the looking class and he reminds the Queen that two go in and two must go back out.

Wonderland is a little CG for my likes but still clever.  The queen of hearts remains and enigma.  She apparently stole the EQ's father and locked him in a box.  EQ steals him back, has him eat a mushroom and then he and EQ jump through the looking glass leaving Jefferson stranded in Wonderland. 

In both worlds he is separated from his daughter.  No wonder he is mad.

The EQ beheads him but oddly he doesn't die.  Instead she insists that he make her a magic hat and that once he does he will garner his freedom.

At the end of the episode we see him surrounded by hats that don't work and we sort of feel sorry for him.

NEXT WEEK:  More on why the Evil Queen hates Snow White.