Based on last night's Once Upon a Time episode, we know that Neverland has taken a bite out of one of our own: yes, Prince Charming suffered a gash to his side that is now filled with the deadly Dream Shade.

So what happens next? Will Charming lean on Snow White, daughter Emma or be forced to work with someone he doesn’t normally call friend or family? How much time does he have left? Will the poison change him?

Those questions and more were thrown at Josh Dallas during our visit to the show's Vancouver set last month - and the actor expertly answered each and every one, providing ample teases about where things are headed with Charming and Snow as they continue to search for Henry in Neverland and Charming privately (for now, at least) fights for his life...

On Charming being poisoned and how long the story will last…

It's going to be a long part of the journey. Of course, he's going to be hit by the arrow, which is laced with Dream Shade! Dream Shade is a nasty, nasty, nasty deal. And he's going to have a major secret on his hands that you'll have to see whether he tells or not, whether he asks for help or not.

I think that's what's so great about the season is that, particularly for David as it comes up and all the characters, but particularly for David. It questions his integrity and what compromises he has to make and then what are the consequences for those compromises. So it's going to test him and I think that's what Neverland does. Neverland tests all these characters.

Neverland is about belief. So we'll see if he can believe in himself enough to push through this. Does he tell? If he doesn't tell, why doesn't he tell? If he does tell, who helps him out? What's going to happen? So it's definitely a journey and it's going to be intense. It's intense for him for sure

On just how bad Dream Shade is…

Of course, what we saw in the last season where Hook, the Dream Shade on the end of the second punch did in Mr. Gold's chest in New York. And it started coming…you know, the veins and it just slowly kills you. Well in his case it was going to kill him very quickly. This is the most concentrated from which we think would kill him quickly, but it works the opposite. So it's a very slow, painful death, like cancer basically.

On whether this poison changes Charming…

I think it does change his personality a lot, because it changes how he thinks. I think it changes…because it's going to be a secret. He's keeping this a secret and so he's living a kind of duality in front of some people and in others he's not. So again, that's when I go back to it questions his integrity and how he compromises that.

On Charming telling – or not telling – anyone about his dying…

I think he definitely doesn't want to burden anyone. The goal of this mission in Neverland is to get Henry back. That is the deal and he doesn't want to compromise that in any way at all. What dies is his belief in his family to back him up in times when there's trouble.

Maybe he tells Mary Margaret. Maybe he doesn't. If he doesn't, why doesn't he? Why doesn't he trust that everything that he'd been through happens to disappoint, that she wouldn't be there for him, that she wouldn't be there because…why would he keep that a secret in order? There are a lot of questions that happen.

On finding unlikely alliances while in Neverland...

It's very possible. It's very, very possible.

On male characters on the show…

I think it's wonderful to be on a show where we have strong female characters. Super strong. All of them are super strong, regardless of what their moral basis is or what their ideals are. Whether you're Regina, whether you’re Emma…so I think it's great to be on a show like that.

I think it's great that we can have men that can really explore their vulnerable. I think that's really important to be able to look at that, to see guys who can be vulnerable or who can be put in positions where they're questioning their own integrity, their own beliefs, their own thing. I think in a lot of TV shows, the guys are always gung ho, they're solid, which are great characters to play, but it’s just nice to be able to explore something that's more vulnerable.

On more obstacles to come for Charming/Snow…

Of course he's going to have a secret that's going to be a huge obstacle for them both, whether she knows or not. But it's going to be a huge obstacle and there are always obstacles with them. You know, what's so great about Stone and Charming is they're equals. They always look after each other and, if one is down, the other one will take over. If the other one is down, the other one will take over. This is again it goes back to the question of does he tell her? If he doesn't, why not when they're so together? What was the original question? I'm rambling again.

On parenting Emma…

I think they're going to keep growing and of course they have this obstacle with Emma and the idea that they always wanted to be her parents. They always wanted to be her mother and father. They both kind of approach it differently throughout the couple of seasons. Mary Margaret's very much pushed it a lot on her and wanting to recreate that moment all the time. David's kind of sat back and wondered if it could happen more organically.

I think they're probably going to get to a point this first half of the season where they're going to be, ‘We can't ever be that. We can't ever go back. We can't be her mother and father. It's just not gonna happen. We missed that window. So now what do we do? What happens now? Do we go forward and we become her friend?’ Those questions are answered coming up and they're going to move forward and their hope moves forward together.

On maybe a new addition in the near future for Charming & Snow…

JD: Possible. You're going to have to keep watching for that.

Once Upon a Time Season 3 airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Jim Halterman is the West Coast Editor of TV Fanatic and the owner of JimHalterman.com. Follow him on Twitter.