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For the story, see "Beauty and the Beast." For the Disney film, see Beauty and the Beast. For the character based on Beauty, see Belle. |
"Beauty" is the fourth episode of Season Seven of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Dana Horgan & Leah Fong, and directed by Mick Garris. It is the one hundred and thirty-seventh episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 27, 2017.
Synopsis
It's Halloween in Hyperion Heights and Victoria forces Ivy to take Lucy trick-or-treating. Meanwhile, Tilly appears to be waking up from the curse and is intent on leading Weaver to the truth – but not if Victoria can help it. In a flashback, Rumple and Belle seek the answer to a prophecy that could cement their happy ending.[2]
Recap
It has been a year after the Final Battle, and Gold and Belle now enjoy life in Storybrooke as a family with their son Gideon. On Gideon's first birthday, Gold tells Belle that he has acquired a family travel book so they can document their adventures.
The family leaves Storybrooke and spends years travelling the realms, however age begins to catch up to Belle. Rumple has now grown tired of being The Dark One and wants to rid himself of the cursed immortality and darkness once and for all. He takes the dagger and throws it into a wishing river, only for it to instantly return to him. He vows to Belle that he will find a way to dispose of it. As the years continue to go by, Gideon, now a bookworm like his mother, leaves for college at 18, while Rumpelstiltskin and Belle continue to look for a way to get rid of the dagger. Belle finds a solution which says they must travel to the Edge of Realms and wait for sunset after an eternal day, which will finally allow them to get rid of the dagger and the darkness forever.
As Rumple and Belle arrived to the Edge of Realms, they realise that as the day is eternal then the sun may never set. Belle suggests that the two settle down and enjoy their life in this location. The two decided to build a nice home for the family, where they live for many years happily together, with Gideon visiting frequently.
One day, many years later, as Belle checks the drapes, she collapses. A distraught Rumple suggests that he uses his powers to heal her and reverse her aging, only to discover that Belle had known he couldn't dispose of the dagger here. She knew, from ages ago, that the "sunset" referred to in the prophecy signified her own death, and wanted to live a happy life with Rumple and Gideon before passing, which she did. In her final moments, she asks that Rumple let her go, but tells him that once he is rid of the dagger that he'll return to her. With that, Belle passes away peacefully, leaving Rumple sobbing and heartbroken.
At Belle's grave, Gideon, having returned to pay respects to his mother, offers to take the dagger and use it to transfer the darkness into himself so that Rumple can join his wife in death. Rumple refuses, not wanting another one of his sons to be lost because of his darkness. He also reveals that he already has someone else ready to hand the dagger over to: a mysterious Guardian.
Some time later Rumple steps through a portal into the New Enchanted Forest and instantly runs into Alice from Wonderland, revealing that she is to be his Guardian.
It's Halloween Day in Hyperion Heights, where Weaver is having a brief but awkward conversation with Tilly, who is wearing a rabbit mask. Later on in Victoria's car, Tilly surprises Victoria and tells her that she knows about who she is. Victoria uses pepper spray on Tilly and ends up taking Tilly's backpack. Victoria then talks to Weaver about Tilly's actions, and insists that Tilly takes her "pills," as it keeps her from remembering that she is actually Alice. Victoria warns Weaver to do this or he'll pay dearly. The situation with Tilly spills over into the disagreements between Rogers and Weaver to the point of him telling Rogers that he doesn't care about anyone. Hours later, Weaver finds Tilly to ask her why she stopped taking the pills. Tilly believes that everyone in Hyperion Heights are all pieces of the same puzzle, but they're all "wearing masks" (a reference to the Halloween theme of the episode). Weaver asked Tilly to elaborate further but she said she'd rather show him.
The two then head at the train tracks for the answer, and while en route Weaver handed Tilly a sandwich that was secretly laced with the pills' ingredients. Suddenly Tilly, having bitten into the sandwich, begins complaining about the pills making her small and, in a White Rabbit-eqse fashion, bails out of the vehicle. When Weaver catches up to Tilly, she insists that she is this close to revealing the answer and pulls out Belle's chipped teacup in front of Weaver. After trying hard to remember, she recalls his true name: Rumpelstiltskin, and even though this triggers a flashback, Weaver doesn't seem to remember his past and still deems Tilly as crazy. Tilly then takes Weaver's gun and fatally shoots him in order to prove that he is immortal. Hours later at a hospital, Weaver is in a comatose state, where he sees a vision of Belle's spirit, before regaining consciousness. Weaver tells Rogers to file a report that it was a robber who shot him and orders for Tilly to be let go, in order to let off Tilly. Rogers and Tilly play a game of chess in the waiting area of the hospital, with Tilly now back on her pills and oblivious again of her previous life as Alice.
In between the situation, Jacinda drops off Lucy's Halloween costume to Ivy, who has been tasked with taking her step-niece around the neighborhood to get candy. However Ivy's distraction with her cell phone just gave Lucy the opportunity to give Ivy the slip. Around the same time, Roni consoles Henry after trying to get used to having lost his family, but suggested that he move on and try to find happiness again by pursuing Jacinda. Henry then visits Jacinda at her workplace but the conversation is cut short when they learn that Ivy lost Lucy, and since Jacinda can't leave her job, Henry volunteers to help find Lucy. Later that night, Henry catches up with Ivy, and as they search for Lucy, Ivy tells Henry about how she feels about her mother, saying that she feels alone and always on the wrong side of things. Henry then figured out where to find Lucy and Ivy finds her. The three then returned to Mr. Clucks, but Ivy insists that Jacinda take Lucy trick or treating with Henry.
Afterwards, Victoria confronts Weaver with blackmail if he doesn't keep Tilly on her medication, but Weaver isn't having any of this. During the confrontation he refers to Victoria using his old endearment word, "Dearie," implying he is now "awake" from the curse. Meanwhile, at Roni's, Ivy treats Henry to a few drinks as a thanks for his helpful encouragement given earlier on the bench.
Deleted Scenes
Aurora Bridge: Extended Version
An extended version of the scene with Weaver and Tilly under Aurora Bridge. Before Weaver sees Tilly, he interacts with a man who walks under the bridge with a woman dressed like Disney's Alice.[3] The man wears a black Cheshire Cat mask for Halloween[4] (in the actual episode, the mask is seen, but only from the side).[5]
Belle's Death: Extended Version
An extended version of the scene where Belle passes away, featuring additional dialogue which was cut during post-production and a part where Mr. Gold opens the travel book and sees how it is filled with pictures and memoirs.[6]
Cast[2]
Starring
Guest Starring
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Co-StarringUncredited
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Note:
*: Only in archive footage
Trivia
Title
- The title card features gravestones, jack-o-lanterns, and other Halloween decor.[8]
- The title of this episode was revealed by Adam Horowitz via his Instagram account on August 3, 2017.[9]
- The title of this episode is a reference to "Beauty and the Beast," the fairytale written by French author Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, which is the basis for Belle and Rumplestiltskin.
- Belle's name also means "beautiful" in French.
Production Notes
- Adam Horowitz described this episode as "hugely romantic."[10]
- REUSED FOOTAGE: The opening shot where the leaves are blown across Storybrooke Main Street[11] is stock footage from an establishing shot used to show the empty streets of Storybrooke the morning after Hook's death in the Season Five episode "Swan Song,"[12] but with a lighter color hue.
- The shot was also reused in the Season Six episode "A Wondrous Place,"[13] again with a different color hue.
- SOMETHING'S CHANGED: A few changes have been made to the patio of Granny's Diner since the previous season: Wooden flooring and a gate have been added and the formerly green fence is painted white.[14]
- REUSED FOOTAGE: Before the scene with Jacinda, Henry and Ivy at Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack, there is an establishing shot of Seattle,[15] which is stock footage from "Hyperion Heights."[16]
- The same shot is reused for the opening shot of Seattle in "Is This Henry Mills?" but with a darker color hue and added storm clouds to match the turbulent weather shown in the opening scene.[17]
- CAST NOTES: Throughout the episode, Gideon appears as a baby, at the ages of one and ten, and as an adult, making it the largest number of different actors portraying the same role in one episode.
- ABANDONED IDEAS: In the episode script, Belle says "You know, you could take a picture," and Mr. Gold answers "No need. I could remember how you look right now forever."[18] In the final episode, Belle actually says "photograph" instead of "picture."
- The bridge Belle and Gold make a stop by[19] is based on the German Rakotzbrücke ("Devil's Bridge"), located in a 200-acre landscaped park in the municipality of Gablenz. The bridge is notable for creating a circle when it is reflected in the water beneath it.
- According to a prop note on a behind the scenes photograph posted by Emilie de Ravin on Instagram, Belle is approximately 80 years old by the time she passes away.[20]
- CUT CONTENT: A segment where Alice calls Weaver a pillock, which was Rose Reynolds' idea, was cut from the episode.[21] "Pillock" is a British slang word for a stupid person.[22] According to the actor (who is British), no one knew what it meant.[21]
- REUSED FOOTAGE: The establishing shot of the Hyperion Heights Hospital is stock footage of a New York City hospital from the website Getty Images.[23] The shot is re-used in "Secret Garden."[24]
- The same stock footage was used in an establishing shot of a police station in the 2021 Amazon Prime streaming film Jolt.[25]
Event Chronology
- The Seattle events take place on Halloween on October 31, 2017,[26][nb 1] after "The Garden of Forking Paths" and before "Greenbacks." (For more details, see the Land Without Magic timeline)
- The Storybrooke flashback takes place after "The Final Battle Part 2," one year after "Changelings"[nb 2] and before "A Pirate's Life" and "Is This Henry Mills?."
- The New Enchanted Forest flashback takes place after "Greenbacks" and before "Hyperion Heights."
Episode Connections
- Belle and Mr. Gold celebrate Gideon's first birthday. Belle gave birth to Gideon in "Changelings."
- Belle and Mr. Gold discuss how Storybrooke has not had a threat since the Black Fairy was defeated in "The Final Battle Part 2."
- The last on-screen time Mr. Gold used the Dark One Dagger was during "Mother's Little Helper" when he cut Emma free from the spider cocoon and then channeled his magic with the dagger to help her shrink the spider.
- Mr. Gold says that Belle always wanted to see the world, something that was established in "Skin Deep" and "The Outsider."
- Jacinda lost custody of Lucy in "Hyperion Heights."
- Ivy mentions Jacinda's speech at the Community Gardens, which took place in "The Garden of Forking Paths."
- When Henry tastes the drink that Roni made for him, he says that it could use a dash of cinnamon. Henry enjoys cinnamon and cream in his cocoa, which was established in "The Thing You Love Most" and "Going Home."
- Roni mentions seeing Henry getting ice cream with Lucy and Jacinda, an event which happened in "The Garden of Forking Paths."
- Henry mentions how he visited the Hyperion Heights Cemetery, which took place in "The Garden of Forking Paths."
- Henry asks Jacinda out again in "Wake Up Call" while Jacinda is working on the food truck and in "Sisterhood" when Henry is persuaded by Rogers and Nick to ask out the next girl that walks into the barcade.
- Rogers was promoted to detective in "Hyperion Heights."
- Weaver makes a reference to Rogers' missing person case, which was previously brought up in "A Pirate's Life."
- Tilly says that the Troll under the Aurora Bridge has a history. His story is revealed in "The Girl in the Tower."
- Belle and Mr. Gold previously danced to the song "Beauty and the Beast" in "A Tale of Two Sisters" and "The Savior."
- As Belle says her last words, clips from "Skin Deep," "A Land Without Magic," "Kansas," "There's No Place Like Home," "A Tale of Two Sisters" and "The Final Battle Part 2" are shown.
- Tilly shows Weaver the chipped cup, just as his counterpart once told her in "The Eighth Witch" to do in order to jog his memories.
- Weaver repairs the chipped cup in "Sisterhood."
- When Tilly tries to remember Weaver's original name, she guesses "Spindleshanks," the same name that Hordor guessed in "Desperate Souls."
- Mr. Gold says that he took the Dark One's dagger for one son, a reference to events from "Ill-Boding Patterns."
- Weaver finds the Guardian in "The Eighth Witch."
- When Mr. Gold arrives in the New Enchanted Forest and meets Alice, Henry rides by on his motorcycle, which takes place directly before his run-in with Cinderella in "Hyperion Heights." Additionally, the ball that Alice mentions is the one from the same episode that she goes to and drugs Henry on orders from Mr. Gold to make him return home.
- Weaver is released from the hospital in "Wake Up Call."
- When Tilly asks Rogers if he plays chess, he says that he's been known to "dabble a little bit." Wish Realm Hook talked about how he used to play chess with his daughter in "A Pirate's Life." The piece that Rogers moves is a black rook, the same as his daughter's chess piece, which he showed to the other Hook in the same episode. How the black rook came to symbolize Wish Realm Hook's love for his daughter is shown in "Knightfall."
- In "Wake Up Call," Henry sees photos of himself and Ivy from their bar outing that Ivy posted on her online social media account.
- Mr. Gold is finally reunited with Belle in "Leaving Storybrooke."
- Belle falling while opening the curtains and being caught by Mr. Gold, serves as a parallel to the same scene in "Skin Deep."
Disney
- Belle and Mr. Gold's story alludes to Ellie and Carl Fredricksen's story from the Disney/Pixar animated movie Up.
- Various people wear costumes of different Disney characters including Elsa from Frozen,[27] Alice from the animated Disney film Alice in Wonderland,[3][5] Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,[28] the Incredibles from The Incredibles,[29] and the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus.[30] There's also a man wearing a male version of Elsa's coronation outfit.[31]
- During Weaver's conversation with Tilly and while Ivy is searching for Lucy, two boys walk by—one wearing a blue, yellow and red costume[32] and the other wearing a red, white and black costume.[33] The costumes are from the Disney Descendants franchise. More specifically of Jay, the son of Jafar,[34] and Carlos, the son of Cruella De Vil.[35]
- The Sanderson Sisters Easter egg is a reference to Mick Garris, who directed the episode and was one of the writers of Hocus Pocus.
- This episode contains a number of other references to Disney works. See the list of Disney references for more.
Lost
- When Lucy goes trick-or-treating, she mutters to herself, "Please be an Apollo bar, please be an Apollo bar." This was a fictional brand on Lost.
- This episode contains a number of other references to ABC's Lost. See the list of Lost references for more.
Fairytales and Folklore
- This episode features Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. There are many references to the novel scattered throughout the episode:
- Tilly is wearing a white rabbit mask with a monocle on its eye for Halloween, a reference to the White Rabbit.
- Tilly's favorite food is orange marmalade, a reference to the scene where Alice grabs a jar of orange marmalade from a shelf while falling down the rabbit hole.
- Tilly asks Victoria Belfrey, "Who are you?" just like the Caterpillar asks Alice in the novel.
- Tilly references herself as feeling ten feet tall and becoming small again.
- Tilly says to Weaver, "We're all mad here," just like the Cheshire Cat says to Alice in the novel.
- Alice can be seen chasing a white rabbit.
- Rogers refers to Tilly as being "as quiet as a dormouse."
- A drawing resembling the Cheshire Cat can be seen on one of the walls in Tilly's boxcar.[36]
- Tilly and Rogers play chess, which is an important theme in Lewis Carroll's sequel Through the Looking-Glass.
- HIDDEN DETAILS: This episode features several hidden references to the rose that Beauty's father steals from the Beast's rose garden in the fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast":
- Roni lets Henry sample one of her new drinks called the Poisoned Apple, a reference to her original counterpart's fruit of choice from the "Snow White" fairytale.
- Gideon mentions that he has been accepted into Elphame Academy. This is a reference to the Queen of Elphame from Scottish folklore.
- When Tilly tries to remember Weaver's original name, she guesses "Spindleshanks," which is one of the names the miller's daughter guesses for the titular character in one English translation of the "Rumplestiltskin" fairytale, The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang: "The next day she sent to inquire the names of all the people in the neighborhood, and had a long list of the most uncommon and extraordinary for the little man when he made his appearance. 'Is your name, perhaps, Sheepshanks, Cruickshanks, Spindleshanks?' but he always replied: 'That's not my name.'"[41]
Popular Culture
- Belle and Mr. Gold's story in this episode is inspired by the short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."[42]
- The pills which Tilly "takes" to prevent her from waking up from the curse are blue, which can be seen when she finds the crushed pills inside her sandwich.[43] This is a reference to the 1999 science fiction film The Matrix,[44] in which the main character Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus. The red pill will free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generated dream world and allow him to escape into the real world, but the blue pill will lead him back to stay in the comfortable simulated reality of the Matrix.
- This reference is fitting, since The Matrix is known for referencing the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland through various homages. During the scene where Neo takes the pill, Morpheus informs him that if he chooses to take the red pill and be freed from the Matrix, he will "stay in Wonderland," and Morpheus will show him "how deep the rabbit hole goes."
- The pills used during filming were actually bright blue.[4] However, this cannot be seen in the actual episode, since they can only be seen inside the box or crushed inside Tilly's sandwich.
- Coincidentally, in the 2021 sequel The Matrix Resurrections, released four years after the episode, a doctor prescribes Neo boxes of blue pills in order to keep his memory of the real world suppressed, but Neo eventually stops taking them, enabling his memories to return – much like what happens to Tilly.
- For Halloween, Roni is dressed up as Sandy Olsson from the 1978 musical romantic comedy film Grease.[45]
- Lana Parrilla has stated that she didn't like the blonde wig she wore for the episode.[46]
- Henry asks if the "Scary Sauce" that Jacinda is serving is Exorcist-level scary, or more like Gremlins-level scary. This is a reference to the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist and the 1984 horror comedy Gremlins. Jacinda answers, "Exorcist-level." The Exorcist has been repeatedly ranked as the most terrifying movie of all time,[47] while Gremlin is more known for its blend of comedy and horror. Despite this, Henry admits to Jacinda that he can't handle Gremlins, prompting her to ask if he's scared of puppets; a reference to the titular characters, who were portrayed by animatronic puppets.[48]
- ♫ MUSIC: The song playing at Roni's when Henry is having drinks with Ivy at the end of the episode is "Float" by Jude Shuma.
- The same song can be heard playing in the background when Henry is sitting at the bar and receives a text message from Jacinda in "A Taste of the Heights," and when Jacinda visits the bar with Lucy in "Sisterhood."
Props Notes
- HIDDEN DETAILS: The magical rose from Season Five is pictured on the cover of the travel book that Mr. Gold gives to Belle.[37]
- BRAND INFO: Tilly's backpack is from Buffalo David Bitton.[4]
- According to Emilie de Ravin, she had to carry around four gallons of water during the house building scene, while Robert Carlyle was loading little polystyrene rocks.[49]
- According to a prop hospital bracelet auctioned off online in April 2020, Weaver's patient identification number at the Hyperion Heights hospital is 0365-8263-40.[50]
- HIDDEN DETAILS: When playing chess with Tilly, Rogers places the black rook next to the white knight,[51] a subtle foreshadowing of Tilly's real identity: In "A Pirate's Life," Wish Hook stated that his daughter gave him a black rook while he gave her a knight (a white knight, as later shown in "Pretty in Blue"). A chess rook is shaped like a castle tower; Alice is revealed to have grown up in Rapunzel's tower.
Set Dressing
- HIDDEN DETAILS: During Gideon's birthday celebration, a white rabbit plush toy is sitting on the table.[52]
- ARTWORKS: A painting by the American artist Augustine Kofie, from his 2011 exhibition Circulatory System,[53] is hanging on the wall next to the elevator when Jacinda drops by Belfrey Towers.[54]
- ARTWORKS: The painting next to Weaver's bed at the hospital[55] is Summer Secret by the American artist Megan Lightell.[56]
- REUSED PROPS: The same painting is hanging in the Storybrooke General Hospital's waiting area in the Season Six episode "Dark Waters."[57]
- REUSED PROPS: Another painting in Weaver's hospital room[55] was previously used to decorate the common room in the Storybrooke General Hospital in the Season Two episode "Tiny."[58]
Costume Notes
- The same jacket was also worn by the character Eleanor Henstridge on The Royals episode "Confess Yourself to Heaven,"[61] Charlotte Richards on the Lucifer episode "All Hands on Decker"[62] (a show that stars Once Upon a Time guest star Tom Ellis), Hilary Curtis on an episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless,[63] Quinn Fuller on an episode of the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (played by Once Upon a Time guest star Rena Sofer),[64] Maggie Vera on the Charmed episode "Other Women"[65] and Veronica Newel on the Dirty John episode "This Young Woman Fought Like Hell."[66]
- At the bridge, Belle is wearing a dress with embroidered roses.[38] She wore the same dress in the Season Four episode "Family Business,"[67] but with a different blouse underneath.
- The Snow White costume that a Seattle resident is wearing[68] was also worn by the character Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory episode "The Contractual Obligation Implementation."[69]
- USE IT AGAIN: The suit worn by Mr. Gold when he arrives in the New Enchanted Forest[70] is the same suit that he wears when he is reunited with Belle on Mount Olympus in "Leaving Storybrooke."[71] Gold wears the suit again in "Wake Up Call"[72] and "The Guardian."[73]
- SECONDHAND CLOTHING: The blouse Alice is wearing[70] is the same garment worn by Marian in the Season Four episode "Heart of Gold."[74] Alice wears the garment again in "Pretty in Blue,"[75] "The Eighth Witch"[76] and "The Girl in the Tower."[77]
Filming Locations
- The scene where Weaver is walking down the street and sees Tilly,[78] the scene with Tilly and Weaver on the bench,[79] and the nighttime scene with Henry and Ivy on the same bench later in the episode, were all filmed in New Westminster's Hyack Square.[79]
- The scene where Rogers and Weaver are walking through the park was filmed in CRAB Park at Portside in Vancouver.[80][81]
- The scenes in front of Belle and Mr. Gold's house in the Edge of Realms was filmed on a blue-screen set.[82] Parts of the house was real, while the rest was added digitally in post-production.
- The scenes where Lucy and the other children are trick-or-treating were filmed in 6359 Palace Place in Burnaby.[83]
- The driving scene with Tilly and Weaver was filmed in Richmond's Alderbridge Way.[84]
- The scene where Tilly jumps from Weaver's moving car and runs off was filmed on a lane in 4400 Still Creek Drive in Burnaby.[85]
- The scene where Tilly and Weaver are walking through the alley to Tilly's boxcar was filmed behind the Burrard Inronworks in Vancouver.[80]
- A ravine in Burnaby's Buckingham Park doubles as the New Enchanted Forest for the flashback where Alice and Mr. Gold meet.[83][86]
Goofs
- The picture of Mr. Gold and Belle in front of the Wandering Oaken's Trading Post in Arendelle[87] is an edited screenshot from the Season Four episode "Family Business," where Belle is seen walking to the shop.[88] However, she has not been correctly deleted from the original screenshot.[89]
- Despite the chipped cup being placed on the mantel during the close-up shot of Mr. Gold,[90] the cup has disappeared in the following wide shot.[91]
International Titles
| International Titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Title | Translation |
| French | "Aux Confins des Royaumes" | "At the Edge of Realms" |
| German | "Ewig währt die Liebe von der Schönen und dem Biest" | "The love of the beauty and the beast lasts forever" |
| Italian | "Belle" | "Belle" |
| Portuguese | "Bela" | "Beauty" |
Videos
References
Notes
- ↑ Note that Roni's contract from "Hyperion Heights" says June 2018 (File:701Contract.png), but Adam Horowitz clarifies in this tweet (backup link) that the year on the prop was a mistake and it should have been dated 2017, not 2018. In "Beauty," Henry states that "Until last week, the only human contact I had was with my Swyft riders," indicating that the events of "Hyperion Heights," where Henry meets his new friends, also take place in October, about a week before Halloween. In addition, in "Eloise Gardener," the concert tickets that Henry presents to Jacinda for their date later that night are dated "NOV1817" (File:707IsSpigolli.png) (in the lower left hand corner), meaning November 18, 2017.
- ↑ Confirmed by Gideon's birthday banner, which says "Happy first birthday Gideon" (File:704AllTheseYears.png)
