There's no denying that last week's Once Upon a Time episode came with its fair share of surprises. Not only is Cruella potentially dead by Emma's hand (or rather, by her magic), but now we are also aware that Regina is currently controlling Belle's heart. And while this was a genius move on her part since it pretty much guaranteed Rumple's cooperation, I can't help but feel a little uneasy about the whole scenario. As we're all aware of by now, Regina has been struggling all season long to become a hero instead of resorting to her old villainess ways. And so far she's completely risen to the occasion by not giving into evil temptation even when Robin Hood's life was on the line. But does this move take things a step too far in the wrong direction?
During their little confrontation in the woods, Regina warned Rumple that if he didn't obey her commands that she would crush the love of his life's heart into dust. At first, he didn't believe her, knowing full well of the good person she's transforming into. But when she started actually squeezing Belle's heart, it made him have, well, a change of heart. So given everything that happened during this brief (but rather significant) exchange, there are quite a few questions that come to mind. Such as…
Would Regina Really Have Crushed Belle's Heart
A big part of me wants to think that she was just bluffing the whole time. But then another part of me worries that if push came to shove she would've actually ended up killing Belle if it meant going to Robin's aid. That's not the Regina we've come to recently know, but deep down inside she still possesses the Evil Queen's tendencies, so it's not completely out of the question. It makes me wonder how things would've shaken out if the conversation hadn't gone her way.
Is This Arrangement Temporary?
Belle may have agreed to let Regina take control of her heart for the time being, but how long is this little arrangement supposed to last for? Obviously, Belle's going to want her heart back inside of her body (as we all would) at some point in the near future. But will Regina comply? If she isn't able to get out of Storybrooke as soon as she had hoped, due to the whole Emma situation, does that mean Belle will remain heartless for an extended amount of time? Those should make for some very interesting scenes to see.
Did Belle Approve This Plan?
Then again, perhaps I'm giving Regina too much credit? It's completely possible that she jumped right to the heart snatching before actually getting the green light from Belle herself first. (After all, we didn't see this actually play out on-screen.) I would've been curious to see what would've happened if Belle refused to go along with her plan. Would Regina still have taken her heart regardless? Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all.
Will Belle Remember Everything That Happened?
Sometimes this whole heart control thing can be very confusing. Will Belle remember all of the things Regina made her do (like kiss Rumple) or is she in more of a trance state of unawareness? If it's the latter, that means when Belle finally comes around, she may not remember that Rumple is basically dying from a blackened heart. If she had known that particular detail ahead of time, would that have changed her tune of going against him? We know how forgiving Belle can be, so learning that his life is in danger could've been the start of a Rumbelle reunion. Whether we wanted it to be or not.
Can Belle Have That Kind Of Backbone Without Regina? Please?
As much as that attitude isn't in Belle's kind nature, I couldn't help but love the sass she was throwing back at Rumple after their kiss, before it was revealed that Regina was the woman behind the curtain. Can we have more of that from Belle in the future, please, without it being while just under Regina's control? Because that would be great and make Belle's storyline all the more compelling.
Images: Jack Rowand/ABC; Giphy (3); yourreactiongifs/Tumblr; screwballninja/Tumblr
