“We are more alike than you care to admit. Neither of us was cut out to be a father, my boy.”
- Peter Pan
I have to admit that I have been looking forward to this episode for a while. Not only do we get some more back story on Rumple but we get to finally know his connection to Pan. We find a young Rumple with his father as the man is doing some card tricks. Not’s a bit of a hustler and he gets beat up for it and so he decides to leave Rumple with some spinsters until he can find a real job. And we see the reappearance of the straw doll. His father tells him to name it because having a name makes it more real. I really hope this isn’t going where my brain is going. Rumple’s got some skills when it comes to spinning and the spinster ladies say he could make money and start a new life (complete with a magic bean). Rumple finds his father at the pub still hustling but his father tells him about Neverland and how he dreamt of going there every night as a boy. So they use the bean to go to Neverland.
Back on the island, Pan convinces Henry that they need to save Wendy and magi. I thought he already did that at the end of last week but whatever. Everyone’s all excited that Henry is going to fulfill his destiny. Elsewhere, the band comes back together (after Rumple tells Regina that Neal is alive). Unfortunately for him, Neal spills the beans about the prophecy and everyone gets all defensive and pulls weapons on Rumple. Rumple swears he won’t hurt Henry and he even gives Neal Pandora’s Box for safe keeping. Rumple tells Neal that Pan destroyed his father and I’m starting to wonder now about a different theory of who Pan really is.
Emma bugs Hook about finding another way to get David off the island. And Rumple interrupts and says since being poisoned by the same stuff, he’s found out some interesting things about said poison. At first he says he’ll save David as a favor but Neal tells him that ain’t happening. They storm Pan’s compound but find only Lost Boys. Well and Wendy in a cage. She say she came to the island to save Bae since he had no family. At first she lies about knowing Henry or what Pan’s up to but Rumple calls her out on her lies and she admits that it’s worse than we feared. Pan is dying and he needs Henry’s heart (literally) to become immortal. This of course will leave Henry dead.
Back in the past. Young Rumple and his father arrive in Neverland but things aren’t all sunshine and puppies. His father tries to fly and falls flat on his face. He thinks they just need some pixie dust to get them going again and ignores Rumple’s comment that maybe he can’t fly because he’s a grown up. Oh and we see a shadow swooping in near their location. In the present, Pan and Henry arrive a skull rock which kind of reminds me of the Dark Mark. Anyway, Pan casts a protection spell and leads Henry deeper into the cave.
Back at his camp, Emma breaks the news that Rumple can save David and so while Tink and Hook guard the Lost Boys, Emma, Neal, Regina and Rumple head to Skull Rock. Emma and Regina try to get past the barrier but Rumple can. He explains that the spell cast doesn’t allow anyone with a shadow in. So now Neal realizes Daddy wasn’t lying and gives Pandora’s Box back. Neal really needs to work on his trust issues. In the past, Rumple’s father ends up climbing a tree to get some magic dust from a flower and we meet the shadow which is voiced by Marilyn Manson (because that’s not creepy). The shadow says that Rumple’s dad doesn’t belong.
It wouldn’t be Once Upon a Time if the family unit didn’t get wackier. My theory turned out to be correct. Rumple’s father has sort of made a deal with the shadow. He can get his youth back if he lets Rumple go. So he does and becomes Peter Pan. Little Rumple goes back to his spinsters all broken hearted. Poor kid. Present day Rumple ends up chatting with dear old dad and is intent on making a fresh start with his son. Pan says there’s a reason he took that name (I’m guessing it’s what Rumple named the doll). And he wants to have a fresh start with Rumple. I’m guessing if Neal didn’t want to go back to being fourteen again, Rumple doesn’t want to do a regress back to age five either. Unfortunately, given the magic of Neverland, Pan switched the boxes and sucks Rumple in. Bastard! It has become clear to me that the Dark One side of the family really has some issues they need to work through. The father abandoning son motif seems to be repeating in each generation. But I believe Rumple when he says he can trap Pan. Or at least he’s willing to in order to save his grandson. Because it appears given that Pan is willing to let Henry die, he doesn’t much care for family.
Outside the barrier, Emma makes a realization. If the moon is what is casting their shadows, then the need to eclipse it so she and Regina use their combined magic to accomplish this task. I only hope they aren’t too late. Pan explains to Henry that he needs his heart literally and gives Henry the magic to pull out his own ticker from his chest. Of course, at that very moment his parents show up and beg him not to go through with it. Pan plays on Henry’s hurt of not being told the truth in the past by his parents and ends up giving Pan his heart. That was probably the dumbest thing Henry has done in the entire series run. Pan becomes immortal and Neverland is kind of rejuvenated (what looks like pixie dust sweeps through the jungle much like when Emma broke the curse0. I’m anxious to see how this all plays out in the end but we have to wait two weeks for a new episode (Damn you American Music Awards).
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