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"The goblins of her fancy lurked in every shadow about her, reaching out their cold, fleshless hands to grasp the terrified small girl who had called them into being." - Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Why begin a recaplet of a Beauty and the Beast episode, with a quote from Anne of Green Gables? Well, because Once Upon A Time's Belle comes from a place called Avonlea. It's funny (to me) that while I am pleased the pilot episode evokes Narnia, by including a magical wardrobe, this episode's reference to Avonlea, leaves me the very spirit of vexation. Maybe it's because I have family on Prince Edward Island. Maybe it's because I spent part of last summer's island visit in Avonlea Cavendish. But it's probably just because my hair is (currently) red. [People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is. --Anne Shirley]
Enchanted Forest: Rumpy proposes a deal to Belle's father, Maurice. If Maurice will give Belle to him, Avonlea will be spared from the Ogre Wars. Maurice is not inclined to accept Rumpy's terms, but Belle insists they accept it. Back at Rumpy's, Belle serves as his housekeeper. When he startles her by quipping that he expects her to skin children for their pelts, Belle drops a teacup and makes Chip.
It's not long before they start having feelings for each other, and really, it's not long enough. Belle's feelings come out of nowhere. Anyhow, Rumpy sends her to town, to fetch straw for him. If she returns, he will know her feelings are real. On her trip, Belle meets up with Queenie, who tells her Rumpy must be under a curse, and plants the idea that true love's kiss will free him. Belle returns to Rumpy and kisses him. He starts to revert to human form, but then decides she only kissed him to change him, not because she loves him. He tells her he no longer wants her. She says all he's left with is an empty heart and a chipped cup. Later, Queenie visits Rumpy and tells him Belle was seen as ruined, when she returned home, so her father locked her in a tower. Distraught, she jumped to her doom. C'mon Rumpy, why are you taking Queenie at her word? By episode's end, we see Belle's Storybrooke counterpart, locked in some hidden, padded room, at the hospital.
Storybrooke: Moe French (Maurice) runs a florist shop. (Did you all catch the Game of Thorns thing?) Anyhow, Moe breaks into Mr. Gold's place and robs him. Emma recovers the stolen goods, but Rumpy says there's still something missing and takes the law into his own hands. He kidnaps Moe and takes him to the cabin of Mary Margaret and David's guilt, where he tortures and beats him. Emma arrests Gold.
Regina brings Henry to the Sheriff's office and tells Emma she can have a half hour with their son, if she will give Regina a half hour with Gold. Emma thinks only a moment, before leaping at the chance. Once Regina is alone with Gold, she reveals she's the mastermind behind Moe French's foray into larceny. She has the item Gold seeks, and will return it to him, provided he answers one question. "What is your name?" Ooh! Gold resists at first, but finally says, "Rumpelstiltskin." (I will not spell it incorrectly, just because the show does, so there.) He remembers the Enchanted Forest, too! Okay, that probably didn't deserve an exclamation point. I mean, I'm not surprised by this revelation, but it's good to have it confirmed. Regina returns the chipped cup to Gold, who tells her that now they'll see who is truly powerful.
Meanwhile, it's Valentine's Day, so Mary Margaret, Ruby and Ashley (Cinderella) have a girls' night out. Sean shows up and proposes to Ashley. David meets up with Mary Margaret and gives her a Valentine. Sadly, it's the one he made out for Kathryn. I'll hit all that, and more, in the full recap. In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then join us in the forum, where no one's got a swell cleft in his chin, like Gaston.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!In his Duchy, Barony, or Something-y not too far off from the blood red skies of the Ogre Wars, Sir Maurice (Eric Keenleyside) gets news from the battlefield: Avonlea has fallen. Let's stop right here, for a moment.
Sidebar: I was prepared to have a hard time keeping my head in this episode for a few reasons. Emilie de Ravin, who guest stars as Belle in this episode, played Claire on Lost. I covered the last couple of seasons of Lost, for TWoP. My oldest son is pretty much always in the middle of a Lost re-watch. I often watch with him. Hardly a week goes by when I'm not still actively watching Emilie play Claire. Additionally, I knew ahead of time that Rumpelstiltskin's already complicated backstory was going to contort once more, such that we will learn he is the fabled Beast to Belle's Beauty. And oh, how I hated that idea, in theory (we'll get to how it comes off, in practice). Now, Jane Espenson (one of my favorite Buffy writers), has gone and dragged Avonlea into the show. For the uninitiated, Avonlea is a fictional town on the very real Prince Edward Island, Canada -- the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and sequels. See the recaplet for links. I have family on PEI, and I was just there about six months ago. None of these things are bad. I mean, the show isn't doing anything wrong. There are just an awful lot of things pinging me, before I can even settle into the story. Speaking of the story...
Gaston (played by Sage Brockleback, which...with that name, how did this guy not get an "as himself" role in Lord of the Rings) says, "If only he had come." Maurice grumps that he didn't come, and then talks down to his men and the audience. "Ogres aren't men." Yeah, we get that, Show. The point is, they're unstoppable. What I'm still unclear on, is whether Avonlea is Maurice's territory, or a neighboring one, but I'm never going to find out.
Closed Door: Knock knock
Maurice: Who's there?
Open Door: Nobody.
Maurice: Nobody who?
Maurice: Um...nobody who?
Maurice: I do say, nobody who?
Rumpy: [sitting on Maurice's throne] Well, that was a little bit of a letdown. Hee. Aren't I clever? Let me chew up the scenery for five minutes before I get to the point. Om nom nom. I'll help save your town if you give me your daughter.
Recapper: Wait. It's just a town? What's up with the castle, and why am I calling Maurice -- Sir?
Claire: Charlie, you have to save the baby!
Charlie: Claire, we're not in this show, love, but I like what you've done with your hair.
Claire: The color, yeah?
Charlie: Oh sure, the color is tops, but I was talking about the actual washing and combing of it. Good choice.
Recapper: Okay, you two, scoot.
Maurice: I told you I'd give you gold.
Rumpy: Ahhhh, you see, I *make* gold. Give me the girl.
Gaston: Yeah. Belle will not being going with you. She's staying with me, because no one gets engaged like Gaston, feels uncaged like Gaston, or remains weirdly uh-unenraged like Gaston.
Rumpy: If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it.
Gaston: I did, is what I'm saying.
Rumpy: That ring won't interfere with her taking care of my large estate.
Maurice and Gaston: No way, Rum-pay.
Belle: Are you two out of your mind? Rumpy, if my family and friends will all live, I will go with you, forever.
Rumpy: Deal! Gnnnarrrarragh.
Maurice: Belle, you cannot go with this...Beast.
Rumpy: Great, a new name. I do love names.
Belle: I make my own decisions, thank you very much.
Rumpy: Good luck with your war!
Over in Storybrooke, Moe French (Maurice) runs a floral shop. As he's unloading his van (emblazoned with a "Game of Thorns" logo -- clever, Show), Mr. Gold arrives to confiscate French's van, for defaulting on a loan. It's the day before Valentine's Day, and there are $1,000.00 worth of roses in the back. French argues with Gold and the repo man, to no avail. Regina watches from across the road, as French screams at the departing Gold. "You are the lowest. People aren't going to put up with this." When Gold approaches Madame Mayor, she says she wants to talk to him. Gold isn't interested, so it will have to wait. When Regina starts to protest, Gold says the magic word, "Please," and she backs off. It's clear from her expression, that she doesn't want to back off, but can't help herself.
Meanwhile, David Nolan is sitting alone in a booth at Granny's Diner. Mary Margaret Blanchard is in the table to the booth, also alone. She notices that David got "the book." That book is Anna Karenina, in which adultery features heavily.
David: It's great. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Audience: *Whistles*
Ruby: I can push the tables together if you two want.
Recapper: He's at an otherwise empty booth.
Ruby: I know. I just like yanking Mary Margaret's chain.
Mary: What? We're not...we don't...together.
Emma: I'm going to pretend I don't know what's going on here, and ask you how your day is going, Mom, I mean...Mary.
Mary: But I know you're really asking about Henry. He's fine. Normal. Happy. Don't worry. He's also sad, because he misses you, but in a happy way. What I'm saying is, if people are supposed to be together, they'll find a way. And CLEARLY I am only talking about you and Henry here, not me and...well, nobody.
Audience: Please don't commit adultery. You're Snow White and Prince Charming.
Ashley: And I'm Cinderella. I don't actually know that, but I'm mentioning it anyhow, because I heard a rumor that the Recapper's mother watched this whole episode and had no idea who Sean and I were supposed to be, or why we were featured, at all. Anyhow, being a single mom sure is tough. We haven't had time to get married. Sean's doing double shifts, even on Valentine's Day.
Ruby: Well then, let's have a girl's night out. Who's in?
Emma: Everyone but me. I've got a call from the station. Gotta go.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gold arrives home to find he has been robbed. His home is nearly as full of needful thing as his shop. Gun in hand, he quietly looks around. When he hears a noise behind him, he pivots and aims his weapon.
Emma: Hey, what do you know? I'm pointing a gun at you, too. Neighbor saw your door open and called my office.
Gold: I've been robbed!
Emma: Haven't we already done that episode?
In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpy brings Belle home to his grand estate and shows her to her room -- the dungeon. We cut to commercial. When we return, Belle is waiting on him in his dining room. We see the hideously creepy puppets and Buffy's scythe! As Belle serves him tea, Rumpy lists her duties.
Rumpy: Washing, cooking, laundry, straw fetching, oh, and you will skin the children I hunt -- for their pelts!
Belle: I drop the teacup, because did you not just hear what he said?
Chip Potts: And I am born. Hooray!
Recapper: Seriously, Show?
Chip Potts: You don't *sniff* like me.
Recapper: Dammit, Disney!
Belle: Um, can we get back to the bit about skinning children, because I don't even...
Rumpy: That one was a quip!
Recapper: Don't believe him, Belle!
Back in Storybrooke...
Gold: You can go. I know what was taken and how to get it back.
Emma: No can do. I'm the sheriff. You don't want to go all vigilante and end up behind bars.
Gold: Been there. Done that... Er... I mean... indeed not. Okay. Moe French is the culprit. You can read about him earlier in the recap.
Emma: I'll check him out.
Recapper: He's no Graham.
Back to the Enchanted Forest...
Belle: Why do you spin so much?
Rumpy: It helps me forget.
Belle: Forget what?
Rumpy: Must have worked. Gonnnnaaarrrragglgla.
Belle: Well, I'm standing on the kind of ladder one might use were one in a grand library, where one ought to be, if one is a fairy tale heroine, who in some versions, really loves books. But really, I'm just trying to open this heavy drapery, and disappoint millions of women who found Disney's Belle to be among the more satisfying princesses. Now come closer, so I can fall off of this ladder, into your arms, and the two of us can fall immediately in love.
Rumpy: Done.
Storybrooke, at the Sheriff's Office...
Emma: I recovered all your stuff, if not the culprit.
Rumpy: Job well half-done, then. You've recovered nothing. There's something missing.
Emma: I'll get it when I find him.
Rumpy: Not if I find him, first.
Disney: Commericals.
Rumpy: I'm having tea in the chipped cup, even though I have a full tea service. I bet you just can't guess what item is missing from that devilishly delightful Mr. Gold, over in Storybrooke.
Recapper: Here's how you type an eyeroll: @@
Belle: Rumpy, you say you wanted me here to work, but I think you're lonely. Any man would be.
Rumpy: I'm not a man.
Recapper: Look at the puppy dog eyes.
Belle: Hey, it's my turn to talk. What's with the children's clothing upstairs? Are you like a hoarder, or did you have a son?
Rumpy: There was a son. I lost him, as I did his mother.
Recapper: I just had a weird 'shipping moment, where I somehow want to find out Regina is Bael's mother, and that this whole Dark Curse is some divorce metaphor. I don't even know if that would be possible. I'm going to hope it's a fleeting desire.
Belle: You're ruining our touching scene. So anyhow, you were a man, once. That's cool, huh? Let's get to know each other.
Rumpy: Perhaps you just want to learn the monster's weaknesses. Nah neh neh nah neh nah neh.
Belle: You're not a monster and you're not as ugly as you think you are. I mean you're ugly, sure, but you're not cover-the-mirrors ugly.
Door: Knock knock knock knock knock.
Rumpy: *Opens door*
Gaston: I am Sir Gaston, and you...
Rumpy: *Snaps fingers*
Gaston: No one knows like Gaston, no one goes like Gaston, no one turns into a long stemmed rose, like Gaston.
Rose: *Falls to ground*
Rumpy: [returning to the dining room] So, would you believe that was an old woman selling flowers? Sure you will. You haven't cracked a book the whole time you've been for. This is for you, if you'll have it. Now tell me, why did you choose to leave your family and friends to come here, with me?
Belle: Heroism. Sacrifice. World travel. And frankly? Escape from the patriarchy, into this...beastiarchy. Um. Maybe I should read, more.
Rumpy: Is it everything you hoped?
Belle: Well, I'm not exactly getting to see the world, but I saved my village. Wait? It's a village now? Well, I guess it must be, or it wouldn't be in the script. Anyhow and honestly, I never really cared for Gaston. It was an arranged marriage. Love should be layered. A mystery to be uncovered. Gaston was superficial.
Rumpy: I just shake my head, here, because I am so in love with this pretty little thing.
Recapper: I'll just be grateful for the few moments of silence.
Belle: So anyhow, Rumpy, tell me about your son.
Rumpy: Let's make a deal. Go to town. Fetch me some straw. When you return, I'll share my tale.
Belle: You trust me to return?
Rumpy: Not so much, no.
In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret, Ashley and Ruby are bending their elbows at a Valentine's Day bash at the Rabbit Hole. Ruby tries to encourage Ashley to mingle with the single. Ashley declines. She whines to Mary about Sean always working.
Ashley: I thought love would be different.
Mary: Me, too. *Chugs*
Meanwhile, David is buying some last minute Valentine Cards. Gold sees him.
Gold: Two Valentines. Must be complicated.
David: Oh, no, I just couldn't decide.
Audience: That's the problem, David.
David: Both cards are just totally us. See.
Audience: And by "us" you mean the puppy one is for Kathryn, because you're being a real dog to her, David. And the Prince and Princess one is for Mary. We get it. She's your true love and we're okay with that. What we're not okay with is your refusal or inability to choose.
Gold: I'm just going to smirk at you and spew platitudes about love as I buy my usual Valentine's Day purchases -- you know, rope and duct tape.
Sneezy: *Sneezes*
, we see Gold driving the "Game of Thorns" van. Moe French is bound and gagged in the back. to him lies a long stemmed Gaston...I mean rose. Happy Valentine's Day, you crazy kids.
Network: Commercials.
At the Woodland Cabin of David and Mary Margaret's Moral Failure, Gold stops the van, gets out, opens the back, and at gunpoint, orders Moe French to walk.
Moe French: Mich sny oo, 'mzzz mmmunm.
Recapper: The duct tape over his mouth is making it a little difficult for Moe to enunciate. Let me get that, for you. He says, "Which I do -- 'cause gun."
Moe French: Mmmaanmooo.
Recapper: You're welcome.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Belle is on her way to town, when Regina's carriage rolls down the road. Regina opens the door and asks if her carriage splashed Belle. What -- with the blood of innocents? Belle says it didn't. Regina says she needs to stretch her legs and joins Belle on foot for a spell.
Regina: That's a pretty empty basket you have there.
Belle: I don't want to be slowed down.
Regina: Ah, are you running from a master or a lover? Oh, I saw that look. Both, you cheeky thing.
Belle: Um?
Regina: You love your employer, but you're leaving him.
Belle: I maybe love him. I don't know, there's something evil in him.
Regina: Sounds like a curse to me. Have you tried true love's kiss? Not that I would ever suggest a young woman should kiss a man who is holding her captive. What kind of message is that? Besides, if he loves you, he'd let you go. If not, the kiss won't work.
Belle: He did let me go.
Regina: But there was no kissing. True love's kiss will break any curse. He'll be an ordinary man again.
Recapper: That curse is unbreakable, no matter what you do. (I kid, fellas.)
Rumpy watches out the window for Belle's return. When he spots her on the road, he flies to his spinning wheel, and acts all casual like.
Rumpy: I have my dignity. So, uh, Belle. What's up?
Belle: You're happy I'm back and you promised me a story. Tell me about your son.
Rumpy: I lost him.
Belle: And since then, you've loved no one, and no one has loved you. I wasn't going to come back, you know, but something changed my mind. I'm going to kiss you, now.
Rumpy: What's happening? All my gold spray paint is flecking off.
Belle: Kiss me again. It's working! Any curse can be broken.
Rumpy flies into a rage and demands to know who told Belle about the curse. Belle only stammers out, "She," before Rumpy puts it together. He marches over to one of his mirrors, and uncovers it. Ah, he wasn't mirror averse because of his awful skin and wretched teeth. He just didn't want Queenie all up in his business. Personally, Rumpy, I'd have removed all the mirrors from my house. You never know what she might overhear. I'm just saying.
Rumpy: Excuse me, I have to yell at the mirror now, and really freak out my belov ... housekeeper, but we all know I'm yelling at Regina. Do you think you can make me weak? Do you think you can defeat me?
Belle: Who are you talking to?
Rumpy: The queen.
Recapper: ...
Jack Bauer: Belle, WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?
Belle: Um...true love?
Rumpy: Shut up. Just shut up. NO ONE COULD EVER, EVER LOVE ME.
Recapper: Okay, Robert Carlyle, in that one line, just sold me on Rumpy also being the Beast. I didn't expect to feel this way.
Belle: You're telling me.
Rumpy: I'm throwing you back in the dungeon now.
Belle: Damn.
Back in Storybrooke, Gold removes the duct tape from French's mouth, so he can both interrogate him about his missing possession, and shove his cane down French's mouth. (Not a euphemism.)
Gold: Frenchy, you're going to tell me two things. Where's my not-at-all-secret item? And who told you to take it?
French: I try to explain myself.
Gold: And that's not what I asked you to do, so I beat you with my cane.
French: It wasn't my fault.
Gold: You shut her out. You had her love, and you shut her out! She's gone. She's gone forever. She's not coming back. It's your fault, not mine. YOU are her FATHER! It's yours. It's yours.
French: What's he talking about?
Henry: Actually, there's this Fairy Tale book, right...
Recapper: Honey, you're not in this scene.
Henry: But I haven't been in any scenes yet. I'm calling my agent.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumpy smashes the hell out of his china cabinet.
And in Storybrooke, he is still beating French and yelling about fault when Emma shows up.
Emma: Stop.
In the Enchanted Forest, Gold proceeds to throw nearly his entire tea service across the room.
Chip Potts: But then he gets to me and is swayed by my cuteness. Thank heavens! I mean it's been a big loss for our family, but at least I've still got Mom. Oh wait, that's just Auntie Sugar Bowl. MOMMY?!!!!!!!
Back in Storybrooke, at the Rabbit Hole, Ashley is whining about her love life.
Mary Margaret: I respond sympathetically, but my subtext has rapidly become text.
Sean: I show up just then with a dozen roses. I'm here on my break, because I just had to see my best girl. I drop to one knee, take out a ring box, flip it open and ask Ashley to marry me.
Ashley: Yes!
Mary Margaret: We all clap. Ignore my bitter, bitter tears, I'm really so happy for those two kids. I'm just miserable for me. As soon as they're gone, I take off.
David: I bump into Mary Margaret and give her a Valentine.
Mary Margaret: Yeah, the one YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR WIFE! I so can't do this.
David: Babe, don't sweat it, I got you one, too. Here.
Mary Margaret: GO HOME TO YOUR WIFE.
David: You're right, but I'm not going to give up. We'll find a way to be together.
Audience: It's called divorce.
Meanwhile, Emma tells Gold he's lucky he didn't do too much damage to French. Emma wants to know who Gold thinks French hurt, because if someone needs help, she's the sheriff. To remind him of that, she then places Gold under arrest.
In the Enchanted Forest, Rumpy opens the dungeon and orders Belle to leave.
Rumpy: I don't want you anymore, dearie.
Belle: You were freeing yourself. You could have had happiness, if you could just believe that someone would want you, but you wouldn't take the chance.
Rumpy: Liar!
Belle: Coward!
Rumpy: Nuh uh. It's just my power means more to me than you do.
Belle: Nuh uh. You just don't think I can love you. Now you've made your choice, and you're going to regret it, forever. All you have is an empty heart and a chipped cup.
Chip Potts: I WANT MY MOMMY!
At the Storybrooke Sheriff's office, Emma reminds Gold that she still owes him a favor and offers half of her nice, fatty pastrami sandwich to clear the books.
Gold: I only take children. I mean, no thanks.
Regina arrives and offers Emma 30 minutes with Henry, if Emma will allow Regina 30 minutes with Gold.
Regina: Take your bastard for an ice cream or something.
Emma: You want me to leave you alone with a prisoner?
Regina: 29 and a half minutes.
Henry: Hi, Emma.
Emma: Hey.
Gold: Bring me back a cone.
Emma: Come on, let's go.
Henry: Okay.
Regina: So Gold, alone at last.
Gold: PLEASE, sit.
Regina: Why am I doing what he says? I do not like this.
Gold: So, you totally have my missing item, right? You totally put French up to robbing me. Let's make a deal.
Regina: We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. What is it that you want?
Recapper: I'm having that fantasy that they're former spouses again. Make it stop!
Gold: Regina, you know what I want. What do you want?
Regina: Answer my question -- simply. What is your name?
Gold: It's Mr. Gold.
Regina: Your real name.
Gold: Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name.
Regina: What about moments spent elsewhere?
Recapper: Tell her, or I'm going to do it. For heaven's sake, do you want Chip back or what?
Gold: Rumpelstiltskin. Now give me what I want.
Regina: Such hostility.
Recapper: Right? You two are totally exes, yes? Ack. Make it stop.
Recapper's Husband: Honey, have a glass of wine and some chocolate.
Recapper: Not right now. Don't you realize what this means? He remembers and has remembered all along. But now I'm thinking he's remembering being married to her, and her leaving him, after he deserted the Ogre Wars and was likely hobbled for his trouble.
Recapper's Husband: Nice red wine. Nice dark chocolate.
Recapper: Shhhh. There's still more.
Regina: Finally, you two. So anyhow, I reach into my purse.
Gold: My eyes grow wide.
Regina: I take out the cup, but I keep dangling it in front of the cell bars, just out of reach, as I tease the sap about his sentimental keepsake.
Chip: Hey, I'm a person, you know? Okay, I'm not a person, but I'm an anthropomorphized object. And I sing!
Gold: [grabbing the cup] Thank you, your majesty. Now that we're being honest, let's remember the good old days. I'm the one with the power here. I'm going to be out of here in no time, and things are going to change.
Regina: We shall see.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, Queenie pays a call on Rumpy, and furthers my we-shall-speak-of-it-no-more-fantasy by letting herself in, or barging in.
Regina: Flimsy locks. I have a certain mermaid I want to discuss.
Rumpy: Bitch, please. Keep trying, but you're never going to beat me.
Regina: Is this about that girl I met on the road. Margie? Verna? Whoevs.
Rumpy: Belle.
Regina: I had nothing to do with that tragedy. After Belle got home, her fiancé had gone missing. Since she had been shacking up with you, no one wanted her. Her father shunned her, cut her off and shut her off.
Rumpy: I'll totally take her in!
Regina: Muahahahahaha. Her father locked her in a tower and had clerics cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while, she jumped to her doom. She died.
Rumpy: You're lying.
Regina: Am I?
Rumpy: Well done.
Recapper: C'mon Rumpy, why are you taking Queenie at her word?
Regina taunts Rumpy about getting a new girl and finally leaves him. Once he's alone, Rumpy goes to the china cabinet, and takes out Chip. He sets it in a place of honor, where an elaborate goblet (the Holy Grail?) once sat.
Back in Storybrooke, Regina visits the hospital. She walks right past Moe French and enters a security code to gain access to a locked door. When she descends the stairs, she hands a Nurse Ratched look-alike a long stemmed rose, compliments her work and then asks, "Has anyone been to see her?" The nurse says no one ever has. Regina smiles and starts down the hall. She rounds a corner and passes a maintenance worker who is Chief's doppelganger. Finally, she reaches her destination. She flips open a little window on the door. Inside is Belle. Fade to black.
Well, that was a thing. While I think I would have preferred a Beast who was someone else in the town, I think the cast and crew sold me on this spin. Carlyle (along with Parrilla) has great chops. I accused him of scenery chewing (in the Rumpy role) early on in this episode, but that's the kind of character Rumpy is -- at least here. I would still like to know how he went from hobbled deserter to Dark One and then to this fey, psycho being. I'm sure we'll get there. I just hope I don't tire of him before we do. Bravo for Emilie de Ravin in her turn as Belle. I hope we get more of her, but I'm not sure how we could, until the series is almost over. She must be some sort of magical trump card for Regina.
I know Henry and Emma grate on some people, but their relationship is one of my favorite parts of the show. It's the Storybrooke reality that continues to resonate with me. This week, most of our Storybrooke action revolved around Gold, so while I appreciate the character, I didn't latch on to the emotions quite as easily. I find I don't want to get emotionally attached to his character, because while I think there's some good in there, it's not enough to assure me he's worth my time.
I hope we get some progress in or a recess from the David and Mary Margaret storyline. A few weeks ago, I was saying the "adultery" doesn't bother me, because it's not actual adultery. But even if, as I believe, it's the curse that is preventing David from breaking off with Kathryn, I'm getting tired of his seeming inaction. Shit or get off the pot, David. I'd also like to see some progress on the Mysterious Stranger storyline. I almost wish he hadn't been introduced until they were ready to use him.
I'll be back, Monday morning, with my recaplet of "What Happened to Frederick." In the meantime, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then join us in the forum, where no one's got a swell cleft in his chin, like Gaston.