#i just love the scenes where hook decides to piss rumple off

[mccallhero]

favourite ouat scenes: 14/?

[gch1995]

I went on to TV Tropes, and found a list of bad writing tropes. Sadly, most of them apply to every character on OUAT.

Aesop Amnesia: The more times a character is taught a lesson without learning it, the lower the viewer's opinion of him/her and you.

(Rumple, Belle, Emma, Snow, David, Hook, and Regina from S4-S6. I don’t think anyone on this show who lasted past season three ever really learned anything new after the first two-and-a-half seasons from past experiences. They just went back-and-forth until they came back full circle to the same points they were at before in the end of the Neverland arc at the end of S6-S7. The writers could not stick to positive character development, or write realistic regressions at all. I didn’t really hate the characters for it, just the writers behind them)

Angst? What Angst?: Make your characters react realistically to setbacks or tragic events. Too little angst makes them appear callous or ditzy.

(Literally, everyone on this show. There were no realistic human reactions anymore after the first two-and-a-half seasons)

Character Derailment: Characters can grow, but don't suddenly mutate them into something else.

(Let’s see, Rumple, Belle, Emma, and Hook seemed to be the biggest sufferers of this trope on OUAT)

Character Shilling: Having characters suddenly talk up another character for no real reason doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

(A lot of the Rumbelle drama from S4-S6)

Chickification: Be careful when you decide to make an Action Girl less action-oriented; if not done properly, it will annoy your audience.

(Emma Swan after she got together with Hook)

Compressed Vice: Don't have a character develop a bad habit or flaw out of nowhere solely for the sake of setting up An Aesop (doubly so if it contradicts previous facts about the character), and especially don't show its consequences in a hamfisted, unrealistic manner.

(Rumple and Belle from S4-S6, tbh)

Conflict Ball: Don't have a character cause conflict just because the plot says so.

(S1 Regina, 3B-6A Rumple and particularly Belle, Hook, and especially Zelena)

Creator's Pet: Treating a certain character with tons of love when they really don't deserve it is never a good idea.

(Hook, Regina, and Zelena)

Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy: Making the story excessively bleak and giving absolutely no hope will only tire out the audience until they lose interest in the story.

(3B-S7 of the entire series)

Demonization: Some of your potential audience may actually see where this position is coming from, if not actually agree. You'll turn them off by your exaggerated portrayal. It also makes it seem like the position you hold isn't nearly as solid as you think, since it can only stand up to strawmen.

(Rumple from S4-S6, and not in a good way)

Designated Hero: Having your hero Kick the Dog and still expecting your audience to see them as a paragon of virtue because you say so doesn't usually work; rather, it makes your hero unlikable.

(H00k, Snowing, Emma, Belle, and even Henry at one point or another. Pretty much every once truly heroic character on this show after S3 at one point or another)

Designated Love Interest: If you say that two characters are in love, don't make them hate or be apathetic to each other, actually go out of your way to make them love each other. Otherwise, it just feels contrived

(6A Rumbelle on both sides, and Belle’s characterization after the town line scene with Rumple, but that was just OOC. 5A CS on Hook’s side, and the main reason why I hate CS so much is because Jmo and Colin have no chemistry. It was forced)

Designated Villain: Having your villain come across as harmless or even too benign and still expecting your audience to see them as a monster because you say so doesn't usually work; rather, it makes your villain petty and perhaps far too sympathetic.

(Rumplestiltskin in 5B)

Die for Our Ship: Attacking a rival of your pairing of choice doesn't necessarily make that character a bad person and makes you look petty.

(What they did to Rumple, Belle, and Rumbelle to prop up Hook/CS, and Nealfire’s death).

Distress Ball: Don't have a character get kidnapped for no good reason.

(I actually haven’t thought of too many instances in the series, but Gideon in 6B. There was no point for him to rip apart Rumple and Belle with character destroying Drama™️ in 6B, so that Gideon could be kidnapped by the Black Fairy and become the “big bad” because there were no lasting or serious consequences for it in the end, anyway. Gideon had his memories erased of his upbringing under the control of the Black Fairy for 28 years and his time as a villain by deaging him back to an infant with a blank slate mind, so what was even the point of committing all that character assassination of his parents, getting him kidnapped, and making him the big bad decoy villain of 6B? It was just for Drama™️, which is bad writing.)

Draco in Leather Pants: Have an acceptable reason for making a truly evil character suddenly be nice. "He or she is hot!" will not do.

(Hook, Regina, Zelena, and even Rumple on a few occasions.)

Dull Surprise: Have your characters emote during events that would make a real person do so.

(Belle’s complete lack of trauma after being locked up for 28 years, but there are more instances of this on this trash show, sadly.)

Failure Hero: While having the hero lose from time to time adds some realism to the hero and drama to the story, if they lose every single fight or mission, not only will it destroy any and all tension, but the reader will feel bad for relating with the hero.

(BELLE from S4-S6)

Faux Action Girl: If you say that a girl is strong, then make her strong. If said Action Girl comes off as too weak, the audience will begin to hate her.

(Sometimes Belle and Emma, I guess)

Hero Ball: Heroes are expected to make bad decisions every now and then, but when they do this against all common sense it becomes annoying.

(Emma, Snow, David, Henry, and particularly BELLE)

Idiot Ball: When the character is suddenly acting like an idiot.

(Rumple and especially Belle from S4-S7)

Informed Wrongness: If a character is actually in the wrong, prove it.

(Rumple wanting to use the shears on the Rumfetus in 6A. Still don’t understand how or why it was ever proven it would have been so awful when they would have prevented Gideon from living a fate that was far worse, and Aladdin was fine. Also, Rumple has said himself that magic couldn’t be used to make someone love you on numerous occasions, soo...But whatevs..I also don’t get how Rumple taking back the curse “ruined” Killy’s sacrifice).

Jerk Sue: Having a character be a complete Jerkass who gets away with it just because the author designates them as such and says you should support them does not make for a strong character, and is more likely going to turn out be a case of Creator's Pet, and often The Scrappy. Also, it tends to look like a half-assed effort when the author just throws in some secondary throw-away detail in an attempt to make you feel sorry for the character and expect you to not get upset when they behave like a jerk for no other reason than they feel like it at the time.

(ZELENA!)

Moral Dissonance: Don't have the hero behave contrary to their usual morality and be completely oblivious to it.

(BELLE, EMMA, SNOWING, EVERY “HERO” ON THIS SHOW after 3A!)

Most Writers Are Male: Don't write women from ignorance, stereotypes, and/or in unsympathetic ways (either in the form of misogyny or over-sexualization).

(The writing for Emma and Belle in seasons post s3 ish in their relationships with Rumple and Belle, but for different reasons. Belle got dumbed down and turned into a harpy and a hypocrite with Rumple to vilify him, while getting declared “strong” for emotionally abusing him, leading him on, or doing shit like banishing him with nothing. Meanwhile, Emma turned into a codependent and violent stepford wife with no personal values, or life outside of Hook.

Also, the whole “evil is sexy” trope in female villains was offensive).

Out of Character: Moments when the character does something that he wouldn't normally do without any justification.

(Every character on this show at one point or another 98% of the time post season three ish. Yeah, the sad thing was that it wasn’t just moments of OOC ness, but overall characterizations in general)

Protagonist-Centered Morality: A character's moral standing should be based on their actions as a whole, not solely on their actions toward the main character. A sure sign of a Mary Sue or a Designated Hero.

(Hook, Emma, Belle, Snow, Henry, Regina, )

Race Tropes: Tread carefully with these. Having a minority character act like a walking stereotype screams lazy writing and will upset people

(OUAT did this a lot)

Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: Bashing a female character for liking/doing traditionally-feminine things is another form of misogyny, and can piss off the audience.

(I think they’ve done this sometimes)

Romanticized Abuse: Make sure that your romance is actually a reasonably healthy relationship. If abuse, either physical or emotional, is presented as sexy or sweet, the characters could become Unintentionally Unsympathetic, and viewers may get the wrong idea of what an acceptable real-life relationship requires

(Captain Swan, Rumbelle at times, and even Snowing at times)

Ron the Death Eater: Have an acceptable reason for making a truly good character suddenly be mean. "I hate him or her!" will not do.

(BELLE at the beginning of S6 with Rumple before he started screwing up, and in 5x18 in the UW with him)

Satellite Love Interest: Define your characters by something other than being the lover or crush for The Protagonist, or the archetypal "perfect" boyfriend/girlfriend.

(Belle for Rumple, but they didn’t always portray her as the archetypal perfect love interest for him either)

Strangled by the Red String: People going directly from being strangers to being genuinely in love is not very realistic or satisfying to watch. If you're going to make two characters fall in love with each other, try to take it slow.

(Emma and Hook)

Strong as They Need to Be: Don't have characters suddenly gain or lose power without any explanation.

(The whole loss of Rumple’s seer ability after he was resurrected. Was it ever explained? The only thing I can think of is that he wouldn’t have done a lot of the OOC stupid shit that he did if he could have seen the future)

Stupid Sacrifice: Characters shouldn't give up their lives for nothing (if the character is not a Martyr Without a Cause).

(Rumple and Belle in S7)

Villain Ball: See Hero Ball, only swap "heroes" and "villains".

(Rumple on-and-off-again from S4-S6)

Villain Decay: Don't have your antagonist lose their power and competence without a good reason

(RUMPLE from S4-S6. Seriously, he was honestly the worst possible main antagonist they could have chosen, and the least competent! )

Wangst: Make your characters react realistically to setbacks or tragic events. Too much angst makes them unrealistic and annoying.

(Every main character on the show, tbh, but especially Belle )

What an Idiot!: Characters should not make unrealistically bad decisions to drive the plot.

(Every main character on the show at one point or another from S4-S7)

Wimpification: Stripping the action, common sense, and strength from characters to add Wangst is a good way to piss off the audience.

(Rumple, EQ, Belle, Emma, Snowing, Hook, and every main character on this show)

@0ceanofdarkness

@ishtarelisheba

@done-with-ouat

@jxhniarty

@rufeepeach

@rumplestiltskin

@toewsgirl42

@forzaouat

@foreveradearie

[enixamyram]

OUAT ReWrite: 7x22 - Part 8

I don’t know about you guys, but this is the chapter I was most looking forward to fixing. This is the scene, out of all others, that pissed me off the most and I am happy to do it right. Most things are open for interpretation but this is the one and only thing that I cannot meet halfway on. It was complete lazily written trash and needs to be treated as such.

... So, after taking a breathing and calming myself down, I bring you the latest chapter. We’re very near the end and, so far, I’m pretty happy with the way it’s turned out but who knows. You guys tell me.

Chapter Eight: Everyone Vs WishRumple & WishHenry

  Even though he tried to hide it from them, Alice could tell Rumple had been crying. It wasn’t obvious but Alice probably knew him best out of everyone in the room, including his own grandson, and she could spot the signs almost as soon as he turned to face them when they entered the room. Alice bit the inside of her lip, wandering with Robin to the other side of the table as her father stormed ahead. She wanted to say something to him, but she also knew well enough to know it wouldn’t help.

  Nothing would help now that the power of the Guardian was gone.

  “Please tell me you have something,” Killian all but begged.

  “We may be in luck.” Rumple explained, walking across the room. “As I did, this Dark One-” He reached for his spinning wheel, lifting off the end and revealing a small vial of a dust like substance tucked away inside. “-hid some magic for a rainy day.”

  The others watched in silence as he poured the strange dust over his hand, rolling his wrist in order to cover the back of his fingers as well as the front of his palm. Immediately his skin began to glow a stunning golden colour, brightly enough to make Robin squint and temporarily look away while Alice found herself strangely transfixed with the sight of it. She could sense what kind of magic that was. After all, she had used it herself, but only once before when Rumplestiltskin was testing her to find out if she was really the Guardian…

  Another pang of guilt hit her at the knowledge that the power was truly forever gone. She forced herself to look up, to pay attention to Rumple and her papa instead of her own worries. After all, if Rumplestiltskin could put those thoughts behind him while they dealt with his alter ego, then so could she.

  “All I have to do now is get close enough to that…” He paused, looking at Killian and giving a small smile. “Crocodile, to rip his heart out. And this whole thing will be over.”

  “Too late, dearie,” Came an all too familiar voice. Everyone turned sharply to find WishRumple standing patiently in front of the fireplace, grinning as he took a step forward, looking at Henry. “Already have it. An author. With a darkened heart.”

O*U*A*T

  At the same time elsewhere, deep in the forest, WishHenry stormed furiously down the open path with two remaining loyal guards by his side. He had no idea how Regina had done it, but she had escaped his castle dungeons and taken over with her little team, including the alternative version of himself. They had even taken most of his guards with them somehow, though none of those who had returned to WishHenry’s side had explained how. All they knew was that they had been overpowered by a sudden new set of arrivals who charged in to save the Evil Queen from them.

  “Split up.” He told his guards, pointing them off in separate directions with the two swords he held in either hand. “She couldn’t have gotten far.”

  He came to a pause as they disappeared from his sight; turning into a slow circle and watching them go. He was positively fuming, knowing he might have been cheated out of his revenge after all this time. The more he thought about it, the angrier he came. No doubt it was powering WishRumple’s new little spell but WishHenry didn’t care. He didn’t care about any of those people. All he cared about was hunting down the woman who ruined his life and making her pay.

  “No need for the cavalry.”

  WishHenry turned sharply to find Regina walking towards him. She was still dressed in those silly clothes he found her in, hiding the true evil he knew was beneath that meek and mild little expression she wore. It was pathetic. And it just succeeded in making him all the more angry with her for daring to pretend she was anything other than what she really was. A monster.

  “I’m here.” Regina said, waving at herself.

  “Turning yourself in?” WishHenry asked, then sneered. “Or are you here to mother me some more?”

  “I know you might find this hard to believe, but there are people out there… A good, kind version of your family that can help you heal.” Regina explained, unable to help trying one last attempt to get through to him before it was too late. “Just as they helped me.”

  “The only way I’m going to heal,” Henry said, advancing on her sharply and raising the sword to point at her throat. “Is by killing you!” He snarled, staring into her face. It annoyed him how unafraid she was. She just looked sad for him, and that was infuriating. She had no right to feel sad for him, not when she was the cause for all his pain. He paused, taking a step back and digging the second sword into the ground by her feet. “But I’ll give you a chance to defend yourself. ‘Cause I’m better than you.”

  “Henry, I won’t fight you.” Regina said, feeling a crushing weight push down on her at the very idea of it.

  “As long as you die, I don’t really care.” WishHenry said coldly.

  Regina had been prepared to stand there in defiance, but then she hadn’t expected WishHenry to actually attack her. When she saw him moving in, she had no choice but to grab the sword in order to defend herself. Lifting it up just in time, she blocked the blow he threw down on her, stepping forward and pushing him back.

O*U*A*T

  The others didn’t have much chance to consider what WishRumple meant, when suddenly the armour in the room began to shake and the wind around them picked up, knocking some of the more lighter objects from the shelves and onto the floor at their feet. They could all feel the magic building up and pulling at them, wiping at their bodies just as WishRumple waved his hand through the air gently in front of him. Suddenly all the books they had brought with them sitting on the table began to flip open in front of them, spinning through the pages without ever coming to a stop, and at the same time a series of dark portals appeared around the room behind each of them.

  “What’s happening?!” Robin cried, looking around before she caught sight of the black abyss twisting behind her. She shrieked in surprised and moved forward at the same time as Henry ran back for her, grabbing her arms and pulling her to the table secured in the middle of the room.

  The four of them reached out, grabbing onto the tables edge and clinging on as the force of the wind picked up around them and began pulling at their bodies. They all felt the magic trying to drag them back to their separate portals, so fierce and intense that it felt like nothing any of them had experienced before. They could almost feel the lonely threats that were hovering behind them. The promise of never having a happy moment ever again. And all the while knowing what lay in store which somehow made it worse as they fought against the future WishRumple was attempting to force onto them.

O*U*A*T

  Regina wasn’t as skilled a swordsman as this version of WishHenry was, but desperation could take you a surprisingly far amount of way when you needed it to and she was able to duck down and spin around some of his worst blows that would have surely ended her. She lifted the sword to protect herself against his swings, trying to hold him back and struggling to keep up with the younger boy at the same time. All the while her heart felt like it was shattering with every attack he launched. She once again had to remind herself that this was not the son she had raised, nor the son who loved her. This was a new boy. A boy whom she had destroyed when she killed his grandparents and ran away with his mother. This was all her fault…

  Regina forced those thoughts away. Robin from her dream had been right. She couldn’t change the past and she couldn’t wallow in self pity at her mistakes. All she could do now was try and make up for them here and now. To fix the bad she had done by bringing the good back into the world, starting with her son. The feather he had given her was safely tucked into her bra, right over where her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Regina took strength from the soft tickle against her skin and pushed on.

  “Henry.” She said desperately. “This isn’t the way.”

  “You don’t get to decide that!” WishHenry snarled, pulling his sword back and swinging at her again.

O*U*A*T

  Rumplestiltskin wished he had magic back. Now more than ever before. He was so weak and helpless and couldn’t even do anything to help the others to get away. At this point he no longer cared what happened to him – he had already lost out for his chance of happiness – but the others – Alice, Robin, Henry, even Hook – didn’t deserve any of this. Unfortunately, without his powers, there was nothing he could. In fact he was left to do what he always did best; focus on his own survival. Like a true coward.

  Henry reached across the table desperately as the wind picked his feet up right from the ground. He shut his eyes, thinking of Lucy and Ella out in the world, hoping they weren’t suffering a similar experience. Hoping they were somewhere safe with his grandparents and the others. As he focused on his family, pushing out the thoughts that this was all happening because of him, he found the strength tighten his hold on the table, but already his arms were beginning to ache and he knew he couldn’t last long.

  At the sound of her love’s screaming, Robin glanced up. She was strong, but the magic behind her was stronger and she could barely hold on even with all her concentration and strength, but she couldn’t resist checking on Alice when she heard her cry. With the wind slapping her hair into the face and almost blinding her, Robin caught sight of Alice being lifted far higher than everyone else. Was it just Robin’s imagination, or was the magic pulling onto Alice harder than it was anyone else?

  “Alice, hold on!” Robin shrieked, watching the magic pull at Alice so her fingers slid along the wood of the table.

  It wasn’t her imagination. She could tell now, WishRumple was putting more magic into Alice’s portal. Maybe because she was The Guardian, or maybe because he knew she meant a lot to the RealRumple, or maybe just because he was going to pick them out one by one and happen to start with her. Whatever the reason, Robin couldn’t bare to let Alice slip into that portal and be alone. But she couldn’t let go of the table to help her either. All she could do was continue to yell encouragement and hope they found a way out of this nightmare before it was too late.

  “Alice! No! Hold on!” Robin screamed over the roaring of the wind, trying not to look to where WishRumple was clapping his hands like a giddy child in front of them.

  Alice was doing everything she could. She squeezed her fingers down hard but the magic wind was ripping at her body with such intensity, she could barely breath. She tried to will her own magic to work but she couldn’t concentrate enough. Not on holding on and using magic at the same time. She should have trained more. Should have worked harder at becoming a better Guardian. Instead she ran to live a happy normal life and now everyone was going to suffer for it.

  By her side, Killian had his hook locked around the other side of the table, making it easier for him to hold on but even that began to strain against the pressure. He glanced towards where his daughter was screaming by his side, her legs lifted high into the air and her fingers visibly slipping. She wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer and there was no saying when this torment would end.

  Knowing what was at stake and the only way to keep her safe, Killian ignored the steadily growing ache in his chest and began to shuffle down the table towards her. This was what he had been preparing for. Somehow he knew it would come down to this. His life had been an endless stream of revenge and misery, either for him or for others. If he was going to end it, he was going to end it protecting the one perfect thing he had ever created in his life. His daughter.

O*U*A*T

  Their battle continued.

  Regina was gradually losing the strength in her arms and her defence became weaker and weaker. It wasn’t just a physical toll, but an emotional one as well that weighed her down and made her sluggish. Even if he wasn’t her son, he looked the part and that alone was enough to feel like a real stab to her heart.

  And then WishHenry was rushing at her, and Regina was barely getting her sword up in time. Their blades clanged together loudly and Henry suddenly caught her off guard as he twisted the pair of sword around against one another. With a firm flick of his wrist like a true pro marksman, suddenly Regina’s grip on the sword broke and it flew from her fingers, landing on the dirt away from them, out of her reach. It skidded across the ground and Regina immediately made to dive after it, only to stop when WishHenry’s sword lifted up and stretched out between them, forcing her to back up.

  Then WishHenry was grabbing the front of her coat in his fist. He pushed her back against the tree so she was pinned and lifted the sword, pointing it at her face. Regina could have used magic, either to beat him or simply escape his hold but she wouldn’t do that. That was what she did when she murdered WishSnow and WishDavid. She ran away and left him with his misery and it was that misery that consumed and twisted him and led him to the man he was now.

  Regina would not run away. Not this time.

  “Henry… I’m so sorry.” Because what else was there left to say?

  “You knew I wouldn’t listen to you! So why did you come here?!” WishHenry demanded angrily.

  “I had to!” Regina insisted.

  “No you didn’t! What do you want from me?!” WishHenry shouted, his voice breaking slightly in his desperation for answers. It was just a slim sign that there was still some good in him but it gave Regina a great bound of hope.

  “I just want you to know that you aren’t alone.” Regina said. “Because I know what that’s like too.”

  “You deserve to be alone. And that’s how you’re going to die!” WishHenry snarled.

  “I know-” Regina began, ready to give her last plea to the boy who looked like son. Her last plea for WishHenry’s soul.

  “SHUT UP!” WishHenry shouted, pulling her from the tree and slamming her back again, winding and silencing her all at once. “I am done listening to you. You stole everyone I cared about, ruined countless of lives, and now you are going to finally pay for all of them. I don’t just do this for me. I do this for all the people you’ve hurt in your own selfish desires!”

  Regina wanted to try again, but her back was bruised as she was struggling to catch her breath. And in that moment, she saw the look in his eye and knew it was over. This wasn’t her Henry. This was someone new. A young boy that was lost to her forever.

  As WishHenry pulled back his sword for one last final swing – to give her the finishing blow… Regina tearfully shut her eyes.

  At least she’d finally be reunited with Robin.

  Maybe this was her happy ending after all.

  Peace.

O*U*AT

  Alice let out one last scream as her hand finally slipped and he grip on the table broke. She cried out loudly as she felt her body lift completely up and fly backwards, a cold fear holding so tightly onto her as she realised what was going to happen, and she didn’t know how she would survive it a second time round. But then, at the last moment, she felt something suddenly grab onto her hand, pulling her to a stop. Her shrieking died down in relief and surprise, only to rise back up again as she saw what it was that had caught her. A familiar bright green glow shone in her face as she looked towards where her father had moved up just enough to reach out and grab her hand in time. His hook was still locked around the table, holding them both on, but now his face was twisted in agony as he gripped her hand so tightly, it felt like her fingers might snap.

  “Papa, let go!” Alice shouted, not having to think twice about it. She couldn’t bare the thought of him dying, even if it meant giving up her happiness and returning to the loneliness of the tower.

  In return, her papa didn’t need to think twice about his answer either. “Never!” He shouted, with such conviction Alice knew there was no point arguing. Even as the pain began to spread from his heart through to the rest of his body, he gripped her hand like there was nothing else in the wood, even while his hook pulling fiercely on the end of the table. It scratched and swung against the magic, but thankfully did not break and remained firmly locked down.

  But even that wasn’t enough. He could feel Alice’s fingers slipping out of his grasp, no matter how tightly he clung on. Both of them were sweating hard and that mixed with the magic winds made it near impossible for them to keep their grip. Alice was going to slip free and then he would lose her forever to a fate worse than death.

O*U*A*T

  “Henry, stop!”

  WishHenry froze just before he could strike and Regina’s eyes snapped open. She looked up and nearly burst into relieved tears and two familiar figures broke through the clear and stepped into the wide space around them. As they did, WishHenry released her, taking a stunned step back and staring at the two of them like he had seen a ghost.

  “Grandma… Grandpa…” WishHenry croaked.

  “Henry,” Snow smiled sadly at him, sounding very out of breath. “You don’t want to do this.”

  WishHenry blinked at her before shaking his head. “No. You’re not my grandparents.” He rounded on Regina, snarling and pointing the sword back at her throat. “You’re from her world! That other place!”

  “That’s right!” David said quickly, holding out a hand and slowly walking around him, they had both put their weapons away on their quick approach and had no intention of drawing them again. “We’re not your actual grandparents… But we are a version of them.”

  “And we’re here to stop you from doing something very foolish.” Snow said, walking around the other side, stepping closer than David dared and smiling softly at the young boy.

  “Foolish?” WishHenry frowned, not taking his eyes off of Regina.

  “Yes. Because it would truly be foolish, to darken your heart for the sake of revenge.” Snow said, reaching for him but stopping short when he moved slightly closer to Regina, the blade now pressing against the side of her neck.

  “Why should I listen to you? You’re not my family!” WishHenry snapped. “She took my family! And now she has to pay! She killed everyone I cared about and ruined my life! And she’s ruined countless other lives as well!”

  “Yes. Yes, she has.” Snow said quickly. “Regina has made more mistakes than anyone else. And she has suffered for all of them. She had taken people from their children, and then she had to live without her own son. And she has murdered loved ones and broken hearts. And in return she lost her own love.” Snow moved closer towards him. “Henry, Regina has paid more times over for her sins than anyone else.”

  WishHenry wavered, glancing at her weakly. He couldn’t help it. When he looked at her, he saw his own loving grandmother. Though she was much younger, she had the same kind eyes and soft smile in the way that she looked at him.

  “Put the sword down, Henry.” David said. He too, looked exactly like his real family. So much like the man who had taught him everything he knew about being a noble knight.

  A noble knight who would never make them proud. Because these people weren’t his family. They were fakes. His real family was gone.

  “Not until I kill her!” WishHenry snapped, rounding back on Regina who was frozen to the spot. She knew her life, and Henry’s, was relying completely on the Charming's.

  “And then what?” Snow pressed, moving even closer until she could have touched him if she wanted. But she held herself back. She waited for the right time to close the gap between them. “And then what, Henry? What comes next?” She stressed the words slowly. When WishHenry didn’t answer, she went on. “Henry. If you kill Regina, then you get your revenge. But revenge wouldn’t make you happy. It won’t bring back your grandparents and it won’t fix the pain that is filling you up inside. It will only make it grow because without Regina, you won’t know what to do. Revenge is foolish but powerful and it can keep someone going until the end of time but once it’s gone, there’s nothing.”

  WishHenry swallowed. He was shaking so hard, Regina was afraid he was going to cut her by mistake. “Then what do I do?!” He demanded.

  “You heal, Henry.” Snow reached up, finally placing a hand on his shoulder. “The greatest revenge is to get your own happiness and you can only do that by letting go of the pain and allowing yourself to heal. I know things seem dark right now, and it feels like the pain will never go away and the world will never stop just throwing more misery down on top of you. But I promise you, that feeling is temporary. The world keeps turning, even while you suffer, and if you let yourself turn with it, then that pain will get easier to manage.” Snow squeezed his shoulder. “And once you heal, you can be happy, Henry. You can start your life a fresh. Do things right. Show Regina, and all other villains in the world, that their evil ways won’t affect you and they won’t stop you from living your life as a true and noble knight.”

  Noble knight. That was what he was always meant to be. Noble.

  Yet here he was, threatening to cut Regina down… But she deserved it! She took away his family!

  “I lost my mother,” Snow said suddenly, drawing his attention back to her. “When I was just a child. Even younger than you. And then later my father and David lost both his parents too. We know the pain you’re in Henry. We understand how it feels and, trust me; I know what it is like to seek revenge. But it does not make you happy. It will never make you happy. The only thing that can is by being who you were always meant to be.” She stepped until she was right beside him. “A hero. One who does the right thing. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it.”

  Tears had filled WishHenry’s eyes and he glanced at the woman by his side. She didn’t just look like his grandmother, but sounded and acted like her to, making it impossible for him to ignore her. “What if I can’t be a hero?” He asked, shakily.

  “I know you can. Being a hero doesn’t always mean slaying the dragon.” Snow said quietly. “Sometimes it’s a simple… As setting an example.” She looked to Regina and smiled. “Sometimes it can simply be showing mercy. And forgiving those who wronged us most.” She looked back at WishHenry. “Be a hero, Henry.”

  David moved up the other side of him, taking his free hand in his own. “We’re not worried about you, Henry. We both know you will do the right thing. We’re just here to let you know that you don’t have to do it alone. We may not be your real grandparents, but we are here for you.”

  Tears were now flooding free, streaming down he cheeks as he looked between his grandparents, openly sobbing. There was a tense moment between the four of them as they all held still and waited before WishHenry finally slackened, dropping the sword down by his side without a second glance. Then he turned to the two grandparents he had lost and threw himself at them, bursting into tears against their comforting and familiar shoulders.

  Regina felt herself relax and smiled at Snow over WishHenry’s shoulder. She watched grandparents embrace and comfort their alternative grandson. And even though Regina had been unable to get through to him… She was just glad someone had.

O*U*A*T

  With one final scream building in Alice throat as she prepared for the inevitable, she knew what was coming next. Looking to her papa once more, Alice felt the tears fill her eyes, wishing she could say everything she was feeling… Instead, she could say nothing as she finally lost her grip, their hands breaking free…

  Only for the portals to die down at the exact same time.

To Be Continued...

So the usual adding detail and thought but let's get to main change! The one I have wanted to do since I started this story. Fixing that complete and utter trash of a scene between Wish Henry and Regina.

Now, if they had Regina get through to Henry by talking him down, I might not have minded so much. However I refuse to accept the way they did it, which included WishHenry hugging her the woman who destroyed his life. But more than that, it seemed almost logical to have Snow and David be the ones to get through to him. Even Regina's line "but there are people out there… A good, kind version of your family that can help you heal" made it sound like it was foreshadowing Snowing showing up and saving the day. That just made the most damn sense to me! Have the grandparents Henry lost convince him to do the right thing... I am generally annoyed they decided to go with the fanservicy option of having Regina save the day even though it made no logical sense.

So I fixed it. I had Snowing come in and talk Henry down by reminding him of the man he could be and the grandparents they were to him. And I replaced that god awful WishRegalBeliever hug with a proper WishSnowingBeliever hug instead.

[efnewsservice]

Highlights from the Rebecca Mader panel at Storytelling Con, Barcelona, April 22, 2017

Asked about visiting Prague:  “My favorite thing to do in Prague is just to walk around the old part, walk over the bridges, drink the wine and eat the food.  I ate and drank so much in Prague it was fantastic.  A really beautiful city.”

Asked about Elizabeth Mitchell:  She missed working with her on Once Upon a Time but loved working with her on Lost.

About Zelena’s relationship with Hades:  “That died a death didn’t it?  Zelena and Hades no more.  […]  Being with Hades was the first time Zelena has ever been in a romantic relationship with a man or a woman.  It definitely changed her.  It broke down some walls around her heart.  […]  He was awful.  She can do way better than him.  He’s an amazing actor.  I think she deserves to be with someone who doesn’t want to murder her sister.  You know what i mean?  […]  I need some new blood.  Someone new.”

If Regina and Zelena weren’t sisters would she ship them:  “Yeah.  It doesn’t matter because in real life we’re just Bex and Lana.”  What story would you like for them?  “To be lesbian lovers you mean?  I’d watch it!  It would have to be on cable or netflix.  And for them not to be related.  Just girlfriends, not sisters, two strong women?  I ship it.”

Why she became an actor and move to the US:  “I always wanted to be an actress but I couldn’t afford to go to college.  So I just decided fuck I’m going to move to America and see what happens.  So I moved to America with $200 and said I’m going to be an actress!  And everyone said okay… and I showed them.  Haters gonna hate….”

What would you like to be if you weren’t an actress:  “I don’t have a plan B.  I always wanted to be an actress so I did it.  I don’t have an plan B.  If it all goes wrong I’ll just have to do it at home.”

Asking about Glinda:  “Yeah I love it when there are lots of Wizard of Oz characters.  Tomorrow night, because you’ll all be watching illegally on your laptops, is a big episode for my character where you’ll get to meet the Tin Man and maybe the Cowardly Lion.  I think it would be great if Glinda came back at some point.  She’s beautiful.”

Bex cannot remember the Lost numbers.

Bex wants Star Wars characters added to Once Upon a Time.

How does she view Regina blaming Zelena for the death of Robin:  “It was not my fault!  I didn’t do it!  I didn’t kill him!  I killed Hades for her!  I’m FINE!  I literally killed my boyfriend to save my sister.  You’re welcome.  Regina lives because of me.”

FMK:  Emma, Rumple, Regina.  F: Emma, M: Regina, K: Rumple.  Because Regina would cook for her and be a good wifie.  “That’s a whole new tv show!  I’d watch it.”

If Zelena had a pet what would it be:  “A flying monkey.  And a broomstick.  And if you ever don’t see my baby in a scene, they’re like ‘the flying monkeys are taking care of it.  They’re good nannies.”

A love interest from Lost for Zelena:  Sawyer.

Funny stuff between the cast:  She directs people to Snapchat and she suggests Lana is always trying to feed her and make her fat.   

Favorite character on Grey’s anatomy:  “The hot guy who is always moody and works in peds.  And then like the hot blond lesbian.  I love her.  If I had a sick baby I’d take her to her stat.”

Promises that we’ll see some “sister stuff” in the coming episodes.

Question about Zelena finding true love, someone suggests Emma, “Sorry Hook.  Maybe she should break up their relationship.”  More suggestions about Zelena and Belle.  “At the end of this season I don’t know that she’ll find true love.  She’s still getting over that Hades thing.”  But says she doesn’t need a man.

Favorite ship on the show:  “Zelena and her broomstick.”

Favorite bloopers:  “When i forget a line I say such awful things.  There is a reason I’m not on the blooper reel much because when I forget a line I immediately swear.  Once my sister came to visit me in Vancouver in September and we were in Mr. Gold’s shop and Regina, she was the Evil Queen, and there was Rumple, and my sister was by what we call video village where the monitors are and I walked up to the Evil Queen and ‘FUCK!  I forgot what my fucking line was!’ and I heard my sister in the back scream and that made it so much worse.  I don’t even remember what the question was.”

Favorite life advise:  “Be yourself.  Piss off hater.  Do you.  Just do you boo.  And whatever you are doing in life just don’t give up.  And when things are really awful and you just want it to be over and you don’t want to do it anymore it never feels the same the next day.  Hashtag ThisToShallPass.”

What it was like working with Barbara Hershey:  “Awh mama.  Barbara Hershey was wicked.  She’s really kind.  She had really good candy.  I had a bit of a love affair with Barbara Hershey.  We fell in love and she would like hold my hand.  We had these beautiful scenes with Barbara, Lana and me, and before we shoot while the cameras were rolling we would just hold hands and look into each other’s eyes and just say ‘I love you’.  The three of us together was magical.”

Would she like to have a romance with King Arthur:  “A bit weird because Liam is a very good friend and I know his fiance so I’m going to say no.”

She’s only ever been to an airport in Sweden.  But she’d like to go there and see more then the airport.

What does she think about the Black Fairy:  “I love her.  I’ve known the actress who plays her Jaime Murray, for seven years.  Jaime Murray is an amazing actress.  But it’s nice.  We’re the same age.  We’re both English.”  About the final battle:  “Buckle up for safety, it’s about to get real.”

Memorizing dialogue:  She learns each line and then the second, and then goes back to the first and does both, and then goes onto the third, and repeats until she learns all of it.  She credits doing soup opera acting.

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 2x11 “The Outsider” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x11 1x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x03 2x04 2x05 2x06 2x07 2x08 2x09 2x10

Holy crap! I’d forgotten that this episode happened so fast into the second half of season 2. Honestly, this seems like it would be more of a winter or end of season cliffhanger. Belle’s been shot and doesn’t remember who she is! Archie is rescued! Gold knows Hook is in town! We get the backstory of how Mulan and Phillip met (okay, that one I really didn’t need to know right this second), and how adventurous Belle decided to be in the few days of freedom she had between being Rumplestiltkskin’s maid and being captured by the Evil Queen. And someone from the outside has crashed into Storybrooke! Also, from this point forward, anytime Gold is with Belle, he will be referred to as Rumple since that is what she calls him.

Summary: Hook goes after Belle, who discovers his ship and Archie. In the EF, Belle meets Mulan and they go after the mythical Yaoguai.

Opening: Yaoguai

Character Observations:

Past Belle/Belle: So, I had this really long drawn out analysis of both Past and Present Belle written out that spanned almost three pages, when I realized that I could boil Belle down to bare bones. Past Belle is brave. She uses her book smarts not only to trick the Yaoguai hunters into believing that the Yaoguai lives near water (seriously, the thing is on fire, why would it live near water), but to also successfully find it’s actual habitat. She knows it’s nocturnal so she knows she can kill it while it sleeps. Unfortunately, for all her book smarts, looking down to see if a twig is there before stepping on it is not. This wakes the Yaoguai and she almost gets killed, but is luckily rescued by Mulan, who’s pissed at her for scaring away the beast she’s been tracking for weeks. Past Belle gets a little haughty that she found it in a day. In the village, Past Belle is almost killed by the hunting party, because they’re pissed she sent them to the lake (Past Belle is just pissing everyone off in this adventure), but Mulan comes and saves her. She’s impressed that Past Belle found the Yaoguai in a day and wants her help to find it again. Somehow they track it to a village that is on fire, but Mulan injured herself saving Past Belle, so she sends Past Belle to go kill the beast. Past Belle rightly tells Mulan that tracking/research is different than actually killing something, but Mulan gives some warrior spirit speech that inspires Past Belle. It looks like Past Belle might be setting herself up for failure when she gets the Yaoguai’s attention and makes it chase her, but she’s realized (or hoped) that water and the Yaoguai don’t mix, so she cuts down one of the water pipes and douses it’s fire mane. She then realizes that the poor thing is in pain and also writing Chinese characters that say Save Me, so she smartly throws the fairy dust Dreamy gave her on it, and low and behold, the Yaoguai is actually Prince Phillip. After hearing Phillip’s story about Maleficent cursing him so he’d be separated from his true love, Past Belle decides she needs to go fight for Rumple, even though he kicked her out and made her feel like an awful person. Unfortunately, the Evil Queen is waiting for her and takes her captive. Past Belle screams that she won’t stop fighting for Rumple.

Which brings us to the present, in which Belle will not stop fighting for Rumple despite the fact that there is nothing worth saving. Belle is so happy that he has finally figured out how to cross the border without losing his memories (Gold does not tell her how he figured this out). She goes to the library where Hook is waiting for her. And this is where the stupidity of this episode begins. Belle unlocked the door, yet she sees a stranger, with a hook, and wearing all leather in the library reading a book and all she can say is they’re not open yet? Then she finally realizes that it’s the guy that tried to kill her when she was the Evil Queen’s captive. She runs (smart) but he traps her around a book cart, so she throws it on him (smart again). Then she decides to trap herself in the elevator instead of running out the door. The elevator that can only move with someone controlling it from the outside. Not a smart move Belle. She attempts to call Rumple but he can’t hear her that well. Rumple finally gets to the library and Hook is gone by this point. He wants to go after Hook, but Belle tells him this is a problem for the sheriff. She asks about their feud and Rumple tells her it’s none of her concern. Thankfully, Belle gets a backbone and says it is her concern since Hook attacked her. Rumple reluctantly tells her that Hook stole his wife and Milah died and glosses over any significant details. They walk into the shop and it’s been torn apart. Rumple realizes that’s why Hook came after her. Hook has managed to steal the shawl that will let Rumple leave town. Rumple wants to go after Hook but Belle tries to stop him and figure some other way to get it. She wants to help, but Rumple berates her. He tells her to go back to the library until this all goes away. Belle finally wises up to how awful Rumple is and asks if he’ll put a spell on her to comply. But then he shows his concern for her and how he doesn’t want to lose her and she melts. Rumple gives her a gun for protection and she goes off to clean the library. Belle makes assumptions when finding a knot when cleaning up the books in the library. She deduces it’s a nautical knot, but if she’d looked any further than that, she’d see it could be used as a weapon or ornamentation, so that doesn’t necessarily mean Hook came on a ship. But whatever, she’s right, and she discovers the cloaked ship at the docks and stupidly decides to go on it without any backup (but at least she remembered to bring the gun). She discovers Archie and rescues him, but then, even though she hears someone on the deck, decides to a) put down her gun, and b) try to open a locked chest because she thinks the shawl is in there. Hook catches her and grabs her gun. Belle becomes an even bigger idiot by telling Hook she’s not afraid of him while he’s pointing a gun at her head. Now is not the time to be brave Belle! Hook gives her the lowdown about what really happened with Milah (the not stealing her), and Belle actually asks why Milah would leave him (have you not met Rumple?). Hook explains about Rumple being a coward and that Milah loved him and that he didn’t burn the shawl right away because Milah made it. Belle takes this moment of sadness to appeal to Hook that she’s sorry that she died but vengeance isn’t the way to go. Hook makes it very clear that Milah didn’t just die, that Rumple tore out her heart and crushed it in front of him, and Belle still doesn’t believe that Rumple is capable of that. Open your eyes, Belle! Hook wants to know how she can be with a man like that (don’t we all). She believes there is good in him (where?), she believes he’s changed, and she believes his heart is true (what the fuck?), and Hook’s is rotten, so she hits him with an overhanging oar which sends him flying, grabs the shawl, and heads toward the deck.  Belle is surprised when Hook beats her to the deck of his ship (because it is his ship), but Rumple comes to the rescue. He starts beating the ever-loving shit out of Hook and Belle starts talking to Rumple like a small child who is doing something wrong. Belle is trying to convince Rumple that there is still good in him and that Hook is goading him into being who he used to be. Rumple finally relents when Belle asks him to prove she’s not wrong about him (oh, but you are Belle, so wrong), and practically drags him off the ship. She and Rumple drive out to the border and say their goodbyes, but right as Rumple’s about to leave, Hook comes out of nowhere and shoots Belle, who promptly falls over the border and loses her memory. Well, maybe she’ll finally see who Rumple really is through fresh eyes.

Gold:  He’s just a complete asshole. Like, be evil, that’s fine, but his treatment of Belle is not warranted. Hook is completely right when he tells Belle he has to show his power and prove he’s not a coward anymore. There are only two scenes where I actually have feelings toward Gold: when Belle wonders if he’ll cast a spell to make her comply and he seems hurt because he doesn��t want to lose her, and when he’s trying to decide whether to be the man Belle wants him to be or kill Hook. Gold does a lot of despicable things in this episode. He pushed Smee over the town line to test his potion in retaliation for trying to send Belle over the line in The Crocodile, then he later turns him into a rat because he knows he’s working with Hook. Gold seems like such a classic abuser. He is constantly treating Belle like an object. He does not appreciate her mind (not that she’s using it very well), and he constantly berates her when it comes to how he is going to deal with things. He also chooses his words carefully when telling Belle things (like about Milah leaving him and how she died). They bicker more than they have good conversations. She’s already left him twice (We Are Both and The Crocodile), and he hasn’t learned to change either time, because he knows she’ll come back. He has discovered that with a certain potion poured over your most treasured object, you can cross the border without your memories converting back to your Storybrooke persona. Gold almost makes it to go find his son, but Hook shoots Belle, forcing her over the border so she’ll forget Rumple.

Hook: He’s just full of fun surprises this episode. It’s amazing how much depth his character pulls off. First he’s terrorizing Archie and trying to find out Gold’s weakness since Archie has no info about the dagger. Then, Archie must have told him about Belle and the library, because he shows up there to terrorize Belle. Once she locks herself in the elevator he apparently goes to ransack Gold’s shop to find the shawl that will help him retain his memories when he crosses the border. Later, when he finds Belle on his ship, he reveals that Milah left Rumple because he was a coward and Milah loved him. He should have burned the shawl immediately, but Milah made it and you can see how much having that shawl means to him. It’s something of Milah’s that he can physically hold onto. When Belle tells him vengeance against Rumple isn’t the answer just because Milah died, we get ultra sexy Hook with a gun. Seriously, the way he slides the gun towards Belle’s chest and then up to her forehead. Phew. Is it hot in here? The most seductive non-sexual scene ever. Unfortunately, Belle gets the drop on him (literally, she drops an overhanging oar on him), but he manages to beat her up to the deck, because it’s his ship and he knows his way around it. Gold shows up at this point and starts beating Hook with his cane. Hook seems to be enjoying the beating way too much, or maybe he just revels in the fact that Belle will see the monster Gold is and be done with him. No such luck. Hook asks Gold to rip out his heart and crush it so he can finally be with Milah, and Gold almost does it, but Belle convinces him not to. Gold tells Hook to leave and sail his ship until he falls off the edge of the world. Hook does not heed this advice. He follows Belle and Gold to the border and shoots Belle with the gun Rumple gave her for protection, causing her to fall over the border. Hook tells Gold that Belle may not be dead, but now she doesn’t know who he is. Karma comes in the form of a speeding car that crosses into Storybrooke and hits Hook, who goes over the windshield.

Mulan: We see that Past Belle had a little adventure with Mulan before getting captured by the Evil Queen. We don’t see much of a personality change between the Mulan we’ve met and past Mulan. Although she does talk about having to prove herself and something about a Warrior Spirit which doesn’t really apply to the situation at hand of Belle going to kill the Yaoguai. We do get to see how she and Phillip met though.

Henry/Emma/Mary Margaret/David: Henry is upset about Archie’s death and keeps calling Archie’s voicemail just to listen to his voice. Aww. At the reception for Archie’s funeral, the dwarfs want to know when they’ll be heading back to the EF. Emma reminds him that she and Mary Margaret just fought hard to get back to Storybrooke. Leroy doesn’t think it’s safe, plus, what if strangers get into the town and see magic? They’re also homesick. Emma decides that to get Henry out of his funk he’ll care for Pongo, in the tiny loft that houses the Charming family. Surprisingly, Mary Margaret and David are all for adding a dog to their family, but that prompts Mary Margaret to suggest that she and David move into their own place. Emma and David are surprised by this. Emma especially, because she thought after finally being reunited they’d all want to live together. I mean, I get where she’s coming from, but the loft has absolutely no privacy because there are no rooms. I’m with Mary Margaret on this. Also, with Emma’s background, I’m surprised she’d want to live with her parents considering she’s been on her own for 28 years. Mary Margaret says she did want to live together, but she imagined a bigger place, with turrets (love that line). Mary Margaret and David are looking at house listings, but David is shooting down every house she shows him. Mary Margaret realizes this isn’t about the houses. David confirms this by saying he doesn’t want to die in Storybrooke, he wants to go back to the Enchanted Forest. Mary Margaret tells him that there isn’t anything to go back to, but David wants to go back and fight for their kingdom. Mary Margaret is tired of fighting. David wants them to fight for what they really want, but Mary Margaret is beginning to realize they don’t want the same thing. Henry is taking them possibly moving out much easier. He’s making blueprints of what to do with the loft (including an armory). He wants the weapons to protect them from Regina, but Emma swears that Regina would never hurt him., she won’t let it. Henry is scared because she killed Archie, but Emma promises she won’t let Regina take him back. There’s a knock on the door and Pongo starts going crazy, and it’s Archie! He tells them it was Cora who kidnapped him (and he doesn’t seem that Cora is now in town after they thought she was stranded in the EF), and Emma is slowly realizing that Regina was framed, just like she thought. Henry wants to go tell Regina right away and Emma is afraid they’ll be paying the price regardless.

Questions:

It’s only been a day or two since Archie died and not only are they holding his funeral, but there’s a carved gravestone already?

How does Dreamy know Belle has only seen dark magic? She’s never mentioned the Dark One to him.

Why is Belle not more freaked out about someone in the library when she had to unlock the door to get it (the key is in her hand when she opens the door)?

Why couldn’t Hook get into the elevator? Even if he couldn’t figure out the whole pressing a button to open the door, couldn’t he have used his hook to pry the doors apart?

Belle and Gold have flip phones.

When did Belle have time to go shopping for new clothes and how did she pay for it? It’s not like Rumplestiltskin was paying her.

Where exactly is Belle supposed to be? The Yaoguai is a Chinese mythological beast, and Mulan says it attacked her village. Is the Enchanted Forest near their equivalent of China?

How does Hook know about the shawl and its significance? Is this one of those pieces of information that Smee just happens to collect?

Is Hook’s ship cloaked or invisible? Because if it’s invisible, there should still be an indentation in the water. But if it’s cloaked I don’t think the seagulls would be able to land on it.

Why is there a random box with sand on the docks? I don’t know enough about docks to know this and Google didn’t help at all.

Why is Archie calling out hello? Does he honestly expect someone other than Hook or Cora to be on the ship?

Is there another way off Hook’s ship besides the deck? If Hook was up there, shouldn’t he have seen Archie free and escaping?

Could the costume department not have used a magnetic earring for Hook instead of the clip on he’s so obviously wearing? The scene with him, Belle, and the gun was so amazing but all I could see was the stupid clip on.

What happened to the bow and arrow Mulan had on her originally? It’s never seen after she shoots at the Yaoguai.

So, I get why David wants to go back to the EF. It’s familiar and all he knows is being a shepherd and a prince. But why would he want to leave Emma and Henry? Does he think they would come with them to the EF? Why would he think they would go to the EF with them?

How did Archie know Pongo was at the loft? Did he go see Marco first and he told him where Pongo was? If so, why didn’t Marco warn Emma about Archie being alive?

Why is Gold planning to cross the town line at night? And he is planning on walking or taking his car with him? And if he is taking the car, how is Belle getting back to town?

Why does Claude tell the Evil Queen about Belle? Was she looking for Belle and Claude happened to be there? Did he seek out the Evil Queen specifically because of Belle? Was he working for the Evil Queen the entire time and knew she was looking for Belle?

What will Belle’s Storybrooke persona be? She didn’t have one before. She was just locked up in the psych ward for 28 years. I don’t think she even had a name.

Observations:

Hey, look! Belle is actually wearing something with sleeves, except it should be summer time.

We first see Belle the day after she met Dreamy in Dreamy, the Yaoguai is supposedly in a far off kingdom, so this whole adventure probably takes about a week.

The reward for the capture of the Yaoguai is 1000 gold pieces.

The library is finally opening to the public.

The phone in the elevator is an early phone, like the type when you put one piece to your ear and talked into the receiver attached to the wall.

Belle can read Chinese.

Hey! It’s Claude! Last seen on the pointy end of Hook’s hook in Queen of Hearts.

How convenient that the picture of the Yaoguai habitat in Belle’s book looks exactly like the one she finds.

Mulan needs a helmet that does not come off while she’s fighting.

The book Belle looks up the knot in is called: From the Keel Up: A Nautical Guide

The Monkey’s fist is a knot used as a weight making it easier to throw, or it’s decorative and used as an ornamental knot.

The fire in the village the Yaoguai has burned is in the shape of Chinese characters.

How nice that when these characters transform from some kind of beast they’re always fully dressed when back in human form.

The house listing that Mary Margaret and David are looking at is for a two storey (that’s how it’s spelled) house.

Emma seems neither concerned nor surprised that Cora is in town.

The license plate of the speeding car is from Pennsylvania and reads 2KFL-138. This is not how PA license plates read (I live in PA). PA license plates are ABC-1234.

Timeline:

So, this adventure with Past Belle happened a few days or weeks from when she left Rumplestiltskin’s castle. I’m not sure if she met the hunting party near Rumplestiltskin’s place and they traveled awhile before getting close to the Chinese village, or if the tavern she met Dreamy in happened to already be near the village. Either way, by the time the Evil Queen catches her, it has to have been at least a week. This is also when Phillip and Mulan meet and go search for Aurora. Now, considering the amount of tally marks in Belle’s cell from Queen of Hearts and going off those to assume that Belle was imprisoned at least 2 ½ years before the curse was cast, why did it take Phillip and Mulan that long to find Aurora when she was sleeping in her own damn castle? Aurora thinks she’s only been asleep for a year. Or has she not been cursed yet and Phillip and Mulan faced other challenges set forth by Maleficent?

This was another great episode, despite seeing the abusive relationship of Rumple and Belle. The episode was called The Outsider, and while I know that’s supposed to be the random person who drove over the border at the end, it also applies to Belle in the past. She doesn’t know where she fits in. She doesn’t want to go back to her father’s castle and be auctioned off for marriage, but she also isn’t ready to go back to Rumplestiltskin’s quite yet. Meeting Mulan, who is another outsider, gives her the push she needs to figure out where she belongs. Looking forward to the next episode to see who the outsider is and if Hook is alright. For a guy who could count the number of times he’s been bested on one hand, he’s been bested by Emma twice, Gold once, and now a car within a matter of weeks.

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