talesoftherin replied to your post: Watching the most recent Once Upon a Time episode

This episode made me want to THROW THINGS AT THE SCREEN and I probably would have if I weren’t watching on my laptop. :(

It’s kind of a relief to hear that honestly, because trooping through the Once Upon A Time tags, they’re just filled with OMG RUMBELLE 4EVA, I LOVED THIS EPISODE. ALL MY FEELS.

And I’m just like

am I the only one who hated that? 

Like, Belle in the original movie, the first time the Beast threatens her, runs the fuck away. And she doesn’t go back until the Beast saves her life, and even then she considers leaving him to die in the goddamn snow for a second. 

She agrees to be his prisoner only to save her father’s life, and not because she thinks being someone’s prisoner sure sounds exciting, gee whiz!

She rejects Gaston, not because he is superficial, but because he’s a self-entitled, anti-intellectual misogynist who wants to control her. She doesn’t reject a respectful and caring boyfriend because she finds him too boring compared to her evil fucking kidnapper who she can totally change. 

All of the first moves made in Beauty and the Beast are the Beast’s. It is not “She is nice and then changes him!”. It’s “He changes his behaviour, and so she changes her response to him gradually.” 

And the movie Beauty and the Beast clearly outlines the Beast as a character who needs to learn how to love. And as such puts itself in a position to tell us what the necessary elements for love are. And by giving us the moment the Beast learns to love, gets to define love in a way. 

And what is the moment the Beast learns to love? Is it when he saves her life? No. It is when they frollic in the snow? No. Is it when he gives her an elaborate gift? No. It is going on a fancy date? No. 

The moment he learns to love is the moment he releases her. 

Meaning the movie defines the ability to respect others’ autonomy as requisite for being able to love. That all the other trappings are meaningless without that respect.

I’m not saying that the movie completely gets away from the Stolkholmness, because it doesn’t. But that is still a pretty powerful message. 

And when he lets her go? SHE FUCKING LEAVES. And she doesn’t go back because some woman on the road convinced her she could break the spell and ~change him~! She goes back because he’s about to be fucking murdered. 

And she doesn’t fall in love with him until the very end. When he has already changed. 

It is not a story of She loves him. She changes him. It is a story of She’s around. He changes himself. She loves him. 

AND ALSO SHE LOVES BOOKS AND PROPERLY RESENTS BEING HELD PRISONER AND IS LIKE “FUCK YOUR RULES I WILL HAVE SECRET DINNER FEASTS AND EXPLORE WHATEVER WING I WANT. DID YOU REALISE YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE? I WILL NOT TAKE YOUR SHIT.”

But Belle is this episode was just like, “Hey there, creepy lover! What’s with the weaving? Do you like flowers? How about children? I bet you’re lonely. Wanna talk? Wanna get to know each other? I think you’re far more exciting than my other boyfriend, what with your openly abusing me and making jokes about killing children. Do you think I can change you? How about a kiss? I’ll wait for you to change! I love you!”

And I’m just like

Fuck. 

This.