This episode has a lot of shiny fairies in it, starting
with Rumple tormenting one with his aging spell to send an ominous message to
the gang – because an aging spell can be used to speed pregnancy and allow him
to force Belle to give birth so he can run off with their son
This is Belle’s constant fear all episode as she is torn
between trying to keep herself and her son safe from him while at the same time
still trying to appeal to his humanity, to the man she once loved. It’s a
really nice ongoing conflict as Belle still wants to have some level of faith
in him but ultimately knows that he has disappointed her time and time and time
again – and this time a child is on the line not just her own affections
Which is what the EQ continues to prod and poke. I’m not even sure what the EQ even wants any more. Her alliance with Rumple is fraught to say the least, whatever semblance of affection they seem to have for each other is completely overwhelmed by their mutual need to find each other’s most vulnerable, painful spots and just stomp all over them.
Rumple pushes EQ to kill Zelena, holding out the promise
of his affections to her if she does – thereby having EQ throw away her one
potentially real ally. Regina is around to save Zelena from murder (and that
was the worst magic fight ever, one fireball, really) and poke some more at EQ’s
sore spots – because EQ has the same longing, the same “hole in her heart” that
Regina had when she came to Storybrooke. The same desire for love, family et al
– and ironically throws away Zelena form the. But isn’t that the story of
EQ/Regina? Or Rumple for that matter? In fact, also Hades and evil frost woman
from the Frozen Fanfic we Do Not Talk About, even Peter Pan and David’s evil
twin brother and Cora and Zelena… The story of evil on this series is one of
people who COULD have family, who even do have family but they inevitably stomp
on it and drive it away pursuing something or someone else. Most of the evil
characters on this show are not unloved and do not lack the potential for love
and to love – in many ways almost all of them have actively sabotaged their
families and loved ones until they drove them away
Ultimately, it’s the recurring good vs Evil theme beyond
the Charming’s fluffiness: good relies on friends, family, contacts, trust,
allies. Evil has no-one to trust or rely on and rests only on their own power,
whatever alliances they have inevitably crumbling under the weight of their own
greed, ambition and suspicion. While that same inability to trust others leads
them, especially Rumple, to be more insecure and seek more power. It’s a good
theme and it’s really well maintained – good doesn’t win because it’s more
powerful or more special or morally right or fluffier: good wins because it has
all the resources of being a team, while evil stands alone.
Of course, not all good is peaceful and friendly – Zelena
is all ready to embrace sisterly happiness and reconciliation with Regina but
Regina is clear: she saved Zelena’s life because that’s what hero’s do but she
has not forgiven Zelena for Robin’s death (and nor should she. One of the
things that annoyed us a lot about the last season was how quickly Zelena’s
raping of Robin and involvement in his death was brushed over). Zelena protests
about redemption and forgiveness – just like Regina has. Regina bites back “you’re
not me”
Ok, this seems like a bit of an “I’m an exception”
protest but I think there’s more to it than that. Has Regina achieved
forgiveness and redemption? Yes, but the key word is “achieved”. She
earned that, several times over. It was a path, a long and quite arduous
one. Zelena is NOT Regina, Zelena has not walked that path. Zelena can’t just
say “yay forgive me, good now!” and cite Regina as an example without
acknowledging what Regina did.
What we also learn from this episode is that Rumple has a
real burning issue against fairies – and we have some flashbacks to Rumple’s
past when he imprisoned Belle as to why. He steals a baby and manipulates Belle
just so he can summon… the Black Fairy. His Mother who abandoned him
Well that as an unexpected reveal (and also, Peter Pan +
Black Fairy… ok not the best of starts in life). But, I’ll be honest I was far
too busy being shamelessly excited by the presence of Jaime Murray than
anything else. (It’s possible you may not be a Jaime Murray fan. This means you
have no soul).
Rumple has mummy and daddy issues.
We continue to have painful emotional conflict with Belle
and Rumple as he seems to have written off his relationship with Belle and is
desperate to start afresh with his son all the while believing he cannot be
loved… but he still can’t help but hang on to hope that they can reconcile.
While Belle knows she can’t trust him again but still clings to hope that he
could just try harder. It’s painful and melodramatic and not bad at all.
Especially with the EQ interfering
Eventually, Rumple can’t bring himself to use the aging
potion on Belle, can’t burn that last rickety bridge between them… but the EQ
steps in, who seems to have no real motives now beyond “fuck it all.” And wearing
fabulous clothes. She sneaks Belle the aging potion and, of course, Belle
assumes it’s Rumple behind it. She flees to the nunnery to hide behind fairy
magic to give birth. Then makes one desperate choice to keep her son safe from
Rumple… she gives him to the fairies to find a new family for him, refusing to
tell Rumple even his name
This whole love affair is the very definition of tragedy
and bleakness – and normally I have no time for it, but it’s really well done
and really sold by the actors.
I think the EQ has bitten off waaaay more than she can
chew this time, though. The bad guys are going to be supremely focused on each
other after this
Which may give us chance to explore the side plots –
finally Jasmin and Aladdin are looking to go to Agrabah and have found a Genie
lamp… which would be useful (but risky, genies are tricksters) if the genie
hadn’t been freed… so Aladdin puts on the bracers to become the new genie of
the lamp. This can backfire so very many ways
While Emma continues to have visions and flashbacks –
this time seeing the sword that is going to kill her, and finding the sword in
Rumple’s shop. So we can melt it down? Yes? No? Maybe?
