[Keb]

Taking Zelena back to a land of magic is terribly risky for all of them…Robin knows that.

[Keb]

Or maybe it reminded him of what he gave up for Anastasia, and how it felt when he loved her again?

He’s been in Belle’s place. If the dang writers would just ACKNOWLEDGE that.

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]

Happy birthday, 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

[Keb]

So when he believed he would have to die to save Henry in Neverland, he didn’t believe that was forever? When he ACTUALLY DID DIE to save everyone from Pan, he didn’t believe that was forever?

Sorry, no. He always believes it’s forever. We, the audience, don’t because partly narrativium and partly spoilers and partly faith that true love won’t be destroyed. (Or at least hope that it won’t…since they HAVE destroyed it quite a few times now.)

I do think that spoilers suggest things may get very complicated. But I don’t think this is goodbye forever…and EVEN IF Rumple dies…there will be one more farewell first.

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]

Nope. This is the beginning of hope for Rumple’s redemption, which is the only chance Rumbelle has in the long run.

Rumple’s said goodbye to Belle before…in Skin Deep, in The Crocodile, in The Miller’s Daughter, in Lacey, in Straight on Till Morning, in Going Home…

This time isn’t the first and may not be the last farewell. They belong together, and even when one of them declares it has to end…they find a way to come back together.

He’s taken one of the first steps toward some kind of redemption: He confessed his wrongdoing to Belle and acknowledged that it was wrong. He fixed the immediate harm that he could by restoring her heart (which Regina took, but on his account).

He hasn’t fixed EVERYTHING and certainly isn’t behaving in a redeemed fashion yet–his intention to turn Emma dark and acceptance of Cruella’s death as necessary for that end are very, very far from “good,” whatever his ultimate goals may be.

But as far as Rumbelle goes? This was the first step toward their reunion. (Their inevitable 5 second reunion before SOMETHING goes wrong and they’re separated 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

[Keb]

Think they’d actually kill off Snow?

…poor Baby Neal.

Let’s just give Belle custody of him and Roland and Henry while the grown ups sort their stuff out.

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]

This…twisted twist…makes me go all squicky every time I touch on the subject. It’s awful, and someone needs to give Belle custody of Roland. She and Little John and Will can raise him away from all that mess. (If Rumple ever redeems himself, he can help.)

Just. I thought they were going to use Zelena to try to make OQ more palatable. Now it’s…worse. I’m genuinely revolted by the ship again. Thanks.

However, I do see the lovely parallel’s they’re trying to draw, once again, to the whole David & Kathryn thing in S1. Remember how Kathryn got a pregnancy test? Yeah.

Eugh. I’m going to go back to thinking about Rumbelle since at its worst it wasn’t ever this creepy. (Except when Rumple kissed Zelena, but…still…)

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 don’t know. And it was even an episode where Belle got to say stuff.

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 did not like this episode. By the end I was honestly recoiling in horror from it.

A couple of likes:
1. Rumple’s confession to Belle before restoring her heart, and her expression as he left. That was beautiful. But those two always are.
2. The wolf distracting Emma. Nice callback there to previous mythology, even if it doesn’t (yet, please, A&E connect this somehow) make a whole lot of sense in this context.

And SO many dislikes:
1. Zelena pregnant with Robin’s child. Just ICK ICK ICK NO THANK YOU WTH. I thought for half a moment they’d find a way to make OQ almost palatable. It just got worse.
2. Emma fighting temptation to kill Lily before she’s done anything. I liked Regina’s talking her down, but that whole moment felt off to me for some reason.
3. The backstory with Lily. Somehow it almost seemed richer if it had ended where it left off before…I dunno. While the young actresses are awesome, I didn’t find it as engaging as other backstories. Also, the Sorcerer’s apprentice creeping in and telling Lily all this stuff…WTH? Why, how? I get he feels guilt but this is how he addresses it, some 14 years later?
4. The Charmings and their whole guilt complex. This whole thing with Lily has felt VERY OOC for both of them from the start, and they’ve done nothing with it so far to justify such an OOC situation–except to bring back Mal, which I’m still waiting for the real payoff for.
5. The Stuff They Left Out: Will’s backstory. He’s here, rescuing Belle’s heart with Gold, and no mention of Cora, no mention of Will’s history, no mention of Anastasia. I want to shake people now and shout “WHY IS WILL A REGULAR?” until someone explains. I love him and I loved his story in Wonderland and I NEED THIS TIED TOGETHER. COME ON. Also, I’m annoyed slightly by Rumple giving his “blessing” to Scarlet Beauty, not because it wasn’t the right thing to do in the situation, but because Scarlet Beauty is JUST WRONG and Will and Belle belong with other people and they BOTH KNOW IT. Having Rumple give his blessing feels as wrong as “Marian” giving hers to OQ…and we can SEE what a mess that is. I get that this is the middle of the story…and I am ranting…but GEEZ. Without Will’s part of the story, what they’re doing with Scarlet Beauty doesn’t make ANY sense at all, and they’re not giving us even hints.

…sorry. I’ll just be over here flipping some tables.

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]

While this certainly isn’t a shining moment for OUAT’s diversity claims, I think the problem is less in this one casting choice (I for one do think the actresses bear a similar appearance, and I can see a similarity to Maleficent too), and more in the overall lack of diversity and the treatment of characters who do bring diversity to the cast. There would be complaints about this, certainly, but they wouldn’t be nearly as loud or as damning if it weren’t for most of the other PoCs being very, very short-lived compared to whiter characters.

That is something that OUAT should deal with, ideally by bringing in a more diverse cast where it makes sense. This was yet another lost opportunity, but one among many.

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

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