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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 have a feeling I’m going to like this episode a lot more than the last one…
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
Well, that’s a slight rewrite of what happened…but…they mentioned his name? *hugs RG*
Also yay, Belle gets a line!
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
Well…yes. Right now we’re supposed to be rooting for Regina (who IS a mass murderer, redeemed or not) above all. At least…that’s how the show looks to me. (I’m still rooting for Belle and Rumple (who is also a mass murderer, I know).)
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
My point is that I think the intention (if not the effect) of giving so many villains impoverished origin stories is to make the villains more sympathetic, rather than to show that they’re being punished for rising above their station.
“This guy’s a real jerk. Nobody will feel sorry for him when we kill him off, and we want to show that evil is made yadda yadda. I know! Let’s make his childhood miserable!” That’s the pattern I’m seeing.
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 still a good discussion to have. When we recognize and talk about the portrayals and world views in the media we consume, we not only raise our own (and fellow fans’) awareness, but we build the platform for future discussions and improvements.
I don’t expect A&E to spend time actually dealing with the most problematic stuff in their show when they could be pulling new shinies out of the toybox instead–but they have been forced here and there to acknowledge some of the issues, and the discussion is still a positive thing.
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
Hm. Graham and Neal were murdered by Regina and Zelena respectively. In that respect, their deaths reflect on their murderers more than on their own stations–and again, their initial poverty serves to make them more sympathetic victims, making what Regina and Zelena did all the more horrible.
I’m still seeing a very mixed up bag here, not a clear trend.
Which is not to say that the background peasants are treated fairly–they’re not. There’s a strong case that the Charmings suck as rulers because they so often put their own emotions/needs ahead of those of the people they rule–and they’re supposed to be the good guys. Mayor Snow was a disaster, though.
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
You’re definitely on to something…but I’m not sure it’s quite that straightforward. The lower-class origin stories are used primarily to make otherwise unlovable characters more sympathetic. Rumple is, I think, a key example here–but giving Cora a poverty-stricken background, where she’s snubbed by royals like Eva, is about all there is to make her even slightly sympathetic. (I LOVE the character as a part of the ensemble but still don’t have much sympathy for her.) If being from a poor background is something that makes a character more likeable/sympathetic, I don’t think we’re seeing quite the dynamic of being punished for rising above one’s station. I think it’s something more complicated.
And we could look for a bit at the other side of the coin. There’s George, who is evil but presumably born into royalty; Eva, who was very unkind in her youth; Leopold, who may have been a great king and father but not a good husband to Regina; Gerda, who made some very questionable decisions as ruler of Arendelle; Xavier, who was out-and-out horrible; and the Jones brothers’ unnamed king who sent them to retrieve a horrific weapon. To the best of my knowledge, all these rulers were born into their positions and yet were villainous (or at the very least, hurt people that they should have loved and protected).
Regina and Rumple are possibly the most interesting comparisons for this. Regina was born to a prince, making her of royal lineage (heck, Xavier’s her grandpa), and while people questioned her legitimacy as ruler over Snow White’s, nobody ever questions the fact that she has the title of Queen. Right now she might be heroing, but she’s done some of the most horrific stuff in the show–yet she’s sympathetic. Awful things happen to her but not because of her station–mostly because her Mom is awful and she gives in to her darker side.
Meanwhile, Rumple starts from abject poverty, and gets himself a castle and plays chess with the lives of the royals around him…and awful things happen to him both before and after he gains power/money, most of them because he also gives into his darker side.
I don’t think the correlation is quite strong enough to support the claim that poor people have to stay in their place or be punished. Henry’s various parentage includes peasants and royals, and while he’s been through a lot, I don’t think we see him being punished for either side of the equation.
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
Goodness, you’ve been busy, RG!
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 glad Henry’s getting some screen time finally though. I’ve missed his being central to the story so much.
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
