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I’ll never understand what the mentality of the writers is now on this show. Is their intent to dismantle all of the relationships save one (looking at you, pirate bird)? Because seriously, that’s all they’re managing to do. Every relationship, except that one exception, is on the rocks (especially given this most recent episode in which RB and OQ seem all but sunk).
[adrotate group="5"]"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
You need another category IMO. ‘Mr. Gold dies for good. Rumple appears in flashbacks.’
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
Exactly. Will is no stranger to hearts, taking and giving. He could have easily given Belle her heart and Rumple, if his intention was truly knowing that Belle was safe and happy, could have been content knowing that Belle was fine, safe from Regina once more and that Will would watch out for her. But instead he saunters into the shop, gives this huge speech, and then literally puts her heart back in her chest. He knows that this will hit her like a ton of bricks and that whatever feelings she has for Will will be temporarily (or perhaps longer) squashed by the gesture. She has always appreciated and been responsive to gestures, something Rumple knows.
Ugh! You could be right. Rumple being the one to put Belle’s heart back in her chest and making such a seemingly selfless gesture, once again puts her in his debt. He knows that he holds emotional sway over her. By being magnanimous towards Will, he’s perhaps heaping coals on both of their heads–a tricky thing to do indeed, seeing how Rumple seemingly still wants her back. He said he’d come back for her, if he could. He still seems to want unlimited power and love. However, I think those are two mutually exclusive things, as Rumple will find out when he successfully convinces the Author to rewrite the villains their happy endings.
His goal now seems to be simply to escape paying the full price for several centuries of hurting people, including the ones he loves, and his plan is to use the author’s ability to manage that. If he succeeds in that, then he’ll have time (if the possibility still exists) to consider whether he can win Belle back or not. His speech to her when she was asleep suggests he’s not sure about how that’s going to work out.
I think maybe Rumple’s intentions aren’t as pure as they initially seem, because looking back, there was that scene when Rumple was talking to an unconscious Belle and saying he’d come back for her if he could. He still wants her back, but only if he can stop fate and not have to pay the price of his dark magic. Rumple is more concerned about self-preservation at this point, by any means necessary, even if it means corrupting the savior so that villains can get their happy endings at the expense of the heroes. And Belle is firmly in the hero category, so by Rumple changing the rules of fate, he’s effectively denying Belle her happy ending so that he can get his (whatever that may be now, which I suspect is power without consequence, rather than Belle or Baelfire anymore).
That makes what Belle said to Rumple at the town line just before she banished him all the more poignant and impactful, since it’s actually one of the few times Belle’s been allowed to voice her opinion without Rumple interrupting her. She knew she had to keep him from talking so that she could have a chance to speak for once. Rumple always seemed to have the upper hand over Belle in their relationship, since he’s the one with all the power, so her getting the dagger was the only way she was able to have her say in the relationship. If you look what was said in 4×11 as an example of the power struggle going on between Rumple and Belle, the relationship unfolds in a new light.:
Rumple: Belle, what are you doing?
Belle: Finally facing the truth.
Rumple: Please, put the dagger down, and let me explain.
Belle: No! It’s my turn to talk. Do you remember the first time you saved my life? You traded for me. I thought I saw something in you, something good. Well, I found that gauntlet today, and that’s when I finally realized that all the signs I’d been seeing were correct. You’d never give up power for me, Rumple. You never have. You never will.
Rumple: You don’t understand!
Belle: [holds up dagger] No! You told me that gauntlet could lead you to someone’s weakness, to the thing they loved the most. Well, you know where it led me, Rumple? To the real dagger. Your true love is your power.
Rumple: [doesn’t try to deny it] I like the power, but there’s nothing wrong with power! Not when it means that I, that we, can have it all!
Belle: I just wanted you! I wanted to be chosen! I tried to be everything for you, Rumple! But I wasn’t, and I lost my way trying to help you find yourself. Not anymore.
Rumple: Please, Belle, I’ll make it up to you. I’ve changed once before. I can do it again!
Belle: You’ve never changed.
Rumple: Please! [reaches for Belle’s face]
Belle: [holds up dagger] No! It’s too late. Once I saw the man behind the beast. Now there’s only a beast. Rumplestiltskin, I command you to leave Storybrooke.
Rumple: Belle, no! Please! I won’t be able to come back! [increasingly distressed]
Belle: I know! [crying]
Rumple: I don’t want to lose you!
Belle: You already have!
Rumple: Belle…please, I’m afraid!
Belle: [turns away, crying]
Rumple: Belle! Belle! Belle! Belle, please!Rumple was trying desperately to re-establish control in the relationship by getting Belle to put the dagger down to let him explain. He knew that if he could just get the chance to explain himself, to dominate the conversation again, that he could once again be the one in charge, and could once again have mastery over Belle. Rumple has used “love as a weapon” before since he was using Belle’s love for him to manipulate her (something he did again twice in S4b). But Belle refused to let him talk, because she knew she was susceptible to his emotional manipulations. Finally, she was taking control of her life again by getting to talk for once, which Rumple didn’t like one bit, as he kept trying to plead with her and to get a word in edge wise. However, she had finally had enough and she was finally standing up for herself. She knew she couldn’t let him explain himself, because that would prey on her vulnerability. That was why she banished him, because he was a threat to her well-being as well as everyone else . That was something Rumple didn’t like one bit, but which ultimately had to be done.
I think it’s pretty clear that it did not give Belle closure. Her letting go of Will’s hand when he reached for her seems pretty neon flash-y that suddenly the Rumple-inflicted wounds that were just beginning to heal (a little at least) were reopened. And I won’t lie, part of me wonders if that wasn’t Rumple’s intention all along. He is the master manipulator and while long ago I would have thought it extremely unlikely that he’d manipulate Belle is such a manner, he clearly has no qualms about doing it now. Over and over.
In this most recent conversation in 4×19, Rumple again shows that he knows how to use emotional words to affect Belle, and that little speech he gave her could be viewed as a huge guilt-trip. He doesn’t let her get a word in edge wise this time; he dominates the conversation. It’s a monologue rather than a dialogue, as he again asserts dominance over her. Rumple knows he is Belle’s weakness, precisely because she loves him. Rumple uses her love for him. He used her to sneak back into town and to get back his dagger (unbeknownst to her). By being the one to give Belle her heart back, rather than letting Will, it’s almost like he’s ripping off a freshly formed scab on a wound that was just starting to heal.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
Even if they did cast a latina actress for adult Lily, wouldn’t there be complaints that yet another POC character is shoved off screen when the Mal/Lily storyline inevitably ends?
Of course (unless Lily is set to play a bigger role in S5 as a Big Bad). But better a group of ethnically and racially diverse actors playing supporting roles than none at all. The lack of representation just stands out, especially when a younger Latina actress is replaced by a non-Latina.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
This scene bugged for most of the reasons mentioned above. I hated the fact that they wrote Belle no dialog at all to explain her feelings on the matter. It was just Rumple giving another speech about all the things he did wrong and how he gave his blessing on a decision Belle already made without his input!
All fair points! It’s sad. Belle is finally free of Rumple, but she is still in danger of being emotionally lured back into an enabling role. I think Belle needs to steer clear, because of the emotional hold he has on her. Rumple himself recognizes he’s a hazard to Belle and that his inner darkness threatens to consume him.
It was closure for Rumple, but did it bring any closure for Belle?
Good question. I suppose Rumple’s speech to Belle does seem more like closure for Rumple than for Belle, who already made the choice to move on romanitically. As she said to Rumple in 4×11, he’s already lost her.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
I have such mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the idea that the “ex” has to sanction anything makes me see Feminist Red. Belle surely doesn’t need his permission to move on. It’s nice to have his understanding and his love, but the idea that the relationship between Will and Belle (whatever I personally feel about it, see below) isn’t legitimate or real because Rumple hasn’t given his okay is rather…icky. On the other hand I’m sure it would give Belle some peace of mind to know that Rumple just wants her to be happy and has removed himself so that she can move on if she so chooses.
Believe me, I don’t think Rumple’s “blessing” was at all required for Belle to move on with Will. I included that line with a sardonic note, as the term “dearly departed husband” was intended to connote. As Rumple said, he treated Belle horribly and was unworthy of her love. He didn’t do right by her. His returning her heart was a step in the right direction, and his not standing in the way of Will was the correct thing to do, but it wasn’t required for Belle to move on. She doesn’t “need” his permission to look for love elsewhere. However, Rumple doing so may help give Belle closure. That is what that conversation was all about in my opinion: giving closure.
As for Will and Belle…yeah, I still hate this. And it’s not even because of Rumbelle at this point. It’s just because of Will/Ana. (no seriously. tell me what happened to her already)
Seriously!
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
I think the real issue isn’t just limited to race, since the term Latino is considered an ethno-linguistic classification; rather, a legitimate critique is about a lack of overall diversity on the show, and how it fails to reflect the real diversity of America. Right now, Latin Americans are classified as a minority group in the US, comprising 17% of the total population. Nevertheless, according to key demographic projections, Hispanic Americans are the second fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. According to the Pew Research Foundation, if current population trends continue, Latinos will comprise 29% of the total American population by 2050. If A&E were thinking about breaking barriers, they might realize that promoting a more ethnically and racially diverse cast might not be such a bad idea, and dare I say it, might actually be progressive, rather than being stuck 30 years in the past.
As TV critic Lily Sparks wrote about 4×19 Lily:
But of course, who is the first person Emma sees in the diner? A woman with Lily’s birthmark! It’s a good thing she had that birthmark because in the last 15 years she’d apparently changed ethnicities? Historically, OUAT has done an amazing job of physically matching child actors to the grown actors who play the same character. OUAT also has, famously, little to no racial diversity in its cast. The majority of people of color onscreen are peripheral characters that disappear after a few episodes. Lily, an original character whose arc is becoming increasingly important, was originated by the super-talented Nicole Munoz and I think we all assumed the wizards behind OUAT’s eerily on-point child-to-adult casting would figure out a great aged-up lookalike counterpart for her, ergo a Latina. And they didn’t, and that’s a huge missed opportunity for both the show and the thousands of Latina actresses in Hollywood who need parts like this.
Source: TV.com
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
“What we want is for this action to have long term impact that shows that trauma isn’t just eliminated.”
Characters on Once are generally static. Any improvements (Rumple gives up his life to save the town) are quickly undone and never spoken of again. Most annoyingly the characters do not act as if they have undergone the things they have. They are almost like chess pieces who can fit into any situation. But in real life people have different dynamics. Too often this is lost on Once.
I think the issue talked about in that essay is the biggest sticking point I have with this poorly written show and its poor characterization.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
That’s what I believe is going to cause the end of Rumbelle. Rumple is going to accept his fate, probably say a final kiss/hug/”We will always have our chipped cup” good-bye, then either permanently die or become the man he was before the Dark One curse. Plus, the writers may think it’s poetic that both father and son “died” in one season then actually died in the next (however twisted that sounds to me, but that’s a different debate).
I think that this is a distinct possibility. Rumpel’s dark one curse is finally undone, he transforms back into a man, but having been undone, he dies a mortal death. Robert Carlyle may be back next season as Rumple in flashbacks, but Mr. Gold will be dead in the present day. Hence, Belle’s love for him will live on in memory only, while her relationship with Will shall continue, having been so sanctioned by her dearly departed husband.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
