One Upon a Time Episode 12 – Skin Deep

This week we get a treat in the form of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and one of the better episodes to come along in a while. I guess I have been secretly rooting for Rumpie because in this episode we see that underneath that ugly demeanor, is a truly lonely man. The FairyTale Land sequences, where we watch Belle offer to heroically be the victim so her village can be saved reveal more about Mr. Gold/Rumpie than we have seen in a while, and yet still show that power remains one of his prime motivators. But there are times when we get a glimpse of the heart inside, such as his remark near the end when the Evil Queen tells him what happened to Belle when she returns home, and he is hoping it means she needs a home to return to. Perhaps even his home? But, of course, he is told that is not so, that Belle was locked in a tower by her father and eventually killed herself.

But to get back to our story- it began in Fairytale land when we see a war is being waged and the village where Belle lives is threatened. Apparently only Rumpie can save them, so they strike a deal and what he wants in return is Belle. She comes to live with him, but only as a housekeeper of sorts, and what could have been scenes of domestic bliss is instead a view of Rumpie’s weird humor (he was kidding about the children he kidnaps? Really?) And so we watch as Belle falls in love and Rumpie wonders if he can trust her.

Back in town we see that Mr. Gold is up to his usual when he repossess a truck belonging to Maurice who owns the flower shop, and looks remarkably like Belle’s father in FairyTale. Also, don’t forget this is the Valentine’s Day show, so we see a bit of that with Mary Margaret and David getting caught in the act by Ruby (one of my favorite characters on this show, she is just so fun!) who decides that Emma and Ashley need to join her and Mary Margaret for some girls night entertainment. So off they go, for some good times in what I assume is a new bar, since we have not heard anything of there being any besides the one bar in town before this.

Meanwhile, Gold discovers he has been robbed and gets no sympathy from Emma on it. I loved the quip he makes to her when Emma comments that he seems to be robbed pretty often. “I am a hard man to love” he answers. It’s a great connection back to the story back in our FairyTale Flashback.

Because, of course, we are proven this in the next flash – where Belle is cleaning for Rumpie and she drops the cup and chips it. The one we will see later and come to know how significant it is to Rumpelstiltskin. But for now, it is just another bit of proof he isn’t as horrible as he seems, for he doesn’t fly in a rage when she chips the cup, but simply tells her it is just a cup, not to worry. And of course, later when she falls off a ladder while tugging to open a curtain she is cleaning, she just happens to fall in his arms. Lots of close-ups of faces here – so we know something is going on…

But back in our little town, Emma has found just about everything that was stolen from Gold, except for one last thing he won’t talk about but is determined to get back. We know he is not up to anything good when he buys rope and duct tape at the same general store that David is buying not one but two Valentine’s Day cards – for the two women in his life. Boy- does this guy ever need to make a decision! Because, of course he screws up and gives MM the card he meant for the wife. I mean – come on! If you are gonna have a wife and a girlfriend, the least you can do is not mix their Valentine’s Day cards up!

Now Belle does not have this problem, because back in FairyTale she is on the road back to the village to buy straw for Rumpie, and prove she loves him by returning with the straw. Being told by a dark strange woman that all she needs to do to break his evil spell is to kiss him, she decides she must return and break Rumpie’s spell so he can be the handsome prince she is sure is under there somewhere. Hmmm- if that is all you need to break a spell, perhaps all Emma needs to do is kiss everyone in town to release them from their spell so they can remember who they are?

Too bad that isn’t what happens when Belle does kiss Rumpie – although he does seem to shed some of the ugly skin surface, just not enough to change who he is. But, of course, Rumpie’s inability to believe she could love him for himself is revealed when he decides that somehow the Queen revealing this about him to Belle just means she is trying to steal his power. And that power means everything to him, even more than Belle. So he goes in a rage, throws Belle back in the dungeon and breaks everything – except the little chipped cup. That he cannot bear to break.

And just to mirror that rage, we see Gold with the flower merchant, beating him to make him tell him who is behind the stealing, he knows it isn’t just him. But he can’t or won’t comply, Gold starts beating him with his walking stick- and soon his tirade changes to another tune – about how “she is gone – gone forever. And it is all your fault! You are her father!”

Good thing Emma shows up before he kills the guy.

As a bit of a break, and perhaps because someone realized this was getting kinda heavy for a Valentine’s Day show, we quickly break to Sean asking Ashley to marry him. And quickly, because he only has a 20 minute break for her to decide! Man – talk about your romantic scene!

But the real show stopper comes when Emma takes Gold to jail. She is holding him when Regina comes in offering 30 minutes with Henry if she can talk to Gold. I was kinda surprised she said yes, but then it is Henry and she hasn’t seen him all episode. In fact, this has got to be the only episode where Henry has only one line, because generally the kid can talk your ear off. But she makes the trade, and we get to eavesdrop on Regina making Gold admit he is Rumpelstiltskin, in return for giving him back his little chipped cup.

But why does she need to hear him say this? And if True Love’s First Kiss will break all evil spells, obviously Regina has Belle locked away (as we see at the end of this episode) so that Rumpie/Gold cannot find her and kiss her. But then, that wouldn’t be their First Kiss, so would it work? What do you guys think?

Have we found the answer to the curse, if we can just have the right person give the kiss?