I've been waiting a long time to get the back story on Ruby, the infamous Red Riding Hood's counterpart in Storybrooke. Finally, "Red-Handed" revealed a Red we'd never seen before.

Once Upon a Time is fascinating in that it takes a world we thought we knew and makes it more than we ever dreamed.

I found myself guessing about the wolf throughout the episode. Was it creature or myth? Human or animal? I didn't think it was Peter because he seemed so incredibly clueless when Red told him her theory. How could someone have no idea that they were frequently turning into a wolf. 

Then I thought perhaps it was Granny and at least that wasn't far off the mark. 

But poor Red was totally blindsided, being shown a side to herself she never thought existed. It was too bad Granny had never told her the truth. She could have held some power in protecting herself an d perhaps Peter would have lived.

Having her literally devour her boyfriend was quite the twist. Somehow salacious and horrifying all at once.

I loved all of the details that went into this story. That she always wore a red cloak because it had magical powers to protect her from the curse was a creative touch.

Snow's friendship with Red was certainly a highlight. These two had a nice chemistry and I believed them as instant friends. However I did wonder why Snow came up with the name Mary.  I suppose it was better than Frosty.

Back in Storybrooke, Ruby had a falling out with Granny that sent her looking for a job. 

Speaking of Granny the old woman certainly had a mean streak, telling her granddaughter she dressed like a transvestite during Fleet week. Funny but certainly not nice.

Ruby's tracking abilities came to light when she somehow heard David as he was unconscious in the woods. That was definitely a mystery until her fairy tale history was revealed.

I enjoyed the suspense as they never actually showed us what was in the box, just the horror on Ruby's face when she opened it. My one disappointment was that Ruby went back to the diner. I would have liked to have seen her work with Emma a while longer. They made an interesting pair.

So the only character we know of that keeps a collection of hearts on hand is dear Regina. Since she also hates Mary Margaret for being her fairy tale step-daughter, it would seem that Regina's framing her prey.

But was that really Kathryn's heart in the box and if not, then where is she?  And was David's strange experience in the woods just a throwback to his coma?  Will Red's wolf-like abilities ever come into play again?  Share your thoughts until we get to next week's Once Upon a Time.

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.