I recently started my own rewatch and I had the same reaction to that line. Of course, it may also have been put in to help us understand very early in the show that Henry and Emma have no fairy tale counterparts. There is a lot of foreshadowing in those early episodes. From the very first scene in which Charming arrives at Snow White’s glass coffin and Doc speaks the same words, “You’re too late”, which Mother Superior will say to Emma when she arrives at Henry’s bedside in the finale to the clock ticking to 8:15 in both episodes, I was impressed how tightly interwoven the pilot is with the later episodes.
I missed the first few episodes of the online group rewatch so I don’t know if this was discussed in the chat but there is one scene in the pilot that confused me at the time and still does. When Emma steps out of her car upon first arriving in Storybrooke, there is a short on the power line in the background just as she slams the car door (you can see a picture of it at http://www.onceuponatimespace.com/pilotComment.html ). It was such a noticeable special effects shot I still wonder why they put it in. I don’t think it was ever explained during the season. Did they just add it for a dramatic effect to accompany the door slam or will it turn out to have some significance? I’m guessing it must be there for a reason. What does everyone else think?