Fans of Beauty and the Beast know that watching the movie as an adult can prompt any number of existential crises. The plot holes in Beauty and the Beast are legendary: Why is Belle cool living with a beast? What does it say that she falls in love with her kidnapper? Are Lumière and Cogsworth aging too? Why are some objects enchanted, and others not? But the most pressing question of all: where is Mr. Potts? The new live action Beauty and the Beast finally answers that question, and I, for one, have never been so relieved. Mr. Potts exists in Beauty and the Beast and he sheds new light on the curse of the Enchanted Castle.
In the original Beauty and the Beast, Mrs. Potts, the magical teapot who takes care of Belle in the Enchanted Castle, is clearly married, and inhabits the castle with her young son, Chip. But, Mr. Potts is nowhere to be found. For years, his absence haunted me. Had he died before the curse was placed on the castle? Did he escape the curse somehow? Had he come looking for them? Was he wandering around France desperately searching for Mrs. Potts and Chip all these years? These questions kept me up at night, and I'm not the only one.
Thankfully, the new Beauty and the Beast put these fears to rest by adding the character of Mr. Potts. The addition of Mr. Potts to Beauty and the Beast also allows the live action film to delve deeper into the intricacies of the curse, which helps answer a lot of other plot holes. Mr. Potts — spoiler alert — doesn't come in until the very end of the film, after the curse is lifted. In the new film, the curse includes making all the townspeople forget about the castle, the prince, and any occupants who were affected by the curse. Mr. Potts had no idea his wife and child were missing until they were reunited. And Mr. Potts isn't the only loved one awoken at the end of the film. Cogsworth's wife also reunites with him, and the townspeople suddenly remember the lavish parties thrown there in the past.
Anyone with a heart will tell you that the most important change to the curse in the new live action Beauty and the Beast is that Mr. Potts exists. All the other townspeople are more or less irrelevant. The true star is Mr. Potts, who is finally reunited with his dear wife and son. It's a tear-worthy family reunion that fans of the original will love. Long live Mr. & Mrs. Potts.
