Belle starts to come into her own:

Belle has been on the outskirts of much of the story — one of the downsides of being one of the few regular characters left behind in Storybrooke as the rest traveled to Neverland — but she’ll have a lot to do in the second half of the season.

“I think it is safe to say there is a significant story that is being launched by [Belle and Neal]‘s scenes in the first episode [back],” Horowitz previewed. “And on the flip side, [where she is in the present] will reflect what you’re going to see us explore in the past. And we’re going to be seeing more Belle iconography in the form of Lumière, the candle, who will be showing up soon.”

“The other thing about Belle that’s interesting is what we loved about the character was she was a bookworm, who wanted to actually experience adventure,” Kitsis added. “And I think this year, we’re going to start to see her come into her own by using her brain. She’s going to be a hero that will reach for a book or use her intelligence more than a sword.”

“And that’s the thing we love about Belle: she’s smart, she can take care of herself, and she’s resourceful,” Horowitz finished. “And all of those qualities come into play as the story unfolds.”

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