But Cora is also right; love also can be a weakness. Rumple's love for Belle is his weakness (and, of course, his love and regret over his son Baelfire). And if she is exploited by Cora or threatened by Hook, Rumple likely will be pretty vulnerable, despite his power. Henry is Regina's weakness (and Emma's), and while his influence on her (like Belle's on Rumple) is a force for good, he can also be used against her. And now that Cora and Hook are on their way to Storybrooke, both Regina and Rumple have much to fear.
So, Cora's desire is be needed by her daughter. She wants to destroy everything Regina has so that she can "pick up the pieces." How different is that than Regina's desire for Henry to need her? Neither of them can command the love of the one from whom they most want it, so needing to be needed is perhaps the consolation prize to be gained by whatever means.
Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis' wonderful script weaves together many of the dangling threads of the Once Upon a Time narrative. It's a real treat!
We circle back to Rumple's imprisonment to learn that he could have escaped his cell at any time. Many suspected even as far back as "Price of Gold" that Rumple walked into Cinderella's (Jessy Schram) trap with his eyes wide open (and one very wide pair of eyes, has our Rumple!), even reveling in the "trap" set by Cinderella, Snow and Charming.
Sitting in his cell and biding his time, Rumple had written Emma's name over and over, yet it had not been the ravings of a man made insane by his isolation (although from his appearance in the Pilot, his imprisonment has taken its toll), but a way to conceal a vital bit of magic in the hopes that Emma one day might find it if needed. Does that mean that Rumple had foreseen Emma getting back into Fairytale Land and needing the magic ink? I don't think so. I believe the writing of her name over and over, as Rumple explains, had been his way of making sure he remembered her name, allowing it to trigger his memory upon hearing it in the Pilot (very cool little detail, Adam and Eddy!)
We also learn, going back as well to "Price of Gold," why Rumple wanted to acquire the Fairy Godmother's wand. Another small piece of the puzzle.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Betsy
Barbara, I LOVED this episode.
Gold ripped my heart out. He APOLOGIZED to Emma......He talked about true love and what it creates; he credited HER with doing what it took to break the curse. He was open to someone other than Belle. I thought this was a HUGE episode for him.
Now I know Regina fans will kill him for that snarky comment at the end about how maybe one day she'll be invited for dinner, but you know what? Given that he won't take revenge on her for Belle (not now) and he's obviously still furious......I'm sorry, I'm ok with that. Belle lost 28 years of her life thanks to Regina and he missed out on all that time with her as well. I do think he actually looked slightly concerned for her when she was doing the magic thing, so there's that. Overall though, I think Regina can be thankful that she's gotten away with treating Belle like the lowest form of life.
I have been saying consistently for a long time now that LOVE is a strength, not a weakness. REAL honest and true villains don't understand that. Did Hook love Milha ? I suppose he did, but does he truly understand about real love? Does he understand that it's a strength, not a weakness? His goal is simply vengeance at this point - because he doesn't have that love anymore. The thing is, though, when Rumple lost Belle, when he thought she'd died.......what did he do? He did not kill anymore; in fact he became morose. We saw him become more of a trader. Hook lost his love. What did he do? He became worse. He was going to kill Belle just because.....for no reason (let's not hear Regina fans crow that she saved Belle; she "saved" Belle for her own reasons).
In the preview, which I'm sure you saw, that was pure RAGE on Gold's face. It wasn't that he just needed to beat Hook up for their last encounters, that was very, VERY personal. He wore that look when beating Mo up in SD and then pinning him to the wall in the Croc. No way was Gold going to let him get away with what he did to Belle.
But anyway, back to the eppy:
I really think Gold realizes that he NEEDS personal connections, that he is a human being and human beings are social animals. There are advantages to having social connections and friends......and also, it helps Belle as well.
This was such a GREAT episode for Gold. In a way, he's really a romantic, talking about true love and the magic it creates. He wants that with Belle....so badly. He wants to have children with her because he loves her so deeply and profoundly. I think he believes in the beauty of parenthood and how it's the ultimate sign of love.
Cora is a GREAT villain and I like Hook as a real villain, not the smarmy version we saw before tonight.
I agree about Belle, but the issue has been that Adam/Eddy just really got caught up in all their toys and spent a lot of time on that storyline which we agree went nowhere. Per lots of tweets and spoilers, though, Belle is going to have plenty of airtime - as will Rumbelle. They must have gotten about 10 minutes of airtime this first half.....pretty bad, lol.
2 - Betsy
Oh and pay attention to the preview - Gold is using his old walking stick to knock Hook out, lol
3 - WML
This was a truly fantastic episode. Let me start with the end - the previews to the upcoming episodes that will start after the New Year. Mr. Gold telling Emma to find his son. Mr. Gold giving Hook a good whack on board the ship. Regina using magic to try to get more time with Henry. It appears that the redemptive journeys we have seen so far are taking different turns than what we expected.
Now, back to the story. Finally, a reason for Aurora and Mulan to be in the story. And Bolger did a good job playing the heroine - first as one manipulated by Cora to betray her friends - and then having the strength to know that Emma and Snow's quest can only go on without her. The idea of sacrifice for the good of others is a major undercurrent in this show. In Aurora, Emma and Snow are able to have life again in Storybrooke, a new dawn for their existence, so to speak.
Mulan? I still have a hangover trying to figure out why she's in this story, but hey, maybe the future will tell her tale further. I agree with Barbara though. Less Mulan and Aurora, more Rumbelle. Aside from being a fantastic actress, Emilie de Ravin brings a totally different dynamic to the show. It's because Belle is now poised to play a pivotal role in the show. And I think in the aforementioned preview of Mr. Gold giving Hook the punch that he could never give for Milah's sake, we see just how true love,as Mr. Gold says time after time, is the greates power of all. Besides, I am not the only one who find Emilie and RC's chemistry undeniably magnetic.
I can't believe that after what the EQ did to save Emma and Snow that they can be so cruel to her as to leave her near tears as they go out to celebrate the return of Snow and her daughter. It is actually great to show that even the people we term "good" are not without faults. That they are capable of hurting others (maybe not purposely, but hurting others nevertheless). Gold's taunts to Regina seems not only to be an "I told you so" ministration, a calibrated tweak of someone that he does not fully trust, but also a display of his still lingering disbelief that there is someone there who could truly love him. For if the EQ, for all her efforts at changed can still be discarded, then could such a fate be far from his own?
Finally, we have Hook as the real villain (with a twisted sense of fair play). Trying to use Belle against Rumple, then abandoning her (and actually quite ready to kill Belle when she was of no use to his quest to exact revenge on Rumple) is a clear example to what kind of man Hook really is. Selfish, charming, boorish, diabolical, unpredictable, backstabbing - well, this should be fun to watch.
Barbara Hershey is fantastic! Cora has supplanted the EQ as the epitome of evil in this show. And yet, she has the great capacity for love (for her daughter). Who knew that her desire to see her daughter was not totally driven by revenge but to help her on with her life (in Cora's view, to make Regina darker than she has already been). How this mother/daughter dynamic compares with the Snow/Emma dynamic will be interesting to watch. And how this affect the Regina/Henry dynamic will be interesting to watch. I say this. Oh Henry! The best you can do to the woman who just showed you great loyalty and love (by absorbing the power of the blocking spell so that Snow and Emma can return) is telling her that you will essentially see her later? Once again, good people are not immune from doing bad things.
Emma - great heroism on her part, battling against Hook and then having some sort of ability that can ward off Cora's attack. Who is the real queen of Hearts? One who takes the hearts of others (with little regard to her victims) or one who's heart cannot be broken (or stolen)? I think the episode title alludes to a different queen than expected. After all, one capable of true love can be seen as the queen of hearts, in the traditional sense of the word. And Emma, as we see, borne of true love, loving her own son with unbridled strength, may well be the true queen.
Charming was asleep till the very end, to be awakened by true love's kiss. Sacrifice rewarded by love. The dwarves around him, in vigil, while Snow awakens him from slumber. A mirror image of what took place before - somehow appropriate now that the journey back home was possible only through a walk in a room full of mirrors. Actually, the Snow/Charming reunion didn't do much for me. Yes, it's nice to see the Charming family back again. Maybe it's because I didn't appreciate their treatment of Regina after her great sacrifice.
Snow will be Snow. Arrows away, giving support to her loved ones and compatriots. That she loves Emma and Charming is unquestioned. Beyond that? We shall see what the future holds.
The OUAT characters that have show the greatest growth and potential are Regina and Rumple. When one mentions Evil Queen, how many people have forgotten the iconic treatment given to her by the Disney animators. Charlize Theron? Who's that. Lana has made this role her own. And she is a fully formed figure - strong and yet fragile, a person who in the very core seeks true love. Her inner being yearns to be truly loved. Lana plays the tortured part of Regina/EQ's sould exceedingly well. When she is crestfallen after being left behind by Henry and his family, you can see the deep pain that she suffers. The same pain she displayed when she had to let Daniel go. Her quest for true love, her ability to give love inspite of herself (as shown in the very touching scene between the EQ and Cora in the chamber of hearts). After what she has gone through, we want her to find true love. And yet, we still don't know whether Henry will give him his true love. Again, a we shall see.
Mr. Gold. Rumple. Robert Carlyle is a fantastic actor in a fantastic role (or roles). Rumple is the man on the true journey. In all of manifestations of the Rumple character, the one thing that is always apparent is that he is capable of true love. His weaknesses temper that ability at times, but his belief in the power of love is the great undercurrent of the whole show. It is his curse after all, one fashioned to bring him to his son, that started this journey for everyone. His regret at his failings is borne of true love for his son. The conversation between Emma and Gold, where Emma does not blame Rumple for trying to protect Storybrooke (even at the point of endangering her own life) is an interesting one. It is almost a foreshadowing of the relationship yet to come between these two (if Bae and Neal turns out to be the same person). Emma understands that Gold is somehow manipulating events and yet somehow, by instinct, she understands that the manipulations has come at a great price for Rumple. The almost loss of his humanity (by the corruption that power brought) could never be complete because at his core, Rumple is capable of great and true love. Emma, as a mother, must instinctively know that under the facade of power and seeming evil lies the soul of a man whose love for family is as great as her own. There seems to be some respect between these two. Yet again, we shall see.
All season long, we have seen Regina's quest for redemption and glimpses of Gold's own redemptive journey. The producers have told us that this season is one centered on the journey for redemption. After this episode, the possibilities of who continues their quest is still open to stipulation. I wait with baited breath for the continuance of this tale. And the expectation that Rumple and Belle will make the redemptive journey together. Hey Mr. Producer! Enough Mulan and Aurora.
I cannot say often enough how strong a cast of actors and actresses have been assembled to tell these tales. Carlyle and Morrison are able centerpieces of this universe (especially RC). To all of them, to the writers, director, costume designes (Eduardo is fantastic), Mark Isham, the producers. Thank you for making Sunday night so special. And for making one of the best family dramas in television. Great episode, well played, well written, well directed. A great Christmas present for us all. And now....
Anticipation. It's making me wait.
4 - WML
And thanks go out to the crew and support staff of this wonderful show as well. And thank you Steveston, for being our Storybrooke.
5 - S
Im thinking the way Gold used magic to push Ruby back and knock her unconscious for a minute, might tick off Belle. I dont tink Gold is becoming a better person at all. I like him as a sympathetic villain.
6 - barbara barnett
Gold did some fairly despicable things in the episode (at least they seem that way). Pushing Red back wasn't nice, but even Emma saw his point in the end. That look on his face waiting to see who emerged from the well was pure anxiety. And he didn't make a move (not an inch) to stop Regina (and he could have). That would have been a great excuse for him to avenge her treatment of Belle, and he didn't take it. He waited and let her make the decision.
7 - WML
Regina and Gold are still conflicted. I think that the redemptive paths of these two will be interesting to watch. If Neal is Bae and if he does come to Storybrooke, that's another weakness for Mr. Gold to deal with. Belle knows that she's in this for the long slog and she acknowledges this in the coversation she had with Ruby. I think if you ask most of the people in Storybrooke whether they prefer Cora to come through the portal or have Gold and Regina try to defend them, even at the possible cost of Snow White, many of the people would choose the defensive posture. That said, it appears that Gold's recently revealed weakness, the ability to truly love, may actually be the means that he needs to be able to subdue Cora. Emma gave him a glimpse of how powerful true love can be. Although deep down, I think Gold has always known this. After all, the curse he created was out of pure love, for his lost son.
More importantly, Emma understands why Gold did what he did. And as noted earlier, the Gold who is willing to apologize is only made possible by the influence of Belle. And if and when he stands up to Hook, it will be because true love finally gave him the courage that he never had.
8 - barbara barnett
Very nicely put WML!
9 - WML
Barbara,
What of Gold really foresaw more of what's happening than he leads on? I'm not saying he knows everything - he didn't know Belle was alive or what would happend with Emma when she confronted Cora. BUT - what if he knew that it was Snow and Emma that was going to go through the portal, and that he let Regina "save" them? Do we even know that defensive spell would work? What if it was just a light show to make Regina more acceptable in Henry's eyes? And if this is so, for what reason is he doing this for? After all, it the spell was powerful enough to kill Cora and Hook, why would it not kill Regina, who is arguably a weaker sorceress than her mother? Far fetched idea, I suppose.
10 - barbara barnett
i absolutely think that gold knew more than he let on.
11 - Betsy
Oh, I disagree, Barbara. I'm not sure what he did that was despicable. Pushing Red back doesn't approach that word for me -- and really, if he'd let her, she might have friend herself.
I guess I'm not sure how Gold not doing anything to stop Regina was despicable or even bad. He's not going to avenge Belle ....and that's what Belle wants, so that's a good thing. I have NO problem with his snarky comment to her at the end because it's the LEAST she deserves.
Gold looked SO sad and pensive in that last scene with Emma as he discussed True Love. I wonder if he was thinking of Belle? When did he become attached to the notion of True Love? I mean, it was very clear last night it's vitally important to him; it's not just a notion, it's a FEELING Gold has deep inside. Dark One Rumple was so cynical that it's amazing that he did become this attached.
Was it Belle? Did she reach into his soul so much that he became convinced of True Love's magic and power? As a loving father, did he believe that one day he and Belle might have created a child, something truly powerful, through the magic of their love? YES, I think so, for this reason: Belle's love was breaking his curse. As powerful as that curse was, it was BREAKING it. Belle had said that True Love could break any curse, so Rumple KNEW how powerful True Love was. Belle showed him the way.
Bae was his motivation for finding a curse, but Belle invested in him the belief in true love.
I had an AHA moment watching the preview again. I don't think Gold is telling Emnma about his son because he's calling on the favor : it's too early for that (these scenes have to come from episodes 10-12 only) and frankly, I think he may never call on the favor; it might be a tease. We know Bobby said we'd see Gold looking for Bae, so I think Gold tells Emma about needing to find Bae because he needs a strand of her hair or something with her DNA on it to try and break the barrier curse.
12 - Betsy
I do not think Gold's love for Belle or Belle herself is a weakness. In fact, it's a strength. He doesn't know it yet perhaps, but it is and when he realizes it, he will be even more powerful. That love for her and hers for him is a real force.
As for Bae, I have always felt that he will be angry and resentful. He will probably be vulnerable to people who want to use him against his father.....and possibly Bae would actively fight Gold. That would crush him. I feel that Rumbelle's arc next year will very likely be dealing with the fallout. It's their issue, not just Gold's, because she loves him deeply. I suspect that past season 3, Bae will calm down, but he won't want a relationship with Gold - and that will be a series long arc.
13 - Baronius
Gold tried to kill Snow and Emma. Regina went along with it, lying to her son, but then stopped at the last moment. I wouldn't be inviting either of them to dinner.
14 - Sara R
I thought this was a wonderful episode. The way the writers are able to tie in everything in a way that makes such sense is quite incredible. Cora being the Queen of Hearts was just so perfect.
I like the depth of character being brought to Regina. She has undergone quite the journey from her pre-Queen/Daniel days to Snow's "betrayal" to becoming the Evil Queen to being evil as Regina to now trying to redeem herself... BUT I cannot help but miss the Evil Queen/evil Regina. There is something so seductive about that characterization. It seems though, from the previews, she may slip back into that mode as a further progression of her storyline with Henry still pulling/being pulled/pushed away from her.
Excited for the return in January.
15 - Sara R
Oh, another thing... anyone else think there is a possibility of Henry's father being Baelfire. I feel like that would be a good way to tie his character more into the overall storyline. His journey through the portal may have stripped him of his membership of Fairytale Land as well. Just a speculation.
16 - Sara R
*memory
17 - Pixie Michele
Kudos! Insightful synopsis once again Barbara! I loved the performances and appreciate all who work on this series, but most of all, the writing. I agree that
Adam and Eddy's epi's flow and tie up so neatly, then hook for the next journey. I think because they never lose sight of fairytale themes as the focus.
Acknowledged that OUAT is a drama, but Jane and Adam/Eddy epi's resound stronger with everyone because they drive theme home. That's accomplished in an exquisite manner in the more adult format of drama, but still so simplistic in delivery that we go back to fairytale morals of childhood seeing it. That's a tricky balancing act. With theme in mind, I take a different point of view with Rumple that became clear in this episode.
Rumple is the ultimate spectator in the sublime fairytale faceoff he has orchestrated. He wants to believe love and hope (Emma and Henry respectively) can overcome anything. As much as he knows all the players (why Rumple has been woven into so many stories), he still cannot predict the outcomes. I believe he sees visions, but not the whole continuous thread to the end. Thus, the planting of the ink for a vision he had of its use, but not knowing how it was used. His anxious look at the well was because so much was at stake for his beliefs. What does Rumple take away seeing that Emma triumphed and Regina chose to believe in hope/Henry?
Rumple is a student learning love. He's used quick magic that "always comes with a price" as his crutch. He wants better.
His belief in true love's power took the leap of faith that for the outcome.
18 - Pixie Michele
Sorry, hit wrong button. Disregard last sentence that wasn't complete yet please.
Rumple's belief in true love's power (i.e. Emma) made him take the leap of faith with his sublime plan. He left it all in the savior's hands. However, he is truly astonished by Emma's accomplishments because he doesn't understand, yet, how love really works. That it takes time, unlike quick magic. You can see the student's impatience ("someday invite you to dinner" to Regina) and the student's doubt ("It's going to be Cora" through the well). But Rumple is willing to learn.
I'm confident he will, taking us along for the ride. Right now, he believes that only Emma and her powers can give him back all he's lost (Bae) and he'll continue to act with that in mind. This same belief held true at season one's end at the well. He doesn't bring Bae back because he's not "educated" enough yet. But when Rumple learns, sacrifices, and puts love into action himself...well, that's the most satisfying outcome/happy ending of all.
19 - Sherry
I thought this was a good episode. I liked that there was a lot of Mr. Gold and Regina. I also like that they are keeping Mr. Gold devious.
One thing I was just writing about, and I hope they get into more when it comes back, is the crossing the border issue.
I thought it was such a great idea - really giving people the choice if they wanted to leave their fairytale selves behind - and they haven't done much with it since it was introduced.
They could at least show how the guy that did lose his memory is doing.
That is one problem the show has, too many ideas and characters, too little time.
I miss Dr. Hopper, and some of the other people we used to see more of.
20 - barbara barnett
This is the part of my critique I still stand by. Little mundane changes in daily life brought by the season finale are vanished: the memory thing with the border, some of the characters (hopper is certainly among them) and the relationships seem picked up when convenient rather than being organically part of the show. Those are little textures I think are lacking.
I loved this episode. It was certainly one of the season's best outings. And now that they've got Emma and Snow back in Storybrooke, I hope we'll see more of Storybrooke.
21 - Sherry
I totally agree Barbara. Yes, I have been missing those little details and clever moments.
In the first season I thought it was fun spotting different familiar characters, and figuring out who the lesser known ones were and how they fit in. I don't feel like I've been doing that this season.
One thing I forgot to mention was - why no real back story for Mulan? I don't really like her character all that much, but that might be part of the reason. She serves a singular purpose instead of being a full fledged character.
22 - Rosie
["Earlier today on my personal blog (you can find the link in my bio), I criticized the series for (among other things) dragging on the Mulan/Aurora/Ruined Fairytale Land story arc a bit too long. And doing it at the expense of several other significant storylines."]
What other significant storylines? I don't recall any significant storylines during the time Snow and Emma were in Fairy Tale Land, unless you consider King George's never ending resentment toward Charming . . . which wasn't well handled in this season's 7th episode.
23 - Rosie
["One thing I forgot to mention was - why no real back story for Mulan? I don't really like her character all that much, but that might be part of the reason. She serves a singular purpose instead of being a full fledged character."]
Perhaps she has the wrong skin color.
24 - barbara barnett
What I meant was that storylines to do with Red, Dr. Whale, Archie, and the infamous border issue were touched on an shelved. What's going on with these characters. The texturing I refer to requires at least some references post-facto at least here and there. The new storyline brought right to front and center I think might have taken something away from those. Although the main storyline I think that took a hit was the Rumple/Belle narrative.
25 - barbara barnett
Rosie--My problem with Mulan is the same as with Aurora. Neither of them are connected to the main characters (from before). Whenever a new character has been introduced into the main cast it has been with a pre-existing relationship to one of the central characters via a backstory. There is established history. I think that's the difference.