Once Upon a Time - S3E8 - Think Lovely Thoughts
Rumpelstiltskin Has Daddy Issues
And boy do they run deep.
A small. dirty faced man dressed in rags is playing 3-Card-Monty on the streets of town. A young boy watches as the man is roughed up, thrown to the ground and robbed after cheating one of the towns people. The Boy is Rumpel, the man is his father. Rumpel is taken to the home of two Spinsters. He is being left in the home until his shady father finds a job, Malcolm leaves him with a doll to keep him company while he is away. Young Rumpel shows a natural talent for spinning yarn, and the women take notice. He can’t stop fretting about his father. The women offer him a way out, by giving him a magic bean. They tell him he can and should go anywhere he wants, without his father in order to get a fresh start. Rumpel runs off to find his father, who upon hearing of the bean wants to sell it, because his get rich quick schemes have worked out so well thus far.
Malcolm decides to listen to his son, and they whisk away to Neverland. Malcolm share tales of his childhood dreams when he would visit Neverland. Malcolm wants to fly; he shimmies up a tree to gather some fairy dust and comes face to faceless with the Shadow (voice by Marilyn Manson). He is the only inhabitant of the Island, and Malcolm doesn’t belong. Malcolm makes his way back down to his crying son who thought he had been abandoned AGAIN. Poor baby. Little did he know what was in store. Malcolm figured out how he could fly; how he could stay on the island. He had to let go of the one thing tying him to the present: his son. The Shadow grabs young Rumpel. Malcolm grabs his son while he is being pulled away but ultimately chooses to let him go. Malcolm glows with fairy dust and is transformed into none other than the being we know as Peter Pan. What in the living hell?
My theory was as follows: Peter Pan was a street urchin that Rumpel met, they traveled to Neverland, Peter learned how to harness the power of the island, Rumpel wasn’t ready, and Peter sent Rumpel back to their homeland. The end. But Peter Pan is your father (in a Darth Vader voice), no way. Pfft. I’m done rambling.
Peter Pan flies to skull mountain with the Shadow who then goes into laborious detail about how he broke the rules by choosing to stay in Neverland. The hour glass is running at full force when they arrive. Peter knows that time is not his friend, and he will have to find a way to live forever.
In Present Time
Operation Save Henry is in full force. Again. 7 episodes in, and the team is still saving Henry. Rumpel and Regina join the crew under one stipulation: Rumpel must relinquish Pandora’s box, and he is not permitted to use magic until they get Pan. The gang makes their way to Pan’s Camp, knock out the Lost Boys, but there is no sign of Pan or Henry. They find Wendy stowed away in her little cage; initially, she lies about Henry and his whereabouts. Wendy reveals that Pan is dying, and he needs to transfer the power of Neverland to Henry’s heart. Pan will be given eternal life, and Henry will die. Snow, Charming, and Wendy remain at base camp, while the rest of the crew trudges off to Skull Mountain.
Pan casts a spell on the entry to skull mountain; only someone who doesn’t cast a shadow can enter. Rumpel passes through, and Regina gives him Pandora’s box in order to capture Pan. Rumpel and Pan stand-off, and old feelings stir up as we find out that Peter Pan is named after Rumpel’s doll, which we know was left in Neverland. Rumpel waves his hand over Pandora’s box, and it doesn’t activate. Pan reveals that he has the real Pandora’s Box and captures Rumpel. Pan convinces Henry to give him his heart in order to save magic, Regina and Emma activate their Wonder Twin powers and break into skull mountain like gangbusters. They are too late. Henry has removed his own heart and is prepared to give it to Pan. Henry thrusts his heart into Pan’s chest; a green wave passes over Neverland. A reinvigorated Pan is hovering over everyone and Henry has fallen to the ground.
The show was suffering from what I like to call: a case of the searching for Sophias (fans of The Walking Dead understand). The search for Henry was wearing thin, and they have truly overstayed their welcome in Neverland. The show returns in 2 weeks, and the motley crew is still on the island. I’m hoping they escape before the winter hiatus.
