#also are we ignoring Frodo’s BOAT TRAUMA

[astronicht]

I’m very curious what type of boat Tolkien was picturing with the elven-boats, because this seems like something ppl will have solved, and I’m particularly curious what Tolkien imagined were historically accurate boats. To me, they sound exactly like canoes — but with broad paddles (better for racing or whitewater than the thinner paddles used for distance) — right down to the “uhhHHH please practice getting in and out of them first” advice from the elves, and the way it’s three to a boat (bow, stern, and center).

There were historical canoes in the European half North Sea as well as the Americas half, but the literature tends to gloss over that. Are they birch bark? Dugout? Not a fucking canoe? Elf boat mystery… 😔😔🛶

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Initial Thoughts--6x16 Mother’s Little Helper

Well that episode was quite the wild ride, wasn’t it?  We got a little bit of everything--pirates, Neverland, a nasty new villain, pirates (specifically a certain one-handed one who is amazing), twists and turns, an evil giant spider (could have done without that!), pirates, a tragic backstory, Emma and Killian both fighting like crazy to get back to each other, pirates, a double-cross from someone who’s being controlled, pirates, a new twist to the author story that ups the stakes, pirates, Lost Boys out for blood, and...did I mention pirates?  Because I liked the Hook/Blackbeard scenes.  A lot.

Overall impression:  Excellent episode in the midst of what’s turning into an excellent arc!  They have me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next...and I don’t even have a clue what that might be!  Speculating’s fun, but when a narrative leaves you without even a guess where they’re going next?  That’s OUAT at it’s best!

Okay, so 3 main plot lines this week: 1. Henry and his little author incident. 2. Gideon’s backstory with the Black Fairy and his further attempts to kill Emma. and 3. Hook trying to find a way back to Emma.  Under the cut, let’s dive a little more deeply into each one of those storylines.

Henry, the author and the last chapter

Very curious what happened to Henry when he went into that little trance.  I wonder what exactly he wrote--and in what language.

Maybe some people were looking forward to seeing Isaac again, but...eh...4b was one of my least favorite seasons, and he just got on my nerves with his whininess....and he just kept it up in this episode.

I was glad Regina called Isaac’s bluff.  She knew she had him over a barrel.  He may have info she needed, but he wanted to get out of Storybrooke more than she wanted his info, so the ball was totally in her court.

Interesting about the story being in it’s final chapter, though.  I wonder what that means, exactly?  How will the savior’s story end?  What happens after the final chapter is written? Could we be lucky and get a season 7 about our faves living their Happy Endings?

Isaac explained what’s going on with the book, but he didn’t really address the whole Henry situation.  How does Regina keep Henry from having further such incidents?  What happens if he keeps having them?  Is there any significance to that other language he wrote?  

So many questions!

I will say, kudos to Regina for working so hard to try to fix the EQ’s messes!

Gideon/Emma/the Black Fairy/Rumbelle

Rumple had some messed up parents!

The Black Fairy is shaping up to be quite the formidable villain.  There’s something chilling and evil about her that goes beyond what we’ve seen from other villains.  And Rumple definitely came by his penchant for manipulation honestly!

Not surprised she cast the Dark Curse, but her attitude toward the children she kidnapped is curious.  It’s almost like she honestly does see herself as their mother, as someone they should love, despite her cruelty.  In that sense, she’s your stereotypical fairy tale wicked step-mother.

Chilling how she was able to brainwash Gideon and turn him from a scared little boy who was terrified of her to her second in command.  Seems a bit of Stockholm Syndrome took place there.

I liked that it was his friend that he wasn’t able to save that snapped him back into a desire to fight the Black Fairy.  Not cool on her part, though, to orchestrate the whole situation to trick Gideon into betraying her.

How did I not see the heart control coming?  It’s classic Once Upon a Time.  How did the writers manage to blindside me with it?  Kudos to them!

In the present, I dearly loved seeing Emma fighting back and ready to beat the crap out of Gideon to get Killian back.  I get why Emma reacted the way she did in the last episode, but I love having the fighter back!

It showed what a genuinely good person Emma is that she took Rumbelle’s suggestions, and went to Gideon--after all he’s done to her--genuinely trying to help him and give him back hope.  I liked that she was willing to help him.

Bringing a gigantic Shelob-wannabe spider to the sorcerer’s mansion in order to kill Emma?  Ugh!  That whole scene, from the moment Gideon trapped Emma in the web to the moment the spider mummified her felt like it was right out of Lord of the Rings.  Gideon was Gollum, Emma was Frodo, and the spider was obviously Shelob.  I guess that makes Rumple Sam....?  Okay, that’s weird.

I was glad Rumple saved Emma’s life, and I am glad that he’s stopped being the absolute worst in order to try to save his son from becoming evil.

Yet still...there were definitely things about Rumbelle in this episode that struck me a bit wrong.  Even when they’re at their best, their morality is just a little bit...off.

I get both Belle and Rumple wanting to help their son.  I get them hoping for his ultimate goodness, hoping they can get through to him and bring him back from the dark side.  I get them not wanting someone to harm their son.  But I think they make a huge mistake when they only look at who they think he might be deep down and they ignore, downplay, or dismiss the terrible things he’s done.

No, no one’s born evil.  Yes, Gideon had a terrible childhood, but you know what?  That doesn’t give him licence to try to kill an innocent woman who was genuinely trying to help him.  Newsflash: nearly everyone in Storybrooke had a tragic backstory.  Maybe they weren’t raised by someone as dark as the Black Fairy, but they had terrible traumas as well.  The heroes overcame them and went on to be heroic.  It is possible.  What makes one a hero is not how good their life was in the past, but how they choose to live their life going forward.  *Note, in all of this discussion about my issues with Rumbelle, keep in mind they don’t know that Gideon’s heart is being controlled by the Black Fairy, so it’s kind of irrelevant to my discussion of their behavior.*

By dismissing what he’s done as “he’s really a good person deep down, give him a chance,” they’re really not doing Gideon any favors.  They are kind of enabling him in living in a way that will ultimately be his destruction. (Granted, Belle is less guilty of this than Mr. “they just see things in black and white” Gold.  She acknowledges that Emma was right in what she said; it’s just that her mother’s heart can’t stand to see her son suffer, which is understandable.)

It also frustrated me greatly the way they treated Emma and insisted she treat Gideon with kid gloves.  She owes that kid nothing.  He’s tried to kill her twice now, shows no indication he’ll stop until someone stops him, and he banished her True Love to a distant land just when she needs him most.  Emma has a right to defend herself in whatever way is necessary.  If Gideon ends up hurt as a consequence of that, it’s on him.  Emma didn’t start this fight.  She never sought Gideon out.  She’s done everything she can for him.  Whatever bad things befall him are on him....

...or they would be if he were truly in control of himself.  As it is, he’s not in control of his heart, so he can’t stop himself from trying to kill her.  It turns out, Gideon needs saving more than any of them know.

And now the Black Fairy is in Storybrooke.  Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Killian and Blackbeard

Ngl.  I would watch an entire episode of nothing but Killian and Blackbeard one-upping and sassing each other.  That was A+ quality stuff there!

Killian, thoroughly pirate and thoroughly hero was hot.  I mean, he’s always hot, but there’s a certain...pirate swagger that’s been missing for a while, and words cannot express how happy I was to see it back.

That one handed shuffling thing Killian did...be still my heart.  (How many takes did it get Colin to do that without dropping cards everywhere, bless him.)

Excellent strategic thinking on Killian’s part!  His strategy was brilliant.  Win or lose, he knew he’d get Blackbeard to do what he wanted.  If he won, he just got the bean.  If he lost, Blackbeard would still take him home, even if just to get his newly acquired loot.

I love how unconcerned Killian was about Blackbeards taunts about him giving up everything for a woman.  Emma’s more important to him than anything or anyone, and he couldn’t care less if Blackbeard wants to rib him about it until the cows come home.

But of course, Killian couldn’t get home because of Gideon’s savior’s tears spell.  I love that they ended up on Neverland instead!  I’ve been hoping to get back to Neverland for a long time!

Those Lost Boys were intense!

Not at all cool of Blackbeard to knock Killian out and steal the boat.  Also...not the brightest of all ideas. 1. If he leaves Killian high and dry, how’s he ever going to get the Jolly that he won?  2. Where does he think he’s going to go?  They’re in the realm of Neverland.  Literally the only place he can go is the island.

I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a CS reunion in this episode, but in hindsight, it was probably best.  There was way too much going on in this episode.  The reunion couldn’t possibly get the focus it deserves amidst all the chaos.

Looking forward, next week looks like another wild ride!  Can’t wait until next Sunday!