Episode Discussion 1x12: Skin Deep

[jadestrick.livejournal.com]

Episode Discussion 1x12: Skin Deep

After Mr. Gold's house is robbed, Emma keeps a close eye on him when it looks like he wants to track down the criminal and dole out some vigilante justice as payback, and Valentine's Day finds Mary Margaret, Ruby and Ashley having a girls' night out. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Belle agrees to a fateful deal to give up her freedom in order to save her town from the horrors of the Ogre war.

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Comments

[pwalkeri.livejournal.com]

Yeah, MTE. I was never a big fan of BatB because it reeked of Stockholm Syndrome to me. :-/

[veracity]

Exactly. Hiding someone away like that isn't exactly the best way to have a happily ever after.

[zippytheavenger.livejournal.com]

Ehhhh. As The Nostalgia Chick pointed out recently, that doesn't really work because A: Belle only started to like the Beast after he started treating her nicely, and B: When he told her she could go, she went.

[pwalkeri.livejournal.com]

I don't know who that is, but when did she leave? In the movie (and in the show) she went back to him. Also, regardless of whether he started being nice to her or not, she was still his prisoner.

[zippytheavenger.livejournal.com]

The Nostalgia Chick is a contributor on thatguywiththeglasses.com, a review site, who focuses mainly on 'nostalgic' movies and television shows aimed at girls. I'd recommend checking her out, she has a lot of intelligent and insightful things to say, in particular about Disney, and she's very funny.

1. In both the Cocteau and Disney films, Belle saw her sick dad in the magic mirror and the Beast suggested that she go take care of him, and she left immediately. In Cocteau it's pretty explicit that neither of them expect Belle to ever come back, though the Beast does ask her to try to return eventually, knowing full well that he'd be dead by the time that ever happened, and she only goes back to stop Gaston and her brother from killing the Beast. In Disney, it's never outright stated, but judging by the Beast's and the servants' reaction to Belle leaving, it's a safe bet that they didn't expect it to be a quick visit and that she was most likely gone for good, and again she only went back to stop Gaston from killing the Beast.

2.Stockholm syndrome is characterized by a hostage's perceiving an absence of abuse at the hand of their captor as an act of kindness. "They could be hurting me right now, but they aren't, so they must not be all bad", that sort of thing. In Cocteau, the Beast isn't a bad dude and is actually very kind and thoughtful towards Belle, but he's also, you know, essentially an animal, and he kills things, and Belle is pretty grossed out by him the whole time up until he sends her home to her father, which is where she starts to develop real feelings for him. In Disney...not so much, but the point in its favor is that again Belle doesn't want to have anything to do with the Beast until he starts actively showing her respect and kindness. Another indicator of Stockholm syndrome is the captive's denial of their position and defense of their captor. At no point in either Cocteau or Disney does Belle say or do anything to indicate that she doesn't believe that she's a prisoner.

[amarra-jade.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the clarification. BatB is my favorite Disney movie, but the "Stockholm Syndrome" comments always make me think there's something wrong with me for liking it.

[zippytheavenger.livejournal.com]

Nah, there's nothing wrong with enjoying something for its positive aspects while recognizing and understanding its problematic elements. Some people may have noticed that I'm not a huge fan of Disney, but I freaking love their Beauty and the Beast.