Episode Report Card 118 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT PANdemic
By Cindy McLennan | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.20.2013
Rumpy. The ink's magic has worn off. Rumpy takes the straw doll out of his jacket and Illusion Belle appears and tries to encourage him. Belle says she knows with all her heart that Rumpy would give his life for Henry. She asks why he now looks so upset, given that Baelfire is alive. "You have something to live for." Rumpy says, "But the prophecy remains. Henry's still my undoing." Belle realizes that having something to live for has brought back his nasty habit of self-preservations. "Rumple, habits can be broken, can't they." Rumpy says, "Go away, Belle. I don't want to talk, right now." She disappears. We cut to...
Pan's Camp. The Lost Boys are whooping it up. Henry wakes up and tells Pan that he swears he heard his father calling for him, but figures it must have been a dream. Pan asks how he can be sure. Henry tells Pan his father is dead. Pan says he's sorry, and says it makes sense to dream about things we've lost and things we hope for, "...like your father being alive, or your mother coming to find you, but eventually, you'll find new things to dream about. And when you do, they'll start to come true." Henry asks how he knows. Pan says that's what he did. "Neverland used to be a place where new dreams were born. You can bring that magic back, Henry, and we can be your family." Henry smiles and blinks as he considers Pan's words. His smile grows as he rises to his feet. Pan announces he's playing a song for their guest of honor. Henry. As the music, which we can now hear, begins, the shot loses focus. Henry starts to move as if he hears the tune and feels the beat. He begins whooping it up with the other boys. Pan's voice echoes as he asks, "You can hear the music now, Henry?" Henry answers with an enthusiastic, "Yeah," and he's off around the fire, dancing and whooping it up with the other boys." Title card.
The camera work (and the audio) would indicate Henry is under Pan's spell, now. Talking about Neal's supposed death made Henry just lost enough to hear the music. My question is -- how do you interpret that scene. Do you believe Henry's truly in Pan's thrall, or do you think he's faking out Pan, and the show is faking out us? Does the heart of the truest believer give up the hope of a rescue so soon? If it does -- does it remain the heart of the truest believer, still? How does Henry bring back the magic? Does his heart have to be sacrificed, or won over, or broken? What do you think?
I'll be back with coverage of "Good Form." In the meantime, please grade the episode up top, and then join us on the boards, where we're hunting for pixie dust to just cure Charming, already.