Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 288 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT For Whom The Belle Tolls
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 11 | Aired on 2013.01.13
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."
Belle smiles at Phillip and notes he's not the first beast she's faced. Forever in her debt, Phillip asks what he can do to repay Belle. She tells him about the injured Mulan and asks his help in getting Mulan back to the village where she can see a doctor. Phillip says it will be his honor. I love Phillip. We flash forward to...
Storybrooke. Hook's ship. Rumpy is still beating Hook with his cane, and Hook is trying to taunt him into killing him. Belle says Hook wants to destroy every bit of good in him. Hook smiles and tells Rumpy to rip out his heart like he did Milah's, and then they can be reunited. Rumpy looks at Belle like, "Do you see what an asshole this guy is?" With almost a shrug he says, "He has to die, Belle," and sets out to ensure that happens. It's only Belle's insistence that Rumpy still has some good left in him that spare's Hook's life. When Rumpy releases his grip on Hook, he tells him to take his ship and sail away 'til he falls off the edge of the world. By the look on Hook's face as he watches Rumpy and Belle leave, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's not bloody likely. Commercial.