Season 1, Episode 12:
Skin Deep
Centric Characters: Rumplestiltskin, Belle
Previous: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree | Next: What Happened to Frederick
FLASHBACK! In the Enchanted Forest, Sir Maurice learns that the town that he rules is losing a war against the ogres, and wishes that a certain someone would have come to aid them. Suddenly there's a knock at the door, and although there's no one on the other side, Rumplestiltskin makes himself known at the back of the room.
Rumplestiltskin tells Maurice that the gold he offered as payment will not do since Rumplestiltskin literally makes gold on the regular. Instead, he asks for Maurice's daughter, Belle, to live in his Dark Castle as a maid in exchange for his help in the war. Maurice and Belle's fiancé Gaston refuse to comply, but Belle insists on making the decision and goes with the sorcerer.
Mr. Gold goes to collect from Moe French* , a florist who took a loan from Gold but needs more time. Gold doesn't yield and reposseses Moe's truck. Regina, having watched the happenings, stops Gold as he leaves and tries to talk about an important topic, but Gold shuts her down with a "Please".
At Granny's, Mary Margaret and David chat from different tables while unconvincingly telling Ruby that they aren't here together. Emma arrives and talks with Mary Margaret about Henry since Regina is keeping him away from Emma. Ashley Boyd arrives and the talk shifts to her life with Sean and baby Alexandra. She mentions that Sean is stuck working on Valentine's Day. Ruby proposes the four of them have a girls' night, but Emma declines before getting a notice from the police station.
Mr. Gold arrives at his house to find the door open. He picks up a hidden gun and sneaks through the house before encountering Emma, who informs him that his neighbors called her when they saw the open door. Gold tells Emma that he's been robbed.
FLASHBACK! At the Dark Castle, Rumplestiltskin shows Belle her new bedroom: the dungeon. He then informs her of her duties.
Belle: I understand.
Rumplestiltskin: You will dust my collection and launder my clothing.
Belle: Yes.
Rumplestiltskin: You will fetch me fresh straw when I'm spinning at the wheel.
Belle: Got it.
Rumplestiltskin: Oh! And you will skin the children I hunt, for their pelts.
Belle drops a teacup in shock before Rumplestiltskin assures her that he wasn't serious about that last one. Belle apologizes for the teacup, which is now chipped, but the sorcerer doesn't seem to care about that.
Mr. Gold tells Emma that she isn't needed because he knows what was stolen and who the criminal is. Emma tells him that's not how it works and threatens to arrest him for obstruction if he doesn't tell her what he knows. Gold relents and tells her that he suspects Moe due to their recent "disagreement".
Gold: I'm sure you will, assuming I don't find him… <chuckles> Let's just say, bad things tend to happen to bad people.
Emma: Is that a threat?
Gold: Observation. Good luck.
FLASHBACK! While trying to open a curtain, Belle asks Rumplestiltskin why he spins straw into gold so often.
Belle: Forget what?
<Beat>
Rumplestiltskin: I guess it worked. <giggles>
Belle laughs at his joke, causing him to ask what she's doing. She's can't get the curtain open since he literally nailed them shut, until she pulls hard enough to bring the curtain down as she falls with them. Rumplestiltskin catches her, and as she thanks him he's stunned at what he's done.
Emma calls Gold to the police station to show him a collection of china and other knickknacks of his she found at Moe's residence, and reports that she's in the process of tracking him down, but Gold is unsatisfied as he claims there's another item that she hasn't recovered.
Gold: Not if I find him first.
FLASHBACK! As Rumplestiltskin considers the chipped cup, Belle inquires why he wanted her to live with him at the Dark Castle. He claims that he just needed a maid, but she doesn't buy it and thinks that what he really needed was a companion. Belle tells him that she found children's clothing in his attic, and he tells her that they belonged to his son.
Belle reasons that this means Rumplestiltskin was an ordinary man once, and expresses a desire to know him better. He doesn't trust her, thinking she just wants to learn how to defeat him, but she reassures him that she doesn't think he's a monster. She asks if he thinks he's ugly, since he has every mirror in the Dark Castle covered, when there's suddenly a knock at the castle doors. Rumplestiltskin answers to see Gaston, and with a snap of his fingers transforms him into a rose before he can even finish his spiel. Rumplestiltskin tells Belle that the visitor was only an old woman selling flowers, and offers her the rose. Belle accepts, and the sorcerer asks why she chose to come live with him when she had a life of her own. She answers that she saw it as a chance to prove her bravery since not many women get that chance in their world. She admits that she didn't care for Gaston either, as it was an arranged marriage. She then asks about his son again, and he tells her to go to the town to fetch straw, and if she chooses to return then he will tell her his story.
At the girls' night, Ashley admits to Mary Margaret that she thought being with Sean would be different, since he works so much.
David encounters Mr. Gold at the convenience store, who notes that he's buying two Valentine cards. He claims that he just couldn't decide which he wanted to get for Kathryn, which Gold doubts since the cards are styled very differently. Gold drops a cryptic line about love to David before leaving, that "when it's gone, it's gone forever".
Then Mood Whiplash Smash Cut to Gold driving Moe's van through the woods with Moe bound and gagged in the back. Gold drives to his cabin in the woods, where he brings Moe inside at gunpoint.
FLASHBACK! On her way to the town, Belle is met by a carriage carrying the Queen, who decides to walk with her for a bit. The Queen deduces that Belle is running away from her "master and lover", and Belle expresses that she could love him if not for something evil within him. The Queen tells her that her lover is cursed, but all curses can be broken with True Love's Kiss.
Belle later returns to the Dark Castle, where Rumplestiltskin fails to pretend that he's happy to see the straw rather than her. Belle asks him for the story he promised her, but he says there's nothing much beyond the fact that he lost his son. The sorcerer then asks Belle why she came back, and she admits she wasn't going to but "something changed my mind". They share a kiss, and Belle is excited to see that Rumplestiltskin's scaly skin is clearing. Belle exclaims that "it's working" and that "any curse can be broken". Rumplestiltskin flies into a rage and demands to know who told her, and Belle can only get out that it was a "she". That's all Rumplestiltskin needs to know, and he uncovers a mirror to yell at it.
Rumplestiltskin tells Belle that it was the Queen who spoke with Belle and accuses her of working with the Queen to bring him down. Belle insists that they have True Love but Rumplestiltskin yells that no one can love him and throws her back into the dungeon.
Gold begins torturing Moe by pressing his cane onto his throat.
Gold removes the cane and lets Moe speak.
Gold: <frustrated sounds> Now you see, that is not a good first sentence.
Gold beats Moe, demanding the information.
Gold: "My fault". What are you talking about, "my fault". You shut her out. You had her love, and you shut her OUT! <hit> She's gone! She's gone forever! She's not coming back! And it's YOUR FAULT! <hit> NOT MINE! <hit> You are her FATHER! <hit>
FLASHBACK! Rumplestiltskin destroys a cabinet in rage.
Emma arrives on the scene to stop Gold beating Moe.
FLASHBACK! Rumplestiltskin throws his tea set against the wall piece by piece, but stops when he gets to the chipped cup.
Mood Whiplash back to girls' night, where Ashley is not having a good time since what she really needs is time with Sean.
Mary Margaret sympathizes since she also loves someone she can't be with. Ashely decides to go, but suddenly Sean's here! He's on a twenty-minute break which is apparently long enough to find out where Ashley is, go there, and finally propose to her. She accepts and everybody claps before they head out together. Mary Margaret decides to leave too and meets David outside, having apparently learned from her how to stalk someone. He accidentally gives her the Valentine meant for Kathryn and it makes Mary Margaret realize that seeing someone behind their spouse's back is not really a good thing to do. ᵂʰᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃᵗˀ ᴺᵒ ʷᵃʸᵎ She decides to break up with him but probably not for long.
As Moe gets loaded into an ambulance, Emma asks Gold what Moe really did to incur his wrath, since Gold's assault would be Disproportionate Retribution for stealing a few items. She asks what he meant when he talked about "her", but Gold won't cooperate with her so she arrests him.
FLASHBACK! Rumplestiltskin goes to Belle's cell and orders her to leave the Dark Castle, saying that he doesn't want her anymore. Before heading out she gives him a "The Reason You Suck" Speech about how he could have chosen happiness and freedom but threw it away because he doesn't believe he can be loved. Rumplestiltskin tells her that his power is what matters most to him, but she still doesn't buy that but allows him to make his choice and leaves him.
Emma taunts Gold in the holding cell with a sandwich, callously asking if he'd like to use the favor she owes him to get some. Regina arrives and allows Emma thirty minutes with Henry in exchange for the same time alone with Gold. Regina asks for the talk she wanted earlier, now that Gold can't refuse. She tells Gold that she has what he wants, revealing that she manipulated Moe to do the robbery all so she could get Gold where she wants him. Gold asks what she wants from him.
Gold:: It's Mr. Gold.
Regina: Your real name.
Gold: Every moment I've spent on this Earth, that's been my name.
Regina: But what about moments spent elsewhere?
Gold: What are you asking me?
Regina: I think you know. If you want me to return what's yours, tell me. Your name.
Gold: Rumplestiltskin. Now give me what I want.
Regina: Such hostility.
Gold: Oh yeah.
Regina produces from her handbag a chipped cup and gives it to him. The two exchange threats as Rumplestiltskin and the Evil Queen once more before Regina departs.
FLASHBACK! The Queen enters the Dark Castle to talk to Rumplestiltskin about a mermaid, but he's not doing deals today. The Queen taunts him about Belle, then tells him she had nothing to do with the tragedy. Rumplestiltskin doesn't know what she means, so she explains that due to Belle's association with the sorcerer, she couldn't find another love and was imprisoned in a tower by her father where he had the sins beaten out of her, after which she jumped from the tower to her death. Rumplestiltskin kicks the Queen out amidst more taunts, then places the chipped cup on a pedestal and weeps over it.
Regina goes to the hospital where she enters a restricted psych ward in the basement. Gifting a rose to the nurse, she confirms that no one has been to see "her". Regina goes to one of the cells and looks in the window to see a young woman with brown hair and blue eyes: Belle.
Tropes
- Arranged Marriage: Belle was in one with Gaston before going to serve Rumplestiltskin. As expected, she didn't particularly care for him.
- Couch Gag: The title card features Rumplestiltskin's spinning wheel.
- Dramatic Drop: Used humorously to make for a particularly charming moment, especially considering it sets up an important Tragic Keepsake.Rumpelstiltskin: You will serve me my meals, and you will clean the Dark Castle... You will dust my collection and launder my clothing... You will fetch me fresh straw when I'm spinning at the wheel... OH! And you will skin the children I hunt. For their pelts.Belle: *drops teacup in alarm*Rumpelstiltskin: ...That one was a quip.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Lumiere (the candlestick holder at least) can be seen in Rumple's dining hall in "Skin Deep", long before interacting with the characters in "Quiet Minds."
- Even Evil Has Standards: Played with. Regina says not even she would suggest that Belle kissed a man that held her captive against her will - an invoked nod to the Values Dissonance between the original fairy tale and today's moral opinions on the matter. Of course, by saying she's not encouraging her, she's very much encouraging her.
- Evil vs. Evil: This episode is more dedicated than any before to the growing feud between Regina and Rumplestiltskin. The Storybrooke plotline is revealed to be a ploy by Regina to get Rumple to admit he remembers everything before the curse. The Enchanted Forest story has her using Belle as a weapon to weaken him, and she nearly succeeds.
- Forced Transformation: Rumplestiltskin turns Gaston into a rose...and giggles as Belle unknowingly cuts off part of his stem.
- Forgot About His Powers: When Regina coerces Gold into a deal to get the chipped cup back, he conveniently forgets that he has the power to just force her into giving it back, without giving in. This may be because, as mentioned in "The Price of Gold", Rumpelstiltskin can't resist making a deal when it's offered to him.
- Foreshadowing: Before leaving him for the last time, Belle tells off Rumpelstiltskin for choosing power over love, claiming that now he has nothing but an empty heart and a chipped cup. Later, it turns out that the missing item Mr. Gold has been obsessing over was the chipped cup itself, reflecting how it is indeed all he has to remember Belle by.
- Kick the Dog: Regina comes to see Rumple and give him the "news" of the tragedy with Belle being imprisoned, scourged, and eventually committing suicide (all lies), just to twist the knife. It works, since after he throws her out he is left weeping over the chipped cup.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Regina talking to Belle.Evil Queen: Oh no, I wouldn't ask a woman to kiss the man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?
- Mood Lighting: Used heavily throughout the episode. The scene where Belle pulls down the drapes, letting light into the house, is also the scene where the mood between the two starts to lighten up. Many of the darker scenes take place in the same room but with darker lighting.
- Motive Misidentification: Belle assumes Rumplestiltskin keeps all his mirrors covered because he thinks he's ugly, but later when he uncovers one to yell at it, it's apparent he actually keeps them all covered to prevent the Evil Queen from spying on him.
- Never My Fault: Played with, for tragedy. When Gold kidnaps Moe and demands he give back the chipped cup (not knowing Regina has it), the confused man's claim he has no idea what Gold is talking about leads to Gold's No-Holds-Barred Beatdown with his cane...during which he regresses back to his Dark One self while insisting what happened to "her" (Belle) is all Moe's fault, not his. While this is true as far as he knows thanks to Regina's lies, he clearly very much blames himself, since it was his rage over True Love's Kiss and her supposedly working for the Evil Queen to deprive him of his power that drove Belle away (and Regina had in fact claimed that what happened to Belle was because she went back to her father after Rumple threw her out, where she was blamed for the disappearance of Gaston which was his fault). So in the end it's clear this terrible beating was as much for himself as for Moe.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Until this episode, Rumplestiltskin has unfailingly been an Affably Evil trickster, greedy and immoral, yes, but also quite easygoing and even fair in his deals, after a fashion. Here we see, in both storylines, what happens when he loses his cool - he assaults Belle for thinking she's tricking him, and, much later in Storybrooke, he brutally beats her father for stealing the chipped cup, his memento of her.
- Pet the Dog: The audience is shown Rumplestiltskin's softer side when he's with Belle. He has several instances of this with Belle in their "lighter" moments, including keeping the chipped tea cup she broke.
- The Reveal: Contrary to what Regina told Rumple, Belle is alive...and locked in the Storybrooke asylum.
- Shout-Out/Mythology Gag: This episode is known among fans for being heavy with references to Beauty and the Beast.
- The names Belle and Gaston, and Belle's father is named Moe French in Storybrooke (Beauty and the Beast was at first a sort of educational French tale, and "Moe" can be short for "Maurice").
- At least two of Belle's dresses are shoplifted right out of the Disney movie and so is her hairdo and eye color. Emilie de Ravin wore a wig for the character.
- Belle being stuffed into a dungeon.
- Rumple tells Belle he got her a rose from "an old woman selling flowers."
- Chip the Cup from the Disney movie becomes an inanimate Tragic Keepsake.
- Cogsworth and Lumiere appear in the background on a table when Rumplestiltskin first takes Belle through the dining room to "her room."
- Rumple smashes a cabinet. Belle found a room full of smashed cabinets in Beauty And The Beast.
- Of the non-Beauty and the Beast variety: In the insane asylum where Belle is kept, there is a nurse who looks like Nurse Ratched and a janitor who looks like the Chief.
- And don't forget about the "Game of Thorns" flower van!
- Blink and you'll miss it, on his travels Rumple had apparently found the scythe. That scythe.
- He also, apparently, has the Golden Fleece.
- A subtle one, but in order to check if Belle is listening to him, Rumpelstiltskin tells her that she must "skin the children I hunt for their pelts." In Beauty and the Beast, Gaston falsely claims that The Beast eats children. This also doubles as a reference to the original Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, which implies that the imp was planning to cook and eat the child that the miller's daughter promised him.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: In the flashback sequences, Rumple starts out in his usual thick leather armor, but as he starts to warm up to Belle his outfit shifts to a much more vulnerable vest and loose sleeves. At the end of the episode after he's banished Belle from his castle, he's back in the leather armor.
- Tragic Keepsake: The chipped cup.
- Tsundere: Rumple to Belle.Rumple: "You're back. Good! Good...thing. I'm almost out of straw."
- Uncovering Relationship Status: Rumplestiltskin asks Belle, after taking her away from her village, if she misses her betrothed. She replies that she doesn't, as it was just an arranged marriage.
- Unfortunate Item Swap: David accidentally gives Mary Margaret the Valentine's Day card he'd meant for Kathryn.
- Valentine's Day Episodes: It aired shortly before and was set during Valentine's Day and so naturally involved a couple breaking up, True Love's Kiss not working and a psychotic breakdown, and a marriage proposal.
- Wham Episode: Mr. Gold remembers everything too and now Regina knows it.
- Wham Shot: The final shot of Regina, smirking through the slot into the padded cell of the asylum where she's kept Belle for the last 28 years.
