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"Best Laid Plans"
Episode Review
Is it just me, or has Once been spot-on every week? I find myself chomping at the bit to see the next episode, the way I used to before the town froze over. Snow and Charming's secret, meeting the author, Rumple's chat with Belle, Maleficent's child's reveal, and more August time? I didn't want the episode to end. "Best Laid Plans" was one of those episodes where you find your mind spinning with possibilities, as if your imagination has caught on fire. So many directions could be taken with this new reveal about how the book works!
I'm definitely enjoying Snow and Charming taking front and center again, as the story mainly revolves around them. And I'm loving all the flashbacks, as we didn't get any of those from them last half. And their secret was indeed tragic, although perhaps not completely their fault. We can understand why Snow would want to protect her child from darkness, especially as there was a possibility that she wouldn't be around to raise her child and teach her the right way, as the Evil Queen had threatened to take away everyone that Snow loved from her. Let's not forget that Charming was nearly killed several times by King George, and Snow was raised by a stepmother turned murderous. So we can definitely understand their urgency for goodness in their child, particularly Snow. Interestingly these beginning episodes show us just how much Snow and Charming have grown since this point. At the start they divide everyone into two categories: heroes and villains. No gray, just black and white. And to them, as Maleficent killed those guards to make way across the bridge on their trek to the Tree of Wisdom, understandably the Charmings are hesitant to trust her. To them she's a villain, and her dragon offspring will already be dark, so what's wrong with a little more?
Although the decision was tragic and even selfish in its own right, it seems that the parents assumed Mal's baby would just be an animal, or some kind of monster. I like that Snow and Charming aren't without fault, as it makes them more tangible to viewers. No one is completely good, and no one is completely evil. But it's nice to see that Snow and Charming have risen above it and have learned from their mistakes. After all, who hasn't done something they've regretted in their life? We now see why they were so afraid when the Queens of Darkness came to town. Instead of taking the easy way out like before and just burning the page, Snow and Charming were willing to risk their daughter's trust to tell her the truth, no matter how she might react.
I was a bit disappointed in Emma in this episode. I get it, it was a horrible thing to do. But she acted like she herself had been affected, as if they ripped her own child from her. Nobody is perfect - nobody, including Emma. Doesn't she remember blatantly lying to Henry about his dad? How is that any different? She seems to forgive everybody a whole lot easier than her parents, as if somehow they're expected to behave better than anybody else. In all fairness, they were doing it to protect her, as everything else they've ever done is to protect her. And just because they didn't tell her doesn't mean they lied; sometimes secrets simply aren't anybody else's business. But her reaction was rather childish; like mother like son in this case. Hopefully she'll come around soon.
I loved the twist with the author, however. The part where the light shines through the door to the keyhole in the desk drawer was amazing. It was so well done and unexpected that a childlike delight came to the surface. This season half has been really cool, and I'm liking it. And I appreciated that Henry trusted Regina when she demanded the page, showing us just how far their relationship has grown since the series began. Similarly, I'm glad that Snow and Charming decided to come clean. That was the hardest moment we'll probably have to endure from their storyline, and now we can look forward to things getting better toward the end of the season.
And although I still don't understand Gold at the moment, we got to see two different scenes where Rumple seemed to turn back into his old self, wise from a lifetime of mistakes. First, when he was talking to Belle, he admitted to having lived a life of darkness, apparently giving him some kind of crippling condition from the way he touched his heart. In the scene with Maleficent, he gently explains that pain can only take over if one won't let it go, a wise lesson. He seems to advise Maleficent against finding out about her child, perhaps trying to save her from the same burden that he carries himself. More and more we see him as a man who has had a hard life, having had everything ripped away from him. I'm rooting for his happy ending, but not the way he's been going at it. I believe Ariel's advise was correct - happy endings are a choice, and villains never receive theirs only because they try to get them the wrong way. And I believe that Rumple will never be truly happy until he is willing to learn that lesson - that power cannot buy happiness. But it seems that he hasn't learned it yet, so I fear he may have to fall even deeper to realize the truth.
Although we saw it coming, I'm glad that Lily turned out to be Maleficent's child. And we got an explanation as to how Cruella and Ursula came to our world, one that seemed cleverly done and not tacked on. The part with there being several authors (including Walt! Love it!) and the latest manipulating endings to make for "better stories" blows open so many amazing possibilities. Could it be that the author has been manipulating Rumple for a long time? It would actually make sense and excuse Rumple for his abrupt change of behavior. It was an excellent direction to take, and I hope the writers take full advantage of it.
I give this episode a 9/10. The scenes with the author were excellent, lots of August time, good reveals about Snowing's secret and Mal's child, and interesting possibilities about the storybook. Tune in for "Heart of Gold" to find out what's been happening to Robin Hood in NYC!