I got no strings to hold me down, to make me fret, or make me frown. I had strings, but now I'm free- There are no strings on me.
There were many stories told and heard in this episode and even though this episode centered on Red/Ruby, Granny, Mary (Margaret) and David, I want to begin with talking about August W. Booth. Since he presented himself to Emma and the lost people of Storybrooke I've wondered if he's also a resident of Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land and also, if he is, did he escape "the curse".
In this episode August shares stories with Ruby about his nomadic adventures and life on the road. He tells of a year without a roof over his head; but you get used to it. Plus with a motorcycle if he didn't like a place after a while...Swoooh (makes a salute and soaring hand gesture), he can move on. Ruby admits she's never been out of Storybrooke. Augusts' favorite place was Nepal. He shares about the "best people" and prayer temples carved into mountains that are overrun with Lemurs. Curious and sheltered Ruby asks what a Lemur is. August tells her Lemurs are little animals that have eyes that reflect light, so it looks like they glow at night.
By the way, Lemurs live in Madagascar; an island off of the coast of Africa.
August leads her to believe he lives a life without strings; he's free. Peter, the blacksmith's boy, also claims to be able to get work anywhere; this indicating he can up and move on at anytime.
Let's reflect on the story of Pinocchio we're familiar with. We know that Disney takes much of its version of Pinocchio from the original story but makes some creative changes. An animated mischievous marionette is in need of a conscience to guide him. Pinocchio was a storyteller; fabricating stories and creating very tall tales and tended to lie and exaggerate. The wood puppet-boy's nose would grow when he was stressed. He and Geppetto dreamed of him becoming a real boy.
A little more detail from the original story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio, an animated marionette made of pinewood, and his poor father, a woodcarver named Geppetto. This story also includes a talking cricket, boys who turn into donkeys, and a Turquoise Haired Fairy (Disney re-told as the Blue Fairy). Pinocchio doesn't live in the traditional fairy-tale world; he lives in the real world. The story incorporates the difficult reality of living a poor life; the need for food and shelter and other serious life themes.
An important part of the original story is when Geppetto teaches Pinocchio to walk and how Pinocchio runs away into town. Pinocchio is caught by the police and Geppetto is mistakenly imprisoned because the police assume that Pinocchio has been abused by his father; who is rumored to not like children.
In the original serialized version, Pinocchio dies. At the end of Chapter 15 he's hanged for his wrongs and lies. At the request of his editor, the author Collodi added chapters 16–36; where the Fairy with Turquoise Hair saves Pinocchio and transforms him into a real boy when he has an awakening, with an understanding of himself.
Suspicious of things, again something jumps out at me when Emma tells David "I'm pretty good at spotting a liar and honestly...liars have better material."
What do you think of August and a possible Pinocchio connection? Is August a liar or is he awakened? I've seen some indication that point in the direction August possibly being Pinocchio. But we'll have to wait and see if this is fact or not. But wait! Does little boy Henry fit anywhere into the Pinocchio story? Hmm...
More about "stories" in this episode-
* Let's not ignore the fact that the Storybrooke FREE Public Library is closed; newspapers cover the windows. It seems that the people of Storybrooke may not have the luxury of checking out free books.
* Henry stores his ONCE Upon A Time book in a keyed locked desk drawer in the Sheriff's Station with Emma.
* Widow Lucas tells a story a story about her as a child and her 6 older brothers, who were big as oak trees and veterans of the second Ogre Wars and her father who was biggest of all, take on the wolf. It was a different one back then, but just as fearsome. They went out there to protect her. She was supposed to be asleep but sneaked out. She saw the 7 of them had the beast surrounded with spears and the beast only lunged at the spears and not the men. The men continued to stab at the beast but the beast tore their throats. When her father died she tumbled from the roof and landed in the blood in front of the wolf. The wolf clamped down on her arm and she rolled away.
The story she told to the villagers was about Red's grandfather who marked Granny, came back and found her and turned her.
Later Widow Lucas/Granny reveals Red's mother "being one" before a hunting party killed her.
What kind of monster is this? Well, this terrible creature is also human; feeling like a rat in a trap or one bound in chains. Everyone has two sides; light and dark. Even a wolf could been seen as embodying both protection and destruction. We've seen a wolf (with two different color eyes) be a protector and guide Graham in Storybrooke and in Fairy Tale Land. In this episode this wolf is said to have black eyes and is a feared killer- a monster.
Ruby admits to Henry she's not so great at bike riding, to me this means she has trouble keeping her balance. I feel as if the is wolf is representing a part of herself (dark side) that she hadn't yet fully brought into the light of her consciousness. The dark side of one's psyche (and/or personality) needs to be acknowledged, kept in check and then needs to be completely turned around and purged. If Ruby chooses to suppress this negative side (or underdeveloped side) and not come to terms with it, I think she'd have to start all the way from the beginning of the adventure to learn this lesson.
This "dark" issue is a similar idea as in LOST season 6 and John Locke we see on the "Island"; the one perceived as MIB or the smoke monster. I've tried many times to explain that it is always John Locke- just another side or facet to him; this negative side had to be executed/purged. Locke also represented Jack's opposition and Locke's goal always was to help Jack; and he does that all the way through the adventure. John Locke actually tells Ben, Sawyer and others that he's not a "what" he's a "who"- a man.
With on "Island" Locke we're led to believe that Locke walking around is a completely different individual using Locke's body to play things out, just as we heard about Red thinking the wolf uses Peter's body. But it's not the case. It is just a representation of the dark side of one's self. Therefore we all have a smoke monster, MIB, shadow, wolf or other image our psyche needs to depict a negative visual to us.
* David is also referred to as a different person in this episode.
* A different wolf back then.
This episode shows us Red and Mary cloaked and shrouded. Here cloaks are used to illustrate the disguising and concealing of something/someone. Cloaks are also used as a way to go undetected or in secret. And then we also have magical cloaks that make things and people appear invisible or to change. Shrouding is also used as cover; to keep something a secret, and for protection and even self protection.
In some strange way I felt like when Red and Mary discovered each other in the chicken coop they almost seemed like reflections of one another.
Is this of this dreaming all due to "the curse" or are there other things at play here?
Are the residents of Storybrooke functioning in a waking dream and one hell of an adventure? Again we must question what is real and what isn't- if anything. Storytelling, roles, playing parts and alternate realities, fit right in with this new fairy tale mash-up.
People under sleep medication and similar states can still function during these episodes; move around, act out, cook, talk, drive a car and so much more.
- If "buses out of town don't really happen" how was Henry able to achieve such a feat? {Is it because he had a destination first?}
- David looking through Mary Margaret- as if she wasn't really there- so, maybe she isn't.
- Mary is masked right in front of the villagers at the meeting. It must be one hell of a mask because no one even notices her or her mask. It's as if they don't even see her. Is Mary's mask only hiding her identity or is it hiding the face of a killer?
- While playing pretend with Peter, Red pretends to be "a poor old widow, spare me."
- The young man with the black and white feathered arrows, who knocked on the door says "Let me in...or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow..."
- Granny implies Ruby is impersonating a female and the girls mention the animal prints also being prints of a man
- Red and Mary think Peter is the wolf
- Red admits to Peter that she really doesn't think the wolfs-man is him; it's only using his body
- Ruby remarks "you just want me to turn into you"
- Mary, shrouded in Red's cloak, pretends to be Little Red Riding Hood
Looking, searching and changing- that is what's going on here. Finding your way and breaking the negative cycle. The residents have no identity and they're looking to find themselves, love and home. They need to wake up- become awakened and whole.
Henry tells Emma that Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood (with the basket) and doesn't remember she's a bad-ass and how cool she is and what's she's capable of; and it's true.
Although Ruby claims "I can't do anything", she is trying to find herself and break the replay of old habits and her negative self. Emma, acting as Ruby's lemur, gives her a job, a chance for her to branch out and find her way.
Frightened and confused Ruby later says "I don't know what I am", Emma feels whatever it is, she's impressed. So, even though Ruby is scared out of her mind about her progress and new changes, she finds she is capable of some fantastic and powerful things.
Note: Ruby can hear (using the depth of all of her senses) things Emma can't. This is an important thing to remember. Ruby's journey brings her to a new awareness, an awakening, a new beginning.
On to David-
* David is dazed and confused wandering in the woods, yet with a goal... "I'm looking."
* Later Emma encourages and hurries Ruby to go out to the Toll Bridge- go and see if he was there. "It's going to be dark out soon. David's gonna be let out there, if there's something there we gotta there first."
๑ Light and Dark. Two sides
๑ Blurring of "realities" and worlds
๑ Death, afterlife. Rebirth- New beginning
๑ Guides. Guiding light.
๑ 4, 8
๑ 6
๑ 12-Dozen
๑ Sheriff's Station
๑ Emma has a coffee mug that says I Heart Boston
๑ Mary will stay with David and Red will stay with Peter
๑ Red offers Mary a place to stay in Fairy Tale Land. Mary Margaret offers Ruby a place to stay in Storybrooke.
๑ "I guess sometimes your fate finds you."
๑ "Forget the past and think of your future"
๑ "I'll sleep with the Trolls in the afterlife"- Trolls are Ogres
๑ Frosty. Cold. Frozen over. Stuck
๑ Metal and emotional health.: Mad. Remember. Forget. Mind. Out of your mind. Imagination. Coma. Black out. Slumber. Dream. Sleep medication
๑ Time: Wolf's time is once a month; full moon. Score= 20 years. Forever.
๑ Widow Lucas- Connections to Henry VIII and Tilty Abbey. Tilty Abbey was in Essex, England-was dissolved 3 March 1536.
๑ "Veil" came from Latin vēlum, which also means "sail".
๑ Cloak. Shroud. Mask.
๑ Key
๑ Magic.
๑ Merlin is a wizard in Arthurian legend.
-Estoire de Merlin, a section of the Lancelot-Grail cycle aka the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle
-A bird; pigeon hawk
๑ Grand Voyager
๑ Again we saw Emma placing a lot of faith in her "super-power" of being able to tell when someone's lying to her
๑ It appears that the Pet Shelter is right next door to Granny's Diner
๑ Tracking
Vocabulary and Research...
๑ Nepal: Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha
๑ Lemur: They are named after the lemurs wandering and vengeful spirits of the dead in Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits. They live in Madagascar.
- lost continent of Lemuria or "Mu" "is the name of a mythical continent
๑ Psycho: a person who is psychotic or psychopathic. When used within compound terms such as 'psychology' or 'psychotherapy', the word refers neutrally to the psyche (mind or soul)
- Psyche: Greek for Soul
๑ Norman Bates: Bates suffers severe emotional abuse as a child at the hands of his mother, Norma, who preaches to him that sexual intercourse is sinful and that all women (except herself) are whores. Bates develops dissociative identity disorder, preserving his mother's corpse and assuming her personality to repress her death and escape the guilt of murdering her. Norman's mind is dominated by the Mother persona
๑ Drag Queen- A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining- often exaggerating certain characteristics (such as make-up and eyelashes) for comic, dramatic or satirical effect. AKA- female impersonator
๑ For fun- In the Woods was a heavy metal band from Norway
๑ Three Little Pigs is a fairy tale/Nursery rhyme featuring anthropomorphic animals
๑ Peter and the Wolf is a children's story told along with music
๑ Some animals mentioned through the episodes: Bug/Beetle, Bear, Birds, Boar, Cattle/live stock, Deer, Dog, Horse, Lemur, Pony, Serpent, Sheep, Tiger, Wolf, Whale, and Rabbit
Also check out Data and Evidence over at Karen's LOST Notebook
✈ "It sticks" brings me back to Desmond telling Kate about the hatch (front) door "Be persistent, sometimes it sticks"
✈ The Hunting Party
✈ Raised by Another: Claire's dream/vision with the blood in the crib. Aaron raised by another
✈ Whatever the Case May Be
✈ Monster. Man in Black
✈ Cloak. Shroud. Mask. Meditation cloak
✈ Eyes
✈ Being watched
✈ LATE. Dead
✈ 4, 8
✈ 6
✈ Head. Imagine. Mind. Remember. Forget. Coma. Black out. Dream. Sleep. Wake up Sleep medication
✈ Egg
✈ Key
✈ Identity- ID. No ID
✈ Listen. Hear
✈ Look. Search
✈ Stop talking. Be quiet. Vow of silence
✈ Chicken coop: Sayid centric in He's Our You
✈ Arrow
✈ Station
✈ Hospital
✈ Temple. Prayer/meditation
✈ Well
✈ Records
✈ Cattle- Livestock
✈ Kidnapped: Walt, Claire and Charlie
✈ Boxes: Locke and Hurley
✈ Madagascar- 7 years after the Black Rock's disappearance the journal of the First Mate was discovered among artifacts of pirates on Île Sainte-Marie; an island off the coast of Madagascar.
✈ In "A Tale of Two Cities" Juliet and in "Stranger in a Strange Land" Tom Friendly bring Jack Grilled Cheese sandwiches
✈ Marked: Juliet in "Stranger in a Strange Land"
Jacob marked his replacements in "Sundown"
Locke finds Turn of the Screw behind the film reel tin marked "Orientation"
Emma- "You two are gonna look bad until we figure the truth out."
Mary Margaret- "You mean David? That people are going to think in order to.. be free with me..."
Emma- "Some are. And he's not doing himself any favors."
Mary Margaret says David wasn't with her that night; they really are through.
Mary Margaret asks "Where are you going?" Ruby doesn't know... "Away."
Emma says "Yeah, well, buses out of town don't really happen. You might want a destination first."
Mary offers Ruby a place to stay while she figures it out. She can "go home with us." Emma doesn't look thrilled about it.
The foot prints continues like it was a man; like a man and a wolf. Red begins to tell Mary that there was a story she heard about a creature- when they are interrupted by their arrival near the cottage. It seems the footprints circle back around to it. Mary asks whose gone to her window... Peter has. Peter never joined the hunters last night and the girls assume Peter killed them. They wonder about tonight's hunting party; they'll kill him/Peter (as the wolf) or he'll (the wolf) will kill them. Mary knows it doesn't have to be that way, so they devise a plan for Red to tell him, as he'd listen and believe her.
Red asks "You think I can save him?"
Mary- "I think you can save everyone."
But Red's concerned that Granny will be out of her mind with worry.
In the Sheriff's Station Mary Margaret informs Emma that David's in the woods "There's something wrong with him. He looked right through me, it's like...it's like he was a different person." To which Emma looks right at Henry for a moment.
Wilderness search- Emma and Ruby search the massive area and follow boot prints.
Ruby- "I shouldn't even be here. I'm just gonna screw everything up." She hears things Emma can't hear and comes across David's sleeping body. Emma wakes him up. David wakes up knowing Emma and Ruby but not where he is. The last he recalls was being in Emma's office last night. "Did you bring me here?"
Widow Lucas/Granny is telling Mary, cloaked as Red, about Red's mother "being one" before a hunting party killed her. She thought maybe Red didn't get it. When she was 13 it started. The widow paid a wizard for that cloak that keeps her from turning, but she doesn't wear it and she's found some way out of the house. Granny didn't want to burden Red with the truth.
The story she told to the villagers was about Red's grandfather who marked Granny, came back and found her and turned her. Granny's tracking Red by smell- the rest faded away. A silver tipped arrow will drop her/Red; and it does. Granny shoots the wolf, tosses the red cloak over it and it returns to being Red Riding Hood. Granny tells Red the news that it's her and this devastates Red. Mary runs off with Red to escape the approaching hunting party.
In Storybrooke
Changed Ruby returns to Granny's Diner. She's toned down her makeup and attire. It's full moon time; Granny's arm is acting up. Ruby clarifies her sentiment about her turning into Granny. She really meant that she didn't know how to be her. "You're a tough act to follow." Ruby has learned that even though she may be scared, she can do it anyway. "I sort of found someone in myself that was more than I expected." As far as adventure goes Emma was Ruby's Lemur. With that, she found that is a job she didn't want even though she can do it. She doesn't want a job where a good day means ruining someone's life. "I want do something that makes me happy...somewhere I love."
Granny wanted to show her how to do the books so she can take over for her when she retires; own the whole place. Who else would she give it to but someone who loves her back.
Storybrooke Pet Shelter
Mary Margaret tries to assure David that it's going to be okay, but he feels he really can't say anything about his actions anymore. Emma arrives and informs the duo that they found a box and their thinking- there was a human heart inside it. She'll send it out for some tests, but there aren't any other missing people. The fingerprints inside the lid of the box match Mary Margaret.
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