Apparently there was no new episode this week, POO. So since we can't agree about Regina and stuff like Dr. Whale's fairytale character and Rumple's plan needs more material to speculate on, and because I am a little bit bored and wanted to have a new episode to watch, I'm gonna open the door on August since the speculation about him drives me nuts.
The two most popular theories for him online are that he is Pinocchio (which makes about 2 sense), and that he is Rumple's son Baelfire (which doesn't fit the timeline). Other theories are that he's from Oz, that he's more of a literary figure type representing the writer of the stories, uhhh... and I can't remember any others. I don't know about the former, but I feel like he's shown too many random specific traits to be the latter.
I am completely convinced that he is the seven-year-old-boy who found Emma at the side of the road. It's not mutually exclusive with any of the other theories.
So, Pinocchio: There are exactly two things that make this make sense. One is that the kid was last seen in the pilot helping Gepetto make the magic wardrobe. Next thing you know, Gepetto's announcing that it works and we never see Pinocchio again. The idea is that it was tested by sending Pinocchio through to the modern world because Gepetto wanted to protect him, too, or some such. He would have escaped the curse by going through to our world before the curse hit. The other is that the kid seen in the pilot was about the right age to grow up into August over 28 years.
What does not fit, and only makes sense if you are operating under the assumption that he is Pinocchio and are viewing everything through that lens, are all the random things he has said and done. His quirky little typewriter, slight obsessing over water being magic or something, that weird leg cramp thing, riding in on a storm--these things do not add up to Pinocchio, and people thinking they do is massively annoying. I'm not saying they wouldn't be interesting traits for Pinocchio to have, they are just not things that could possibly be clues to that identity. For clues to Pinocchio, you'd want him to be either a compulsive liar or a compulsive truth-teller, maybe talk about no strings or conscience. The other reason it doesn't make sense is that Gepetto and Jiminy have had small enough roles on the show so far that I really don't see what having him be Pinocchio would accomplish or add to the story. It would just kind of be "oh, okay then."
Baelfire: I find this idea much more interesting, as it also makes sense that Rumple would have built an escape clause for his son into the curse, and then I might actually want to ship August and Emma. But the timing makes no sense whatsoever. Bae was 14 when Rumple got his powers, and Rumple already had his powers when Gepetto was a little boy, which was at least 50 years ago. Now, it also makes sense that maybe Rumple could have done something to extend Bae's life, but there's no evidence for that and no reason to think so. The main reason this is more compelling, I think, is that Bae's not really a real fairytale character that we're familiar with. As such he has no preestablished behavior the show would need to match, and August's random mysterious quirks can be just that. Also, Rumple is awesome and his kid can only be awesome as well. Or August could be a descendant of Bae, but that also has no evidence yet.
So, I guess basically I'm assuming that he's a fairytale character that escaped the curse in some way, but he could also be a real-world person who knows things somehow, or a character from a different world who was able to travel here separately from the curse, or something similar.
And... that's all I got right now. I mean, there are about a million other literary and fairytale characters he could be based on, but so far this show has not had the most surprising of twists, and online speculation has usually predicted things with fair accuracy even without spoilers saying as much. (This show, in general, has been much better about actually keeping plots secret than Glee has been lately. It's just that the fans have been very good at making correct speculation based on the little that is revealed. All this has not been based on any spoilers; they won't spoil the identity of Mr. Mysterious.) So I am kinda expecting that he will turn out to be one of the two. Although I could be wrong.
I admit I don't have much to say on this subject, for three reasons: 1) August doesn't interest me that much because the only interesting thing he's done so far is steal and edit/mess with/make copies of Henry's book; 2) there's not enough evidence for even logical speculation, just wild speculation; 3) there are two plots from Fables and Jack of Fables that are kind of similar to what you're pitching and also to the vibe August is kind of giving out, and I can't think of anything but them. ):
Really, the only proof we have of anything regarding August is that he appears to know Emma (or thinks he knows Emma) in some way, which could mean any number of things, and that he has a crazy interest in Henry's book, which to me is a pretty insane jump and it's yet unproven whether he means good or ill with it (I assumed ill, but he seems pretty chill lately, so).
I already expressed my misgivings about the Pinocchio plot/characters. Fables made it so insanely badass that I can't wrap my brain around anything else. Which I guess is kind of sucky of me, but there it is. Part of me is going, "If Pinocchio is going to be part of this plot, he should have been forced to stay a boy forever! And his father is an EVIL MASTERMIND!"
I guess one thing that irritates me is that I don't see the storytelling value of using Pinocchio aside from a nod to the Disney film (and I suppose it doesn't have to be any more than that, in this show). Fables used the characters to their advantage and stretched them in unexpected directions from the Disney story. I mean, I haven't seen the movie in a while--what would you say the characters represent, what kinds of things could they bring to a story? Pinocchio's whole arc is that he basically has to learn to be human, right? Then he's rewarded by becoming human? What is his purpose when he's already human, and grown?
Much like with the use of the Disney seven dwarves, I have trouble seeing how Pinocchio translated to TV in what is supposed to be a show of moderate suspense can be anything but ridiculous. I have a lot of trouble getting on board with the Disney stories used on OUAT when they are not deviated from at all. (Example: Obviously Skin Deep was a great use of starting with the Disney story and then derailing it enough to be new and interesting and not just a rehash of the movie.)
So I guess I'm agreeing with you about the Pinocchio thing. The Baelfire idea is interesting, but I really have trouble wrapping my mind around anything that involves August being a fairytale character just because he is obviously outside of the curse/story and there haven't been any indicators of what he could be. All we know is that he knows Emma; he could be anyone!
He reminds me of Kevin Thorn of Fables/Jack of Fables fame, he who discovered the Fables, then tried to make others realize they existed only to have everyone think he was crazy, then eventually discovered he created them. (However that makes sense.)
So I guess given my background with fairy tale retellings, that's all I can see him as: an interested outsider who has a possible connection with Emma which enhances his interest. The leg cramp was really random and I can't think of anything to link it up with, unless he really is a fairy tale character that somehow escaped the curse and being in Storybrooke again is starting to take its toll on him...however THAT makes sense.
I could see how he could be the kid who found Emma on the side of the road, but again, we just don't have enough evidence yet! I have trouble speculating over something we don't even have a hint for.
Though obviously I will gladly discuss Rumple till the cows come home. And...Dreamworks for some reason. (It's fun to rant?)
Wait, what? When--huh? Who, August? I just wanted-- well, that would be pretty cool. Either August or maybe Dr. Whale, idk. But I just had the best idea ever which I love to pieces even though it's probably not going to be true. I am now convinced that August is the anthropomorphic personification of the book. Awesome, right? Yeah totally.
I'm sure we have both stopped caring about this post, but I was rereading it out of boredom and wanted to respond to part of it.
I totally agree that August being Pinocchio adds nothing to the story; I think you got the wrong idea with my attempt at discussion. Basically I read speculation online where people are obsessed with the Pinocchio thing and get annoyed and try to think it through sensibly, but I've never had the desire to join those threads and discuss with a bunch of idiots, so I try to discuss it with you.
ANYWAY.
If they'd done anything with Gepetto or Jiminy, it would be more plausible. But those two have barely done anything; there doesn't appear to be any point in linking August to them. It'd be like making him secretly related to Cinderella. There's no foreshadowing or foundations laid for a Pinocchio reveal. Those points I made above are literally the only things that seem plausible about it to me.
Baelfire, however? Rumple is important and fascinating, and depending on the circumstances his son could be deeply involved in whatever convoluted plotting he's got going on. He'd make a good pawn or a new player and I can see all kinds of possibilities.
The two most popular theories for him online are that he is Pinocchio (which makes about 2 sense), and that he is Rumple's son Baelfire (which doesn't fit the timeline). Other theories are that he's from Oz, that he's more of a literary figure type representing the writer of the stories, uhhh... and I can't remember any others. I don't know about the former, but I feel like he's shown too many random specific traits to be the latter.
I am completely convinced that he is the seven-year-old-boy who found Emma at the side of the road. It's not mutually exclusive with any of the other theories.
So, Pinocchio: There are exactly two things that make this make sense. One is that the kid was last seen in the pilot helping Gepetto make the magic wardrobe. Next thing you know, Gepetto's announcing that it works and we never see Pinocchio again. The idea is that it was tested by sending Pinocchio through to the modern world because Gepetto wanted to protect him, too, or some such. He would have escaped the curse by going through to our world before the curse hit. The other is that the kid seen in the pilot was about the right age to grow up into August over 28 years.
What does not fit, and only makes sense if you are operating under the assumption that he is Pinocchio and are viewing everything through that lens, are all the random things he has said and done. His quirky little typewriter, slight obsessing over water being magic or something, that weird leg cramp thing, riding in on a storm--these things do not add up to Pinocchio, and people thinking they do is massively annoying. I'm not saying they wouldn't be interesting traits for Pinocchio to have, they are just not things that could possibly be clues to that identity. For clues to Pinocchio, you'd want him to be either a compulsive liar or a compulsive truth-teller, maybe talk about no strings or conscience. The other reason it doesn't make sense is that Gepetto and Jiminy have had small enough roles on the show so far that I really don't see what having him be Pinocchio would accomplish or add to the story. It would just kind of be "oh, okay then."
Baelfire: I find this idea much more interesting, as it also makes sense that Rumple would have built an escape clause for his son into the curse, and then I might actually want to ship August and Emma. But the timing makes no sense whatsoever. Bae was 14 when Rumple got his powers, and Rumple already had his powers when Gepetto was a little boy, which was at least 50 years ago. Now, it also makes sense that maybe Rumple could have done something to extend Bae's life, but there's no evidence for that and no reason to think so. The main reason this is more compelling, I think, is that Bae's not really a real fairytale character that we're familiar with. As such he has no preestablished behavior the show would need to match, and August's random mysterious quirks can be just that. Also, Rumple is awesome and his kid can only be awesome as well. Or August could be a descendant of Bae, but that also has no evidence yet.
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So, I guess basically I'm assuming that he's a fairytale character that escaped the curse in some way, but he could also be a real-world person who knows things somehow, or a character from a different world who was able to travel here separately from the curse, or something similar.
And... that's all I got right now. I mean, there are about a million other literary and fairytale characters he could be based on, but so far this show has not had the most surprising of twists, and online speculation has usually predicted things with fair accuracy even without spoilers saying as much. (This show, in general, has been much better about actually keeping plots secret than Glee has been lately. It's just that the fans have been very good at making correct speculation based on the little that is revealed. All this has not been based on any spoilers; they won't spoil the identity of Mr. Mysterious.) So I am kinda expecting that he will turn out to be one of the two. Although I could be wrong.
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Really, the only proof we have of anything regarding August is that he appears to know Emma (or thinks he knows Emma) in some way, which could mean any number of things, and that he has a crazy interest in Henry's book, which to me is a pretty insane jump and it's yet unproven whether he means good or ill with it (I assumed ill, but he seems pretty chill lately, so).
I already expressed my misgivings about the Pinocchio plot/characters. Fables made it so insanely badass that I can't wrap my brain around anything else. Which I guess is kind of sucky of me, but there it is. Part of me is going, "If Pinocchio is going to be part of this plot, he should have been forced to stay a boy forever! And his father is an EVIL MASTERMIND!"
I guess one thing that irritates me is that I don't see the storytelling value of using Pinocchio aside from a nod to the Disney film (and I suppose it doesn't have to be any more than that, in this show). Fables used the characters to their advantage and stretched them in unexpected directions from the Disney story. I mean, I haven't seen the movie in a while--what would you say the characters represent, what kinds of things could they bring to a story? Pinocchio's whole arc is that he basically has to learn to be human, right? Then he's rewarded by becoming human? What is his purpose when he's already human, and grown?
Much like with the use of the Disney seven dwarves, I have trouble seeing how Pinocchio translated to TV in what is supposed to be a show of moderate suspense can be anything but ridiculous. I have a lot of trouble getting on board with the Disney stories used on OUAT when they are not deviated from at all. (Example: Obviously Skin Deep was a great use of starting with the Disney story and then derailing it enough to be new and interesting and not just a rehash of the movie.)
So I guess I'm agreeing with you about the Pinocchio thing. The Baelfire idea is interesting, but I really have trouble wrapping my mind around anything that involves August being a fairytale character just because he is obviously outside of the curse/story and there haven't been any indicators of what he could be. All we know is that he knows Emma; he could be anyone!
He reminds me of Kevin Thorn of Fables/Jack of Fables fame, he who discovered the Fables, then tried to make others realize they existed only to have everyone think he was crazy, then eventually discovered he created them. (However that makes sense.)
So I guess given my background with fairy tale retellings, that's all I can see him as: an interested outsider who has a possible connection with Emma which enhances his interest. The leg cramp was really random and I can't think of anything to link it up with, unless he really is a fairy tale character that somehow escaped the curse and being in Storybrooke again is starting to take its toll on him...however THAT makes sense.
I could see how he could be the kid who found Emma on the side of the road, but again, we just don't have enough evidence yet! I have trouble speculating over something we don't even have a hint for.
Though obviously I will gladly discuss Rumple till the cows come home. And...Dreamworks for some reason. (It's fun to rant?)
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I totally agree that August being Pinocchio adds nothing to the story; I think you got the wrong idea with my attempt at discussion. Basically I read speculation online where people are obsessed with the Pinocchio thing and get annoyed and try to think it through sensibly, but I've never had the desire to join those threads and discuss with a bunch of idiots, so I try to discuss it with you.
ANYWAY.
If they'd done anything with Gepetto or Jiminy, it would be more plausible. But those two have barely done anything; there doesn't appear to be any point in linking August to them. It'd be like making him secretly related to Cinderella. There's no foreshadowing or foundations laid for a Pinocchio reveal. Those points I made above are literally the only things that seem plausible about it to me.
Baelfire, however? Rumple is important and fascinating, and depending on the circumstances his son could be deeply involved in whatever convoluted plotting he's got going on. He'd make a good pawn or a new player and I can see all kinds of possibilities.
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TODAY I TOTALLY CHANGED MY MIND LOL
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