After several long months of waiting and wondering, fairytale-loving fans' dreams finally came true as we learned that the Author on Once Upon A Time is actually The Peddler, who Snow and Charming once encountered in the middle of the Enchanted Forest. In fact, it was he who set the whole Maleficent's baby kidnapping thing in motion. (Seriously, not cool dude.) So who exactly is this Peddler author on OUAT, and what was it that made him decide to start taking liberties with his job description in the first place? I'm betting maybe our most devilish villain has a little something to do with it. What if The Peddler and Cruella know each other?
Think about it. This series loves to tie characters deeply into each other's backstories. So the odds are that this Peddler has interacted with more than just Snow and Charming throughout his time wielding The Author quill. During an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Patrick Fischler, who plays The Peddler, doled out a few hints about his backstory and assured viewers that his character has very specific reasons for doing the things that he does. And part of that reason involves someone else's past that is somehow intertwined with his own.
"He will be involved in someone else’s backstory as well," Fischler revealed to the site. "That is my favorite episode I’ve done. It’s such a good one. You learn where he’s coming from."
And while your initial thought may be to immediately look in the Dark One's direction, especially given the suspicious-looking image above (and the fact that Rumple just seems to know everyone), executive producer Edward Kitsis promises that he won't be the surprise Storybrooke connection. “Someone knows him and is lying about it,” Kitsis shared. However, Rumple "is not the one." So who does that leave? Probably the character whose villainous past is the one one we have yet to tap into: Ms. Cruella De Vil herself.
It actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. After all, we know Cruella's backstory will be revealed in next week's episode, aptly titled "Sympathy for the De Vil." So in light of Fischler admitting his character's involvement in some else's history, I'd say this match up would be a more than fair assumption to make. Of course, how they know each other still remains a mystery, but I think that reveal will help us start putting the pieces of this Peddler's puzzle together and allow us to understand not only his motivation, but what makes him tick.
"I just think he wants certain things from life that maybe he didn’t get," Fischler added. "There’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s got many layers." Perhaps he and Cruella were once romantically involved, but when things didn't work out he became bitter and developed a serious God complex — thinking that if he couldn't control his own happy ending, then at least he could possess the power to control everyone else's.
But whatever actually ends up happening, I can't wait to see Cruella's role in it all, which is sure to be just as fabulous as her wardrobe. It's like they always say, the De Vil is in the details.
Images: Jack Rowand/ABC (3); alostgirlspirate/Tumblr
