"White Out" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on October 5, 2014.
The Storybrooke events take place after "A Tale of Two Sisters" Back in the Enchanted Forest prior to the first curse, Anna (under the alias of Joan) helps David − future Prince Charming − fight off a warlord called Bo Peep (Robin Weigert), who is threatening to take the land and their flock of sheep from his mother Ruth (Gabrielle Rose).
While training him through sword fighting, Anna encourages David to resist becoming Bo Peep's slave and a coward.
David then explains to Anna his childhood memories of his father's alcoholism and constant disappearing until he overdosed.
The next day, David finds Anna missing; Bo Peep has branded her with her shepherd's crook.
While trying to find her sister Anna (Elizabeth Lail), Elsa (Georgina Haig) blocks the exit from Storybrooke with a giant ice wall, which also cuts power to the town.
Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), David Nolan (Josh Dallas), and Killian "Hook" Jones (Colin O'Donoghue) go to investigate the wall, while the townspeople rely on Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) to lead them, since Regina (Lana Parrilla) has isolated herself from everyone — which worries her son Henry Mills (Jared S. Gilmore).
Elsa apologizes for trapping her; Emma eventually falls unconscious due to the intense cold.
Afterwards, while Emma recovers, David promises Elsa that they will find Anna, using Bo's crook.
Elsewhere, Grumpy (Lee Arenberg), Happy (Michael Coleman) and Granny (Beverley Elliott) constantly nag Mary Margaret to help restart the power, to which she finally tells them to leave her alone, as she is already struggling as a new mother.
[6] The episode was met with good reviews, but were mixed on adding another villainous character in Bo Peep.
Amy Ratcliffe of IGN rated the episode 6.9 out of 10, saying "The Frozen portions of tonight's Once worked.
The happenings in the fairy tale realm with Bo Peep and David were rather silly though and brought the story down.
"[7] Den of Geek gave it 4.5 stars, saying "Sometimes I worry that the writers of Once Upon a Time have developed the technology to record my innermost desires without my knowledge or consent.
I am not paranoid, I am just proposing a logical supposition based on the fact that tonight they had Deadwood’s Calamity Jane playing Little Bo Peep, cockney warlord.
While I can’t, admittedly, say that this was a specific dream of mine, seeing it on screen tonight made it abundantly clear that this was something my heart needed to witness.