Once Upon A Time 2.16 The Miller's Daughter

[selenak]

Aka, a feast of everyone manipulating everyone else, and I loved it.



You know, it occured to me that it's been a while since we've seen Rumpelstilskin - in the present, that is, as opposed to flashbacks - manipulating people, so it's fitting he does that in an episode where he's the one manipulated in the past (btw, loved that, more in a second). And this is one of the reasons why I'm so fond of the show. It doesn't woobify. Because while Rumpelstilskin gives Belle the "why you're so wonderful" speech (and means it, manipulation by him and Cora always works best with the truth) and gets the poor dying dad bonus reconciliation from Bae/Neal (note that he does his omission thing again when recounting how he did everything to find his son and tell him he loved him again: to wit, what "everything" entailed for other people), the audience knows he actually has set up his survival and Cora's death via candle and Snow White. (Much like he played out his long term con to get Baelfire back - and made sure he'd have magic, too, never mind the reason why he lost Bae to begin with.) At the same time, Snow does indeed cross the line while also applying a life time of lessons from Regina, Cora and Rumpel in the art of manipulation and does that using the truth to push buttons thing, too, by tricking Regina. (BTW, Snow being smarter than Regina is not new; see also how Regina got captured and defeated in her Evil Queen days.) With the art of omission, as one does - nothing Snow says to Regina is actually a lie (from her pov; I'd say Cora loved Regina without a heart, too, much like Graham was evidently able to feel affection for Emma without one; it's just that Cora's love for Regina didn't prevent her from non stop twisted use; love by itself, see also Regina's for Henry, Rumpel's for Bae and Belle, does not a good character make), it goes exactly to the core of Regina's fears and need re: her mother, and that's why it works.

But the all time manipulation winner remains Cora, because she did it as a young woman who'd only just started with magic and the odds overwhelmingly against her. (And again, she did it with the truth.) I'm also in awe of the scriptwriters pulling of a twist on the original Rumpelstilskin tale I was wondering about - how in this version the Miller's Daughter would get out of her deal - that utterly works with the characters in question. We're so used to see Rumpel, in the flashbacks, show up at some poor innocent fairy tale character's doorstep and trick them into a deal where they overlook the fine print that a young Cora (who was that actress, btw? Very good) turning the tables on him was unexpected, sense making and utterly magnificent. It also retrospectively makes total sense of his relationship with Regina. Which the revelation she was his daughter would not have done - then, given how he treated her, it would have made him an utter hypocrite. But Cora tricking him into altering the original deal to "my firstborn child by you", then ensuring her child would not be his child ensures Rumpel taking extra vengeful joy in first helping Regina to free herself of her mother (temporarily) and then making her into a monster.

Sadly, I won't be suprised if people now blame Cora for Rumpelstilskin's villainy, because fandom works like that, but the show doesn't. They're none of them better than the other (Cora, Rumpel and Regina, that is). Indeed I was entertained by Cora as a villain before, but this episode secured her my affection (go figure, since she dies in it, though I expect we'll get at least one more Cora flashback story explaining why she and Henry never made it to the throne). Also, because I'm evil myself sometimes, I now wonder whether the show writers are pulling an Angel, Darla and Buffy here with Rumpel, Cora and Belle. By which I mean: there is that great scene in season 2 of AtS in which, if you believe a certain demon therapist, Angel's entire relationship with Buffy is retconned into him working out his Darla issues.

(That scene is fun and therefore I shall gratitiously reproduce it:

MAGEV: What hard? You're obsessed.

ANGEL: I guess I am, a little, yeah.

MAGEV: You blame her.

ANGEL: I suppose I do.

MAGEV: You want to punish her.

ANGEL: A bit ...

MAGEV: At the same time you want to thank her.

ANGEL: Thank her?

MAGEV: For the gift she's given you.

ANGEL: Gift?

MAGEV: You're deeply ambivalent.

ANGEL: Yeah, well, I am and I'm not.

MAGEV: You need to get over her. Okay, what does she look like?

ANGEL: She's beautiful. Small, blonde ...

MAGEV: Right. So here's what you do. You go out and find yourself some small, blonde thing. You bed her, you love her, you treat her like crap, you break her heart. You and your inner demon will thank me, I promise.

ANGEL: Um ...

Anyway, given that our Mr. Gold is not only rather disgruntled in the past by Cora outmanipulating him but in the present actually asks "did you ever love me?", my own evil self would like to point out young Cora is made to look a lot like Belle (obviously older Cora does not, but never mind that). Also Cora has now endeared herself to me by not only being smart but letting her affection for Rumpelstilskin never sway her from remaining on top of things, so to speak. And while he has practical (and self preservation) reasons for not wanting her around, he also now looks like a man scorned and reacting really badly to it. (Nothing new there, hello, Milah).

In conclusion: Cora/Rumpelstilskin, because they deserve each other and she is on top. Also, they're mythic. To quote Darla.

In other news, my guess/hope that the show would indeed let Snow White go a darker path was made true, though not quite in the way I expected. I also like how it's done. Yes, Rumpel is being manipulative, but she has her eyes wide open, she's not tricked into doing something, she makes a deliberate choice. And she does it for understandable reasons. And in a smart way. Snow has absolutely no experience with this whole pulling hearts in and out of people thing. Regina has. But Snow has experience in Regina, and knows Regina continuously underestimates her. Of course, now the feud between them is deeper than ever, and since Rumpelstilskin has his dagger back (meaning neither Regina nor Snow can currently become the Dark One, as I wondered they might), I seriously have no idea what will happen next. I like that.

Trivia: Ava is destined to become the James Potter of the OuaT verse. Meaning: a character who is known to have been a spoiled brat and later a saintly (or at least very good adult), but shown in a memorable scene where said brat bullies someone as the former and only briefly as the later will forever be hated and condemmed in the brat incarnation and made responsible for everything which ensued. I suspect the flashbacks showing us why Cora and Henry didn't get to the throne might also show how Ava got from spoiled brat to responsible queen capable of teaching her daughter later that arrogance is wrong, but even then: James Potter. You heard it here first.

Comments

[lilacsigil]

Snow manipulating Regina was absolutely magnificent and I'm *really* glad (despite liking Cora and her villainy) that Snow will now have to live with the consequences, with no last-minute save. Young Cora was Rose McGowan, and she was perfect. I hope we see her again in flashbacks! The other thing I liked was that Snow was right in a way - Cora did feel more for her daughter with her heart in place, though I don't think Regina had the perspective to understand "You would have been enough," sadly.

[selenak]

Yes, a last minute save would have been chickening out of what so far has been a good storyline and has enormous potential.

The other thing I liked was that Snow was right in a way - Cora did feel more for her daughter with her heart in place, though I don't think Regina had the perspective to understand "You would have been enough," sadly.

Not right now, sadly, no. But I hope one day.

[andraste]

This was a great episode indeed, and I'm so glad they had Snow go through with it. I am intrigued to see where we go from here.

I suspect you're right about Ava ending up James Potter according to fandom. I liked the parallel between her being cruel to Cora here and Snow lording it over Johanna last week - both of them had to learn to be good, like we all do.

In some ways, I find it cheering to see Regina woobifying Regina, because it's rare for that to happen to a female character. Only in practice it's actually just as annoying as when it happens to Rumpel. I think Regina is a great character and find her intriguing, but painting her as a poor misunderstood victim flattens her character so much.

[selenak]

I liked the parallel between her being cruel to Cora here and Snow lording it over Johanna last week - both of them had to learn to be good, like we all do.

Yes. I like this much better than if they were presented as automatically doing the right thing from toddlerdom onwards. As you say, they had to learn it, as we all do, and have to work on it, have to struggle, in Snow's case.

Anyone gets flattened by woobification. Your icon reminds me this blessedly never happened to Livia!

[grimorie]

both of them had to learn to be good, like we all do.

Oh, I really love that because its so true. Yet, fandom is harshest to good characters going astray than with bad good looking characters showing heart.

[selenak]

*nods* And then they confusingly complain that the good characters are too one dimensional and boring, only to turn agains them when they do show flaws, or show they have to work for their goodness.

Anyway: I really love Snow. By far my favourite incarnation of Snow White in any medium from the moment she robbed Charming's coach. And the second season, by letting her go after Emma to Fairy Tale Land showcasing her as a heroine there, and now lets her go ruthless yet also conflicted and aware when dealing with Cora really only furthers that love.

[grimorie]

I'm so with you with that, I hate how everyone claims the good characters are boring but once they start shading them gray fandom is on the character's throat.

I've loved Snow since the beginning and I love that the writers really let Snow go there and how. In that moment when young!Cora was reading Rumple's contract and had this canny look on her face, I swear I thought Snow was more alike with Cora than Regina was with her mother. Regina is all about emotion, flying off the handle but Snow IMO has this capacity to be pragmatic and canny in ways, if she were to turn evil, would be quite terrifying.

I can't help but entertain the thought, what if instead of just killing Eva, Cora took Snow away and raised her.

[andraste]

Now you have me wondering who would be declared a woobie and deified if I, Claudius was on TV today *g*.

Of course, I would probably think it worth some bad fanfic if there were also good fanfic.

[andraste]

Oh, I really love that because its so true. Yet, fandom is harshest to good characters going astray than with bad good looking characters showing heart.

*sigh*

It is indeed.

[selenak]

And remember, Snow figured out how to use the ink from Rumple's scrolls with Emma's name on them because, as she said, she had hidden herself and watched Cora practice spells some times when Cora was visiting. Yes, Snow is emotional, too, but she has patience. (I think she learned a lot of it from having to live as an outlaw.)

You know, when I did that 15 characters meme a few days back there was one scenario which I ended with Emma figuring out the Snow Queen (from Andersen's tale) is actually Mirrorverse Snow White from the future, and I was joking about that.:) But an AU where Cora raises Snow would be fascinating.

[selenak]

Well, Claudius himself has much woobie potential, with with the constant verbal abuse he gets from everyone, but he's not dashing. Hm. I could say Caligula getting the woobie treatment if played by Tom Hiddleston or Sebastian Stan. Never mind all the dead bodies, look at that teary-eyed rebellious stare! It's clearly all Germanicus' fault for being so strict with the poor boy, and Agrippina's for not appreciating him enough, and Tiberius' for corrupting him, and his sisters' for seducing him, and how dare Claudius be so judgmental anyway!

Or, to be fair: so Sejanus is totally evil, but we all understand Livilla's reason for poisoning her husband, don't we? *cue Sejanus Survives! AU redemption stories*

[grimorie]

I did remember reading that and wanting more re: mirrorverse Snow Queen.

Oh yes, Snow hiding herself and watching Cora, she is in a way, always watchful. I've always kind of thought her time as an outlaw stayed with her the longest and that she felt more comfortable in the woods than she was at her castle.

Also I've had a headcanon that Snow and the woods are connected (Snow is the land was my headcanon) and in the commentaries the writers mentioned they deliberately styled Snow as Mother Nature.

Er, that's neither here nor there but I wish I had the patience to write because I would really love to explore more about a 'verse where Cora raises Snow.

[andraste]

Yes, I can certainly imagine that re: Caligula.

And yes, Livilla has the best reason ever for marital homicide. I mean, poison your husband or stop having sex with Patrick Stewart in Roman period costume? Is that even really a choice? So I would certainly read the AU redemption stories. And the AU stories where he lived and remained evil but hot, for that matter.

[bellonablack.livejournal.com]

I agree, they are mythic. Like in a fundamental way.

And the whole 'I don't see it' when Regina asked Rumpel if she looked like her mother....

But the Belle/Cora look a like thing. YES!

[selenak]

He never got over her, I tell you. They just hit every equals, fighting exes who still get each other better than anyone else does button I have.