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Okay, more thoughtful thoughts on Once Upon a Time 2x11
On a more substantive note than my previous post ... I think it's interesting how (overall) okay I am with the way the episode ended. I would have expected to be a lot more "nooooooo!" about it, but mostly I'm just curious how things are going to work out. (Well, and I feel absolutely terrible for Belle; of all the people for this to happen to, she's one who didn't really have a life in Storybrooke -- she was a prisoner. We never even learned her name, that I can recall. I'm curious what she now thinks her life is, and who she is.)
Narratively, I do feel a little uncomfortable with Belle being made the victim, to suffer for Rumpelstiltskin's crimes. Not that this isn't entirely in character for everyone involved; it's just ... uncomfortable. And the thought also occurred to me this morning that it would have been even more interesting to see Rumpelstiltskin suffer the loss of identity instead; having a Rumpelstiltskin who genuinely believes himself to be Mr. Gold, while being surrounded by enemies who hate him for reasons he doesn't quite understand, would be fascinating (especially since I expect that most people in town wouldn't be sure if he'd really lost his memory, or was merely faking ... actually, now I kinda want to write that AU!).
But as far as Rumpel and Belle and their relationship ... okay, I really love Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, individually and together. I have a huge soft spot for the "beauty and the beast" trope, and they hit my buttons hard. But I also don't feel bad for something like this coming between them, because I think there are some pretty huge unresolved issues in the relationship that I feel really weird about.
The big thing here is that Rumpelstiltskin still hasn't accepted his own culpability in Mila's death. He's reframed the situation so that he sees himself as the victim and Hook as the aggressor. The whole thing with Belle stopping him from killing Hook and then Rumpel demanding that Hook get out of town bothered me on a couple of levels, mainly because Hook really is the wounded party here. He's an awful person and I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for him, but "here, we'll let you leave with your life, and I'll go on with my life here" is ... not actually the boon that both Rumpel and Belle seem to think it is, when it's coming from the man who killed his wife. And I guess that I wanted to see more reaction from Belle when she learned the true circumstances of Mila's death. Or a conversation, or something.
Belle obviously has decided that "Gold" is a different person from "Rumpelstiltskin" -- that he really has changed and doesn't need to be held accountable for his old self's crimes. But the problem with this (well, one problem with this) is that his behavior isn't bearing this out. I like him; I think Belle's right that he's got good in him, and he clearly loves her and Baelfire. But his behavior towards everyone else, while not quite as gleefully malicious as he was in his old persona, is still thoroughly self-centered and lacking in empathy. He's willing to let Henry die; he would happily have beaten Hook to death if Belle hadn't stopped him; he continues to frame himself as the victim in the Hook-Mila situation.
And he knows that Belle doesn't want him to kill Hook, but the very first thing he does as soon as Belle's out of the picture is ... try to kill Hook. It's not actually changing if you only do it when someone is standing there making you do it, and revert back to your regular habits as soon as they're not watching. You can't expect the accolades/recognition for having changed, if you're unwilling/unable to actually change. Rumpelstiltskin/Gold wants Belle to see him as a better man, but he's still doing all of the things that make him not a good man.
And Belle is, frankly, not helping with the 100% supportive thing that she's doing in this episode. I liked it a lot better earlier in the season when she was calling him on his bullshit and insisting on the relationship progressing on her terms. There are times to be unconditionally supportive, but when you've just found out that your boyfriend killed the last woman he was in love with because she left him for someone else: NOT ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE TIMES. I never really agreed with the complaint that Belle is Stockholmed (she doesn't read that way to me), but this is the first episode where I actually did kinda see it that way a little bit -- at the very least, the level of her support for him in this episode is ... unwarranted by his behavior, let's just say.
And at this point, despite my love for both the characters and my shippy tendencies towards them, I'm pretty much okay with something that'll shake up the status quo and force both of them to reevaluate the relationship.
... also, the last scene was just pretty much awesome. :D I can't help myself; I really like melodrama, and between the shot-and-collapsing-into-his-arms bit, and the ball of fire, and the SUDDEN SURPRISE CAR ... yes, much awesome was had. I may have been making little squeaky noises throughout that whole part. :D
(Once again, please, no spoilers for next week, if you know any!)
ETA: Discussion in comments has now moved on to 2x12, with spoilers!
Narratively, I do feel a little uncomfortable with Belle being made the victim, to suffer for Rumpelstiltskin's crimes. Not that this isn't entirely in character for everyone involved; it's just ... uncomfortable. And the thought also occurred to me this morning that it would have been even more interesting to see Rumpelstiltskin suffer the loss of identity instead; having a Rumpelstiltskin who genuinely believes himself to be Mr. Gold, while being surrounded by enemies who hate him for reasons he doesn't quite understand, would be fascinating (especially since I expect that most people in town wouldn't be sure if he'd really lost his memory, or was merely faking ... actually, now I kinda want to write that AU!).
But as far as Rumpel and Belle and their relationship ... okay, I really love Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, individually and together. I have a huge soft spot for the "beauty and the beast" trope, and they hit my buttons hard. But I also don't feel bad for something like this coming between them, because I think there are some pretty huge unresolved issues in the relationship that I feel really weird about.
The big thing here is that Rumpelstiltskin still hasn't accepted his own culpability in Mila's death. He's reframed the situation so that he sees himself as the victim and Hook as the aggressor. The whole thing with Belle stopping him from killing Hook and then Rumpel demanding that Hook get out of town bothered me on a couple of levels, mainly because Hook really is the wounded party here. He's an awful person and I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for him, but "here, we'll let you leave with your life, and I'll go on with my life here" is ... not actually the boon that both Rumpel and Belle seem to think it is, when it's coming from the man who killed his wife. And I guess that I wanted to see more reaction from Belle when she learned the true circumstances of Mila's death. Or a conversation, or something.
Belle obviously has decided that "Gold" is a different person from "Rumpelstiltskin" -- that he really has changed and doesn't need to be held accountable for his old self's crimes. But the problem with this (well, one problem with this) is that his behavior isn't bearing this out. I like him; I think Belle's right that he's got good in him, and he clearly loves her and Baelfire. But his behavior towards everyone else, while not quite as gleefully malicious as he was in his old persona, is still thoroughly self-centered and lacking in empathy. He's willing to let Henry die; he would happily have beaten Hook to death if Belle hadn't stopped him; he continues to frame himself as the victim in the Hook-Mila situation.
And he knows that Belle doesn't want him to kill Hook, but the very first thing he does as soon as Belle's out of the picture is ... try to kill Hook. It's not actually changing if you only do it when someone is standing there making you do it, and revert back to your regular habits as soon as they're not watching. You can't expect the accolades/recognition for having changed, if you're unwilling/unable to actually change. Rumpelstiltskin/Gold wants Belle to see him as a better man, but he's still doing all of the things that make him not a good man.
And Belle is, frankly, not helping with the 100% supportive thing that she's doing in this episode. I liked it a lot better earlier in the season when she was calling him on his bullshit and insisting on the relationship progressing on her terms. There are times to be unconditionally supportive, but when you've just found out that your boyfriend killed the last woman he was in love with because she left him for someone else: NOT ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE TIMES. I never really agreed with the complaint that Belle is Stockholmed (she doesn't read that way to me), but this is the first episode where I actually did kinda see it that way a little bit -- at the very least, the level of her support for him in this episode is ... unwarranted by his behavior, let's just say.
And at this point, despite my love for both the characters and my shippy tendencies towards them, I'm pretty much okay with something that'll shake up the status quo and force both of them to reevaluate the relationship.
... also, the last scene was just pretty much awesome. :D I can't help myself; I really like melodrama, and between the shot-and-collapsing-into-his-arms bit, and the ball of fire, and the SUDDEN SURPRISE CAR ... yes, much awesome was had. I may have been making little squeaky noises throughout that whole part. :D
(Once again, please, no spoilers for next week, if you know any!)
ETA: Discussion in comments has now moved on to 2x12, with spoilers!