Season 3, Episode 8:
Think Lovely Thoughts
As the two teams finally reunite to join forces so as to take out Peter Pan and rescue Henry, Pan takes Henry to Skull Rock where he can perform the ritual that will make Pan all-powerful.
Meanwhile in the Enchanted Forest that was, the truth is finally revealed as to Rumpelstiltskin's origins, his father Malcolm, and how their lives were changed forever by Neverland and Peter Pan.
Tropes
- Archnemesis Dad: Peter Pan to Rumpelstiltskin.
- Backstory: We learn how Rumpelstiltskin's father abandoned him when he was a boy in order to become Peter Pan.
- The Bad Guy Wins: At least for the end of the episode, Pan got Henry's heart after all.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: In addition to every member of the main cast, Peter Pan is added to the long list of characters who can claim family ties with Henry. This doesn't stop him from kidnapping Henry.
- Blatant Lies: Rumpelstiltskin's father is a shameless liar in everything he says throughout his old life and later as Peter Pan.
- Card Sharp: Rumpelstiltskin's father was a card Hustler by trade, and pretty useless at it too.
- Couch Gag: The title card features Skull Rock.
- Dirty Coward: Rumpelstiltskin has tried for years to shake off his reputation as being one and we now see why: his own father Peter Pan is the genuine article, willing to abandon his own son and later kill his great grandson just so he can live forever and be all powerful in his own kingdom.
- Drunk with Power: Rumpelstiltskin's father was merely a petty criminal and ne'er-do-well until he embraced Neverland's power and became a truly despicable self-loving sociopath.
- Equivalent Exchange: As outlined by Wendy, in order to gain the power to stay young and live forever, Peter Pan must have Henry's heart...which means he will die in his place.
- Fate Worse than Death: Peter Pan seals Rumplestiltskin inside Pandora's Box.
- Freudian Excuse: Given what an utterly vile selfish lying prick Rumpelstiltskin's father turns out to be, it's difficult not to sympathize with The Dark One.
- From a Certain Point of View: When Neal asks Rumpelstiltskin what really happened between him and Peter Pan, he replies that Pan "destroyed my father." Just like the Trope Namer, it's a case of Exact Words that say one thing but mean another.
- Good Is Dumb: Henry believes so much that he's doing the right thing that he can't accept the idea that Pan is manipulating him.
- Loophole Abuse: Pan creates a spell at Skull Rock to keep the heroes from interfering, once Henry has entered—a magical line keyed to allow only those without a shadow to cross. But because Rumple cut off his own shadow to hide the Dark One's dagger, he is able to pass...and once Emma and Regina work together to cause a lunar eclipse, none of the other heroes cast shadows any more, either.
- No Name Given: The spinsters who adopt Rumple are only credited as Spinsters #1 and #2.
- Parental Abandonment: Runs deep in Rumpelstiltskin's family, all the way down to Henry. Although Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin are both trying to be better men.
- Parental Substitute: Rumplestiltskin is abandoned by his father, leaving two female spinsters as the only people left to raise him.
- The Power of Trust: Once Neal reveals about the Seer's prophecy, and everyone turns on Gold thinking he came to kill Henry, Gold's only way of proving himself is by giving Pandora's Box to Neal. But once they reach the cave on Skull Rock and Gold is able to cross the magic barrier (thus proving he was telling the truth before about having sent his shadow away), Neal returns the favor by giving him back the box so he can face Pan and save Henry.
- The Reveal: Peter Pan was Rumpelstiltskin's father all along, having made a deal with the spirit of Neverland to become young again, but the deal means he won't live forever. That's where Henry's heart comes in.
- Sealed Badass in a Can: Happens to Rumplestiltskin in Pandora's Box, by his own father no less.
- Think Happy Thoughts: When Rumple needs a happy thought to control his magic, he thinks about how he and the spinsters would celebrate with meat pies after completing a job. Also, this is generally how flying works in Neverland, and what Malcolm has to do to get them there, to believe, and eventually to become Pan. It's also almost the episode title.
- Tragic Keepsake: Rumple's doll, since it's not only the last thing he has left of his father, the name he gave it is the one Malcolm took when he became young again: Peter Pan.
- Wham Episode: And HOW.
- Wham Shot: Just looking at who the father's younger self is is enough to be shocking.
- When It All Began: Rumplestiltskin's father becoming Peter Pan counts as the pivotal moment that sent Rumplestiltskin down his own path and thus affected everyone since then.
- Would Hurt a Child: Peter Pan has been attracting children to Neverland for all this time just so he could find the right one to rip out the boy's heart and use it to live forever, and is even willing to do this to his great-grandson.
- You Can Always Tell a Liar: Rumplestiltskin was able to tell that Wendy was lying about where Henry was because he recognized the burdened expression she had on her face when she lied.
