Once Upon A Time – Her Handsome Hero

By: Stacy Miller

Is love a strength or a weakness? And is there good in evil and vice versa? Belle has been in love with Rumplestiltskin for a long time. Even though his status as The Dark One caused her to question whether they had a future, Belle refused to give up on him. Now, she’s not only fighting for their love but also to save their unborn child from Hades.

In the past, Belle’s (Emilie de Ravin) father Maurice (Erin Keenleyside) tells her about a suitor, Gaston, (Wes Brown) who he believes will be a perfect match for her. Belle meets Gaston and takes a liking to him.

In the Underworld present, Belle wants Rumple (Robert Carlyle) to find a way to get out of Hades’ contract without using dark magic.

Emma (Jennifer Morrison) also endeavors to get out of Hades’ plans to keep her with Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Regina (Lana Parrilla) in the Underworld by burning their names off the tombstone. When a storm brews, Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) urges them to take cover. When they are attacked by a creature it turns out to be a dream and Emma awakens in a fright. Regina decides it’s time for a sisterly chat with Zelena (Rebecca Mader) to get the truth about what happened with Hades (Greg Germann).

Hades arrives at the Underworld’s version of Storybrooke’s Pet Shop and taunts the mighty hunter Gaston by having to clean animal poop or something like that. He also rehashes Gaston’s defeat and death at the hand of Rumplestiltskin. Why does Hades always like to remind people how they died? Because he’s the King of the Underworld, duh! Anyway, Hades offers Gaston the chance to pay back his murderer.

In the past, Belle and Gaston come upon an ogre trapped in a hole.

Rumple tells Belle that he doesn’t know how to defeat Hades without using dark magic. They leave the shop and run into Gaston who shoots Rumple with one of Hades’ arrows. Rumple catches the arrow. Score for the Dark One! Gaston is not giving up though until he kills Rumple because Rumple killed him. I guess forgive and forget is out of the question. Rumple spirits Belle out of harm’s way.

“You killed my fiancé and neglected to tell me?” Belle says to Rumple. “It was an arranged marriage. I was doing you a favor,” replies Rumple. Here Belle decides to help Gaston move on as maybe that’s the way to defeat Hades.

Emma is freaking out because her dream appears to be coming true. Meanwhile, Regina finds Zelena in the diner and asks her what happened with Hades. Zelena tells Regina that Hades loved her, but she didn’t want to follow her heart because love is weakness.

Later on, Emma finally admits to Snow that she’s afraid of her dream because in it Snow died.

Belle allows Rumple to use magic to break the lock on Gaston’s locker at Storybrooke’s Pet Shop. Inside she finds a book entitled Her Handsome Hero.

In the past, Belle shows Gaston the book, which states that the mark of a hero is one who shows compassion. There is also a passage about a mirror that reveals if the image it glimpses has darkness in the soul where it will be revealed in the eyes. She thinks it’s perfect to learn the ogre’s intentions.

In the Underworld present, Hades comes to Belle at Storybrooke’s Pet Shop. What do you want with me?” Belle asks Hades. “Besides that baby in your belly?” responds Hades. He offers her a deal: If she lets Gaston and Rumple fight and one throws the other in the River of Souls, he’ll take the mark off her baby. No deal, Belle says.

Gaston comes to Gold’s Antique Store and shoots Rumple with an arrow, knocking him to the floor. But Rumple’s not dead. It’s a mannequin. Belle wanted to see whether Gaston had it in him to kill. Gaston tells her that Her Handsome Hero was wrong, a hero doesn’t show compassion – he shows strength to do whatever it takes to win. If he hadn’t tried to be the man Belle wanted him to be, Rumple wouldn’t have killed him. Gaston is angry when Belle tells him Rumple is her husband. “You always did have a thing for beasts,” he seethes.

In the past, Belle tells her father about the evil revealing mirror. But when they come upon the ogre, Belle refuses to let Gaston kill it. The ogre has been beaten and the mirror shows that Gaston’s eyes are red. He may have beat the ogre, but Belle realizes he is the real beast, not the creature.

In the Underworld present, Rumple has Gaston suspended in midair ready to toss him in the River of Souls. Belle rushes up wielding the dagger and orders The Dark One not to hurt Gaston. Rumple obeys. But when Gaston charges after Rumple, it is Belle who pushes him in the River of Souls. Although saddend by the action, at least their baby is free. Hades arrives to rain on their parade because he’s the King of the Underworld and a party pooper. Since it was Belle and not Rumple who sent Gaston into the River of Souls, the baby is still his. He pulls a flower, makes it wilt and sends it to Zelena.

After Snow urges them to fight, it is revealed that Emma’s dream was actually a premonition leading them to an injured wolf that changes into Ruby (Meghan Ory). What is she doing in the Underworld?