Mary Margaret (Snow White) meets John Doe (David/Prince Charming), who has been comatose in Storybrooke’s hospital. While helping him, she senses a connection to him, hinting at their deep, forgotten bond. Flashbacks reveal how Snow White and Prince Charming first met in the Enchanted Forest, beginning the love story that would lead to the birth of Emma.
David’s amnesia and Mary Margaret’s inexplicable bond with him may represent Emma’s subconscious need to reconnect with her own past and family. Just as Snow and Charming struggle to find each other, Emma could be seeking, in her subconscious, a sense of belonging and love.
Snow and Charming’s unbreakable bond through true love might reflect Emma’s hidden desire for genuine connections. Their relationship, rooted in sacrifice and devotion, could represent the stability and support Emma unconsciously craves but feels unworthy of, due to her abandonment.
David’s memory loss serves as a potent symbol of repression—he literally cannot recall who he is, mirroring the internal “forgetting” that Emma might have employed to cope with her own traumatic memories. This idea of “memory repression” continues throughout the show, adding depth to Emma’s journey.