Once Upon a Time General Discussion Thread

[LindaM]

More later of course.  I'm on lunch and snuck in here as I'm getting ready to readjust my hard drive and may not get on tonight.

1.  Goldemort (whatever) could be referring him to Voldemort from Harry Potter which I don't agree with.  Rumple/Gold has 'goodness' in his heart while the other was evil through and through. Gold protects Henry while Voldie would try to kill Harry any chance he got.

2.  Regina is going to try and get the others to have closure and cross over which will destroy Hades's control over them and this version of Storybrooke. 

3.  I think there is a way to get Hook back.  I'll say this for the producers.  They're keeping whether he returns or not a secret. Remember, he did die a hero which means that he could find redemption and return to Storybrooke to prove himself. 

4.  I didn't think of Neal as a "loser".  He got the short end of the stick and let's face it the actor is in demand.

5.  I miss August.  They need him back.

My big issue with this episode is that people were featured that we didn't need to see.  Many are upset because Merlin didn't show up but I argue the point.  I never accepted he actually "died." Plus, he would have gone to the better place I think.  The reason I don't think he died is because legend has, like Arthur, that he will arise when England needs him most.

MP -- season 5A wasn't that  bad actually.  Try watching season 2 and see what I mean.

[LindaM]

I don't write for them any more but do read some of their stuff.  What do you think of this?

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/once-upon-a-time/once-upon-a-time-could-peter-p-59161.aspx

I'm not sure Kay would return.  He's always busy.

[Outlast]

Pan is definitely one of Once's best villains, but I thought his ending in 3a was very good (as was Rumple's) and I'd hate the cheapen that episode any further than the subsequent Rumple story line already have. If they do bring him back to life then I hope they have a really good way to use him. 

As I've said, mostly what I'm hoping for in 5b is to have Rumple's plot lines explained a bit better, why did he go on an evil bender in season 4(though really who'd he kill? Sure he  used Hook to suck up the Apprentice and some nuns and he was going to kill Hook if he hadn't been stopped... but this is HOOK we're talking about so I think his evilness is overstated, but of course I have yet to rewatch any of that), was it purely because his heart was blackening and he was trying to kill the darkness before his death released it? And if that's really what he was doing then why didn't they make that clear in the dialogue? What was with that frozen arc?  Why did Rumple take back the darkness and is he doing it for good (PLEASE!!!!) What about those Camelot people? A little character clean-up would be nice. Not that I can about Arthur or Gwen really, but I do like plotlines to both make sense and have a point of some kind. Once has a very bad habit of dropping characters without explanation.

The good news about the underworld plot is that there is at least potential there that they might try and clean up a few plot points (as they just did with Henry Sr.).

[Merry Prankster]

LindaM and Outtie----The Prankster has been reading your posts to this topic and he doffs his cap in respect for your perceptive and informative insights regarding OUAT.  For a casual fan like MP, your posts enhance his understanding and enjoyment of the show.  Thank you.

A couple of quick  questions for you related to 5B:  Can Pan change his appearance?  What happened to Excalibur after Emma ran it through Hook?  Does she still have it?

[Outlast]

Thanks MP.

A couple of quick  questions for you related to 5B:  Can Pan change his appearance?  What happened to Excalibur after Emma ran it through Hook?  Does she still have it?

On Pan - my assumption is that Pan made a deal with Hades to be young again since that seems to be his thing, but really it's because Robbie Kay is the actor they really wanted back, not the older man who played Malcolm (Pan's real name). Also I just rewatched the underworld scene between Rumple and Pan and now I'm curious if we'll see what happened between them when they both arrived in 'the underworld' after they died together in the season 3a finale and perhaps the moment when Rumple was called out of the underworld would be cool to see in a future episode as well.

Excalibur disintegrated when Emma stabbed Hook and as far as we know it no longer exists. Rumple does however possess a nice shiny new dark one dagger that may or may not be the remains of Excalibur.

[LindaM]

MP -- supposedly the dagger changed because of Excalibur.  I'm betting is Emma needs the sword, it will come back.  She is the ONLY one now who can wield it.  It won't answer to anyone else.

I do know they will deal with Camelot from a spoiler I saw.  No idea how == Horowitz is playing things too close to the vest.

And they're filming the last shows now as Snow is becoming obvious pregnant.  One of the new spoiler set of pictures has gravestones. They're for Emma, Regina, Robin, and Snow.  Here's the thing.  Other spoilers from the final episodes have shown Robin, Regina, Zelina, and his son in the woods.  Emma crying and Charming hugging him.  None show Snow.  Here's the thing though.  If Snow dies, so will Charming.  So where was his tombstone???  Looks to have an interesting finale.  And I'm not sure if this is the final finale or the two hour movie which I'm getting wind of.

[Merry Prankster]

Interesting, Linda M.  Was Zelena green?  The Prankster had a thought about 5B (he doesn't have many so he has to write them down so he doesn't lose them)--assuming one or more of the SB heroes is "switched out" with someone in the Underworld, who will be the switcher and who will be the switchee?  Any thoughts?

[LindaM]

Zelina was not green when she is shown in the forest with the crew.  Word is that the actor playing Robin wants to leave the show. 

[Merry Prankster]

The Prankster would not be bothered if Robin suffered a tragic demise.  That, plus Regina's and Zelena's likely ensuing battle over the baby might cause Regina to take a walk down memory lane, i.e., the dark side.  The Prankster has always thought Hook and Robin were not equal to the task of being paramours for Emma and Regina.  Too bad OUAT cannot find two younger versions of the late, great Alan Rickman.  Admittedly a difficult task.

As far as switching goes, the Prankster had Pan for Henry in mind.  It might provide a chance for Rumple to play the hero.

[Outlast]

Labor was a decent episode. It felt kind of old-school in the way it introduced a new character (Herc), played out the portion of his story that touched our 'heroes' story and then shipped him off to forgotten character island which in this instance we'll call Olympus. Young Snow continues to be a very good match for older Snow and thank goodness they finally did away with that 'Mary Margaret' label. I think I'll add that to my very limited gripes with season one.... should've stopped using Mary Margaret the minute Emma broke the (first) dark curse and as the magic rolls through town restoring memories, Snow and Charming see each other in the street... "Snow! ....Charming!!!! *smooch*" ...which is exactly what happened, but for some reason Charming and many of the townspeople kept calling her Mary Margaret now and again. It was always weird.

The other important scenes were (I think) the ones with Henry and Cruella and then Hook and Hades; Why oh why must Henry continue to be so gullible? He's not really going to help Cruella so that his mother (the less murdery one) will no longer be a murderer. Were people yelling murderer at Emma in the streets? If I wasn't so busy in season four complaining about Rumple's storyline getting trashed for no logical reason, I might've made more note of the whole Emma 'murdering' Cruella thing being stupid and inaccurate. She killed her. I grant you, but she was defending (who was it?) Henry? who Cruella kidnapped. Heaven help us if Henry starts trying to save everybody Regina murdered, we'd be stuck in the underworld forever!

The other scene to make note of was probably the one where Hades (who is great as a villain minus all blue hair shots) hands Hook what I assume is a chisel and three gravestones because Hook is going to have to choose people from our 'hero' party to replace the people they've saved (so far) out of the underworld. Well at least he can't put Rumple on all three. Or maybe he can; Rumplestiltskin - Mr. Gold - The Crocodile.

Speaking of Rumple  for next week on Once!!!!!

But also much worrying given the way things have gone for me Rumple-wise in the last two seasons.

[Outlast]

The Prankster would not be bothered if Robin suffered a tragic demise.  That, plus Regina's and Zelena's likely ensuing battle over the baby might cause Regina to take a walk down memory lane, i.e., the dark side.  The Prankster has always thought Hook and Robin were not equal to the task of being paramours for Emma and Regina.  Too bad OUAT cannot find two younger versions of the late, great Alan Rickman.  Admittedly a difficult task.

As far as switching goes, the Prankster had Pan for Henry in mind.  It might provide a chance for Rumple to play the hero.

I just heard that too (about Robin probably leaving the show) and I agree that he (and Hook) never quite matched up with Regina and Emma and I of course hated that they killed off Maid Marian so that Regina could get a guy of her own (which she shouldn't have needed narrative wise to be happy) and the baby stuff with her sister.... yeah maybe this is for the best. What about Roland Hood and unnamed baby girl Hood? I assume they'll just let Regina have them, but somehow it still doesn't feel right to me.

You know maybe Hook would've been a better match for Regina. They were both villains trying to turn over a new leaf (when it suited them of course) and I could see conversations between them being very snarky/witty and enjoyable to watch and the biggest reason being they are not characters who already had a true love through literature (Robin and Marian) or through Once itself (Emma and Bae/Neal).

[LindaM]

So I missed the middle third of the show due to a thunder storm.  I had to leave it when Herc arrived and Henry met Cruella and only got back in time to see Cruella issue her demands and Snow to become Snow.  That makes the book so much easier now that I can do a intro that says:  Since all Fairy Tale characters now go by their names (thanks season 5), I'll just correlate them to Storybrooke and use the FT.  Anyway, let's say I've withheld judgement but haven't yet seen the middle half.  Supposedly no severe weather is scheduled for tonight or tomorrow night and I may get caught up. 

On another note, young Snow is great. Cruella is dumb.  The tombstones may now have a halfway explanation.  Now on to the next.  I don't see any way that Snow (the show was originally conceived around her and execs say no show without Charmings), Emma and Henry (Charmings), Regina, Rumple can be lost.  They're core characters and now seen as a family.  Thus Hook and Hood are the two that can go bye-bye.  No big loss with either.  And if Snow, Emma go into the afterlife, they're immediately go on because very little they have to put right.  Hades wasn't supposed to hold them forever.  Wonder if the rumors of Zeus is true and he'll straighten Hades out?

[Merry Prankster]

The Prankster is liking the Underworld story line so far.  A few random observations:

Young Snow/Hercules--The Prankster likes young Snow as a kick arse Queen.  Hopefully, contemporary Snow will regain some of young Snow's mojo.

Henry/Cruella--The Prankster agrees with Outtie.  The scene was clumsy at best but the Quill story line introduces several intriguing possibilities:  Is the Quill a quill in the Underworld?  What is its' unfinished business?  Does the Quill retain its magic or does it need to rejoin the living world to regain its magic?  If the Quill retains/regains its magic will Henry wreak havoc on the Underworld? Is this the solution to the tombstones?  What is Cruella's real game?  The Prankster hopes to see more of Cruella's car.  So cool!

Hades/SB heroes----One of the heroes asked Hades why the Underworld appeared as a "bizarro" version of SB.  Hades evaded a direct answer but he hinted it was significant.

Rumple/Hades--These two must have some history so the Prankster hopes for a good backstory.  Perhaps Hades will be a worthy adversary/rival for Rumple.

[LindaM]

Okay -- folks -- I bear bad news (maybe).  The season finale will feature two brothers who have ties to a mental ward.  One is the warden, evidently one is a patient.  So which Storybrooke character is going to end up there for treatment.

Link:

http://tvline.com/2016/03/15/once-upon-a-time-season-5-sam-witwer-cast-mental-hospital-warden/

Originally, it called for two brothers -- one good, one bad.  Now it's a mental ward warden and the patient he likes to torment.  And the article even questions whether it is the Brothers Grimm!

[Outlast]

LM I like the idea of bringing in the Brothers Grimm in some capacity, but I'm not so sure about the mental ward angle.... guess I'll just keep on as I have been, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.