S05.E06: The Bear And The Bow

[kili]

So the question is...did Emma do this to give Rumple what he needed to remove the darkness from her, or is Dark One-Emma really so egotistical to think that adding Rumple to the "good" side won't change things?

The bigger question is will we ever get an answer to that question or any of our questions or was  the "You've never had a hero like me" just a neat tag-line?

[kirkola]

Also... when I saw Merlin's image floating over the cauldron, all I could think was "Help me, Obi-Wan-Kenobi.  You're my only hope."  I wish he'd just repeated that line a few times, instead of saying the useless stuff he actually said.

 

Nope, didn't notice it until Merlin stopped talking and turned to look behind him.  Then I immediately heard the "help me..." in my head, and was expecting to see him kneel to enter the data plans (or was it to stop the recording).

[HoodlumSheep]

Any chances of that Excalibur being a fake? It'd explain how it was so easy for Rumple to pull out the sword. I feel like she's setting Rumple up for something.

Edited November 2, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[YaddaYadda]

Any chances of that Excalibur being a fake? It'd explain how it was so easy for Rumple to pull out the sword. I feel like she's setting Rumple up for something.

Unless she's playing musical chairs with that boulder, then no. I mean it blew her back when she tried in 5x02.

[Ikki]

I just desperately wanted Belle and Merida's story to turn into the gay romance storyline.

[sharky]

I just desperately wanted Belle and Merida's story to turn into the gay romance storyline.

It would've at least been more believable then Belle returning to her relationship with Rumple.

[Primetimer]

As Emma's plan inches forward, Merida and Belle's fates intertwine in Storybrooke and Camelot.

Read the story

[YaddaYadda]

It would've at least been more believable then Belle returning to her relationship with Rumple.

Did she return to her relationship with Rumple though? 

[maryle]

Boring filler episode is my only thought for this!

Well well, I have to give credit when credit is due and in Once case the by B.A hare wright what I killed this show is fan pandering effectively just not for CS or even SQ because I do think the writer wanted to go in the romance for CS and some kind of friendship. Not is really Rumbelle that destroy the narrative in most of the arc because they do not have the gut to take the tragic (shakespeare) love story that Rumbelle call for. In 4b even in the alt they have him be evil but with enough gray area for Rumbelle to survive.

And because most Rumbelle fans have Rumple google on they must have him be the purest hero never live now!

But to me it is not realistic or interesting to have him become a hero in one episode. At this stage character are just chess piece who interchange the role This week is the Rumble turn to be the knight( to please Rumbelle people) next will be Regina (for E.R)...

[kitticup]

I forgot to add - I thought it was a bit much for Belle to expect everyone to put Rumple first when Rumple was more than happy to kill everyone or let everyone die. Even in this episode he wanted to get out of town leaving everyone behind.

[Souris]

Confession: i have a soft spot for Brave because a friend of mine was the hair model for Merida. 

 

Wow, congrats to your friend! Epic hair! The best part of the movie, IMO.

[Mari]

You know what else was awful about this episode? They managed to retcon and defame original Rumple, too.

Original Rumple was not the bravest man in the village, by far, and he was evidently a bad to middling husband. But, he was capable of taking action, and did so, to protect his son. It was very clear that his main motivation in breaking his ankle was to make sure he didn't leave Baelfire fatherless, like his own had left him. And he did it, knowing that he'd be reviled by some of the population. When they enscripted young Bae, he had the courage to try and leave with him, and the desperate courage (if immoral) to kill Zoso, and take his place under the curse.

Even as the Dark One, he found the courage to take action and face death to save Belle and Nealfire from Pan's plan.

I am not saying he was particularly good or brave--just that both versions of Rumple were a far cry from that whimpering, useless heap they made him in this episode. Faced with a murderous, enchanted Merida, he cries and wails? What? He can't even muster up the motive and ability to run and hide? Since when?

I forgot to add - I thought it was a bit much for Belle to expect everyone to put Rumple first when Rumple was more than happy to kill everyone or let everyone die. Even in this episode he wanted to get out of town leaving everyone behind.

Well, yes, but Belle always has had two priorities: Rumple and being thought of as heroic. Other people have never really mattered to her. She and Rumpke are well-matched that way.

[Delphi]

Yeah, that bothers me as well. Especially as A Rumple fan. Sure, Robert sold that scene because he's amazing but it really takes away from his earlier shown scenes where Rumple clearly started down his path to protect Bae. I think I might just head canon that after centuries of dwelling on it, too him it seemed like it was all about him and not being about Bae but the reality is different.

[Amerilla]

As with all things, it comes down to writing. Instead of (mis)using the word "hero," why not make something up? "Rumpel has to be the one to pull Excalibur because he's the only one who displays gerplurfebpluehouvel!" translated from the original Enchanted Forestian as "the condition of being able to throw something into a magical bear's mouth while wetting one's pants after a period of serving as ranking Dark One." At least that way, they wouldn't be continually sodomizing the dictionary definition of common words.

Re: Rumpel crippling himself more because he was afraid than to raise his son, a) that's really not how they showed it in the fairyback, and b) so what? As revelations go "I really didn't want to die" is sort of up there with "water is wet." Rumpel's inability to show bravery without magic is well-trod ground. We've spent arcs on it. It dosen't need more exposition.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Amerilla

[Mathius]

Seriously. I always figured the whole "afraid to leave his child fatherless" and "afraid to die" thing was pretty linked...he had gone to war not really thinking about the possibility of dying, and the seer's prophecy about Bae being left fatherless woke him up to that reality. It wasn't a case of one over the other here, it was both.

[scenicbyway]

My observations watching the episode:

Why did Charming refer to Snow as Mary Margaret when Lancelot had just called him Charming?  Isn't Snow, Snow to Lancelot?

Belle really said Emma is just as bad as Rumple because she gave into the darkness?  And the only person to call her out on it was Hook?  Way to go parents.  They've all been battling Rumple for hundreds of years in some cases, but you're right Belle, even though Emma took on the darkness that came from Rumple by the way, to save everyone (so for unselfish reasons, not to get out of an Ogre war) Dark 6 week old Emma is just as bad as Rumple ever was. WTH

Rumple broke "chip" the symbol of he and Belle's love to free himself.  It wasn't to protect Belle, it was to free himself and of course ask for forgiveness later as per usual.  Why not have used the actual "chip" in the cup to break the ropes?

Once they free Lancelot, no one cared that Belle disappeared? I suppose that's believable because why hasn't Hook wondered where Emma's been in Camelot for the last 2 episodes?

Merida telling Belle you shouldn't give up what you want for a man.  You're talking to the wrong girl, Merida.

So apparently Merlin is dead, didn't make it to Storybrooke?  Dark Emma told Zelena that she was the only one to use Merlin's magic and live that's in Storybrooke...

Why does Emma need Zelena to use the wand anyway?
Poor Emma always wanting to have lunch with someone.

 

Belle even excusing Rumple for breaking his foot, and then telling him he's a hero anyway.  HOW IS HE A HERO BELLE?  HOW!

With Arthur throwing the mushroom into the fire, it makes me think even more that he has his memory...

Why don’t Belle and Rumple go to Regina for help instead of hiding out in the usual places (library, shop).  Call her on her cell phone.

Belle wants to be a hero, but sadly she's always overshadowed by Rumple who can become a hero in just a couple of sword fighting lessons!  Good thing Rumple pulled the sword instead of ANYONE ELSE IN TOWN WHO IS AN ACTUAL HERO!
 

How did Emma know to turn Merida into a bear?  Did Belle come back to the Camelot castle and talk about how she wouldn't let her turn into a bear?

Did throwing a rock really kill the bear spell or did Emma end it to give Rumple confidence?
Belle's accent got thicker throughout the episode.
 

Nice that Rumple told Belle he'd change everything when faced with death.  Of course he'd change everything, because it didn't work out if he died.

 

It wasn't a terrible episode, perhaps if it was the 2nd episode of the season it would've made more sense seeing as we saw Merida in the first episode and then not again until last week.  Since Merida is in present Storybrooke we'll apparently be seeing her again in Camelot?  I'm not a Rumbelle shipper, I find it really toxic, and I found the comparisons between Rumple and Emma ridiculous because again, Rumple took on the darkness selfishly and Emma took it on unselfishly.
 

[jaytee1812]

Best episode of the season, I love Belle and Merida. Belle was awesome, so was Rumple.

Hardly any Hook was a joy. I didn't have to listen to that grating, whiny voice.

Emma's not exactly coming over as a great Dark One, more a pathetic one.

I'm sure Neal is coming back at some point. I do like Michael Raymond James. Although I hope it's not to get involved with Emma , he deserves better than that.

I've loved Regina all season, especially with Henry.

[pcta]

First episode of this season that I actually watched all the way thru without fast forwarding. Would guess it is because it was Carlyle centric. I actually enjoyed Belle as magician/sage and hero. Am eager to see how the Hero turn for Rumple turns out. Am not looking forward to the introduction of YET ANOTHER new character because the writers are soooooo lazy about developing and utilizing the characters they have.

[YaddaYadda]

So is everyone living out of Granny's now that they're no longer welcomed in Camelot?

[Rumsy4]

Seriously. I always figured the whole "afraid to leave his child fatherless" and "afraid to die" thing was pretty linked...he had gone to war not really thinking about the possibility of dying, and the seer's prophecy about Bae being left fatherless woke him up to that reality. It wasn't a case of one over the other here, it was both.

 

Agree. The Seer's prophecy gave Rumple a "noble" motive to get out of war by injuring himself. I don't think he would have self-injured were it not for the prophecy though. He probably wouldn't have been able to fight at the first encounter with the enemy, however. Milah never bought the excuse. However, she was made to look bitter and vindictive in that episode, and all sympathy was directed towards poor sadface Rumple. People's motives are usually complex. So, I don't see Rumple's confession as a retcon. 

 

Why did Charming refer to Snow as Mary Margaret when Lancelot had just called him Charming?  Isn't Snow, Snow to Lancelot?

 

According to Jane Espenson, it is because apparently the audience will be confused about the timeline if Snow is referred to as "Snow" and not as "Mary Margaret". Never mind about Lancelot wondering who the heck MM was. And why this rule only applies to Snow/MM, I don't know.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Rumsy4

[Mathius]

Rewatched "Manhattan" and yeah, fear of death was DEFINITELY a factor in Rumple's choice too: his first words in response to the prophecy was "I'm going to have a son...and...I'm going to die!?", then there was his fearful reaction to seeing injured men being carted away and a soldier describing that they're lucky compared to those that the ogres kill, and then his reaction to having the prophecy validated was yet again saying "I'm going to die!"

According to Jane Espenson, it is because apparently the audience will be confused about the timeline if Snow is referred to as "Snow" and not as "Mary Margaret". Never mind about Lancelot wondering who the heck MM was. And why this rule only applies to Snow/MM, I don't know.

Wow. The writers really don't think much of the viewers' intelligence.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Mathius

[scenicbyway]

So is everyone living out of Granny's now that they're no longer welcomed in Camelot?

By the way, where is Granny, she hasn't been seen since the ball and Henry had to heat up his own date food.  Perhaps she's in cahoots with Arthur?

[Chaos Theory]

Ok everyone we all know no one on this board likes Belle. I don't particularly like her either but I thought she held her own during the episode so I didn't hate it. I liked Belle and Merida's adventure. I also liked Rumple pulling the sword and his final line to Emma about her making a critical mistake turning him into a hero.

Yes Regina, Hook and the Charming were stupid to trust Arthur but they aren omnipotent. They dont know he is evil they have no reason to know. If they trust him now then I will be a little more upset.

This episode will never be the best or my favorite but it did explain why Merida was in town and it made Charming & Co suspicious of Arthur so I give it a pass.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[HoodlumSheep]

I've been wondering about Granny too. And the dwarves (not as much as Granny though). Here they wanted to be more involved and they've completely vanished for the past 2-3 episodes.

Chaos Theory, I liked this episode for the most part too. I agree that belle held her own this episode. The only problems I had with this episode were that it was too isolated from the rest of the story arc and Rumple shouldn't have been able to pull out Excalibur. While I don't like Merida, Belle's awesomeness managed to cancel out her grateyness. And at least now the group knows Arthur is evil (even if their two scenes made them look a bit dumb).

And I still question why they made it seem like the guys didn't even notice or try to look for Belle when she vanished. They could have easily had a 2 second scene where the guys show up and say they were looking for her when Belle and Merida parted. Or a scene where they wonder where she went and Merlin says he's fine because he can see some of the future. Or maybe we'll get lucky and they'll mention it in next week's episode.

Edited November 2, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[kili]

By the way, where is Granny, she hasn't been seen since the ball and Henry had to heat up his own date food.

 

Merida knocked her over the head and hid her because she thought her three brothers might want something to eat after she rescued them. She didn't want to ask Granny to cook up something because she didn't want to risk being told "No.". She's more of a "hit first, ask questions later kind of lass."   Meanwhile, nobody has noticed that Granny is missing yet.

 

We also got Merlin's Voice Mail because he is currently suffering from a Merida induced concusion. Goodness knows what she wanted from him.

[Curio]

Ok everyone we all know no one on this board likes Belle.

 

I don't necessarily think that's the case. I think a lot of people (myself included) like the idea of her character and really enjoy her when she's able to stand up for herself (i.e. forcing Rumple over the town line, teasing Hook about not knowing what the Internet is, being resourceful and helping solve mysteries using research), but there are a lot of times where she seems to be a pushover around Rumple or is forced to do annoying side plots with other side characters that have little to do with the big plot at the moment, which becomes frustrating. Even though I thought this episode was about as entertaining as watching paint dry, Belle wasn't the reason for that. It was watching Merida's useless backstory that didn't tie in well with the Dark Swan arc at all and Rumple being whiny all the time that did it for me.

[elle]

Merida's story is not even tangentially relevant to the plot. This is way worse than the Frozen!Anna takeover in 4A. This episode did not make me like the character more or even care. I don't know if it is the actress, because Merida seems very one note. She is not a dynamic character one can empathize with. And I was rolling my eyes during the slow-motion scene where Merida's arrow magically zips through the other three which were fired a clear 10 seconds before she even raised her bow.

I was laughing at how improved the three "First Born"s of the clans had improved over the past 5 years from the movie.  I also had flashbacks to the scene where Odysseus shows up the suitors by showing his prowess with the bow.

 

Ugh. This episode. They showed the only good bit in the sneak peak.

 

I still can't get over the fact that they want us to believe that none of the rest of the rescue party noticed that Merida and Belle were missing. I can't believe that Merida thinks that it is better to brain somebody (you can die that way)  and expect them to help you with spells  rather than to just ask for help in  the first place. I can't believe that Merida's clan seems to have no members. I can't believe that Belle would think it is a good idea for two people go in amongst a 100 hostile people with no plan. I can't believe all those hundred people gave up when Merida turned out to be a good shot.

 

I can believe that Belle would still help out Merida after being brained because that's just how Belle rolls.

 

If Belle so willingly set up Merida to face her fears, why didn't she do the same for Rumple? She should have set him up for some ridiculously one-sided "face your fears" exercise. Instead, Emma had to set one up.

 

How lucky is it that Rumple's safe always contains the one thing you need? This time, it looked like it only contained one thing and it is exactly what they needed. Either the safe is like Hermione's beaded bag or it's like one of those replicators on Star Trek TNG. Rumple should order some tea, Early Grey, hot from it.  

 

I have only seen clips of Brave. Are Merida's brothers mutes or something? They never said one word or seemed to be following along with the proceedings at all.  

 

How many arrows fit in Merida's quiver? When one is going to face hundreds of men, is it a good idea to split 4 of them doing target practice?

 

Zelena was kind of fun. Arthur was stupid. He should have just stuck the toadstool in his pocket.

 

I hate shows that have characters tell us nothing. "If you get this, things must be dire and I must blather on about how I should give you an important message until I run out of time to actually give it". Thanks Merlin. I'm glad Charming nearly died getting the toadstool so we could get that helpful message.

So much agreement to what you have said here as well as how it shows just how messed up the writers had for the character or anything about Scottish clans in general.

 

To quote Spike from Buffy: "You made a bear!"

Merida's plot is so unnecessary. More Camelot and Dark Swan, please.

 

I enjoyed the Zelena and Emma scenes. I find Zelena batshit crazy funny and even she didn't want to get caught up in the Dark Swan drama.

 

I can't believe Regina and Co. were so stupid to leave Arthur alone. Sigh.

If only the writers heard you before this episode!

 

By the way, where is Granny, she hasn't been seen since the ball and Henry had to heat up his own date food.  Perhaps she's in cahoots with Arthur?

Oh!  Could she secretly be Nimue?

[InsertWordHere]

Ok everyone we all know no one on this board likes Belle. 

I mostly like Belle. She's not on my favorites list or anything, but I actually like her scenes that aren't with or about Rumple. I think, in some AU version where Belle never made excuses for Rumple's behavior, I would kind of love Belle. I don't mind Merida either. I am mostly bothered by the direction the show has chosen to take with this Dark Swan story. Still no scene with Emma and either of her parents in the present day? I even liked the Zelena/Emma scene, but come on! It's so obvious this was a filler episode and they are stalling. 

[Serena]

Still no scene with Emma and either of her parents in the present day? I even liked the Zelena/Emma scene, but come on! It's so obvious this was a filler episode and they are stalling. 

I just realized when you wrote that, they wrote a scene with Zelena and Dark Swan before they wrote a scene with Snowing and Dark Swan.

 

I'm gonna go bang my head against a wall now.

[maryle]

Actually Zelena really has grew on me! She and DS was one moment really enjoyable. Well, that and Merlin, Hook, Charming and Belle too brief bad-ass scene. Bex can Zelena crazy more real than the Merida weird intensity.

I actually can sympathise with Zelena. Mission impossible complted Bex!

[Curio]

Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but was Robin even in this episode? Maybe he decided to give Little John and Will a break from babysitting and hung out with Roland for an entire episode offscreen.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Curio

[Shanna Marie]

Confession: i have a soft spot for Brave because a friend of mine was the hair model for Merida.

Awesome! The hair is one reason I love that movie because I have hair like that. If that movie had come out when I was a kid, it would have completely changed my self image. I was impressed that they even got it right when it was wet, since curly hair doesn't go limp and straight when it's wet. It just curls differently.

 

I thought it was a bit much for Belle to expect everyone to put Rumple first when Rumple was more than happy to kill everyone or let everyone die. Even in this episode he wanted to get out of town leaving everyone behind.

In this case, though, his leaving town protected everyone. Yeah, he was mostly doing it because he was afraid to fight to defend Belle, but they know that there's a potentially evil motive for Emma to want the sword (we know she probably has some other scheme because we know she's a character in a TV show, but they don't know this) and that it's a very bad thing if she manages to get Excalibur out of the stone. He knows that even if he manages to pull through and be a hero, that will be playing right into Emma's hands. Him staying a coward and getting himself out of Emma's reach is actually good for the town. The only thing Belle's "you have to face your fears" routine was good for was Rumple's self esteem. She handed Emma exactly what she wanted on a silver platter. Belle isn't actually all that critical to what the others are dealing with, so she wouldn't be leaving them in the lurch if she left so that Emma couldn't threaten her. Her wanting to go back and not flee with Rumple was pure ego. She wanted to be a hero and be part of the group, and she wanted Rumple to be a hero so she could justify being with him. She'd have felt bad if she'd left, even though her making Rumple into a hero gave the person they're thinking of as a villain exactly what she wanted.

 

I liked Belle as part of Team Jailbreak. But she made some really dumb decisions in Storybrooke.

 

Where were they going after the jailbreak, anyway? I guess they ended up at Granny's after their long trek through the woods away from Camelot, but where was everyone else while Merlin and Emma were hanging out in the diner? Out searching for Belle?

 

And TV writers really need to update themselves on head injuries. Yeah, I know it's a common TV trope to have someone conked on the head and rendered unconscious for hours, only to bounce back and be totally okay when they wake up, but we're a lot more aware of head injuries now, what with all the NFL concussion talk. If an NFL player ended up just a little dazed from a blow to the head, he'd get pulled out of the game and would be monitored. A blow hard enough to cause extended profound unconsciousness would get someone sent to the hospital.

[Selina K]

I feel like last season we more or less had Elsa wandering around saying, "My sister, my sister!" and now we have Merida wandering around saying, "My brothers, my brothers!"  I kind of hope our next random Disney feature of the week is an only child.

 

I could have been more into this episode as a focus piece on two core characters without Merida.  I think we could have examined some interesting issues in the Rumple / Belle dynamic and what that looks like now that he isn't the Dark One and what is the state of their relationship now without magic - does that eliminate the past, where do they go from ... oh, squirrel!!!!  

 

Sorry, writer distraction with the new shiny object running past.

[Delphi]

So I rewatched and skipped the flashbacks except for the jailbreak and the diner scene. The episode holds up much better if there isn't a strange disjointed adventure in it. On the whole I don't feel like a Rumbelle chase through Storybrooke is that bad, actually as a Rumbeller I enjoyed it, and it works especially since Emma is putting all these events in motion. So it doesn't feel that far removed from the Dark Swan plot.

But good lord the I really wish they'd find something for Belle to do in flashbacks that wasn't so focused on a secondary character. In fact, just taking one of the other characters like Hook or Snow along with them would have helped so much.

[MedievalGirl]

More repetitive dialogue in this episode.

 

Rumple: "That's because none of them are me." Charming said the same line in S1 at Lake Nostos. 

 

I thought of that scene too but I figured it was deliberate. There were interviews back in season 1 where Rumble was said to wish he was more like Charming. Now he gets to. Maybe. 

 

 I also had flashbacks to the scene where Odysseus shows up the suitors by showing his prowess with the bow.

Yes! I thought of that too. Archery: defeating crappy suitors since rocks were soft.

 

[ImogenLeFay]

Is it too late to get them Frozen princesses back?  Or at least for Elsa to freeze Merida for a very long time?  Because Merida is really not doing it for me.

 

When Merida was talking about how she was the queen, I thought "Kid, get off my screen. Elsa was a queen. You? You're a brat!" I honestly don't think Merida has brought much to the show (except for amazing hair). And now I miss Elsa again, she and Emma were great together.

[Curio]

But good lord the I really wish they'd find something for Belle to do in flashbacks that wasn't so focused on a secondary character. In fact, just taking one of the other characters like Hook or Snow along with them would have helped so much.

 

That would have been great, especially since Snow barely talks to Belle and Hook. It's like Snow is only ever allowed to have one-on-one scenes with Charming, Regina, and occasionally Emma. That's why I hate how the writers get so focused on the "centric" format. This show is an ensemble, but it doesn't feel that way because the characters are very pigeon-holed into only interacting with certain characters, and whenever it's their chance to shine in a centric, they usually get an episode by themselves where they have to be paired off with new people. (See: Hook and Ursula, Hook and Ariel, Charming and Arthur, Charming and Anna, Emma and Lily, etc.)

 

Now I'm imagining what the dynamics would have been like if Snow, Hook, Belle, and Merida had gone on that adventure instead. Could've been awesome.

[Shanna Marie]

I think there are two mindsets that hurt the writing of this series, and both were evident in this episode.

 

One is the "centric" format, in which most of the characters apparently have to be locked in a vault while the episode focuses exclusively on one particular character. It's even worse when it's a guest character, especially when the one person the guest character is interacting with in the flashback is the main person the guest character is interacting with in the present. Why couldn't at least some of the guys have joined Merida's adventure? I can see where Merlin might have had to bow out because he'd be so superpowered as to render the clansmen useless, but then again, maybe Merida refusing Merlin's aid could have been her "face your fears" moment. It's not as though adding Hook, Lancelot, and Charming up against all those warriors would have really altered the balance. Once they broke her out, they could have agreed to help her. Then the outcome isn't quite so ridiculous -- the guys could have dealt with the army while she saved her brothers, and maybe showing that she could command Lancelot, Prince Charming, and Captain Hook might have demonstrated her leadership ability.

 

Then there's what I call the "Harry Potter structure problem." Once JK Rowling got into the pattern of basing the plot of her books on the school term timetable, it started bogging down in later books, where they'd basically twiddle their thumbs or run around like idiots until something big happened at Christmas to be the midpoint of the book, and then they'd be stuck in a holding pattern again until the big confrontation just before the end of the school year. This show has stuck itself with the half-season arc, with each story being allocated about the same number of episodes, regardless of how much story there actually is, and nothing is allowed to progress until near the arc finale. With some stories, it feels like they've barely touched on the issues before everything is frantically tied up in a neat bow, and with some stories, it feels like we're treading water, with random filler episodes thrown in, until finally stuff happens. Nothing much that happens before the last two or three episodes of the arc actually matters. Here, it seemed like they created this whole plot for Merida just as an excuse to bring her into the story and have the thematic "brave" story. It's probably not going to end up mattering all that much in the grand scheme of things. It was Belle who helped Rumple be brave, and what do you bet we never see the clans or the brothers again. Meanwhile, there's other stuff they probably could have delved into, but the characters have to run in circles for now because once they start learning stuff, the story will end.

 

I guess the problem may not be so much the fact that every story has to fit in the same number of episodes as it is that they're not very good at pacing, and they don't know how to construct a story that builds gradually, with the good guys allowed to make some kind of progress before the finale.

[kili]

Now I'm imagining what the dynamics would have been like if Snow, Hook, Belle, and Merida had gone on that adventure instead.

 

Or how about Merida, Charming, Lancelot, Merlin, Hook and Belle going on that rescue mission? Because didn't Merlin just tell Merida that they would find a way to rescue her brothers? Aren't they due to be executed tonight? Why is he drooling over chocolate bars instead of helping? 

 

I'm beginning to think Merlin and his vague prophocies and giving of false hope is actually the root of all evil. He's some frat boy magician who relishes pranking people and driving them insane. Has he ever made things better?

 

Let's take a look:

1. Original Dark One - I consider this person Victim 0. Since Merlin could not bring himself to kill Victim 0 and then started crying, I'm going to assume that Victim 0 was a close friend or something.  A close friend, he drove insane with his nonsense so that Victim 0 become the Original Dark One. Would Victim 0 have become the Dark One if not for Merlin?

 

2. Arthur - Arthur started out as a nice orphan child and then Merlin's vague promises and left-behind puzzles drove him to become a compulsive Captain Ahab character that left him enslaving his beloved wife (who had been his lifelong friend) and generally being an evil man.  Without Merlin (or with a straight answer or two), Arthur is the noble king of legends and his wife continues to love him.

 

3. Author - The author was an unhappy nebbish person until Merlin and his minion appointed him to write stories. They created a situation where an already frustrated man would become even more frustrated (why find a failed writer - why not a trained documentarian who can report facts in an interesting way?) and he turns to evilly re-writing history.

 

4.  Rumple - Rumple was evil to start with (driven evil by the infection passed on by Victim 0), but he became even more evil when in contact with Merlin's prank hat.  He had just resolved to turn over a new leaf, when Merlin's hat just happens to turn up right in front of him? That's an interesting coincidence. Rumple starts hatting everybody in sight and trying to kill people and all sorts of fun stuff until he turns his heart completely black.

 

5. Anna - Merlin's minion takes an all-trusting, pollyanna like Anna and after their encounter, she becomes an untrusting, suspicious individual. Fortunately, her exposure was limited.

 

6. Ingrid - Sure, Ingrid had accidently killed her sister and then on purpose frozen a kingdom (driven to do so by a plot involving a newly suspicious Anna and the prank hat), but Merlin's minion shows up to make things worse. He gives her a vague and wrong prophecy and sends her off to our world with expectations that would not be fulfilled. It sets her up to try to kill everybody and she ends up killing herself.  Meanwhile, he does zippo to help the frozen kingdom left behind.

 

7. Emma - Emma is fighting the good fight against becoming a Dark One, but she frees Merlin from a tree and somehow goes completely dark. I don't think it is a coincidence.

 

8. Merida - Merida learns from her encounter with Emma that she needs a new approach to finding her kidnapped brothers and resolving the clan conflict. She regrets her plan to harm them. 5 seconds in the vicinity of Merlin and  she is braining Belle and she wants to turn into a bear and eat all her enemies.  She seems very susceptible to being near Merlin.

 

This last victim sealed it for me. Have we seen anybody have contact with Merlin and become a better person?

Edited November 2, 2015 by kili

[MedievalGirl]

And Lily. Don't forget her. 

[Delphi]

Solid list, but I'm sure there are numerous others that have yet to be mentioned.

Though I disagree that Rumple was evil to begin with, cowardice and poor decision making doesn't equal evil.

[ImogenLeFay]

Though I disagree that Rumple was evil to begin with, cowardice and poor decision making doesn't equal evil.

 

Rumpel wasn't evil at the beginning of his own story, but he was definitely evil by the time Merlin in form of the hat entered his story.

[Delphi]

Rumpel wasn't evil at the beginning of his own story, but he was definitely evil by the time Merlin in form of the hat entered his story.

Right. I misread that, my apologies.

[kili]

And Lily. Don't forget her.

 

Yes, Lily. I forgot her.

 

9. Lily. Take a girl who never feels that she fits in and who has committed some minor, relatively victimless crimes. Send your minion to her to tell her that she is doomed to a crappy life of bad choices because of what happened to her before her birth (instead of giving her some sound advice on how to fight those urges or helping to reverse the spell or anything) and her life spirals out of control into a mess and she ends up plotting murder.

 

10. Snow and Charming - Two of the biggest, purest heros the EF has ever seen. So pure that even villians go to them for assistance to save the world. But, get them interacting with the Merlin damaged Author and Merlin's Minion and they are suddenly egg-napping and pouring evil into babies.

[RadioGirl27]

What a waste of my time. This was boring and pointless, even worse than last week. The flashback with Belle and Merida was so unnecessary that I really don't know what A&E were thinking when they decided that it was a good idea to include it here.

[Dianthus]

Sure, right. Best episode of the season...in Bizarro World.

I still think it's HI-larious that Rumple goes from "Not me. Not me. Not me." to "They're not me." in the space of one ep, and then he drops the sword so DS can have it (IIRC). Of course, she could've gotten it away from him anyhow, but 'Mr. Hot Shit I'm a Big Hero Now' doesn't even try to keep it from her. Unless he's got more magic/enchanted gew-gaws at the shop (always a possibility), I dunno how he thinks he's gonna stop her. 

[KAOS Agent]

I don't think Rumpel going from sniveling coward to cocky asshole in the space of a day bodes well for his hero status. Did you see the eyeroll Dark Swan gave him when he started crowing about how he's a new brand of hero? They talked about hubris being a theme this season and I haven't really seen that until the end of this episode. Emma hasn't seemed particularly confident in her plans (she even said that she'll need Zelena if all goes according to plan), so it's not like she's counting on everything working out for her. But man, Rumpel became an overconfident asshole. AU!Rumpel was rearing his ugly head there and we all saw how that turned out for him. 

[Rumsy4]

 

AU!Rumpel was rearing his ugly head there and we all saw how that turned out for him.

 

Yes. Gold was totally channeling his AU!Rumple persona there. He's deluding himself if he thinks one act of bravery qualifies him to be a great hero who can defeat Dark Swan. 

[thuganomics85]

Great, Once Upon A Time.  Follow last week's boring "Henry in love!" episode with "The Adventures of Obnoxious Merida and Tag-Along Belle."  Man, I know this show tends to fall into filler traps a lot of times, but this is a new low for it. I just don't get why I'm suppose to care about Merida.  Even before the whole heart capture, she just doesn't come off likable, and really doesn't come off like she'd be that great of a queen/leader.  Sure, she's tough and badass, but also seems ill-tempered, short-sighted, and unhinged.  She strikes me as someone who would totally go to war over a small slight like the waiter forgot to bring her breadsticks or forgot to refill the drinks.  This is like the reverse of last season: the Frozen arc actually made me want to check that film out.  Here, I kind of don't ever want to see Brave, if the real Merida is anything like this.

 

I will say I don't blame the actress for any of this.  Mainly because I suspect the only direction she is given is "Be Scottish.  Be very, very, very Scottish!"

 

Rumple's "journey" into becoming a "hero", was hilarious.  Sure, all it takes him finally stepping up and saving Belle, and that alone is enough to make his heart worthy enough of pulling out the sword.  I know it is suppose to be because of that whole "Heart is a clean start" bullshit, but it really should require more then that.  But, whatever, he succeeds, gets Merida's heart back as a bonus, and then swears Dark Emma has made a mistake by making him a "hero."  Sure, Rumple.  Whatever you say, buddy.

 

Meanwhile, in Idiot Land:

Arthur (obviously shifting eyes): "Oh, suuuuuuuuure!  I will totally help you guys.  Just..... go outside, please?  I totally won't try to do anything to sabotage you!"

Charming: "Sure thing, buddy!"

(later)

Charming: "He lied to us!  Not cool, bro!  Not cool!"

 

Zelena and Dark Emma really were the best thing about this episode, which is something I never thought I would type.

[babyPhat279]

Merlin thinks Belle is clever == my opinion of Merlin is shot to hell.