All the Extras

A Thought

In the 2010 movie "Tangled," Rapunzel vows to 'Flynn Rider' that "I promise. And when I promise something, I never, ever break that promise. Ever."

But, later on, in a 2017 episode of "Tangled: the Series," Rapunzel breaks a promise that she made to a friend earlier in the season.

So... What changed?

For starters, Rapunzel used to be unable to choose. She had absolutely no choice in the matter. It used to be just her and Pascal alone in a tower, forced to live by Gothel's rules. It can be assumed, then, that whenever Rapunzel made a promise to either her pet and best friend and/or her 'mother,' she was expected to keep it. When she escaped the tower for good, taking her rightful place as princess of Corona, so much more was suddenly expected of her. She now has many friends- Pascal, Eugene, Cassandra, and Varian, to name a few- a kingdom to tend to, and a family legacy to uphold.

In the aforementioned episode, "Queen for a Day," more responsibilities are given to Rapunzel because her parents are taking a trip, leaving Corona in her hands. Of course, everything that could possibly go wrong... It does. The people of the kingdom are unhappy, a huge blizzard strikes, her parents have gone missing... And then Varian comes along, asking for her aid. The royal advisor, Nigel, urges Rapunzel to ignore Varian's pleas, to keep the kingdom's needs first. She does so, apologizing profusely as the teenaged alchemist is dragged out of the castle screaming "But you promised!"

What changed inside Rapunzel between "Tangled" and "Queen for a Day" is something completely justifiable- she grew up. She is taking on the responsibilities that are asked of her as the princess of Corona, learning to do what is and will be required of her.

What is not as easily justified, though, is young Varian's reaction. He comprehends the weight of Rapunzel's position, or at least hints hat he does. Surely, then, he understands why she had to do what she did. And yet, he yells as he is dragged off. He reprises his song from earlier in the episode, saying that "Anybody who stands or has stood in [his] path, they're going to pay." Suddenly, sweet, awkward Varian is bent on revenge- quite possibly revenge on Rapunzel.

Sure, he's scared and frustrated- who wouldn't be?- but he should've known Rapunzel had no other choice, and that, if he had waited around, she would've made sure to help him the next chance that she got. Even though there have only been a few interactions between the two, it can be gathered that the princess would ensure that he got help later on. Therefore, his reaction, though somewhat justified by human emotion and impulse- human nature- remains unjustifiable.

~-~

Note: this is the first essay I ever wrote "for the fun of it." So... that shows you something, I guess- that I'm a crazed-out fangirl who tries to better understand the people in her favorite shows, movies, musicals, and books. But still, I only wrote this because of the sudden epiphany I had awhile ago (also known as December 10, 2017), just before viewing "The Quest for Varian." This was not written to shame Varian for his actions- again, I tried justifying them to the best of my ability, showing that he is a human with emotions and impulses and needs- and neither was it written to put people who don't cut out time for their friends within their busy schedules up on a pedestal. Again, this is just part of the epiphany that I had, and I had to just get it out while defending the princess and her stance.