Episode Report Card 118 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT PANdemic
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.20.2013
With his free hand, Rumpy throttles Neal, pushes him up against a tree, and menaces him with the undoubtedly poisoned spear. "My son is dead. You're just here to remind me of my failure." I'm not sure why he thinks he can throttle an illusion, but I think he's had some physical contact with Illusion Belle, and this is Neverland and who the hell knows what goes on Rumpy's head anyhow. Witness his refusal to think of the various ways to interpret undoing, for crying out loud. Neal continues to try to break through to his father, but Rumpy is too agitated. As he squeezes his son's throat, the old man says, "I will sacrifice my life for Henry and nothing will stand in my way." It's only when Neal chokes out a quiet, "Please Papa," that he is able to get to Rumpy. He says, "Bae, is that really you?" Neal says it is. He relaxes his grip on his son's throat, drops his spear and caresses Neal's cheek with his now free hand. "I thought I'd lost you, forever."
In the Enchanted Past, Rumpy returns to his hovel. "Only a king should live in a castle, so why don't you try this on for size." At that, he produces an enormous, heavy crown. The thing is, he's working an empty room. Baelfire is gone.
In the village of Hamelin, the people are trying to organize search parties, when the Dark One arrives. He accuses them of hiding his son, and makes all the threats and accusations you'd expect by now. Finally, a man manages to explain the situation. Many of their children went missing. They were lured from their beds by pipe music only children could hear. So how do the adults know? Well, our voluntary spokesman explains that some children tried to tell their parents about it, but no one would believe them. I like it when the show answers my questions before I can type them. Well played. The man explains the children were all sent back to bed, but in the morning, they were gone. Rumpy asks who was playing the pipe. Our spokesman says no one saw his face -- only his pied cloak. He led the children from their homes and into the forest. Well shit, if someone saw that, why didn't they alert everyone at the time? No one's getting another "well played" in this paragraph. At any rate, the spokesman manages to convince Rumpy that Bae must be with the other children. Rumpy swears the piper has played his last note. We flash forward to...
Neverland. Rumpy wonders how it's possible Neal survived and ended up in Neverland. Neal says, "It's kind of a long story. Let's just say that the debt Robin Hood owes you has been repaid." I still itch at the idea that Robin Hood owes diddly to Rumpelstiltskin. How about you? Rumpy is surprised to learn Bae was back in their land. Neal says all that matters is helping Emma save Henry, and asks his father where she is.