Maurice, also known as Moe French, following the Dark Curse, is a character on the ABC fantasy-drama series, Once Upon a Time. He debuts in the twelfth episode of the first season and is portrayed by Eric Keenleyside.
He is the father of Belle. In the Enchanted Forest, he takes on the role of a monarch, whilst his Storybrooke counterpart, runs the town's florist shop Game of Thorns.
History
Moe breaks into Mr. Gold's place and robs him, on the commands of Regina. Emma recovers the stolen goods, but Mr. Gold says there's still something missing and takes matters into his own hands. He kidnaps Moe and takes him to the cabin of Mary Margaret and David's guilt, where he tortures and beats him. It is hinted that he is the father of the Storybrooke Belle that is locked up at the hospital's psych ward.
Upon remembering his true identity after the dark curse was broken, Moe is confirmed to be Belle's father and searches for her. He has no success until Mr. Gold comes to his flower shop saying he is looking for Belle, who had just gone missing and just wants to know she is okay. Moe rebukes Mr. Gold and hires William Smee to find his daughter. Smee succeeds in doing this, and daughter and father are tearfully reunited. But when Moe demands that Belle leaves Mr. Gold permanently, Belle refuses, saying that she is her own person and her father cannot tell her what to do. Moe sadly orders Smee to take her to the town line and across it so she will forget who she is and who Mr. Gold is. David Nolan, Ruby, and Mr. Gold later return to the flower shop. Moe confesses he had Smee take Belle across the town boundary. With Moe in tow, everyone runs to the mines, where Mr. Gold barely saves Belle from losing her memory. In addition to being angry with Mr. Gold, she tells Moe she never wants to see him again for what he attempted to do to her, though it seems they have reconciled as Moe is later seen at Belle and Mr. Gold's wedding.
A year or so later, Belle mentions her father when she says she will make sure he is the one who wakes her from a sleeping curse, while in the Underworld, to protect her and Gold's unborn child from Hades. Belle says that Moe is the only one she trusts to wake her. When everyone returns to Storybrooke, Gold finds Moe and asks for his help with awakening Belle, although Moe is reluctant to help Rumple as he knows what he has done in the past, although she is eventually woken up from a true loves kiss.
Trivia
- Unlike his animated counterpart, this Maurice is a florist instead of an inventor.
- His surname is a reference to Beauty and the Beast being set in France.
