The Looking Glass

Beautiful artwork!

Sweet Charity

Stunning artwork!

Candygirl9890

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Sweet Charity

^Stunning!

And you're right about the lack of Rumbelle scenes making us complain more than we usually would. Once we get some Rumbelle in our systems again, I think we'll feel a lot better.

Candygirl9890

Exactly. We'll back to our usual cheery selves in no time.

Candygirl9890

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Sweet Charity

I think we will.

The Looking Glass

Gorgeous art!

crazy_diamond

Love the arts!

We're going through withdrawl , personally I'm totally happy and can't wait for the next scenes


Fic gets us through the with drawl

Kelaine

My take on the problems with the ship -

What the writers did and why -

OK, quick review from last season. The writers gave us a beautiful story where Rumple found love, shot himself in the foot, and then had to deal with the knowledge that not only had he been wrong and Belle had really loved him, his turning her away had led to her very ugly death.

Now, that would have been quite enough to transform our view of Rumple and make him who knows what kind of fandom magnet.

However, we also got the big bomb going off in our faces that Belle was alive - in really awful circumstances and in Regina's power.

There were about ten thousand ways things could have gone from there - and did in various fanfics.

We were being held in suspense.

End of season, Gold finds out about Belle, they're reunited.

This is great but it's also a bit more limited in where it can go - not that there weren't still quite a few fanfics.

But, it's a basic rule of fiction that relationships that have not reached their destination tend to be more interesting than relationships that have. So, it was pretty good odds the writers were going to throw up roadblocks and create some kind of distance between Belle and Rumple.

At the same time, the story is trying to make Regina look better. Perhpas unfortunately, one way they've been doing that is by switching blame to Rumple.

Also, Rumple is supposed to be a gray character. It's important to the overall plot of the show we shouldn't be too sure of Rumple's virtues.

Unfortunately, while only one of these Rumple developments is deliberately focused on the relationship, all of them impact how fans view the relationship.

However, there is hope -

Cast your minds back to last season. Rumple started out very villianous. Even Desperate Souls, while creating sympathy, didn't really create the idea that it would be a good idea to be alone in the same room as Rumple - or even not so alone with a bunch of heavily armed soldiers (seeing how that worked out for the draft board Rumple went after).

It wasn't till episode twelve - Twelve! - that the OUAT universe changed.

My hope is that what we have been seeing up till now is set up.

Cora and Hook, one way of another, will be in SB. Someone who wants to kill the guy Belle loves will be in SB.

Rumple's magic may become more of an issue. Yes, it's like a drug to him - but Whale would be armless without it, Henry might be getting burned alive next time he fell asleep, and Snow and Emma might be trapped forever in FTL.

And Bae may show up any time, now.

So, we've had basic lines of conflict, separation, and relationship building with Rumple and Belle, and - with any luck - we're about to enter an absolute minefield of storylines that can do something with them.

Candygirl9890

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Betsybelle

I only disagreed with WonderTwin on one thing really, and it's small, but still - what the hell, since we analyze everything. She praised Belle for realizing that the most important person in his life was Bae, not her. I love Belle, but Gold was clearly referring to back then, when he let Bae go........At that time, Bae WAS by far the most important person in his life; he didn't know Belle. Now I believe wholeheartedly that they are equally important; I don't think Gold could be truly complete without both in his life.

Abusive? No way - that's asinine.....I don't like how Belle said she had to stay and then she left, but I don't blame her - I blame the writers for not showing us more that happened between us. She was annoyed in the kitchen, not furious - but then she's so furious she sneaks out a window? I think there were better ways to handle this.

The thing with Milha is an obvious ploy; there was no need for Rumple to kill her, but they had him do it so that there is a reason for he and Bae to be on the outs for most of the rest of the series. Bae trying for revenge on Gold can maybe last one season, but no more than that. I can envision how, after he decides that he can't kill his father, Bae might decided to just live his life.......without Gold in it. So then we have that issue hanging over Rumbelle for the remainder of the series (because I'm sure Belle will play a part in trying to reconcile them or just making Gold accept Bae's decision for the time being).

Yellow, I'm not THAT down yet. Adam and Eddy LOVE Emilie and they gush about what she's brought to Belle all the time. They know that her chemistry with Bobby is through the roof - they mentioned it in the finale commentary. I think the problem isn't that they don't like Rumbelle, but that they have way too much going on..........I admire their boldness and their decision not to just sit back and do nothing, but I think it's backfired on them. I think they intended for Rumbelle's story to pick up steam towards around 9, 10, 11 and then for the rest of the season, given Hook's arrival and then later Bae. So I think they figured they give us some Rumbelle to placate us......knowing what was coming later. The problem is, the Rumbelle we've gotten has had some beautiful scenes (all of Broken, most of Croc), but the gaps have just killed them.

Most Rumbellers are either mad at Belle or Gold or both.......it's sad.

That said, I do think the fact that we've had almost NO Rumbelle at all has sort of ratcheted everything to a fever pitch. I really think fans are desperate to see them together, even in a small scene. I think fans are starting to get scared that their beautiful love story is going in the dumps and they need some encouragement.

Well to me, that's no excuse because if you are a good writer with talent and imagination, you can write for couples who are together. Now they were always going to have issues, so I'm fine with them showing us the building up again of the relationship because that's actually a beautiful thing - I think they want to see that as well, the romance, the adventure (love is an adventure), etc.. However, once they are together, they need to be like Snowing and just deal with external forces.......... I think Rumbelle can be SO powerful and strong together because their love is simply epic. The writers are making it abundantly clear how much Gold and Belle love each other - we see it now especially from Gold's end, but at Broken kiss, Belle was just SO happy, gazing at him adoringly and resting her head on his shoulder. They both need each other so much.... So anyway, there is NOTHING that would make me believe that once they are really together, they'd ever split. Again, writers need to use their talent and creativity to write for them once they are reunited.

I agree that they want to make Regina look better, but they could have done that without making Rumple look worse. That said, I'm sure this was always their plan that there was a teacher/apprentice relationship. What I think they have not done a good enough job of showing is WHY Rumple is doing that. It's not altogether clear that he's manipulating Regina because this is his last, desperate attempt to find Bae; it sometimes comes off as he's just doing it to do it.

I agree with all this and I hope Belle sees that magic is NOT bad.....if she ever really thought it was. I don't think using anything as a crutch is good, but lately Gold has used magic for good - and that's lovely. I love magic, lol.

See my above comments - the bolded part matches basically what I had said about their storyline picking up steam.

lunas_borednow

Oh it wasn't that I don't like Albert... it just seemed sorta random... I figured there had to be a story and there it is so thank you.

And I'm not mad at either character, Belle or Rum. Belle is needing to assert her independence, and while I'd rather see her snuggling with Mr. Gold... I understand she has needs beyond just being a teddybear. As to Rum... he screws up all the time, that's why I love him, he gets over protective over controlling and well stupid when it comes to things he loves, if I got mad at him ever time he screwed up I'd never stop being mad at him... mostly I just find it charming at this point.

As to manipulating Regina... there is only so much I can call telling someone: "Hey I want you to kill people" as being manipulative... Is he taking advantage of her dark side? Yeah. Is he conning her? Yeah. Is he making her evil? No. Hell is he making her do anything? No, he's giving her bad choices and she is picking them, time and time again. That's on her as far as I am concerned and always will be.

Betsybelle

LOL Oh yeah, I never would have picked Albert just because, lol

I adore Gold, of course, but I'm terribly partial to him at this moment because he is trying SO hard....not just for Belle, but for himself. There's something so endearing about him - and the looks he gives when he's wounded make me want to just hug him and tell him that everything is going to be ok,.

LOL I completely agree with you......it's too bad that many fans don't see this. You have free will.......you don't have to do anything that you don't want to. Regina wanted to do evil and so she did; enough with the free pass for her. The idea of free will is a notion that I think Gold should ponder; he has the ability to make his own choices - for good just as well as bad. It's up to him, curse or no curse.

Because we NEED this:

The Looking Glass

Beautiful gifs!

And I agree, Rumpel didn't force Regina to do anything. He was definitely a terrible influence on her, but she could have easily have said no. She summoned him, she asked for his help, she accepted his teachings, and she ripped out that girls heart to prove to him that she was ready for dark magic. He didn't force her hand in any of that.