[Keb]

Well, Rumple sure seemed to think she was trying to trick him into giving up his Dark One powers. I think Belle was sincere in not trying to trick him into that; she really believes her father can save her and the baby. But this was a bad idea because it stops her character development (and screentime, which may have been part of the decision-making here–Emilie DID need some maternity leave). They’ve set it up so both needed to bend to make this work…and now they’re back to All or Nothing for Rumple.

This is leading to exactly that choice–he’ll have to choose Belle or Power once and for all. And while I’m excited about that…I think it’s problematic that she’s still making ultimatums and not growing as a person until she’s woken now.

[Keb]

Yay Oz!

Liked:
–Toto in the basket
–Magic hand mirror…wondering if it will be used to help Belle somehow
–Belle’s characterization feeling consistent with who we saw in 406.
–WAIT BELLE WAS IN THIS EPISODE YAY!
–Belle & Zelena chat…!
–Dorothy riding wolf-Red. Felt oddly Ozzy and I liked it.
–Captain Charming moment. They’re cute together.
–Auntie Em being the competition.
–The river of souls twist with Aunt Em (not because yay, but because it was a good twist I thought…and I’m still hoping for a way to save the lost souls).
–David staying so Snow could go. Best Snowing moment since S1. Beautifully done. (but why didn’t they take back the kids & Robin Hood too?)
–The TLK worked nicely for me, actually. And I feel like, though it was long overdue, they managed to make it feel natural within the universe like they said they wanted to, rather than a big deal. But of course it IS a big deal and we’re not likely to see much more of the characters which is still a problem (though at least Red was once a regular, so there’s that…)
–Rumple doing research when Belle finds him.

Disliked:
–When did Gaston give Belle back the book in the flashbacks? I’m not remembering, but she had it in both 406 and 112, which are after she loaned it to Gaston. Just…bugged me slightly.
–Um, Belle, no, no, this is a bad idea, this doesn’t fix things, why are you panicking?
–RIP FrankenWolf. :/ I’m liking Kansas & Wolfie, they’re cute, but I did rather like FrankenWolf as a ship and I was sad that they just abandoned that thread in S2.
–No, SERIOUSLY, BELLE, NO. Rumple tells you not to do the thing, you don’t do the thing, why do people never learn?
–Wait, so what Belle said about TLK not working because it wasn’t a curse if he wanted it suddenly doesn’t count? It’ll undo his curse to undo hers?
–She’s trusting her father to do it? I mean, her father loves her but True Love is supposed to be rare…it’s not supposed to work for just ANY loving pair. Her father sold her off into an engagement she didn’t want and tried to erase her memories against her will…I mean, he DOES love her but I’m not sure it’s enough otherwise Regina would have been able to wake Henry from the curse without Emma’s help in S1…I…I don’t know what to make of this.
–Also this means the only Belle we’ll get for weeks is Sleeping Belle. Again.
–SERIOUSLY BELLE? BAD BAD IDEA.
–Also this does not fix the fact that both of them are still thinking in ultimatums. Also how are they supposed to save the lost souls this way?
–Good episode overall but I’m not liking this ending.

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]

Belle has always been an idealist, and I think that’s the thing they’ve most consistently characterized her with. It comes out in her insecurities as we saw in Family Business–she’s so hard on herself for having let Anna fall that she can’t even believe Rumplestiltskin could understand what she did. She idolizes her mother’s heroism and the characteristics of the heroes from her stories are, to her, attainable traits for everyone. That’s part of why she’s able to see the best in others, because she believes it can be there, but it also makes it hard for her to accept anything less than her ideals from herself or those she loves.

It’s also why it’s hard for her to accept that she loves Rumple in part because of his flaws, that she is attracted to his dark side as well as his inner goodness. It’s not what you’re SUPPOSED to like, so it winds up being a “failing” of hers instead of just how it is, you know, reality. Sometimes she can see it (it’s easier in the abstract, when he’s not there, when she’s missing him), but other times she struggles with it because it flies in the face of the standards she holds herself, and him, to.

Her ultimatums come from this idealism, as well as her anxieties. And I don’t think she was proved wrong, but it’s easy to see how she would immediately jump to despair over what she did to Gaston. It was exactly the thing she was trying to prevent; while her defensive move to stop Gaston’s attack was entirely justifiable, she never meant to doom him to an eternity of being lost. For an idealist, middle ground is hard to see. It’s all or nothing, especially in the worst moments…

But this does go along with what I was saying last week about how both Rumple and Belle are going to have to compromise. We aren’t quite yet seeing it from his side, but maybe this will help Belle come to terms with a reality that just won’t fit her idealism–though I hope she doesn’t lose it entirely. That is, as someone said, what makes her a flicker of light; it gives her the ability to be heroic and optimistic and see the best in people. She needs to temper it with the ability to accept that not everything can be perfect.

Rumple meanwhile needs to find a way to be the better man he keeps promising her, someone she can be with without compromising her core principles (murder is bad is a pretty good start, and he’s obviously not there yet).

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 really enjoyed this episode and I’m very much hoping for a “Let’s Rescue Our Exes!” tour of the River of Lost Souls.

Didn’t get to watch till today because I was at Disneyland and sundry other So Cal spots getting myself properly engaged. But it was worth waiting for.

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]

So does this mean Red is alive? (That was my reaction.) (It also made the tornado thing make sense.)

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 is possible that Emma spoke to Belle about it. Or that Merlin said something to Belle in the 3.5 seconds between that and his death (they were briefly in the same room together–Belle’s the one who notes that Merlin wiped himself out trying to resist Excalibur).

It’s not their worst continuity error ever, but yeah, annoying that we have to bridge that gap.

On the other hand, someone told Belle where the babies were staying, so…there had to be SOME communication off screen.

Belle’s absolutely right, but like Henry with Regina she’s probably going to have to accept SOME dark magic. (There still has to be a dual compromise for this relationship to work, but she’s totally fair in calling some shots right now.)

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]

Cast so pretty. I think Belle’s look with the blue coat is about the prettiest she’s ever been and that’s saying something. But why are the Charmings, Hook, and Regina all wearing the same color jacket?

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]

Also I love how Belle and Rumple understand each other so quickly…he knows when the gig is up, and she understands what he’s trying to say with little more than a gesture, as impossible as what he has to tell her is.

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 do like the glowing letters effect. It’s very magical. I was given a furoshiki cloth in Japan for my birthday years ago, and I took it home and turned out the lights and the characters all lit up…I had not been told it glowed in the dark but I was going OOOOOH. It was rather like the ancestor markers in Mulan. Gorgeous.

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 am loving that the characters they’re mostly using are the runes…which made a lot of sense with the Frozen arc but less sense with Hades…wouldn’t Greek make more sense? But I’m still getting a kick out of it.

Also, where is Belle? This episode practically has her name on it. WANT BELLE.

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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