A matter of trust
Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
Pieces fell into place too easily on this week’s Once Upon a Time. No one paused to ask questions when situations were resolved in a flash, and they’ve all been through enough to know better. As valiant as David was on the quest to find the crimson crown, he didn’t perform any extra heroic actions. He didn’t do anything particularly worthy of being made one of the Arthur’s knights, much less anything to take Lancelot’s place. Sure, David and Arthur have similar pasts, but their little bit of bro bonding shouldn’t lead to the highest seat at the round table. It’s too soon, and David — and everyone else in the group — should have raised an eyebrow.
Arthur giving David a knighthood did play into David’s insecurities and sort of helps explains why David didn’t question the development. He’s wrestled with finding his place in the world. We’ve seen him be concerned about being a good father and husband, and “Siege Perilous” built upon those anxieties. He wants to be more than the guy who woke up a sleeping princess. It’s a valid and relatable concern, and that little bit of inner conflict makes him more interesting.
The episode showcased David’s positive attributes too — like being resourceful enough to use a souvenir “Doctoberfest” mug to find the thief. The casual way in which Belle said that was perfect. But again, David maybe should have had a moment and realized the thief was easy to catch and had a flimsy motivation for swiping the reliquary. He’s not dumb, and I didn’t think he was quite so trusting.
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photo Gallery:
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
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Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
Once Upon a Time: “Siege Perilous” Photos
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Unsurprisingly, Arthur didn’t deserve the trust. The scenes where he stops to discuss his noble plans for Camelot are far too mustache-twirly, but I do like that he’s also a threat in Storybrooke. He gives the town something else to worry about, and if he’s willing to kill a subject, well, he’s trouble. However, there will have to an explanation of why he’s so uncaring towards non-Camelot residents. He makes it Camelot vs. everyone else, and if he would just talk to the heroes, he might find they could come to an understanding. His selfishness doesn’t ring true yet.
Emma’s plan to remove Excalibur from the stone is the other big threat to Storybrooke right now, and though Jennifer Morrison as the Dark One is falling flat at the moment, other pieces of this arc are playing well. For example: Hook’s resistance to her charms. We’ve seen Belle struggle with loving Rumplestiltskin; we don’t need to see it with Hook. It’s probably not as black and white as Hook pretends it is, but at least he’s not playing into Emma’s hands. It’s an intriguing contrast.
Pulling Mr. Gold into the picture was also intriguing. He didn’t seem like a candidate to help Emma, but I forgot about his heart being a blank slate. Robert Carlyle gets to start over with the character in some ways, and an actor of his caliber deserves all the room to stretch. I’m looking forward to seeing the new Mr. Gold in action and happy Belle won’t need to carry around the rose jar anymore.
Tonight’s Once put some important pawns into place with Arthur’s villainy (and Lancelot) and Gold’s return to the world. Those two points have promise. Aside from that, the episode meandered. David and Arthur’s chemistry was flat, and Emma was robotic.
