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I have found that Rumpel is honest in that he doesn’t lie. He does tell the truth. He may not tell the whole truth, he may omit parts of the truth, he may not be completely open about specifics or details, but he does not lie or alter the truth. In fact, you could say the only person he’s lied to is himself whenever he is confronted with situations that cause conflict between attaining personal happiness and keeping his powers. Rumpel’s cowardice in these areas is a lie to himself that he doesn’t have the courage to be happy.
[adrotate group="5"]Still, Small Voice
Rumple at his wheel is spinning gold when Jiminy arrives with stolen goods. Rumple perceves that Jiminy wants a deal. Jiminy wants to be free of his parents. Rumple conjures a potion from gold and promises it will give Jiminy his freedom (again we see that people must be clear and specific in dealing with Rumple or they may get something they don’t expect.) Since Jiminy has nothing to pay, Rumple tells him to “leave (his parents) where they are” and Rumple will take them–which should have made it obvious to Jiminy that the couple would be dead or incapacitated. Jiminy asks what will happen to his parents. Rumple is vague and Jiminy doesn’t press for an answer.In Gold’s shop, we see the puppets that Geppetto’s parents became.
Another example is Regina; she wanted something tragic to happen to Kathryn but never specified death as the answer. Gold says being abducted was tragic enough. I’m sure had she said I would like her dead she would have been so. You need to be specific when dealing with Gold wevery detail makes all the difference.
The Shepherd
As King George mourns the death of his adopted son, Rumple arrives to offer a fresh deal: a son in return for information of the whereabouts of a certain fairy. We learn important facts about Rumple:
1. While he has no trouble homing in on humans, finding them wherever they are, his radar doesn’t work with fairies.
2. Death trumps magic.
3. When you deal with Rumple, ask up front for complete information (such as “does the family I’m taking this boy from have other kids?”)
4. Rumple takes pride in being “a man of (his) word.”
5. Rumple can be persuaded to take the lesser end of a bargain–but he won’t let you forget his generosity. BTW, when he’s offering you something he considers highly valuable (a child) in return for something lesser (directions to a fairy’s location) you should probably question his true motives.Bur George doesn’t, and so he accepts the deal: a twin for directions.
The shepherd, cont’d
Rumple approaches the shepherd and his mom with the new deal. Mom reveals to the shepherd that she and dad had dealt with Rumple before: they traded his twin for their farm, and dad always regretted it. They’d never told the remaining twin about it because Rumple had sworn them to secrecy. But now the farm’s on the line again. Plus Rumple sweetens the deal: the shepherd will become a dragonslaying hero.
Character -revealing details:
1. The shepherd seems to be the first dealmaker to show any curiosity (or suspicion) about Rumple. What do you get out of this, he wants to know. Rumple ducks the question. (We see the shepherd–now known as James–reaffirm his curiosity about Rumple in the season finale. Is James a potential friend? Besides James, only one other will make an attempt to get to know Rumple: Belle.)
2. Taking children seems to be emotionally difficult for Rumple: he needs to dull the discomfort with drink.(He does this again with Ella.)
3. Rumple believes “everyone has a choice, just make sure it’s the right one.” He lays out the deal but doesn’t presume to tell people what’s right or wrong (until we get to the finale, where he pushes James to take a deal.)The Shepherd, con’d
In SB, David comes into Gold’s shop for directions to the troll bridge. Gold’s shop sign reads “Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer.” The building address is 3438.
“Miss Mills led you astray, ” Gold says: apparently, Gold is on Team Mary Margaret &David. Or is he? He gives correct directions but as David turns to leave, something odd happens.
When David first entered the shop, his eye was caught by a hanging mobile –the one James and Snow had hung for baby Emma. David was fascinated–hyponotized, some fans have said. With a small smile, Gold had greeted David with “Charming.” Point 1 for Team MM: Gold seems to be nudging David to remember FTL.But as David starts to leave, his eye befalls a lawn ornament. David seems hypnotized by this as well. He says it once belonged to him. He now remembers, but it’s the false memory of Kathryn, not FTL. Gold nudges again, “Are you sure?” And smiles when David says he remembers. So is it Team MM or Team Kathryn? Or maybe neither. Maybe it’s just typical Rumple : he gives you the options, you choose.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
In the SB forest, Graham comes upon Gold, dressed in his full suit and a leather apron and carrying a shovel. We see a flash of Gold’s dry wit: when Graham says he thought Gold was a wolf, Gold asks, “Did I forget to shave?” Gold says he’s doing a bit of gardening. Graham tells Gold about his wolf vision. “They say that dreams are memories…memories of another life,” Gold says. “I never rule out anything.” Is Gold giving Graham a nudge toward remembering FTL?In FTL Regina says there are two types of people : wolves and sheep. We learned in the last episode that Charming is a shepherd; we will later learn pre-curse Rumple was a woolspinner.
True North
Emma comes to Gold’s shop to ask about a compass belonging to two children whose father she is trying to find. Gold greets her warmly and reports that the compass had been bought from him. When Emma asks the purchaser’s name, Gold says he doesn’t remember and goes to his card file to find out. He withholds the information until Emma asks his price. He answers, “Forgiveness.” Emma counters with “tolerance” and he accepts, reporting to her the purchaser’s name. He says something intriguing: “Just a name. I generally find that’s all one needs” (or at least all he needs to get power over a person?). The camera then shows us the file card is blank.This tiny scene reveals two additional bits of information about Gold, besides the power of names. One is that Gold is not above deceiving Emma. As to why he tricked her with the fake card, it could be because the purchase never actually happened: perhaps it’s a fake memory. If so, that makes Gold a co-conspirator with Regina in developing the false lives in SB. Or perhaps he tricked Emma just so she wouldn’t know how sharp his memory is.
The second important bit of information comes from his asking forgiveness. The word choice matters: he doesn’t say, “Accept my apology for manipulating you before.” An apology is a lesser admission of wrongdoing. “Forgiveness” implies a more serious, intentional wrongdoing. His request sets the stage for a future request he will make. Gold, unlike Regina, takes no pleasure in hurting innocent people; he seems to believe his wrongdoings are necessary, however.
7:15AM
When Snow seeks a way to forget Charming, Red refers her to Rumple : “there are whispers of a man who can achieve even the most unholy of requests.” Snow takes her boat into a foggy marsh and Rumple suddenly appears in the boat (now we know where the boat hanging in Gold’s shop came from) . Rumple admires the craftsmanship of the boat and asks its price, correcting Snow when she says it’s not for sale. “No one comes to see me without a deal in mind.”Poor guy apparently has no friends or relatives. Knowing that Rumple is centuries old, the viewer can’t but wonder how lonely he must be, and how jaded, that his only relationships are business transactions–people who want to use him, get the better of him if they can, then leave him.
Rumple knows who Snow is and says he’s looked forward to meeting her. He admires her beauty. He speaks to her softly and sympathetically as she asks for a cure for her broken heart. We learn there’s no magic to force someone to love another. We also learn Rumple’s views on romance: “No two loves are exactly alike. . . Love is the most powerful magic. The cure must be extreme. . Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love has killed more than any disease.” His fee is a strand of Snow’s hair. It would seem he’s given her the best of the bargain.
Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
In trying to catch Regina embezzling city funds, Emma and Sidney run into Gold in the forest. He tells them he just sold land to Regina. He raises doubts about his own ethics when he says, “In business I’ve found it’s best not to ask too many questions.” He cautions them to drop their investigation because “emotional entanglements can lead down dangerous paths.”After Emma’s failed attempt to bring Regina down, Gold meets her and Sidney outside the council meeting. He commends Emma for her bravery but cautions, “You’re going to need a strong ally.” When Emma rejects his offer, he says, “One can wish”–a most interesting comment in an episode about the dangers of wishing. Is it possible he knows who Sidney is?
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