Once Upon A Time SEASON 3 EPISODE 8 FULL LENGTH REACTION

Think Lovely Thoughts- Thank you for another fun reaction, Tim! Oh, wow! This huge twist with Pan turning out to be Rumple's father all along is amazing! I really do enjoy this episode that is known to be among most fans' favorite episodes. However, it isn't one of my favorites from this season, all because of Henry's actions and naivety to believe in Pan over his own parents after everything he's been through. In spite of Pan's manipulations. However, this episode does have one of the show's biggest twists in it, when Pan is revealed to be Rumplestiltskin's father. I love that I didn't see this twist coming at all. And I really love this twist! And your reaction to this reveal is priceless. And it's because of this reveal that I love Pan as a villain all the more! Marvelous!! :) Now... I really enjoy the overall storylines for both the present day and in the backstory, when we finally get to know Rumple as a young boy and how he winds up living with the spinsters after his father abandoned him, as Rumple talks about having been raised by two spinsters at various times throughout seasons one and two. However, I am just very, very disappointed in the ending, because Henry foolishly falls for Pan's lies and trusts him over both of his mothers and his father, especially after they plead with him to believe in them, like they believe in him. That they love him. This really bothers me so much. They should have told Henry exactly what would happen to him if he goes through with this, but it isn't rocket science. I mean... Giving up his heart? Come on Henry! It makes me dislike how Henry is written during this Neverland arc. I still love him of course throughout the rest of the seasons, but this Neverland arc really takes away from what I love about him a bit, and it makes me really wish that so much of the focus from this arc isn't so centered around Henry and Pan. Like is said back in episodes one and two of this season... Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild, and it is unpredictable. As seen in episode two, titled... Lost Girl, Neverland causes Emma to feel weary and unsure of herself, just as it does to Rumple, Henry, and everyone else too. However, it doesn't make someone loopy or incapable of making smart decisions that go against Pan and the island. We've seen this because the heroes have been constantly continuing to defy Pan and seek to leave Neverland. You just have to be brave and strong enough to resist Neverland's pull. And until these last two episodes, Henry's been doing just fine resisting Pan's and the island's influences. Henry hasn't believed much of anything Pan's been telling him until the ending of the previous episode, titled... Dark Hollow. So, for Henry to turn against his parents and to suddenly trust so completely in Pan... It's just really dumb to me. And this ending is why I am not such a fan of this episode like most other fans of this show love it as one of their favorites. In spite of the phenomenal twist with Pan turning out to be Rumple's father all along. Henry makes me angry above all else. Henry goes back and forth between liking magic and hating it a little too much for me throughout this show, and the fact that he is willing to sacrifice his life with his family all there for him, even upon believing Pan when he told Henry all he would have to sacrifice was going back home, when last season Henry was prepared to destroy magic with a stick of dynamite... This makes me mad. And Pan keeps telling Henry he doesn't lie, and yet Pan has lied to Henry a lot. And Henry has caught Pan in several lies. Pan is very convincing and conniving, and Henry is still just an eleven year old boy, so I suppose I do somewhat understand his naivety just a little bit. Just not enough to not let his foolish decisions make me feel a little upset with him. Outside of this main storyline... I really love how Emma encourages Mary Margaret to have hope that a way for David to leave Neverland can be found, when Mary Margaret is usually the one giving the hope speeches. And more so, I love the moment between Emma and Hook, when Emma asks him if there's anything more he can do to help her find a way to help David. I love Hook's remark after Emma first approaches him and states they need to talk, as Hook answers, "I've found that when a woman says that, I'm rarely in for pleasant conversation." So funny, and such a Hook thing to say. And I also love the moment Rumple steals Hook's sword and begins to tease Hook about how his looks could fail him, then when David continues to mock Hook as he tosses Hook the dagger saying that it's for in case his good looks fail him. Brilliant, and so funny! I am sad that Hook isn't in this episode more than he is, but I also understand why this episode is focused so much more on Rumple, Pan, Emma, Regina, and Neal, with them being the parents. Not all episodes can be focused on Hook, as sad as that is. Ha! Ha! Ha! :) As for Rumple's role throughout this episode... I like the brief moment where he begrudgingly agrees to help David with the cure for the cure after Neal sternly tells him to help without a price attached. But more so, I really enjoy the scene he has with Pan inside Skull Rock, when Pan uses his old card trick to steal the real Pandora's Box from Rumple in another twist I didn't expect and that is very cleverly done. Sadly, Pan traps Rumple inside the box instead of Rumple doing so to Pan. I also really love how Emma is clever to come up with the idea to create an eclipse over the moon so they can hide their shadows in order to be able to break through Pan's barrier spell, and that Emma and Regina combine their powers together to do so. And I love how Rumple is able to pass through the protection spell that Pan casts because he had cast off his shadow early on this season. Brilliant once again! This twist with Pan being Rumple's father... It is definitely one of the biggest twists in the show. Not my absolute favorite twist, but it is certainly huge. And I also love that we learn Rumple had named the straw doll he has had in his possession all this time, Peter Pan, which is Pan's reason for calling himself Peter Pan. Very nice. As for Pan rarely leaving Neverland... We don't see him do so very often like we know him to do in Disney's, Peter Pan and all other versions of Peter Pan. Pan doesn't leave often most likely because the magic of Neverland is all that is protecting him from changing back into and adult and him losing his belief. However, we do see Pan away from Neverland back in episode four, titled... Nasty Habits when Pan comes out to create his band of Lost Boys. I suspect because he needs help to find Henry over the many years in which Pan has been looking for him. And I like this a lot too. Oh, and something you might find interesting, or in case you might be wondering... The Shadow is voiced by musician, Marilyn Manson, which is why his voice is so dark and eerie. While I personally don't like Marilyn Manson at all, I think he was a great choice to voice the Shadow. I get chills whenever the Shadow speaks. You're absolutely right in your understanding that Neverland was in fact created and made real because of Pan's belief and deep desire for it to become real. And therefore... This technically makes the Shadow, Pan's Shadow, given that Neverland and therefore this Shadow, were born from him. I hope this makes sense for you, Tim. Overall... This episode is good. :) All that really bothers me is Henry's attitude towards his parents, Pan, and his belief in magic this season so far because it has been strange and out of character for him. He's very wishy washy, and I really hate that in any character. But nonetheless, I still really enjoy this episode. Thank you again, my friend!! Until next time... Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum