[Keb]

I believe he will eventually have magic, but it’s different for everyone (as we’ve seen). Zelena’s magic was powerful and manifested in infancy, but Regina (who now considers herself one of the most powerful practitioners of magic, and reasonably so) never showed any magic until the day she used it to push her mother through the mirror–when she was around 18 or so.

Henry’s spent maybe a couple of months in realms with actual magic available to him. He was able to make a stick into a sword by believing in Neverland (that may or may not be HIS magic…or related to his heart). Regina once offered to teach him magic, so I’m a little confused by her suggestion that he doesn’t have magic now. It may well be that he does, or will, and it just hasn’t manifested, or requires some training first as Regina’s did. Or a really extreme event the way Emma’s initially did. (She also spent most of her life in a land without magic, though, so it’s hard to say how the timing matters.)

I think the only real answer here is to wait and see, but given his family…I’m pretty sure there’s a good chance.

[Keb]

I guess I haven’t lost all hope 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 just read it as an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He didn’t force the issue, I want to believe, because he DOES respect and care about Emma and didn’t want to hurt her…he just couldn’t resist taking advantage of her desperation. It was RIGHT THERE, and he’s an addict for the power. But I think that’s why he made it so easy for her to change her mind; he knew he was doing the wrong thing and part of him didn’t want to.

And I realize I may be reading a lot into it, but that’s what I got.

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 surprised me, too, but I’m glad they ARE willing to go there still. That history is what makes these characters so INTERESTING. You set it up, you have to play with it now. Them’s the rules, if you want to play fair.

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]

What I’d LIKE to see, and yes because it would get Belle involved, but also because I think it gives us delicious parallels to past episodes and beautiful drama that could really dig into all the characters involved:

Hook, now Rumple’s puppet, attempting to get Belle to see the truth. He’d have to win her trust, despite the fact that she’s seen him at his worst (or at least close to), and play with all those doubts they set up in Family Business. And he’d have to do it without the ability to be honest, which means he gets to be his Hookiest–ie, tricky.

I suspect he’ll attempt with Emma, but she’s gonna be a little distracted by the yellow ribbon business. It’d be interesting for him to try to get Henry to see what’s going on, too, but…it doesn’t have the same delicious dynamic since Henry’s only really known Hook as his mom’s awesome boyfriend. He’d have little reason to doubt any hint Hook gave him that Rumple was up to something.

Will and Regina might be sympathetic to where he is, both having gone without hearts for a while themselves, but Hook doesn’t really have much reason to try to work with either of them, either–Belle’s the one he knows has some influence over Rumple. He’s seen her stop him from killing before.

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]

Bothers me, too…but a lot bothered me about last night’s ep. And I still enjoyed it. But I’m still annoyed. I don’t know what to think.

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]

Or, like the curtains, they’re not being at all consistent with how they animate the hearts except when it’s a plot 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]

Well…he already DID die.

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]

You’d think you’d include a regular in a two hour special, too. Obviously not.

She’s been a regular since S2 and except for her centrics (which I always find to be among the better eps, but I know I’m biased), she’s barely present. I think the fact that she’s a regular is what makes it most frustrating to never see her–there are lots of awesome characters we don’t see enough, but at least they’re not promoted as characters you SHOULD see every episode.

And it’s worrying for a fan of Belle because Red vanished and Neal got killed off when their characters suddenly got used a lot less. I don’t believe they’d let Emilie go (and she clearly loves her job, who wouldn’t?) or kill Belle…but I didn’t believe a lot of things that have happened would happen. So I don’t know what to think. It just makes me sad, because I DO go into every episode hoping for at least glimpses of her story. And it wasn’t like they had no opportunities to include Belle–I mean, they have Robin (who KNOWS Belle) and Will (whom Belle discovered out cold a few eps ago) in the LIBRARY where Belle WORKS. Judging by Tumblr, I wasn’t the only one just WAITING for Belle to emerge having overheard at least part of Hook’s confession on the phone (which would have paralleled earlier moments when Belle’s overheard stuff in the shop beautifully) and seriously felt let down when that monologue went entirely unheard.

I do actually love that Belle babysits Nealflake…except that’s what Ruby got reduced to with Henry before vanishing. Oh, and it means we don’t see her on screen at all. (Does Ruby not do diapers or something?)

I’m sorry. I’m ranting. I just went into this thinking, 2 hours, she has to have a few seconds, and then NOPE. Barely even a shoutout.

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]

At least Belle shows up. The way things are going, that’ll be her only scene…but at least she’s IN it.

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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