New Show Recap: Once Upon a Time 4×06, “Family Business”

Hello, all! Time for another recap of OUAT! In this episode, we’re going to learn more about Elsa, Anna, and the Snow Queen, and we’re also watching Rumpelstiltskin’s and Belle’s relationship begin to crumble because–as always–he’s hiding secrets from her. But what else is new?

So we start out with a flashback to the Enchanted Forest, and Belle and her mother are in the process of fleeing their castle, which is under attack. Belle emerges from another room in the castle because she couldn’t leave behind the first book her mother read her, but it is too late to flee. The ogres attack and Belle and her mother are discovered.

Belle awakens from her dream, asking where her mother is. She sees her mother’s coffin and realizes her mother is dead.

In present time, Belle finds Rumpel and lets him know that Emma is looking to see them. Rumpel, Belle, Hook, the Charmings, Elsa, Henry, Regina, and Emma are gathered in the sheriff’s office to watch the video. They’re not sure of how the Snow Queen erased Emma’s memories, but they decide to track down the Snow Queen to see if they can find her. Belle and Elsa decide to go to the library to see what research they can dig up.

In the flashback, Belle is researching a way to unlock the memories of her mother’s attack. There are creatures who can restore memories through magic, but Belle’s father forbids her to go because, “Magic always comes with a price.” Belle defies her father and prepares to journey to Arendelle.

In the library, Belle is looking at a map of Arendelle, but lies to Elsa about being able to find any information on it.

In the flashback to Arendelle, Anna returns to Arendelle and tells her that she’s still waiting for answers about what their parents are looking for. Elsa tells Anna she has been learning to control her powers, and that their Aunt Ingrid, the Snow Queen, has been teaching her to do so. Anna thinks Ingrid is shady, and she confides this to Kristoff, since she doesn’t remember their mother speaking of an aunt. Kristoff remarks on the family resemblance and the power to control ice running in the family, even though there is no record of an Aunt Ingrid. Anna decides to go to the rock troll for answers.

In current time, Hook, Emma, Robin Hood, and Regina come upon the Snow Queen’s ice cream truck, which the Snow Queen has very cleverly and conveniently left in the forest. The freezer is locked, and Emma pries it open to find a file filled with newspaper clippings about how she had been found as a baby when she arrived in our world.

Elsa is frustrated that she can’t find any information on her sister, and that no one in Storybrooke can help her because she lost her memories and no one has been to Arendelle.

In the flashback, we find out that Belle has been to Arendelle. She is at the supply shop looking for directions to the rock trolls’ glen, and she meets Anna there, who offers to take her to the rock trolls.

Ah, a familiar face. #OnceUponATime #OnceIsFrozen pic.twitter.com/WJiDuFPXSZ

— Once Upon A Time (@OnceABC) November 3, 2014

Robin takes an opportunity to talk to Regina, and he asks her why she has been avoiding him. Regina admits that she has tried everything and that she can’t find a way to reverse the spell on Marian, and she’s not sure that she ever will. She tells Robin to forget her if he wants to save Marian, since an act of true love can break the spell of a frozen heart.

So, Captain Guyliner is trending. Regina, Queen of Biting Nicknames. #OnceUponATime

— Once Upon A Time (@OnceABC) November 3, 2014

Cue hearts breaking. #OnceUponATime pic.twitter.com/duaT8FgPGT

— Once Upon a Time (@telfieOUAT) November 3, 2014

Rumpel finds the Snow Queen in the woods, and he delivers some intelligence to her — that Emma Swan knows that the Snow Queen’s history dates before Storybrooke. Rumpel tries to play let’s make a deal, since the Snow Queen has something he wants, but he has no leverage, and she warns him to stay out of her way.

Belle finds an ice pick in her wardrobe and takes it out, pledging to find Anna.

Go, Belle, go! #OnceUponATime #OnceIsFrozen pic.twitter.com/JXLxNZktCa

— Once Upon A Time (@OnceABC) November 3, 2014

Anna and Belle discuss Belle’s reasons for seeking out the rock trolls, and Anna commiserates with her over the loss of her mother. They climb through the mountains to reach the rock trolls’ glen, and Anna tells Belle about the magician’s hat and tells Belle to avoid “that twisted man.”

Belle is ready to leave to go to the north forest and find the Snow Queen so she can fix a mistake she made a long time ago. She begs Rumpel to go with her, but he refuses. Belle uses the dagger to compel Rumpel to take her to the Snow Queen.

Hook and Emma are going through the files, and the Snow Queen was Emma’s foster parent for six months, but she doesn’t remember any of it. The Snow Queen has kept Emma’s artwork and essays from her time with her. Emma also finds a scroll with runes on it, which she thinks might help her.

Rumpel takes Belle to the Snow Queen’s lair, and Belle reveals that she is looking for a hat that can strip magical beings of their powers. She thinks the Snow Queen has the hat and that she might be able to find Anna.

In the flashback, Anna takes Belle to the rock trolls. Grandpoppy Rock Troll gives her a stone and advises her to go to the place where she lost her memories and make a tea with the stone. After she drinks it, her memories will return.

A recurring theme tonight? #OnceUponATime #OnceIsFrozen pic.twitter.com/QlH4H8Krpj

— Once Upon A Time (@OnceABC) November 3, 2014

Anna asks Grandpoppy about Ingrid. The rock troll reveals that the royal family had three daughters: Helga, Ingrid, and Anna’s mother, Gerda. The older girls disappeared, and the rock trolls took the memories of them from the people of Arendelle and struck them from the palace records. Anna decides to hurry to Arendelle and warn Elsa.

Belle enters the Snow Queen’s lair only to hear someone calling her name, She discovers that it’s her reflection in the magic mirror, and the reflection say she has been waiting for Belle.

Belle and Anna are on their way down from the mountain, and a snowstorm is setting in; Anna believes it to be the Snow Queen. Anna decides to use the hat to take Ingrid’s magic. A gust of wind knocks both women from the path, and Belle drops the stone and decides to try to save Anna instead. Anna falls to the ground and is knocked unconscious. The Snow Queen appears and takes the hat from Anna. Belle tells the Snow Queen to leave Anna alone, but the Snow Queen replies, “This is family business,” and disappears with Anna.

Belle’s reflection is reminding her of this, and the reflection calls Belle a pathetic coward and the Dark One only married her because she was weak and that the Dark One gave her a false dagger. Rumpel enters looking for Belle, and Belle nearly stabs him with the dagger. Rumpel takes hold of her and teleports back to the antique shop. Belle bursts into tears and tells Rumpel that she is the reason why Anna is missing, and that she is sorry for hurting him. Rumpel assures her he forgives her for keeping the secret from him and hugs her. Belle declares that she will never keep a secret from him again, as he supposedly doesn’t keep secrets from her. The camera pans to Rumpel’s face, and we see a twinge of guilt as her tells her he wold never keep a secret from her.

In the flashback, Belle returns to see that her father was waiting for her. He is relieved to see her. She tells him she didn’t find anything. Belle’s father tells her what occurred during the ogre attack on the palace, that her mother sacrificed herself to the ogres so that the guards could take Belle from the castle. Belle’s mother gave her life for her. The Ogre War is not going well, either, and Belle suggests to her father that they call the Dark One for help, and that Belle will do whatever it takes to end the war and be a hero as her mother did.

Rumpel comes to the Snow Queen’s lair to parley with her again, and she threatens Belle. Not a good way to deal with Rumpel. He reveals to her that he has the hat, and he threatens to take her magic from her if she doesn’t watch herself.

In the flashback, Anna awakens in the castle dungeon, with the Snow Queen ready to confront her. The Snow Queen has the hat and accuses of Anna of wanting to use it to take away Elsa’a magic. Anna asks her what happened to Helga, and the Snow Queen refuses to tell her. The Snow Queen is determined to create a family who will love her for who she is, and Anna has no place in it.

In the library, Elsa has found a book tracing her family, and they find that Ingrid’s other sister resembles Emma. the Snow Queen is after Emma so that the Savior will become her sister, according to the prophecy on the scroll with the runic writing.

Belle comes to the library and tells Elsa what happened to Anna and that the Snow Queen has her. She also informs Emma of the Snow Queen’s intentions — the mirror is part of a dark spell that will cause everyone in the town to turn against one another and destroy themselves. After that, there will only be three people left: the Snow Queen, Emma, and Elsa, and they will become sisters and a family.

And that’s it for this week, folks! This episode was a little more Belle-centric and developed her character a little more. Despite the problematic nature of Belle’s relationship with Rumpel, it was interesting to see more of the history behind her character and to see that she knew exactly what might occur if they summoned Rumpelstiltskin so that he would bring an end to the Ogre War. The situation is rather like those in the traditional Beauty and the Beast tales, in which Belle goes to the beast and makes a deal with him: that she would remain with the beast in his palace so long as he did not kill her father for stealing the rose, which she had originally requested, from his garden. I can link some early versions of Beauty and the Beast tales if anyone is interested! Anyhow, it was nice to not focus on the Charmings for a change!