By Julia Lawson
Where do we begin this week?
I’ll start. I’m sitting, post-tantrum, because I couldn’t go and fetch Henry on behalf of the world. Failing at OUAT-hero-life is quite draining but I’m putting on a brave face – I suppose Emma and the saviour family might save the day this week. Maybe.
Anyway, what about you?
Tissue box within reach? Tea? Obligatory biscuit (gluten free if required)?
Then let’s begin…
Where do we begin this week?
I’ll start. I’m sitting, post-tantrum, because I couldn’t go and fetch Henry on behalf of the world. Failing at OUAT-hero-life is quite draining but I’m putting on a brave face – I suppose Emma and the saviour family might save the day this week. Maybe.
Anyway, what about you?
Tissue box within reach? Tea? Obligatory biscuit (gluten free if required)?
Then let’s begin…
A man is performing the classic street magic designed to trick passers-by out of their hard earned gold. But he’s not very good. It all turns sour quite quickly and Rumplestiltskin has to step in to defend the ‘magician’. Except this Rumplestiltskin is about 10 years old. And the man is his father.
His father then drops him off with a pair of spinners who finish each other’s sentences (that could get annoying…). He also hands him his doll, Peter Pan.
“Curious choice of name for a doll”, you muse and ponder… but things get weirder.
I’m going to pause here and say I cannot do this episode justice in a review. So if you haven’t watched it, please pause and take a breath and watch it. And then we can skip hand in hand through the story and I won’t ruin it for you. No thank YOU, you’re welcome.
…backing music and instrumental…
His father then drops him off with a pair of spinners who finish each other’s sentences (that could get annoying…). He also hands him his doll, Peter Pan.
“Curious choice of name for a doll”, you muse and ponder… but things get weirder.
I’m going to pause here and say I cannot do this episode justice in a review. So if you haven’t watched it, please pause and take a breath and watch it. And then we can skip hand in hand through the story and I won’t ruin it for you. No thank YOU, you’re welcome.
…backing music and instrumental…
Back? Good wasn’t it? Spoilers off we go!
Rumple turns out to be quite a good spinner; in fact he could apprentice with any spinner anywhere, he’s THAT good. So the spinning ladies give him a magic bean, to leave his father behind and start a new life for himself as a spinner. He decides to tell his father about the bean and encourage him to change his ways. He finds him in the pub. There are so many echoes of Rumple and Baelfire in this scene and they decide to use the magic bean to take them to another land to start a-fresh – Neverland, a place his father used to visit in his dreams when his own father sold him to a blacksmith. Think lovely thoughts… and you can fly.
Through their magic bean portal they arrive in Neverland. They can eat cake all the time and fly and it’s fantastic. Except they can’t… As an adult, his father has forgotten how to do it. The only thing that can save the day is pixie dust - found in the flowers of the highest trees it absorbs the light of the stars giving it magical properties. As in, when you believe in its power it glows. Like Rudolph’s nose. The father, desperate to relive his dreams, climbs up the tree for the dust but ends up in conversation with the famous shadow. It won’t work, because he doesn’t belong in Neverland – he’s not a boy anymore…
And so he decides to shed his adulthood and choose youth over fatherhood. The shadow swoops down to snatch Rumple – he can’t return to being a child if he HAS a child! And with this confession the pixie dust begins to take effect on him and he morphs into a boy again. Guess who?
Peter Pan.
Rumple turns out to be quite a good spinner; in fact he could apprentice with any spinner anywhere, he’s THAT good. So the spinning ladies give him a magic bean, to leave his father behind and start a new life for himself as a spinner. He decides to tell his father about the bean and encourage him to change his ways. He finds him in the pub. There are so many echoes of Rumple and Baelfire in this scene and they decide to use the magic bean to take them to another land to start a-fresh – Neverland, a place his father used to visit in his dreams when his own father sold him to a blacksmith. Think lovely thoughts… and you can fly.
Through their magic bean portal they arrive in Neverland. They can eat cake all the time and fly and it’s fantastic. Except they can’t… As an adult, his father has forgotten how to do it. The only thing that can save the day is pixie dust - found in the flowers of the highest trees it absorbs the light of the stars giving it magical properties. As in, when you believe in its power it glows. Like Rudolph’s nose. The father, desperate to relive his dreams, climbs up the tree for the dust but ends up in conversation with the famous shadow. It won’t work, because he doesn’t belong in Neverland – he’s not a boy anymore…
And so he decides to shed his adulthood and choose youth over fatherhood. The shadow swoops down to snatch Rumple – he can’t return to being a child if he HAS a child! And with this confession the pixie dust begins to take effect on him and he morphs into a boy again. Guess who?
Peter Pan.
WHICH MEANS: PETER PAN IS RUMPLESTILTSKIN’S FATHER
WHICH MEANS: PETER PAN IS NEAL’S GRANDFATHER
WHICH MEANS: PETER PAN IS HENRY’S GREAT GRANDFATHER.
AND HE’S GOING TO RIP HIS HEART OUT ANYWAY!!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?
WHICH MEANS: PETER PAN IS NEAL’S GRANDFATHER
WHICH MEANS: PETER PAN IS HENRY’S GREAT GRANDFATHER.
AND HE’S GOING TO RIP HIS HEART OUT ANYWAY!!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?
As I said, ahem, spoilers…
So with this news in the mix we look on the present events with much more clarity. And understand why Rumple is so clued up on Pan.
There’s a misunderstanding amongst the group about Rumple’s intentions, save Henry or kill Henry. They make him promise not to use magic and Neal takes Pandora’s box from him – ‘I don’t have to trust you if I can stop you’. Storming the Lost Boys’ camp the hero family find Wendy in her cage. And after a quick interrogation (pleases and thank yous) her lies fall away to reveal the truth. Henry’s life, as the truest believer, in exchange for Pan’s immortality.
Wendy ended up back in Neverland to save Neal/Baelfire because 'nobody shouldn’t have a family'. Truth or not it’s a nice sentiment. Also Rumplestiltskin believes he can cure the Dreamshade poison, if he has a sample of the Neverland water, so we don’t need to worry about Charming anymore.
Charming and Snow go to fetch the water. Tink and Hook watch over the camp. Emma, Regina, Neal and Rumple chase after Pan and Henry at Skull Rock.
So with this news in the mix we look on the present events with much more clarity. And understand why Rumple is so clued up on Pan.
There’s a misunderstanding amongst the group about Rumple’s intentions, save Henry or kill Henry. They make him promise not to use magic and Neal takes Pandora’s box from him – ‘I don’t have to trust you if I can stop you’. Storming the Lost Boys’ camp the hero family find Wendy in her cage. And after a quick interrogation (pleases and thank yous) her lies fall away to reveal the truth. Henry’s life, as the truest believer, in exchange for Pan’s immortality.
Wendy ended up back in Neverland to save Neal/Baelfire because 'nobody shouldn’t have a family'. Truth or not it’s a nice sentiment. Also Rumplestiltskin believes he can cure the Dreamshade poison, if he has a sample of the Neverland water, so we don’t need to worry about Charming anymore.
Charming and Snow go to fetch the water. Tink and Hook watch over the camp. Emma, Regina, Neal and Rumple chase after Pan and Henry at Skull Rock.
Pan’s protection spell sends Emma into a backflip; only those who can’t cast a shadow can pass, drawing Rumple in. As a countermeasure, Emma and Regina attempt to block the moon so there is no light to cast their shadows…
A giant hourglass sits inside Skull Rock displaying Neverland magic running away. Henry is left watching it while Pan confronts Rumplestiltskin. He traded his son for youth. Who in turn traded his son for a magic dagger… I spy a trend here… Does he want a fresh start or is he just playing for time?
I’m not convinced by either argument – Rumple unveils the box but it doesn’t work as Pan swapped the boxes. Uh oh. Henry was Rumplestiltskin’s undoing, true. But there was another boy who was his undoing, preventing him from fighting Pan… himself. He never forgave his father for leaving him and this hurt, as at the start of the episode, causes him to hesitate. For that reason, Rumple ended up trapped in Pandora’s box.
The hourglass is actually formed by the magic of youth. And when Rumplestiltskin’s father/ Peter Pan made his choice to stay in Neverland it was created and the clock started ticking. Neverland was only for children to visit in their dreams, not to live. And the shadow appears to be the Neverland gatekeeper with its own creepy voice.
Pan continues his charade with Henry – time to save magic. If he gives him his heart he’ll become the greatest of heroes but have to stay in Neverland forever. His family arrive just in time full of warnings, but he chooses to save magic. He rips out his heart and thrusts it into Pan’s chest.
Henry lies dead on the floor. Pan rises into the air. Immortal.
Uh oh…
A giant hourglass sits inside Skull Rock displaying Neverland magic running away. Henry is left watching it while Pan confronts Rumplestiltskin. He traded his son for youth. Who in turn traded his son for a magic dagger… I spy a trend here… Does he want a fresh start or is he just playing for time?
I’m not convinced by either argument – Rumple unveils the box but it doesn’t work as Pan swapped the boxes. Uh oh. Henry was Rumplestiltskin’s undoing, true. But there was another boy who was his undoing, preventing him from fighting Pan… himself. He never forgave his father for leaving him and this hurt, as at the start of the episode, causes him to hesitate. For that reason, Rumple ended up trapped in Pandora’s box.
The hourglass is actually formed by the magic of youth. And when Rumplestiltskin’s father/ Peter Pan made his choice to stay in Neverland it was created and the clock started ticking. Neverland was only for children to visit in their dreams, not to live. And the shadow appears to be the Neverland gatekeeper with its own creepy voice.
Pan continues his charade with Henry – time to save magic. If he gives him his heart he’ll become the greatest of heroes but have to stay in Neverland forever. His family arrive just in time full of warnings, but he chooses to save magic. He rips out his heart and thrusts it into Pan’s chest.
Henry lies dead on the floor. Pan rises into the air. Immortal.
Uh oh…
So what happens now? Will Henry’s pure heart burn Pan from the inside and return to Henry? Will Pan be cursed to a lifetime as an old man? Or death? Or will he fly off into the sunset, never to be seen again? Is Rumplestiltskin trapped forever? Will they ever leave Neverland?
Two weeks until we find out… wah!
Two weeks until we find out… wah!
RSS Feed
