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shadowkatOkay, that was....surprising and rather interesting. And I'll say this much..it certainly explains a great deal about Rumplestilskin.
In case you haven't guessed? This is the episode in which we find out amongst other things...what happened between Rumple and Peter Pan when Rumple was a kid. As a bonus we also get to meet Rumple's father - finally.
1. Hee. Peter Pan is Rumplestilskin's Father. He's been in the story for a while now. Clever. Possibly a wee bit too clever.
Considering the speculation a while back that he was Pan's captive and Pan was either his son or something similar, this is rather amusing. Also I have a feeling this turn of events is going to piss a few people off royally. ( I admittedly figured out that Rumple's father was Peter Pan when he was first introduced as a con man, who always had a trick up his sleeve and the old ladies told Rumple to leave without his father. Also once I figured it out - I realized it totally fit the pattern of the series. After all what villain could possibly be worse than Rumple but his own father. Just as the only villain worse than Regina, was her own mother. Regina's mother was the Queen of Hearts while Rumple's is Peter Pan, the worst villain ever and the one that Rumple is most afraid of. A common theme in this series is the terrifying parent or the parent who rejects the child utterly. That said? I'll admit this is a bit too..what's word I'm looking for here? Neat? Convenient? Easy? It feels like lazy writing...or one of the five things you are told not to do in creative writing courses but do in fanfic, because it's so much fun and comforting to do it? Which may be way I'm enjoying the twist - because professional writers never do this, albeit for some very good reasons.
Once you get past your annoyance or joy with the twist - there are a few cool metaphors. I can see why the writers did it. I'd have been tempted to do it - just for the metaphorical goodness.)
Rumple like Regina attempts to trap his father, but like Cora, the father outwits him. I'm guessing the old candle trick that was used to save Rumple's life at Cora's demise, may be used to save either Charming or Henry at Pan's demise? OR something similar.
Will state - Peter Pan being Rumplestilskin's father explains a lot. As does the fact that he was raised by two spinsters (literally and metaphorically speaking). Explains why he's so good at spinning. Also his lack of a mother - explains why he seemed to take on the more feminine role in his relationship with his father. He did the domestic stuff, and was always tracking his dad down in pubs. It also explains why he went after power. Why he hobbled himself - so that he would not abandon his son - yet ironically, his hobbling echoes his father's actions. Its an opportunistic and self-preserving act, not a heroic one.
Now contrast Rumplestilskin/Peter Pan/Neal Cassidy's acts with Henry's. Henry sacrifices his life to save magic. He willing gives his heart to another to save lives, to be a hero, without fear for himself. While Rumple/Pan/Neal (grandfather, great-grandfather, and father) all do the opposite - Rumple puts himself above his son and others, as does Pan and to a degree Neal (who puts himself above Emma - in both his choice to have her take the blame for his thievery, coaxed by Pinnochio, and in his choice to marry Tamara and not choose Emma and Henry or even seek Emma out.) Will state this...the nastiness seems to weaken with each generation.
The father/Peter Pan is a piece of work. And the writer's twist on the Robin Williams' film Hook is in some respects clever. The father goes to Neverland and becomes Peter Pan, as opposed to the father is Peter Pan and returns to Neverland. Nice reversal there. Should have figured this out five episodes earlier. It seems so obvious now.
Also he used the name that his son gave the doll that he'd made for his son - demonstrating that he regretted abandoning his son as cruelly as he did. He's actually worse than Rumple, Cora and Regina combined.
It, however, does not excuse anything that Rumple has done. We make our own choices in life.
We don't get to blame our nasty parents or relatives for our own choices.
2. Henry's choices are interesting. He has romanticized heroism and sacrifice. Up until now, he's never been the hero, just the damsel or in the way - and he desperately wants to be the hero - so he buys into Pan's con job. Pan manipulates people by telling them what they want to hear.
Pan, like with everyone else, plays on Henry's weaknesses - his faith, his blind belief, and his desire to sacrifice himself for the greater good. To be someone. To be important.
As a result Henry pulls out his own heart and hands it over to Pan.
I'd say Henry is a bit dumb, but consider how young he is. He's only 11. Pan is the adult.
And far older. Possibly 800 years old by now.
Did like this exchange:
Pan: You have to give me your heart.
Henry: Sure, wait, you mean my belief right?
Pan: No, your actual heart.
Henry: What will happen to me?
(Well Henry you die...this is not that hard to understand.)
Dumb as Henry's choice appears - it's interesting because it is the exact opposite of Pan's and Rumple's choices. Henry's choice echoes his mother's side of the family - Snow/Charming/Emma and to a degree Regina. Yet, this need to be self-sacrificing, to die for others - is shown here to not be a much better choice than the desire to preserve one's life over others.
Look at Charming and Snow - who want to be martyrs and stay in Neverland. OR Charming's decision not to tell Snow he was dying. Foreshadowing perhaps for Henry's similar choice.
Or Regina's choice to die for Storybrook, which Emma forestalls, finding another way. Just as Emma finds another way of resolving Charming's dilemma. (Although Rumplestilskin being trapped in Pandora's box may put a damper on that.)
3. Pan and Rumple. Pan played on Rumple's weakness - his desire to be reunited with his father, but inability to do so. He wanted to forgive his father - he wanted to believe his father loved him. And he wants to believe he hasn't become his father. (HE hasn't - he actually searched for his son.)
Rumple's father turning into Pan, explains in some respects Rumple's suggestion to Bae - that he can turn him 14 again. (From Rumple's pov that's a nice thing.)
Both father and son are self-absorbed, opportunistic, cowards. We knew his father was a coward, we didn't know he was an opportunist and a nasty one at that.
He also came back into Rumple's life to steal his grandson. Odd that. He got lonely and went after his son's son for companionship and used his son's inability to trust (something he caused) against him. And when Baelfire leaves the Enchanted Forest and ends up in Neverland - Pan is rather nasty to him.
Then Pan lets his grandson leave - so that he could get the heart of his great-grandson, in order to continue to live. (The parents feeding off the children to extend their own lifespan...nice metaphor there.)
Pan is the ultimate con artist. Everything about him is artifice, a trick. Nothing is real.
It's all smoke and mirrors. And the shadow - is part of the island and the reason he became Peter Pan. Because as the Shadow tells Pan - this place only children can visit in their dreams. By coming here and becoming Peter Pan, you made it real, you broke the rules, and you stayed here. It's no longer just a place of dreams.
The search for eternal youth is a destructive one.
Rather than let his son foil his plans or trap him in PAndora's box, he cleverly switches the boxes and traps his son. Rumple has been out of his depth since he came to Neverland, in part because he's fighting his own father. Rumple is now trapped inside the very box he intended to entrap his father.
Also nice twist on Pandora's box - instead of letting loose magic and horror like in the Greek myths, it entraps things.
4. Emma cleverly figures out a way to save her father and get everyone back to Storybrook with Neal and Rumplestilskin's help. Rumple states he'll do it - but he wants something big in return. To wit - his son responds, eh, no. You'll do it for free because it is the right thing to do! And Rumple caves immediately. (This is the opposite of Rumple vs. Pan. Rumple is a bit of a pussycat towards the people he loves, I'm not sure his father is capable of love any more than Regina's mother was - although at least Cora had an excuse, she'd removed her heart.)
5. Is it just me or are these writers obsessed with heart metaphor?
6. Wendy came back to save Baelfire from Peter Pan, but apparently waited too long. So got stuck there herself. (Another example of how self-sacrifice or saving someone doesn't always work out the way you intended.) As a result she aids Pan in destroying Neal's son.
7. Interesting that Rumple didn't tell anyone who Peter Pan really is. That information could have come in handy.
8. The shadow metaphor is another interesting metaphor in this series...both Rumple and Pan rip off their shadows. Does this weaken them in the same way that Cora ripping her heart out did? Doesn't appear to. Rumple is no different, neither is Pan.
9. Was admittedly surprised that they had Henry give Pan his heart. So is Henry dead? No doubt it. I can't imagine them killing him off permanently. I'm guessing this is a temporary set-back, sort of similar to Rumple being in Pandora's box. Although at this point, I can't figure out how they are going to defeat Peter Pan. The guy is always five steps ahead of them and a wee bit too clever. He has to have a weakness...
Overall, not a bad episode. Rather enjoyed it, actually. Even if the twist felt a wee bit too..something. Wonder how many people it pissed off? And how many loved it? (I fall between the two extremes.)
In case you haven't guessed? This is the episode in which we find out amongst other things...what happened between Rumple and Peter Pan when Rumple was a kid. As a bonus we also get to meet Rumple's father - finally.
1. Hee. Peter Pan is Rumplestilskin's Father. He's been in the story for a while now. Clever. Possibly a wee bit too clever.
Considering the speculation a while back that he was Pan's captive and Pan was either his son or something similar, this is rather amusing. Also I have a feeling this turn of events is going to piss a few people off royally. ( I admittedly figured out that Rumple's father was Peter Pan when he was first introduced as a con man, who always had a trick up his sleeve and the old ladies told Rumple to leave without his father. Also once I figured it out - I realized it totally fit the pattern of the series. After all what villain could possibly be worse than Rumple but his own father. Just as the only villain worse than Regina, was her own mother. Regina's mother was the Queen of Hearts while Rumple's is Peter Pan, the worst villain ever and the one that Rumple is most afraid of. A common theme in this series is the terrifying parent or the parent who rejects the child utterly. That said? I'll admit this is a bit too..what's word I'm looking for here? Neat? Convenient? Easy? It feels like lazy writing...or one of the five things you are told not to do in creative writing courses but do in fanfic, because it's so much fun and comforting to do it? Which may be way I'm enjoying the twist - because professional writers never do this, albeit for some very good reasons.
Once you get past your annoyance or joy with the twist - there are a few cool metaphors. I can see why the writers did it. I'd have been tempted to do it - just for the metaphorical goodness.)
Rumple like Regina attempts to trap his father, but like Cora, the father outwits him. I'm guessing the old candle trick that was used to save Rumple's life at Cora's demise, may be used to save either Charming or Henry at Pan's demise? OR something similar.
Will state - Peter Pan being Rumplestilskin's father explains a lot. As does the fact that he was raised by two spinsters (literally and metaphorically speaking). Explains why he's so good at spinning. Also his lack of a mother - explains why he seemed to take on the more feminine role in his relationship with his father. He did the domestic stuff, and was always tracking his dad down in pubs. It also explains why he went after power. Why he hobbled himself - so that he would not abandon his son - yet ironically, his hobbling echoes his father's actions. Its an opportunistic and self-preserving act, not a heroic one.
Now contrast Rumplestilskin/Peter Pan/Neal Cassidy's acts with Henry's. Henry sacrifices his life to save magic. He willing gives his heart to another to save lives, to be a hero, without fear for himself. While Rumple/Pan/Neal (grandfather, great-grandfather, and father) all do the opposite - Rumple puts himself above his son and others, as does Pan and to a degree Neal (who puts himself above Emma - in both his choice to have her take the blame for his thievery, coaxed by Pinnochio, and in his choice to marry Tamara and not choose Emma and Henry or even seek Emma out.) Will state this...the nastiness seems to weaken with each generation.
The father/Peter Pan is a piece of work. And the writer's twist on the Robin Williams' film Hook is in some respects clever. The father goes to Neverland and becomes Peter Pan, as opposed to the father is Peter Pan and returns to Neverland. Nice reversal there. Should have figured this out five episodes earlier. It seems so obvious now.
Also he used the name that his son gave the doll that he'd made for his son - demonstrating that he regretted abandoning his son as cruelly as he did. He's actually worse than Rumple, Cora and Regina combined.
It, however, does not excuse anything that Rumple has done. We make our own choices in life.
We don't get to blame our nasty parents or relatives for our own choices.
2. Henry's choices are interesting. He has romanticized heroism and sacrifice. Up until now, he's never been the hero, just the damsel or in the way - and he desperately wants to be the hero - so he buys into Pan's con job. Pan manipulates people by telling them what they want to hear.
Pan, like with everyone else, plays on Henry's weaknesses - his faith, his blind belief, and his desire to sacrifice himself for the greater good. To be someone. To be important.
As a result Henry pulls out his own heart and hands it over to Pan.
I'd say Henry is a bit dumb, but consider how young he is. He's only 11. Pan is the adult.
And far older. Possibly 800 years old by now.
Did like this exchange:
Pan: You have to give me your heart.
Henry: Sure, wait, you mean my belief right?
Pan: No, your actual heart.
Henry: What will happen to me?
(Well Henry you die...this is not that hard to understand.)
Dumb as Henry's choice appears - it's interesting because it is the exact opposite of Pan's and Rumple's choices. Henry's choice echoes his mother's side of the family - Snow/Charming/Emma and to a degree Regina. Yet, this need to be self-sacrificing, to die for others - is shown here to not be a much better choice than the desire to preserve one's life over others.
Look at Charming and Snow - who want to be martyrs and stay in Neverland. OR Charming's decision not to tell Snow he was dying. Foreshadowing perhaps for Henry's similar choice.
Or Regina's choice to die for Storybrook, which Emma forestalls, finding another way. Just as Emma finds another way of resolving Charming's dilemma. (Although Rumplestilskin being trapped in Pandora's box may put a damper on that.)
3. Pan and Rumple. Pan played on Rumple's weakness - his desire to be reunited with his father, but inability to do so. He wanted to forgive his father - he wanted to believe his father loved him. And he wants to believe he hasn't become his father. (HE hasn't - he actually searched for his son.)
Rumple's father turning into Pan, explains in some respects Rumple's suggestion to Bae - that he can turn him 14 again. (From Rumple's pov that's a nice thing.)
Both father and son are self-absorbed, opportunistic, cowards. We knew his father was a coward, we didn't know he was an opportunist and a nasty one at that.
He also came back into Rumple's life to steal his grandson. Odd that. He got lonely and went after his son's son for companionship and used his son's inability to trust (something he caused) against him. And when Baelfire leaves the Enchanted Forest and ends up in Neverland - Pan is rather nasty to him.
Then Pan lets his grandson leave - so that he could get the heart of his great-grandson, in order to continue to live. (The parents feeding off the children to extend their own lifespan...nice metaphor there.)
Pan is the ultimate con artist. Everything about him is artifice, a trick. Nothing is real.
It's all smoke and mirrors. And the shadow - is part of the island and the reason he became Peter Pan. Because as the Shadow tells Pan - this place only children can visit in their dreams. By coming here and becoming Peter Pan, you made it real, you broke the rules, and you stayed here. It's no longer just a place of dreams.
The search for eternal youth is a destructive one.
Rather than let his son foil his plans or trap him in PAndora's box, he cleverly switches the boxes and traps his son. Rumple has been out of his depth since he came to Neverland, in part because he's fighting his own father. Rumple is now trapped inside the very box he intended to entrap his father.
Also nice twist on Pandora's box - instead of letting loose magic and horror like in the Greek myths, it entraps things.
4. Emma cleverly figures out a way to save her father and get everyone back to Storybrook with Neal and Rumplestilskin's help. Rumple states he'll do it - but he wants something big in return. To wit - his son responds, eh, no. You'll do it for free because it is the right thing to do! And Rumple caves immediately. (This is the opposite of Rumple vs. Pan. Rumple is a bit of a pussycat towards the people he loves, I'm not sure his father is capable of love any more than Regina's mother was - although at least Cora had an excuse, she'd removed her heart.)
5. Is it just me or are these writers obsessed with heart metaphor?
6. Wendy came back to save Baelfire from Peter Pan, but apparently waited too long. So got stuck there herself. (Another example of how self-sacrifice or saving someone doesn't always work out the way you intended.) As a result she aids Pan in destroying Neal's son.
7. Interesting that Rumple didn't tell anyone who Peter Pan really is. That information could have come in handy.
8. The shadow metaphor is another interesting metaphor in this series...both Rumple and Pan rip off their shadows. Does this weaken them in the same way that Cora ripping her heart out did? Doesn't appear to. Rumple is no different, neither is Pan.
9. Was admittedly surprised that they had Henry give Pan his heart. So is Henry dead? No doubt it. I can't imagine them killing him off permanently. I'm guessing this is a temporary set-back, sort of similar to Rumple being in Pandora's box. Although at this point, I can't figure out how they are going to defeat Peter Pan. The guy is always five steps ahead of them and a wee bit too clever. He has to have a weakness...
Overall, not a bad episode. Rather enjoyed it, actually. Even if the twist felt a wee bit too..something. Wonder how many people it pissed off? And how many loved it? (I fall between the two extremes.)
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Date: 2013-11-18 01:27 pm (UTC)Oh very much so. Considering how much our media and advertising plays into that and caters to it. I mean, the movie HOOK is all about Pan reconnecting with his inner child and being a kid again.
This subverts it. It also...subversively depicts the child version of the father being far nastier than the adult version. While you could say that the adult version loved his son or at least feared for him, the child version doesn't appear to care at all - unless it benefits him. Rarely do we see child villains on television.
And it twists...the whole adult fantasy - "I want to be Peter Pan". The father changes Neverland from a place of wonder for childhood dreams to a nightmare - by insisting on remaining there as a child, giving up all his responsibilities. And deprives both his son and his great grandson of their childhoods in different ways - in exchange for returning to childhood himself.
Very clever.
The connection to the doll - I loved. And how he gave Rumple the doll and each time Rumple tries to throw it away on the island, it ricochets back to him.
I loved the twist.