Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 250 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT To Catch A Thief
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 19 | Aired on 2013.04.21
Granny's Diner. Granny delivers ten bowls of bean free chili to the waiting Grumpy and Charming. Gold enters and tells Grumpy to take a hike so he can bend Charming's ear. Gold tells the prince that Regina has bestowed cursed memories on Belle. "She has a false life, as you did under the curse, with Kathryn, only hers apparently involves a lot more alcohol." Gold figures since even David Nolan managed to win Mary Margaret's heart, he can be his wingman in the quest to woo Belle. Charming points out that Gold got Snow to kill someone. Gold speaks for the audience: "Yeah, someone who would have killed all of you. Look, if you don't want to help, fine. But if you do, for the first time ever, I'm going to owe you a favor." Charming sighs and explains that even under their cursed identities, he and Snow retained a sliver of their real selves inside. Gold needs to show Belle the man with whom she fell in love. We flashback to...
Rumpy's Estate. Rumpy finds Robin missing, so Belle admits she freed him. They argue. Rumpy knows she thinks Robin was probably stealing from him for a noble cause, then he tells her she reads too much. To prove his point, he poofs away her book to free her mind of "poisonous thoughts." Belle blahs about the good she sees in Robin. Rumpy insists she was tricked, but Belle insists there must be a reason he wanted the wand. Rumpy insists people who steal magic never have good intentions. She insists she can't see what's in Robin's heart. Sorry for the repetition, but they're both so insistent, the word insist won't leave my mind. Rumpy conjures up Robin's magical bow, and tells Belle she accompany him on his quest to kill Robin. This is the man with whom she fell in love. Chilling, no? We flash forward to...
Storybrooke. The Rabbit Hole. Hard drinking Laceybelle is approached by Keith (who will be the Sheriff of Nottingham in upcoming L'enchantement scenes, and is played by Red Widow's Wil Traval). Got that? Good, because the first time I watched this, I didn't figure out he wasn't Robin Hood for about five minutes. Charming and Gold enter just as Laceybelle is giving Keith the brush off. Gold's first instinct is violence, but Charming talks him down and they join Laceybelle, who doesn't care for the music, and instead wants to play Van Halen's "Panama." Her talk about being a Hagar fan is lost on Gold, but he follows her to the jukebox and proposes they go on a date. Lacey wants to make it clear she is not Belle. He says he understands, so she says she's heard he's got a frightening reputation. He asks her to give him a chance. Lacey agrees and says they'll meet tonight, at Granny's. She really should have stated a time, because I keep wondering how he'll know when to show up.