Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B+ | 944 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Bibbidi Bobbidi Botch
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 4 | Aired on 2011.11.13
So anyhow, Team Princess will propose a new deal where Rumpy can get both twins, but it's all a ruse. The Blue Fairy has cast a spell on a red quill. If Ella gets Rumpy to use that quill to sign the new contract, he will be frozen and his magic will be made impotent. To give her her due, Ella is trying to learn from her mistakes and points out that this magic may well have a price. Thomas says, "I will pay it. I will do whatever is needed to save you and our child." Bye-bye, Tommy. Can you say FORESHADOWING? Looking at the prison cell, Ella finally agrees with Charming and Thomas. "Okay. Let's get him."
Storybrooke: Emma and Henry find Ruby's car in a ditch, right at the town line. Ashley is sitting on the grass, in labor. Commercial. Ashley wants Emma to take her to Boston, but Emma says that since Ashley is in labor, they can't spare the four hours. On their way to Storybrooke hospital, Emma lectures Ashley. If she really wants to keep her kid, she has to be ready. When Emma confesses she wasn't ready when she had her baby, Henry takes it all in. Emma stresses to Ashley: "Your whole life is going to change, and once you decide that [this baby] is yours, this running away can't happen. You have to grow up. You can't ever leave. Understand?" Ashley understands. "Yes. I want my baby."
Enchanted Forest, Garden, Night: Rumpy meets up with Ella. She proposes the altered bargain, complete with the lie that she's expecting twins. I can't decide if I like the "good guys" outright lying to get out of Rumpy's deal. Anyhow, Ella says she'll give both babies to him, provided he agrees to a new contract in which he will fix the problems in Thomas's kingdom (poverty, poor soil, dead crops, yada yada). Ella says she can always have more children, but she can't make the land fertile.
Deal-making is Rumpy's fatal flaw, so he leaps at the chance, "If what you say is true..." Ella assures him it is, and hands him the quill. Rumpy coos over it for a moment and then he warns Ella. "You know the only way to stop me is through magic." Ella says she isn't trying to. He reminds her all magic comes with a price. "If you were to use it to...say...imprison me, your debt to me would only grow, and we wouldn't want that, now, would we?" Oh, Ella. Run! She doesn't listen. She tells him to sign the contract, already. Rumpy: "Are you sure you're happy with this new arrangement?" Ella holds up the scroll. Rumpy giggles. "Then so it shall be." As soon as he signs, the contract falls to the ground and Rumpy is frozen in a blue, green and purple force field. Ella shouts for Thomas. As Team Princess arrives, Rumpy tells Ella, "No one breaks deals with me, dearie. No one. No matter where you are -- no matter what land you find yourself in, I assure you, I will have your baby."