Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B+ | 5 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Take Heart
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.10.2013
On the boards, one of our members thinks that whole call was a set-up in order to manipulate Baelfire. I disagreed at the time, but it still makes no sense to me that Rumpy could die from Hook's poison. I accept that he's wounded and suffering, but it's still extremely curious that he doesn't even try to heal himself, so now I'm inclined to agree with our skeptic, MDKNIGHT who says: kind of knew he wasn't going to die so his deathbed declarations to Belle in front of Bae were for show. I'm not saying I know for a fact it was a sham but I could believe it might have been because he knows parts of the future and because he knew he had dispatched Snow to kill Cora and save himself. He is sooo tricky that I wouldn't put it past him to think- hey if she fails I lose nothing I haven't already lost but if she succeeds (and my future seeing powers tell me she will) then I look awesome in Bae's eyes and improve my standing with Belle if I make this sappy phone call. We know he's manipulated basically every character's every frickin move for hundreds of years so I think that that is what actually happened. In fact, I might be even more cynical, now. I think he not only knew he wasn't going to die and was manipulating Bae and using Snow as an insurance policy. I think he just figured having Snow kill Cora was the easiest way to get back his dagger. I do think Rumpy loves Belle and means what he says to her, but I do not think he's above this entire set up.
And talk about manipulation. Snow is startled when Regina finds her at the vault, but in addition to being the Fairest, Snow may well be the Fastest, at least when it comes to thinking on her feet. Snow presents Regina with Cora's heart and says that without it, Cora is incapable of giving Regina the love she craves. As she waves the bait of real motherly love and the start of a family worthy of Henry, "...Or you could have her be the Dark One. The choice is yours." Commercial.
Enchanted Past. Night. Exterior. Cora and Rumpy meet up under a tree. She's carrying the heart box with her, and as soon as Rumpy kisses her, he knows something isn't right. He thinks she failed to get the king's heart but she corrects him. She chose not to. She apologizes, but tells Rumpy she won't be going with him. She will marry Prince Putupon. It's not Xavier's heart in the box, but her own. "I had to. You told me not to let anything stop me until they're on their knees. My heart was stopping me." Rumpy's face sinks as he says she never loved him. He tosses out threats, including the fact that he'll take her baby, but she reminds him he amended the contract. "You only get your own child. And any baby I have -- it won't be yours." Now I'm sorry, but if the Brothers Grimm were writing this, I'm pretty sure he'd rape her right then. We flash forward to...