Once Upon a Time - Her Handsome Hero

5.17 "Her Handsome Hero"

Tonight Belle has to save a monster from Gaston. And in the flashbacks, shockingly, Belle has to save a monster from Gaston. Meanwhile Emma, Snow, Regina, and Hook have to save ... a monster (but not from Gaston). AND in all three story lines the monster isn't really a monster (well, except arguably Rumple).

from here

I feel very conflicted by the Gaston story line. I mean, in the end he turns out to be the jerk with evil in his heart (in both the present and flashback), but he's not supposed to be likable, but it does make it more conflicting for Belle that he's not just a jerk. BUT I did figure out why this bothers me so much - it's because Gaston is a Disney creation - he's not based on any character in the original fairy tale. So when they mess with his character, they're messing with their own character for ... no real reason. (I feel the same way about Megara, but she is based on the myth, so I'm feeling differently conflicted over her)

Also this outfit is so gorgeous
from here

The fact that Rumple thought, for even a second, that Belle would agree with him destroying Gaston or using dark magic shows how little he really takes her seriously. And I loved that Belle took her knowledge of Rumple to get control of the dagger. Because she knows that he will kill Gaston if she doesn't intervene. She continually stays true to who she is, to her pure heart, despite her struggle with loving Rumple. And she consistently does so. Even when her baby is at risk, she refuses to make a deal with the devil because she knows it's not the right thing to do. She may be overly idealistic at times, but she's also fiercely intelligent, and usually makes the right decision in the end. tl;dr Belle is the best.

Side note: Every time Hades says "baby" it's the most creepy thing in pretty much the entire underworld. It's like he's going to eat it or something.


When Gaston whines to Belle, "You broke into my locker," he sounds like a peeved eighth grader or something. I'm convinced that Gaston was his own unfinished business. He turns away from the ideals that Belle tried to instill in him, and the book is there to try to remind him of that. His continual turning away from it is what is keeping him in Underbrooke. And his choice to continue to go after Rumple is what led to his own downfall.

from here

It is so great to see Snow finally making sense and acting like a real person again, with hope and persistence.

I am also really grateful that Emma finally expressed her frustrations and that Snow, Regina, and Killian helped her work through it.

from here

Also

WAIT RUBY IS BACK THIS IS THE BEST THING EXCEPT IT MEANS THAT RUBY IS PROBABLY DEAD? I am so conflicted by this because I want to be excited, but I am also sad/scared.