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Yeah, I interpreted it as “She’ll find out who you are and leave you,” not, “I will kill her,” though I can see how some may have read that into it.
Rumple’s always liked Emma, and he’s protected her a few times before, but he’s also put in her danger a few times. It’s hard to say what he’d do if he was given good reason to kill her, but I’d like to believe he would at least hesitate for Bae & Henry’s sakes.
[adrotate group="5"]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
Oh, good grief, Belle’s on Babysitting duty? She’s the new Red…
*sigh*
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
This is a tricky episode…I really enjoyed it and some of the twists were pretty epic by the end. But it hasn’t corrected most of my fears for this season’s direction with regards to the regular characters’ development.
Favorite stuff:
Rumple referring to Belle as the “only light in my life.” I love that callback to his line in 122 when he said she was a brief flicker of light in an ocean of darkness. He’s still drowning in the darkness, but she’s still his light. (And he’s screwing it up royally, stop it you stupid sexy imp.) Oh, and he was bringing her flowers! Blue ones!
Will clutching the picture of Anastasia. Just the way that played out brought me to the brink of tears. PLEASE let her be okay. (I’m not happy if she’s not going to be okay, but that bit was beautiful and well played.)
Belle actually having a spoken line! And being in her library! (I’m grasping here. I’m desperate. I think she almost had more screentime when she GOT FREAKIN LEFT BEHIND FOR HALF A SEASON.)
Hook having some interesting conflict. I actually do like your character (and adore Colin), Hook, I just wish you’d leave Bae’s family alone. Jeez.
The apprentice being turned into a mouse. Just as the snow queen is forever DQ to me, he is now forever Mickey, even if they deny it outright. It was a glorious moment.
The broom. It made me giggle. (I do enjoy the camp in Once a lot sometimes.)
Henry plotting to spend time with Grandpastiltskin. (But see least favorite bits: I like this because there’s a chance, half a chance, that he might actually SAY A WORD to his new grandma Belle, which he hasn’t done in three whole seasons, and he might actually have a scene where he talks to Rumple here or there and the two of them are awesome in the rare moments they’re together. So I like this as a setup for more Henry time with the Stiltskin side of his family.)
The hat actually having a purpose finally. A scary dark (and pretty, I think it’s my favorite bit of CGI outside of the Dark Castle yet) purpose but still. It does explain both why Rumple desperately needs the real dagger and why he’s been willing to deceive Belle.
Rumple being sneaky and making deals. Gah, I missed his dealmaking so much. (But also, see dislikes.)
Anna outwitting Rumple with the dagger. That was a beautiful moment.
Sven being Sven. And I’ve fallen for Kristoff badly (I didn’t like him nearly so much in the animated film, actually.)
Least fave:
The date. Gah. Gah. Gah. Just…it was so meh, Emma felt so OOC (I get she’s supposed to be changing but she didn’t feel like Emma, or even like a protagonist–it really felt like Once Upon a Hook tonight). And while I love Daddy Charming to bits, and couldn’t help laughing, Snow’s acceptance of Hook for Emma after everything she has witnessed with Hook (who, you know, left them for dead, tried to help Cora kill them, etc etc etc…) and her cheerleading for Swanfire in S3 just felt wrong and also OOC. (Her excitement for the date made sense and was fun, it’s just her embrace of Hook felt wrong.)
Henry pushing Emma to date Hook. His father’s been gone what, a week, maybe two? (I know, I do the timeline, but A&E don’t really care about the accuracy here so in their heads maybe it’s been a day since Elsa came but a season since Neal died…) Also, while Hook’s spent every second with Henry since New York Serenade trying to win the kid over (and Henry never saw most of the “bad” Hook days in S2), I’m glad Henry phrased it the way he did–he’s not sure he’s okay with it, but wants his moms happy.
Which leads to Regina. Okay, Henry’s perceptive, he gets what they’re getting at but OMG Outlaw Queen is SO messed up right now. I can’t think of a single way to salvage it without it being horrible. And if Henry decides that to fix it the book should be written so Regina gets Robin, I will throw things.
And using Neal as an excuse to outmanipulate the master manipulator? No thanks. If Henry’s desire is in the least bit genuine, I’ll forgive it (especially if it leads to a) Henry-Belle bonding and LOTS of screentime for Belle–she DOES like books, you know, bring her in on Operation Mongoose, b) epic Henry-Rumple bonding where Henry & Rumple get more screentime together than Hook & Rumple for a few eps at least, or c) Henry releasing a universe of mages from the hat so that they’re spilling out of Gold’s shop and wandering around Storybrooke befuddled. Because that at least would be funny.). If it’s just an excuse and Henry suddenly doesn’t care a bit about his dad (when we know he did back in S2, sheesh), then throwing things will commence.
Rumple being a dastardly villain again: I love the manipulative imp but he was mean to Anna. And Hook (who, okay, asked for it). And Belle. And If Emma really loves Hook (mrgh) he was even threatening to hurt her with his blackmail (though some interpreted his threat as actually hurting Emma–I’m going to choose not to, but I could see it). Oh, and he probably killed Mickey 🙁 I don’t like seeing him hurt people even if I do like seeing him be clever and make deals and stuff. I know it’s part of who he is and his character wouldn’t be nearly so fascinating without that darkness, but it’s still hard to watch sometimes when you’re rooting for him to fight the darkness and he just keeps racking up the murder count. If they can connect the dots by showing that he’s motivated at least in part by wanting to protect Belle (oh, but then they’d have to maybe give her some screentime? heaven forbid they put an intelligent, adorable woman on the screen…) I -might- forgive it. I’m very forgiving, especially when it comes to Rumple…but I’d still like to see some of his character development actually on display.
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
I’m just going to keep hoping that this story arc involves MORE SCREENTIME for Henry, Belle, and Rumple. TOGETHER sometimes please?
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
It’s wrong, but Henry’s been a manipulative little kid since day one when he got Emma to come back to Storybrooke with him.
He’s definitely Rumple’s grandson. And while it IS horrible that he’s using Neal as a weapon here…Rumple’s done that to…just about everyone? If anyone deserves it, it’s Rumple. (But Neal doesn’t. Gah I miss him.)
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
I know and it sucks. I’m just hopeful it’s a setup for positive things in the future–positive, dramatic things, of course, but Henry’s actually developing a relationship with his father’s side of the family is something I’d really like to see.
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
Just because he’s using it as an excuse doesn’t mean it’s not true–we know that Henry wanted to know more about his dad from Emma and Hook.
And even if they don’t do it perfectly (they won’t), they’ll HAVE to let Henry and Rumple interact. They MIGHT even let Belle talk to him, if she’s ever on for more than 2 seconds again.
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
If he gets enough magic, he can be free of the dagger’s control–the chief limit to his powers. He can be free and keep his powers.
My Rumbeller heart wants to believe he wants this so he can protect Belle. But it’s also pointing to addiction
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
Rumple was not an abusive husband pre-dark one (and we saw pretty much every second he was with Milah post-dark one). He was lame, meaning Milah had to work harder to keep up the household. He was unwilling to take her suggestion to leave the village. He was a source of shame to her because of his actions in the war.
But Milah -was- verbally abusive to him from the moment he came home from the war. She may well have had her reasons and been/felt oppressed, but she wished him dead. She DID publicly humiliate him and play upon all his insecurities as a man, an abandoned boy, and an infamous coward. His speech at Neal’s grave in 401 points to how helpless he really felt during Bae’s childhood, and Milah definitely contributed to that.
It’s totally fair to criticize Rumple for killing Milah. It was wrong, unnecessary, and, for a person who loves the character, one of the hardest scenes to watch. But while she didn’t deserve to die for the wrongs she committed against her husband and son, she did contribute to Rumple’s development and his choice to become the Dark One, and to many of the things he came to believe about himself later on. Rumple endured 5-7 years of scorn from Milah on a daily basis, a woman he’d once believed to have loved him and whom he once loved too. Even oppressed wives can be abusers, and even abusers can deserve sympathy.
It was a complicated, toxic mess of a marriage from the moment Rumple maimed himself and Milah couldn’t accept that decision. Both of them had valid points, and both were unfair to the other at some point in their relationship–and it’s unlikely we’ll all agree on which points were the most unfair.
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
I think Rumple was -scared- to move away. There, he at least had a known quantity of work etc to support his son, which had become the most important thing in his life at that point.
And when he killed Milah, it was after he’d abandoned Bae himself. He was angry at her for leaving him, but that he could have let go–he was willing to make the trade of their lives for the bean. But Milah not only cut him harshly by saying she’d never loved him (for a man abandoned by his own father for the same reason, that hurts just a little extra–not that it’s unpainful for anyone), she gave THAT as her reason for abandoning Bae. She shifted the blame onto him. Rumple was in a place where he was already loathing himself for having let Bae go through the portal alone, and now she was making it his fault that she’d abandoned him. He killed Milah because he was directing all the self-loathing and anger at his own failure toward her in that instant (and yes, he was corrupted by the power of the Dark One on top of that–which does not excuse it, but it’s clearly part of the reason). She had committed the worst crime he could think of, abandoning her child, the same crime he hated himself so much for having committed.
I think a lot of people see the murder as a reaction to her not loving him, but I think it’s much more complicated than that. In a twisted way, as when he turned the carter into a snail, he was trying to protect Bae–trying to fix what he’d done to Bae. Obviously, if he’d left well-enough alone, Milah could have lived happily with her pirate, Rumple could have found Baelfire, and much of the story never would have followed. But Rumple’s anger and self-hatred got in the way of all that.
None of that makes it right, and his reluctance to tell Belle what actually happened, even two centuries later, suggests that he knows it was wrong on some level.
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
