Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: B+ | 460 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Hook, Line and Sinker
By Cindy McLennan | Season 2 | Episode 4 | Aired on 2012.10.21
Storybrooke. Present. In some workshop or back room, somewhere (maybe Game of Thorns, I can't tell), Smee shoves Belle down onto a chair. When she asks who put him up to kidnapping her, Mo walks in. "Belle?" Although she's shocked to see her dad, it's a happy shock. She rises and runs to his arms. They embrace and cry with relief. Mo breaks the clinch to apologize for finding her in quite this way. "Please understand, I had no choice. [...] After the curse broke, I searched all over for you, and discovered the Dark One still held you captive." He is shocked when Belle sets him straight on the fact that she chose to be with him. She admits that she fell in love with Rumpy, but fears it must be over now. But wait, I need a sidebar.
Sidebar: Even before we get to the real drama about Belle and Mo, I just need to vent about that exchange up there because it's yet another example of TV Talk. I'm an unabashed fan of this well-done show, but one of my pet peeves about TV is stilted dialogue. Belle should have told Mo that Regina kept her captive for 28 years because I imagine right now, he thinks his girl was with Rumpy all that time. Now perhaps the writers' choice to omit the information was because of time. If so, remove three Rumpy chortles, two pirate taunts, or a curtsy, and you're all caught up. I don't think it was because of time, though. It seems to me it was a conscious choice, to help excuse or at least mitigate the decision Mo will soon make. But that's unnecessary. He has enough history with Rumpy in both L'enchantement and in Storybrooke that it's understandable (if control-freakishly wrong) that he wants to keep his daughter away from Rumpy no matter what. Heck, in this very episode, Rumpy admitted to him that he threw away the "Missing" poster Belle made, in order to find Mo. What father would want his daughter with Rumpy? So please, dear writers, make your characters say what real people would. I understand you don't want to lose the drama of the scene, but here's all it takes: instead of, "He wasn't holding me captive, I chose to be with him," Belle could say, "It was Regina who held me captive. When I was freed, I found Rumpy, first. I chose to stay with him." What Mo will attempt to do is inexcusable, regardless of whether or not he thinks Rumpy had her for 28 years or a few days. That said, his motivation is clear, even when you avoid TV Talk. Please avoid TV Talk. Okay, I'm done venting now.