[Keb]

I think it was wonderfully done, and the songs are good.

The least fave is that Belle wasn’t there, as usual, for something she should have been present for.

[Keb]

Loved the episode (even without Belle in it). Love the songs. Zelena’s is, I think, musically the best, Hook’s the most fun. Am considering adding the Happy Beginning to my wedding playlist. (Yeah, that’s coming. But I’m still around.)

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I enjoyed it but I hated that the other half of Henry’s family was entirely absent. Yeah, Neal’s dead, fine, but Belle is supposed to be friends with these people regardless of what Rumple’s up to. I also would have appreciated more actual characters instead of random people in the audience; Emma’s saved a whole town and should have lots of people at the wedding. I was glad that they brought in a lot of people from the first episode, at least, and didn’t forget Emma’s baby brother.

The show is best when the rich cast of characters are included where appropriate. They fell down a bit on that element, though the rest was amazing.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

Unless they turn the next season into a self-contained spinoff like Wonderland (which was awesome), I’m not sure how they can make Once work without Emma.

But I wasn’t sure how they could make it work with other decisions they’ve made, either.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I can’t blame anyone who has given up on it at this point, honestly. I just can’t give up on it yet myself.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

Yeah, I wish they wouldn’t miss those opportunities, but it doesn’t feel like they’re completely whitewashing what he’s done, either.

And I agree, abuse is abuse, but I think that the motives matter, at least in a story. Rumple’s motives were not to harm Belle or his son, but to protect them. That doesn’t make his methods right, but it does mitigate them slightly.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I loved this episode, but especially Bobby’s performance–the way he manages to show the pain and love Rumple’s dealing with even when he’s doing villainy stuff.

And Belle, so pretty this ep.

The twist with Rumple being the Black Fairy’s son. (Belle is, in one classic version, the daughter of fairies, so this…feels very classic Once in a way.)

Focus on main characters and classic side characters like Blue.

Hope for Rumbelle that doesn’t feel fake.

The dream sequences were lovely.

The Evil Queen messing with Rumbelle again.

Rumple admitting his fears that he cannot be loved. Belle insisting that it doesn’t have to be like that. Rumple telling Belle he’d never hurt her.

Disliked very little…but I wish, wish, wish they’d had Belle tell Rumple that he already had hurt her. Just put that out there.

Not sure how well the Aladdin-Genie twist works with the genie mythology in Wonderland…

But overall, this episode felt more in-character, and more cohesive, than most of the recent episodes…it also gave me some of that classic Skin Deep vibe AND was really beautiful visually. First one in a long time I’d give an A.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

They aren’t there yet, but I think this may be the episode that was really the turning point for post 3A Rumbelle…glimmers of hope in it.

Also Bobby deserves all the awards.

Has it become an abusive relationship? Yes. Irredeemably? Not in my mind…but mainly for the same reason it was okay to want Rumple to reconcile with Bae after he snailed the dude…and almost killed Henry…and all the other things. The reason I’m okay with there still being a chance of Rumple and Belle getting back together is because it IS a story. A RL mass-murderer who starts getting controlling on you and locking you on ships with people who want to kill you because of them? Nopenopenope. RUN. But a fictional, flawed, and still sympathetic villain having a chance at happiness and redemption? That I can get behind.

This is a story where the Evil Queen and Captain Hook, where even Cora, have all been treated as worthy of redemption and loving relationships. Rumple’s recent treatment of Belle has been abusive, but not actually violent. I think they missed an opportunity in an episode I otherwise loved to have Belle inform him that yes, he HAS actually been hurting her…but Rumple’s statement to the queen, that he hadn’t crossed certain lines, holds true.

I don’t think it’s exonerating abuse to suggest there are shades of it, some more terrible than others. He’s held her captive, but he did that the first day they met…so it’s not exactly new and it wasn’t unforgivable back then. It doesn’t make it right or acceptable behavior, but it is something you can come back from, especially when he did honestly believe he was protecting her on the ship and possibly that he was protecting her with the bracelet. There is a very flawed argument to be made from his perspective on that…it’s not assault if you push someone out of the way of a speeding car, right?

Rumple’s deciding not to do something awful is not a redemption at all, but it’s a step in the right direction. I think there is a VERY long way to go before they could reasonably reconcile, and it has to start with honest communication (which is what Belle wanted from the start anyway). But I feel some hope that it could be done without glorifying anything Rumple’s done now. That was my worst fear…that they would pull the kind of back and forth they did in S5B that was giving me characterization whiplash…and just make Rumple good again and Belle accept him again without working through the issues they’ve given them.

But if they can make the characters deal with these things even a little bit…they put it out there, just as they did in Skin Deep; Rumple’s afraid he’s unlovable, and what makes this ship so powerful is the idea that someone unlovable could find love.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

It’s Dark Castle Rumbelle AND Rumplestiltskin brought home a baby! I don’t even care that the plot’s forced Belle and Rumple OOC so much this season, I’m enchanted. I guess I’m easy to please at this point.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I wonder, if the curse was never cast, would Belle have spent those 30 years in Regina’s tower?

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Author]

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