Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT For Whom The Belle Tolls
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.13.2013
Storybrooke. Hook's ship. Belle tells Hook she isn't afraid him and won't be leaving without the shawl. Rumpy needs it to find his son. When Hook suggests the boy probably wouldn't want to be found by Rumpy, Belle asks if he hasn't yet hurt her woobie enough. That's a bit too rich for Hook. After Belle points out that Hook stole Milah, Hook gives her the real scoop. Milah begged him to take her away because she loved him, and because Rumpy was a coward.
Returning to the shawl, Hook says he should have burned it as soon as he got it. When Belle asks why he didn't, Hook says, "Because she made it." Belle says she's sorry Milah died, but points out vengeance won't bring her back. It's then that Hook fills Belle in on the details of Milah's death. "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it, right in front of me." Belle refuses to believe it, but Hook sets her straight and tells her Rumpy will do anything to hold onto his power. That's why anyone who was ever close to him has run away or been killed. Hook again points the gun at Belle, cocks it, and asks her what makes her any different. He wants to know why she'd fight for a man like that.
Belle makes a big speech about how Rumpy is different. His heart is true. Blah blah blah Stockholm syndrome cakes. She then declares Hook's heart is rotten, knocks him down into the ship's hold, and scurries out. Down below, Hook says, "You have no idea." Commercial.
When Belle gets to the deck of the ship, she's surprised to see Hook already there. Fortunately, for her sake, Rumpy shows up. The two rivals are finally face to face. Hook mocks Rumpy's limp and wonders what magic he'll hide behind today. Rumpy says there'll be no magic and instead canes the hell out of the pirate. When Belle tries to stop him, Rumpy says, "Not yet, Belle." She uses the shawl to appeal to Rumpy and it almost works, but Hook (who seems to be more than happy to die) has to taunt Rumpy a little bit more, and thus the beating resumes. We flash back to...
Yamaguchi Land. Spying the beast, Belle hollers to get its attention then leads it to town. Once the beast catches up with her, she releases some water from some I-don't-know-what-that-is. When it pours over the beast, his flames are extinguished. As the poor thing whimpers and writhes on the ground, it uses its paw to write something. Belle deciphers the characters as meaning, "Save me." Sheathing her sword, Belle takes out the fairy dust Grumpy gave her at the start of her journey and sprinkles it over the poor creature at her feet. It envelops him in pinky-purple smoke. When it clears, the beast is gone and Prince Phillip is in its place. "The curse. You broke it." Belle wonders that someone did this to him. Phillip says, "Maleficent. An evil sorceress from my kingdom, determined to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love. She exiled me to this land and turned me into a monster. I tried to warn the villagers, but no one understood what I really was -- except you."