"Heart of Gold"
Episode Review
Well I'll be honest, this episode completely floored me. I had been hoping for a Rumple backstory, but it was actually nice to get some info on Robin Hood. Although he's appeared in other flashbacks, it's about time we received his origin story. And I was pleasantly surprised in what I was presented with. Robin Hood until this point hasn't been outstanding to me, but I found myself interested in what happened to him. I didn't even mind the Knave this week, which is a major compliment to the writers. And so many answers - yes!
The backstory was an interesting one, giving us more of the nearly untouched land of Oz. We got to see exactly how Robin changed from being a plain old selfish thief to being a hero, and standing up for what he believed in. It took a lot of courage and selflessness to give the Knave the potion when his family could have used the money from Rumplestiltskin, and it's because of that code that the Marian/Regina story is believable. But who did Rumple want the potion for? Was he trying to heal his own heart, since he had the magic to protect it from the effects of his darkness with it? Was he simply lonely without Baelfire? Or was he trying to wound somebody else's heart? That alone holds intriguing possibilities.
"Heart of Gold" did a lot to touch on things that had only been mentioned in passing, such as Robin's change from thief to hero, the Sheriff of Nottingham's attachment to Maid Marian, and even Emma's curse boyfriend Waldo. (By the way, love the name "Wizard of Oak"!) And seeing Robin and Gold in an episode made for an interesting pairing. I love seeing Gold with somebody paired with a hero, since it makes for more interesting drama. And the biggest shocker - Zelena has been Maid Marian the whole time? WOW didn't see that one coming . . . which is always a good sign. As much as I hated Zelena (don't get me wrong, Rebecca Mader is fantastic but she was so awful to Rumple) I was glad to see some reasons for what had happened. This paves the way for Robin to stop looking like a jerk no matter what he does, and show us that maybe he had a reason for not wanting to be with his wife. For indeed, there is a world of difference between Marian and the Wicked Witch. Could it be that Zelena did other things to change the past? Is there another possibility besides the author of Rumple's strange behavior? Please say yes! At the very least, it explains to us why Rumple would lie to Belle yet again - he desperately wants to protect that dagger from Zelena. And I'm hoping that with her back in town and Baelfire's death not avenged that Rumple will do everything in his power to stop her, and to be the man he promised to be for his son. His reasons then to be back in town mean a lot more, as well as his treatment of Regina. His very life - and everyone else's - are at stake. She is still manipulating him in a way. So perhaps there's an explanation yet!
The Wicked Witch wanting her happy ending is something that I'm not sure will ever happen to her. If there was ever a character that didn't deserve one, it's Zelena. So far she's the one of the few characters that I literally can't see a grain of goodness inside. She plays with people, hurting them for no other reason than because she enjoys it. It's because of that pure malicious evil that I don't think she can get her happiness, since there doesn't seem to be a grain of goodness inside. I don't see her lasting beyond this season - that kind of wickedness can't last in town. I feel sorry for Rumple that in a way, she's controlling him again, and through him, Regina. Even Regina seems surprised at his alliance, given the fact that Zelena murdered his son. "What happened to you?" she says, reinforcing the fact that even the characters are confused by his change of behavior. I'm still holding on to the possibility that there may be a reveal of something deep to explain all of these questions. I don't think a blackening heart is enough. Something else has to be controlling him.
Let's take a moment to talk about Rumple and Robin's scene outside the hospital. Rumple is so genuine in this moment, frankly admitting his regrets and giving wise advice. Scenes like this are rare, but always so well done. It's moments like this that we see that his humanity - though fading - is still there. He regrets his decisions, and I'm hoping that he'll try his best to make up for them. Robert Carlyle is fantastic, especially when playing emotion. Amazing scene. When OUAT slows down and lets us see real moments between characters, we can absorb how the story itself is affecting them, and those always pay off in a great way.
I give this episode a 9/10. It held a lot of answers and amazing possibilities, but I need some answers. Although sadly it was missing August, I'm hoping for some more of him soon. Stay tuned for Cruella's backstory in the upcoming episode!