5x16--Our Decay

1. Can Zelena trust Hades? Does he really love her or is he using her?

Teresa: He convinced me! On the other hand, he has his own goals, and I can see him eventually choosing those over Zelena. These scenes truly surprised me. I felt for both characters. Who would have thought that Zades would have such chemistry?

Lori: I'm not sure. If he does really love her, then it's a great parallel to Rumple and Regina who both at some point felt completely unloveable. "No one can ever love me." So, I'm starting to hope that she can make the leap of faith in herself that she is worthy of love. Her reaction to her baby this week has softened me to her character a bit. But if it is all a trick on Hades's part, then I actually fear for her. 

Joanne:  I'm on the fence about whether or not Zelena can trust Hades. He is a master manipulator and he does have an ax to grind with Zeus, but he seemed quite taken with her and all her wickedness. It was sweet that he fashioned the Underworld into Underbrooke so that she could have all that her sister, Regina, had in the real world. If he is being sincere, I hope that she doesn't blow it with her distrustful nature. If he is just using her, then she will make him pay.

Francesca: I think Hades is using Zelena to get back to Olympus to deal with his brother. 
I don't think he can be trusted at all. His character has no redeeming qualities.

2. Warrior Dorothy finally arrived! Did her appearance live up to your expectations?

Lori: I'm not a big fan of Warrior Dorothy. I think it was a bit unnecessary. The scarecrow was cute. 

Joanne:  She looked good, but how was she going to defeat Zelena? With a sword? Really? I felt Warrior Dorothy was a let down. She was just there to give Hades and Zelena something to talk about and bond over.

Francesca:  Kinda yawned at this Warrior Dorothy, not very interesting to watch. I felt it was an after-thought to put her there. Again, stories that go nowhere. 

Teresa: Though we were Blackbearded with Dorothy, I did not mind since I like seeing the core characters, and she served well as a catalyst for Zelena and Hades' story.

3. Rumple had quite the raw response to Belle finding out the truth. Thoughts on this pivotal scene and what may come in their marriage.

Lori: It's about time. He is absolutely correct. There was a lot of talk about being "self-righteous" in the last episode, and as much as I love Belle, I think Rumple needed to knock her down off her high horse. Enough already. Everyone knows you can't make a relationship partner "different." I'm glad Rumple took his "No, this is who I am," stand. 

Joanne:  I loved that Rumple was upfront with Belle right from the start. There was no hiding behind lies or omissions. He brought her up to speed on the whole situation and was, for once, totally honest with her. Maybe a little too honest about their relationship, but he has never made it a secret that he loves power and is addicted to it. He was right that she fell in love with the whole package, not just the man behind the Beast. You can't choose to love just part of a person. It's all or nothing.

Francesca: Wow! What can I say but again Robert Carlyle is always interesting to watch! Although he appears to be selfish and loves power over his loved ones, I always feel empathy for him and believe he truly does love in his own way. I think he and Belle will find a way to work it out, especially now that there is a child on the way.

Teresa:  Finally! I've been yelling what Rumple said at the screen for years. Heck, even Belle said it in Season Three when she asserted she loved "all of him, even the parts that belong to the darkness".  I felt it was the first honest conversation they've had since forever, and I like that Rumple finally broke the cycle of him shying away from the truth, or staying silent, in fear of losing her. I also enjoyed that he still gave Belle the option to leave, a throwback to "Broken". The ball is again in her court. I've said before that you can't have "Beauty and the Beast" without the Beast. This scene seemed true to the essence of that tale and of "Skin Deep". It was somewhat disturbing, but also darned good storytelling. And when a story is well told, it is engaging and magical!

4. .Why do you think Henry's power as Author is only manifesting in his sleep?

Joanne:  Henry's power seems to be working through his subconscious which is great. It means that he is being more objective about the stories he is writing. It is almost like he is writing his dreams. The previous Author made the mistake of trying to control the stories. I don't think Henry will make the same mistake.

Francesca:  Great question. The only thought that comes to mind is that Henry really is not responsible for what he writes in his sleep, rather his self conscious state is.

Teresa: Perhaps it is happening because the writers are examining "dreams as truth"? Or maybe it is how magic manifests in The Author. In any case, I am thrilled to see Henry finally writing stories.

Lori: I also agree that the stories are coming through his subconscious mind. I think because is young and new to the job this is how it works...or it could be that this is how the pen works in the Underworld.

5. Favorite Moments

Francesca: Favorite moment when Robin was holding his baby and Regina was looking on, but again anything with those two characters are my favorite.

Teresa:  Rumple telling Belle the hard truth. It mirrored "Skin Deep" when she did the same to him. I also liked when Hades and Zelena were riding the bike. It was magical and romantic. The "Our Decay" monologue was also a highlight.

Lori: The Rumbelle conversation. All their most honest, meaningful conversations occur in the library. 

Joanne:  My favorite moment was Rumple telling Belle their situation and that she was pregnant.  She was so surprised! I also loved Zelena and Hades' romantic bike ride. She was just like a giggly school girl with him. It was nice to see Zelena finally getting some positive attention from someone, even if it was Hades.

6. Favorite Quotes:

Teresa:  "So.... someone finally did you in!"~Regina to Zelena upon seeing her in the Underworld.

"You wanted me to be a better man. And you've done that. But if you want me to be a different man.....I'm sorry. This is who I am .... You fell in love with me because there was a man and a Beast."~Rumple to Belle.

Joanne: "We were only supposed to be here a day and now we're regulars at the diner in hell." ~Snow White.

7. Anything Else?

Joanne:  I thought is was interesting that they chose to have Scarecrow be a CGI character rather than an actual actor.  

Francesca: The blue fire on Hades head is getting old.

Teresa: Kudos to Rebecca Mader on a great performance! For the first time I really felt sorry for Zelena. I was also impressed with the gamut of emotions Emilie de Ravin displayed in her scene with Rumple. This episode jump-started my interest in the 5b arc which had started to wane, especially after "The Brothers Jones."  I want more of what we saw this week!