“Welcome home Baelfire…”
“Feel likes just yesterday Baelfire...”
With a bucketful of American drawl from Pan’s number one Lost Boy (Baelfyyyyre) Once Upon a Time drops several hints that we are going to have a very Neal-centric episode. And why ever not?
The majority of his Pan-related romanticism is everything we, as viewers, already know. Such are the cons of being everywhere at once via the television… but what we can’t anticipate, is what will happen next. Neal has learnt a few tricks with age and unties himself on the move, leaving his captor unconscious on the floor – maybe he hasn’t "grown up stupid" after all, then Felix…
Back in the present a war-painted Rumple takes strength from his dark side to prepare for his self-sacrifice to save Henry. Belle (Emilie de Ravin) once again appears as Rumple’s conscience (verging on replacing Jiminy cricket judging by the frequency of her appearances) reminding him of the self-interest trend that has dominated his life to date. But without Bae (so he thinks) he has nothing to live for and the only way he can redeem himself is by saving his son’s son…
Elsewhere in Neverland Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is struggling working with Tinkerbell… mainly because of who she is and her storybook fame. Tink (Rose McIver) gives them the low down on Pan’s camp - sentries positioned outside all armed with poison sticks. And Once doesn’t miss the opportunity to relay the important life lesson ‘poison sticks = death’. Thanks…
Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) leads them to a potential source of inspiration for their escape plan. ‘The Wendy house!’ you cry? No Neal/Baelfire’s house – his hideout when young Baelfire was trapped in Neverland. The walls of the cave are covered in drawings of the Darlings his adventures; then they find a coconut with holes, potentially a colander for pre-teen Baelfire’s pasta cravings. And when a light is inside it is a beautiful rustic nightlight. But no, it is a star-map! Showing the way home! “Don’t break in unless you know a way out” well, now you do!
Back in past-tense Enchanted Forrest, Baelfire is missing, as are most of the other children in the surrounding villages after hearing strange piped music. Rumple follows the escaping children to a camp fire, silhouetting a patch-worked figure piping away… As yes, you guessed it. It’s the lovable rogue Peter Pan, the Pied Piper… Except he’s not very lovable at all (Sorry, Robbie Kay). Only certain boys can hear the pipes; lost, unloved boys. Like Rumplestiltskin, who whisks Baelfire away to ‘safety’ so he doesn’t have the chance to choose to leave him.
To rectify the situation, Neal asks for the dagger as proof of his resolve for goodness. ‘My shadow took it…’ isn’t a great response. Neal uses the squid ink to immobilise Rumple and takes a sleeping Henry to find Emma, only to be caught by Pan and the Lost Boys.
Adding to the situation of gloom, Emma breaks down about Neal’s ‘death’ and runs off. Mary Margaret/Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) then feels it apt to say to Charming (Josh Dallas), “If you died I would NEVER be able to move on!” Fabulous, not like he’s been poisoned incurably or anything...
Let’s hope we’ve all cheered up by next week’s episode. Pan pipes are no longer fun.
P.S. If you do need cheering up, try Once Upon a Time in Wonderland out for size. I’m keeping an eye out for ‘Tweedles Dum and Dee’, and just by re-reading that out-loud I feel much happier. (Dum dee dum…)