Episode Discussion 1x19: The Return

[jadestrick.livejournal.com]

Episode Discussion 1x19: The Return

While Emma confronts Regina about Kathryn's disappearance, David tries to make amends to Mary Margaret and Mr. Gold tries to learn August's real identity. Meanwhile, in the fairytale world, Baelfire gets his transformed father to agree to return to his original self, untainted by magic.

Comments

[tamlover.livejournal.com]

Since when is wanting nothing more than to protect your child selfish? He went about it in a misguided way, but having that power in Fairy Tale Land kept him from being the coward that he was before who wouldn't have been able to keep his son from being drafted for the ogre wars.
I didn't say protecting Bae was selfish. That was murderous, crazy, and cruel, but not selfish.

And he murdered a man over Bae getting a scrape on the knee - and it was Bae's fault, which Bae acknowledged. I strongly disagree that the power kept him from being a coward. He still was a coward - he's just a coward with power. Bae called it and so did Belle.


What I said was selfish was centuries of harming and killing others and cursing an entire world so he could be reunited with his child.

[sukybarbossa.livejournal.com]

I agree he was still a coward hiding behind his power and still possessed by the darkness, but I think he's learned a lot over the years, enough to have power and bravery without magic. I think he's still got some things to learn, but that gives his character room to develop, which makes him layered and interesting.

It was Regina who cursed the entire world by coldly killing her devoted father and continues to make everyone miserable 28 years later because she expected a little girl to keep a secret when she thought telling Regina's mother would help. Meanwhile, Rumple found the courage to follow his son, not even knowing if he'd ever find him, by creating the curse Regina demanded of him.

Are you saying life without magic is a curse? As Rumple is fond of saying, "All magic comes with a price." Maybe that's the moral of this show. That we need to rely on ourselves and not expect magic to save us from every little problem.

[dj-rocca.livejournal.com]

Seconded! I do agree with you on that.

He made his true choice between power or his son in that moment. Hindsight bit him in the ass, hard, but he latched on to the power and he couldn't let it go. Not even for his son because he was never used to feeling powerful since he was a coward. He was clearly addicted, to the point of wanting even more power. (I'm unsure if you agree with this point or not, or my next)

Though Bae may still be alive, I would rather him have passed away (given the huge flux of time already) so that Rumpel always has to remember what he lost because of his own selfish greed for power.

[sukybarbossa.livejournal.com]

If you can watch it again, look at Rumple's face when he's holding onto Bae's hand as he's falling down. Rumple is terrified of going through the hole not knowing what's on the other side; it's cowardice that stopped him, not a desire for power. I don't think that makes him evil; he wanted to go with Bae, but he chickened out at the last minute. And you're right; I think that was a harsh lesson that Rumple learned, but I don't think he's the same person he was then. We've seen him at various stages of his life, and he's changed and developed and suffered the consequences of his mistakes. That's a well-written character.

[madwitch58.livejournal.com]

Ok I see early Rumple as turning into a bit pf a bully. I have seen it before , a wimpy kid get all buff and strong or something like that and first they use it to get back at the ones who hurt them then they turn into the very thing they hate the most. But latter it is all most as if he sees what he has become and at least tries to not be as much as an ass, as far as Bell is concerned. Rumple is a very deep complex character, I think that if they had gotten anther another other than RC to play him , he would have come off as a selfless jerk instead.
Yes he loves Bae that shows in every thing he does but in letting the power go to his head he is driving Bae away from him. As a parent my self I know what some one is willing to do for the sake of their kids. I saw my own grandmother who raised me go with out the meds she needed to live because my father and uncle blew their pay checks and could not pay their bills. By the way I made sure the rest of the family knew that, I have a viscous streak. And I think so does Emma where Henry in concerned. Emma will do what ever it is going to take to get Henry from Regina and I thing most of the town is going to side with Emma. The only thing that could stop Emma was if she thought what she was doing would some how hurt Henry. I don't think Regina would think that far, she had shown in the past that all she wants is to be the winner and will not stop till she gets what she wants no matter who gets hurt.

[sukybarbossa.livejournal.com]

I agree, Rumple is an extremely complex character, and getting Robert Carlyle was a real casting coup because he is able to play all those different aspects to the character--some simultaneously--so believably. And despite his flaws, there's still something likable or at least relatable in him always just below the surface. Maybe it's that he's capable of genuine love (for his son and for Belle) ... and that hint of sadness that Mr. Gold always seems to emanate--which seems to add fuel to his temper. Despite his almost unfailing patience (which came unravelled last night at the very thought that he'd found Bae).