Once Upon A OH MY HEAVENS WHAT IS HAPPENING

A really, really, really in-depth look at the first episode of season 2.

Putting this under a “read more” because no one will probably care, I just feel like being an overanalyzing nerd.

So Season 2 of Once Upon a Time opened up in a true Lost fashion–

TONS of new characters, new questions, and new WTF moments.  Not to mention everyone being stranded in an island-esque situation.  No one comes in, no one leaves, and only a handful of people are aware of what’s going on.

However, OUAT is still not just a Disney reboot of Lost; it still retains its own charm and motifs.  True love and true love’s kiss ran rampant like mono in high school, with various consequences.  Aurora was awoken from an unexplained sleep, Emma gave Regina magic (okay, there wasn’t a kiss, but COME ON.  She touched her shoulder in the most romantic way possible.), and Rumpelstiltskin realized he can kiss Belle without worrying about losing his magic.  That guy made out like a bandit with the way things are going down.

The opening scene was seemingly irrelevant to the plot line, with an unknown character making his way home through an unknown city.  I’m sure everyone and their mother is going to jump to the conclusion that this is Baelfire, which is a very probable assumption, but knowing the writers… well, don’t count on it.  His room was very curious, though, full of lots of things with possible meanings.  We’ve got a “Cleaners and Hatters” sign, a dream catcher, a red painting of a hand, wooden shoes, lots of old cameras, and a heart painting.  If you’ve been paying attention at all to this show, you should know that a lot of those things mean something to certain characters.  Also, the man receives a Storybrooke postcard with the one word “Broken” written on it from a pigeon.  Reminiscent of Snow White’s bluebirds and migrating doves.  "Broken" can only refer to the curse.  Now, where this man fits in is still a mystery, but I’m going to roll with he’s whomever August Booth was contact.  In one episode, after a spaz attack induced by being turned back into a wooden puppet, August made a phone call to someone and simply said that he was moving forward with the plan, time was running out.  So, in my mind, this means that August Booth is alive, the curse on him broke as well, and he contacted whomever this man is to inform him that he’s accomplished the end goal.

I find it curious that Dr. Whale was the one leading the mob to Regina’s door.  To all of you out there thinking perhaps he’s Dr. Frankenstein, you should be having a FIELD DAY with this!

As a true and unashamed Rumbelle'r, I’m really intrigued by the evolution of Rumpelstiltskin and Belle’s relationship.  It’s ambiguous, it’s dual-natured, it has the potential to be something truly twisted, if it isn’t already.  In this episode, it displayed all the signs of a classic abusive, Stockholm syndrome relationship.  I’m madly in love with these two, but having personally been through a certain level of abusive relationship, I’m acutely aware of the signs.  As Belle herself put it, Rumpelstiltskin toys with words like he does people.  He’s out to get what he wants and he will do whatever he can to achieve his goals.  He will lie, manipulate, and toy with people to get power, his son, and Belle.  Belle realizes this, and, horrified that the man she loves hasn’t changed like she had hoped, walks out on him.  But then she comes back.  As the abused usually do.  She forgives, believes him when he says he’ll change for the better, that she can change him, and comes back to him.  I mean, look at that dress he gave her!  Where did he get that dress, I want one!

Here’s the thing, though… we’re all still going to hope she does.  We’re all going to hope that she does save Rumpelstiltskin because we all love the redeemed.  If you’re watching this show, you’re a hopeless romantic, no debate, so we’re all going to cheer on true love winning out and saving a lost soul.  Rumpelstiltskin hasn’t given us anything to back up a hope that he’s going to change, but we’re all going to hope anyway.  After all, he’s hated himself forever for losing his son and Belle.  He kept the chipped cup and nearly killed a man to get it back. He spins at his wheel at the end of this episode to forget that Belle just ran out on him, just as he spun when he lost his son and then pushed Belle away the first time.  There’s the ambiguity of this relationship– is Belle really seeing a light in this tormented character that needs to be brightened, or is she being controlled and manipulated?

A lot of people were also complaining about a possible plot hole involving Maleficent.  Regina, in a previous episode, had mentioned that Maleficent was the same age when her life was ruined by a certain sleeping beauty.  Now, given Maleficent and Aurora’s age and the assumed time she was asleep, this wouldn’t make any sense.  However, if you listen to Aurora when she woke up, she said, “first my mother and then me”.  I’m going to make the assumption that means that the person who really ruined Maleficent’s life was Aurora’s mother, which led to Maleficent seeking revenge also upon the daughter.  I’m rolling with that.

I found the end of this episode to be truly brilliant.  Finding out that there is still a portion of the Fairy Tale Land (FTL) that is still intact is fascinating.  It opens a thousand new possibilities.  A battle for Storybrooke, for FTL, for happy endings?  BRING IT.

And now that we’ve got the blundering, but well-intentioned and strong-willed Aurora, mighty Mulan, warrior princess Snow White, and savior Emma Swan together, well the show’s theme of “No Damsels in Distress” is going to rage on with all the fury of PMS.  Seriously, can we really applaud all of the female characters of this show?  Even Belle who’s caught in this potentially horrible trap of Stockholm Syndrome shows a lot of spine and willpower!

Also, I’m fairly certain they cut Robert Carlyle’s hair half an inch shorter and I DO NOT APPROVE.

Anyway, I think I’ll end this rambling now, but I’m sure there are a thousand more thoughts running through my head.  If you read this whole thing and think I’m brilliant, bat crazy, or just stating the obvious, let me know!