I think there’s only one word that accurately describes last night’s episode:
FEELS.
ALL THE WRETCHED FEELS!!! How do I put my heart back together?? Pretty much every single one of my favorite things in the show was swept up in the twister of utter feels. I don’t think much of it has even quite registered for me yet. Post-traumatic shock.
Well, we found out what Neal has been up to in Storybrooke. Shouldn’t really have come as much of a surprise to us either. He was searching for his dad, just like Emma, Charming, Regina and Hook were. There’s something up with Neal, however. He’s got this burn mark on his hand that greatly resembles the mark of the wraith from the beginning of the second season, and he’s the only one in Storybrooke who hasn’t forgotten what has happened in the past year in the town. But he doesn’t remember what happened while he was in the Enchanted Forest. Something’s not right with him, so it’s up to Emma and the gang to take things from there. Meanwhile, we have a flashback to Belle and Bae in the Enchanted Forest trying to find a way to bring Rumplestiltskin back.
Then we get into Regina’s little side story with not Jonas Armstrong Robin Hood. I used to not ship them. Like really not ship them. I couldn’t really see them working. They don’t seem like the kind of characters that would be drawn to each other. Ah, but now…now I’m starting to see it a little bit. There is some kind of connection there. And then later on in the episode when Regina happens upon Robin and his son, something hit me. They could be her new family. Roland could be her new son–her new Henry. She could have the family she’s always wanted. Arrow to the heart!
The flashback was full of all sorts of twists and turns. While Belle was searching in Mr. Gold’s shop for clues as to what happened with Neal, she found something that explained everything. She and Bae found out, while they were in the Enchanted Forest, about a secret vault that contains the Dark One. The only way to open that vault is with a key. Which they found. With the help of Lumiere.
Lumiere!!! He was so cool! I loved what the writers did with his character! It makes sense, him being under a spell/curse that he’s trapped in the candle wax and he can only appear when the candles are lit. Genius!!
Seeing Belle and Bae together is one of the most adorable things in the entire show. You can see the beginnings of a mother-son relationship there, and it’s just too much wonderful! They’re not even family yet, but in a way they’re already family. GAH!!
So Belle and Bae found this “Vault of the Dark One” and Bae opens it, even after Lumiere revealed to them that he only led them to the vault under the Wicked Witch’s persuasion. Ignoring the possibility of another way of bringing Rumplestiltskin back, Bae opens the vault, which causes the burn mark on his hand. Rumplestiltskin does indeed come back. And it’s beautiful!
It would be such a joyous occasion if a thousand and one things didn’t all happen at once right then.
Neal suddenly falls to the ground, a previously overjoyed Belle is now frantically trying to find out what’s wrong with him and then the Wicked Witch appears. She’s been waiting for this moment of resurrection to come so that she can control Rumplestiltskin. And now that she has him, she wants him to kill his darling Belle. Fortunately, nothing of the sort has to happen and Lumiere temporarily imprisons the Wicked Witch, giving Belle time to escape.
Unfortunately, as a result of bringing Rumplestiltskin back, a terrible price has been paid on Bae’s part. According to Belle in Storybrooke, since Neal let him out, he shouldn’t be alive. WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?? Apparently, anyone who opens the Dark One’s vault dies, but Rumplestiltskin instead merged himself with his son, meaning that they were inside each others’ heads. They weren’t complete on their own because their minds partially belonged to the other. That explains why Rumplestiltskin was a bit around the bend when we first saw him in this half of the season.
Wait. That means Neal is dead? What?!
Neal begins to feel the effects of the exchange in Storybrooke while he’s with Emma, and he tells her to use her magic to separate him and Gold. She was able to do it, and Gold came back (it is so good to have you back, Rumple!), but it also killed Neal. After all Rumplestiltskin had done and risked to find his son and be reunited with him, it all ultimately ended with his son paying the price for his own actions. Neal proved his love to his father by sacrificing his own life to bring him back. And with that sacrifice, he understood the kind of sacrifices Rumplestiltskin had made for him. OH THE FEELS!
But…but…Neal can’t be dead! Not after all that Rumplestiltskin has done to be reunited with him! Not after he and Belle were already becoming like family! Not when he has Emma to look after and Henry to be reunited with! He’s got so much to live for! He just…just…NO! He can’t be dead! I really don’t think he is because if he was able to bring his father back from the dead, then surely there has to be a way to save him! It’s not over yet.
Now the gang knows who the Wicked Witch is. She’s fired as Snow’s midwife, and everyone is going to be after her in the next episode! She’s got Rumplestiltskin under her control so she has to be stopped! She’ll get what’s coming to her. Evil triumphs over wicked.
So what do you guys think? Do you think Neal’s actually dead? Have any theories for how he could possibly still be alive?
Memoirs of a Fangirl 