Once Upon a Time Review: Ruby Slippers (Season 5 Episode 18)

 

Rejoice, viewers! Once Upon a Time finally ponies up and delivers on its long-promised LGBT storyline with “Ruby Slippers,” an episode whose title also cleverly doubles as a potential ‘ship name for Ruby and Dorothy. Personally, Ruby Slippers is a lot catchier than Wolfie-Kansas or Ruborthy or anything similar. But it is also extremely adorable that these two only just met and already have nicknames for one another.

While it’s obviously problematic that (1) it took so long for us to get an LGBT storyline and (2) the introduction of LGBT representation on TV is still so rare that this warrants being heralded as a special, unique occasion, I love this storyline. When the showrunners announced their intention to develop a romance between two same-sex characters, I think a lot of people were expecting the romance to be Mulan/Ruby. After all, those two had just set off on a journey last we saw them, and Mulan had already been established as queer given her almost-confessed love for Aurora.

Personally, I much prefer the Ruby/Dorothy story as we have it.

Think about it: the Aurora/Mulan love story already featured two women thrown together on an unexpected journey, falling in love (one of them, at least). If that had happened with Ruby and Mulan as well, it would have felt derivative and detracted from the “Sleeping Warrior” story. Also, as in life, just because a character is attracted to the same sex does not mean that they’ll be attracted to every single same-sex friend they have. Duh.

Also, more generally, Mulan is clearly not over Aurora (see: every single instance of her looking forlorn while simultaneously encouraging Ruby to go for it and declare her love to Dorothy). A love affair with Ruby would have felt incongruent with Mulan’s character arc and made very little sense.

Instead, the “Ruby Slippers” love story, told mostly through flashbacks, is its own, new thing. Even better, it’s treated with pretty much zero fanfare within the show’s universe, which is fantastic. No one has any sort of surprised reaction to the reveal that Ruby loves Dorothy, and in fact, one of the two reveals we do get (between Ruby and her best friend Snow) is by far the loveliest scene in the episode and features Snow unblinkingly accepting Ruby’s feelings, like a great friend who just wants Ruby to be happy. I adore Snow and Ruby’s friendship, and I wish Ruby would join the main cast, but this is still a great moment regardless.

Of course, this being Once Upon a Time, a love story is never cemented until one of the two lovers is in peril and must be saved by the other. It’s sort of the crowning achievement, the highest accolade that a relationship on Once can receive.

For Ruby Slippers, Dorothy is the one in need of rescue. Via flashback sequences, we discover that Ruby, Dorothy, and Mulan all meet while Ruby and Mulan are on their journey to find Ruby’s pack in Oz and Dorothy is recently returned from Kansas. Dorothy is a hardened woman, after her experience being institutionalized by her family (great callback to source material in Return to Oz, the #1 disturbing favorite movie of my childhood). Eventually, after knowing one another for approximately 3 hours, Dorothy and Ruby have a connection and are in love. Or at least Ruby is in love — we don’t actually know that Dorothy returns that love until True Love’s Kiss successfully awakens her towards the end of the episode.

As a sidebar, I’d like to complain again about Once‘s inability to commit to slow burn romance. It’s especially grating because we know that they are capable of slow burn romance (see: Emma and Hook, or really Emma and any of her love interests). For whatever reason, all of the fairytale characters (save Snow and Charming) get these quickie slapdash “love at first sight” romances. Which is fine, but becomes a little grating when it’s literally the only type of love story we ever see anymore. I mean, we just had one of these quickie true-loves introduced two weeks ago, with Zelena and Hades falling for each other after knowing one another for hours, as well. It’s a little silly.

Regardless of my issues with suspending disbelief long enough to appreciate any of these slapdash romances, I have to hand it to the writers for really crafting a very nice (if quick) love story. Despite how fast it happens (sorry, I can’t give it up!!), the love developing is organic to the established stories for these two women — Dorothy has been abandoned by anyone she ever called family, and Ruby is, quite literally, a “lone wolf” who is on a quest specifically to find her people. That they each find what they’re looking for in the other is really lovely. I ‘ship it.

It’s unclear how much time has passed since Dorothy is put under the sleeping curse by Zelena but it’s likely not that long, given the timing for Zelena escaping Oz and making her way to Storybrooke (and then to the Underworld) which we saw unfold a few episode back.

Good on Ruby for snapping into action to save her lady so quickly! The final True Love’s Kiss with Dorothy is a great moment. The two actresses also have wonderful chemistry, which went a long way in making this very quick romance believable and moving. Ruby is legitimately starry-eyed from the first moment she sets eyes on Dorothy. It is so, so sweet.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld present-day storyline, several plots unfold simultaneously as the gang helps Ruby help Dorothy.

Belle, still struggling with trusting Rumple to help her save their child, bitches at him for a bit about how she killed Gaston for basically no reason, darkening her soul just to save Rumple. And sure, that’s frustrating—but it also doesn’t really make sense that her action is Rumple’s fault. She acted of her own accord in shoving Gaston off of that pier. She did it because she loves Rumple, despite herself. If anything, she’s angry at herself for still loving Rumple, despite everything he’s done, and is projecting her anger onto him.

She visits Zelena for some inexplicable reason — hoping to get Zelena on her side, to talk some sense into Hades? Not sure why she ever believes that will work — and instead winds up freaking herself out more. Chatting with Zelena, Belle suddenly realizes the very likely possibility that Hades can speed up her pregnancy, if he’s impatient and wants the child asap, as Dark Swan did with Zelena herself. The introduction of that possibility seems like a pretty thin way to explain that Emilie de Ravin, in real life, would have been very pregnant at the time she’s shooting these scenes (hence that very large coat she’s been wearing ever since she arrived).

I’m 10000% sure that Hades will end up advancing Belle’s pregnancy before the end of the season, despite the precaution Belle takes at the end of “Ruby Slippers,” in order to explain why the actress is so heavily pregnant while Belle herself wouldn’t have been that advanced based on the established timeline.

That precaution? Sleep-cursing herself. With a needle from Zelena, who used the same magic on Dorothy back in Oz. Oh geez, Belle. All kinds of red flags around this plan.

For one, is it ever even established that a sleeping curse can prevent pregnancy advancement? Or are we just meant to take that for granted? Also, what about the effects of a sleeping curse on a fetus? I can’t imagine that everything’s hunky-dory for a baby that remains in stasis for a period of time. This show is seriously making me contemplate the medical side effects of a magic spell, which is hilarious.

Anyway, regardless of the plot holes, Belle does it, against Rumple’s will. Easily the most interesting aspect of their whole exchange immediately pre-curse is Belle’s insistence that it will be her father who wakes her, not Rumple. Obviously, that doesn’t bode well for the Rumbelle romance, but raise your hand if you honestly believe that anyone but Rumple will be kiss-waking Belle at the end of this season. Anybody? Nope, didn’t think so.

This development is clearly going to be the catalyst for Rumple’s redemption — or redemption attempt, at the very least.

Elsewhere, Hades puts the kibosh on that phone-the-living telephone booth. I’m not quite sure why he even allowed that thing to exist in the first place, but it’s gone now, thanks to his minion, Cruella. The inability to contact their baby, coupled with Ruby’s arrival complete with a way out of the Underworld, catapults David and Snow into action.

At no point in the episode do I believe that Charming will leave Snow behind in the Underworld, so the solution he and Hook come up with — using Hook’s hook to engrave David’s name to replace Snow’s on the grave — is an unsurprising but sweet moment. “Snowing” has never been the most interesting or exciting pairing but the purity and selflessness of their love is a nice constant in the show. Also, those two have great chemistry (for obvious reasons—being an in-real-life couple and whatnot).

So now, Snow is gone from the Underworld plot (perhaps so Ginnfer Goodwin could go on maternity leave?) and I’m glad. Not to be heartless, but Snow and David consistently griping about being away from their baby was getting on my nerves. As were their very boring “Let’s call the baby!” subplots. Now, at least, the remaining heroes can focus on the task at hand—defeating Hades and escaping the Underworld as a group.

This is going to be made exponentially more difficult now that Zelena’s given in and paired up with Hades. I was hoping she’d hold out a little bit longer and at least give being good a real go, but alas — nope. She’s finally wooed by Hades’ selfless act — sabotaging Dorothy’s rescue for Zelena’s sake alone. How… sweet?

Other thoughts:

• The inclusion of Auntie Em is a smart red herring for True Love’s Kiss bit (it made the story, and eventual reveal of Ruby’s love for Dorothy, more interesting) but did the woman seriously need to get turned into a puddle of murky river water for this to happen? That’s kinda dark. Poor old lady. Plus, now who will supply the Underworld with its soup??
• I’m pretty sure Zelena closes the basket on that poor dog’s head, which actually made me gasp.
• The whole double-names issue on this show for the fairy tale characters is always wonky. Why is the Snow White engraving keeping Snow in the Underworld changed to David Nolan and not Prince Charming? I could see if the grave initially said Mary Margaret Blanchard, but it doesn’t.
• Pretty sure Henry and Snow have exactly the same haircut at this point.
• Related: Why on earth would Henry stay behind in the Underworld if they have a way out? I can’t imagine either of his moms would want him to remain behind if there were another option. Clearly, there is some important role in the plot that Henry is going to play later down the line, if they’re specifically keeping him around in the Underworld arc.

What did you think of this episode of Once Upon a Time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Once Upon a Time airs Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.

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