The object/animal/person in this episode is the Wraith.
The blouse that present-day Regina wears is the same one Henry "borrowed" for Emma shortly after her arrival in Storybrooke in season 1.
In an interview with TV Guide, Emilie de Ravin admitted she accidentally bit Robert Carlyle's lip while filming Mr. Gold and Belle's kiss scene.
This episode reveals that the "Sleeping Beauty" mentioned by Regina in "The Thing You Love Most" is Aurora's mother. This is further confirmed in "Enter the Dragon."
The season premiere of the second season was actually the second episode that was filmed for season two. We Are Both (2012) was filmed before the shooting of this episode.