#but I went more of the ouat mulan/aurora scene

[avalencias]

yes I was inspired by the latest chapter of this fic, no I don’t want to talk about it.

(fic by @picturesofthegoneworlds)

[j-philly-b]

8, 9, 17, 36 If you are feeling salty!

Sorry it took me so long to answer, Holli,​ but here I am. I love all of your Salty OUaT Asks, thanks for the ask!

8.  What are your feelings about the show’sconcept of “true love” and/or TLK?

Oh man, this is the one that made me pause and walkaround the room a few times while preparing an answer because I feel like theshow didn’t actually have a cohesive concept of a true love or a TLK. Ofcourse, having said that, let’s see if I can get my thoughts down in a way thatmakes sense going off of the TLKs that are most prominent in my memory.

TL/TLK started out as something unique, rare, the most powerful form of magic,which over the course of seven years was eroded down to something as common andubiquitous as a three-leaf clover. There’s no tension if it works for everyone,and that’s what ruined the original conceit.

First we have the Charming/Snow TLK juxtaposed with the Emma/Henry TLK. I lovedthis one, there was the tension of whether Emma would put her faith in Henryand believe and whether that would be enough for a TLK. Plus there was anelement of sacrifice in each TLK – Charming and Emma each thought they weresaying goodbye to their heart, and who they loved enough to let go. So the TLKwas almost like a reward for their love and faith in the other. 

We see the element of sacrifice and TL again when Emma and Killian are in the UW.They pass the test and open the door because each of them is willing tosacrifice themselves for the other. So while we didn’t get a TLK because deathisn’t a curse and a TLK wouldn’t have cured Killian’s condition, we did get thesame criteria of sacrifice and faith and the ultimate final reward of Killianbeing given a second chance at life so he and Emma could be together. I know alot of people were disappointed that CS never had a TLK, but I think what wegot was a lot more powerful.

Then we have the unsuccessful Rumpel/Belle TLK, which was the perfect parallel.Rumpel’s fear kicks in midway through the kiss and we see how that makes himpull back and become unwilling to give up his power for love. Because hebecomes unwilling to sacrifice his power for his heart, the TLK doesn’t work.It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and lends weight to the successfulsacrifice-based TLKs.

We also have the unsuccessful TLKs where one half of the pair had missingmemories (I could go on a whole other rant about missing memories, jfc). Butagain, there can be no sacrifice and not agreement on intent if one half of thepair either doesn’t remember the other – Snow not remembering Charming/Emma notremembering Killian, or doesn’t remember all the details of the curse – Killiannot remembering that he’s a DO, added to the fact Emma didn’t want to break herown memory curse. 

But then we have the TLKs that didn’t seem to have any element of sacrifice ordanger and were just TLKs for the sake of a TLK to break a curse. The firstthat comes to mind is Brennan Jones and his nurse. I mean, WTELF? First, wehave Brennan under a sleeping curse for a century or two? All right, that justtakes away from the danger of the sleeping curse full stop. I’m pretty surethat in S1 it was established that if the sleeping curse wasn’t broken theperson under the curse would eventually die – wasn’t that what eventuallyspurred Emma and Charming on? Not only was there no apparent danger of imminentdeath for Brennan, but he gets a TLK from someone he’d never even met? So whatthe hell was this unnamed nurse sacrificing? Was Brennan the only patient shewas responsible for, so if he eventually bit the dust she’d be out of a job? Idon’t know, the Brennan/nurse TLK was one of the stupidest things the show everdid.

The stupidity and rule-breaking TLK between Brennan and his nurse was equaledby the TLK between Zelena/Hades. Zelena’s intent may, arguably, have been pure(honestly, I’ve blocked a lot of this from memory because it was so infuriatingat the time), but Hades was knowingly deceiving her. 

So now we have two successful TLKs where there is no equality between theparticipants and no sacrifice. Each of those should have gone the way of theRumpel/Belle TLK, but noooooooo, the rules go out the window because it waseasier to write a TLK explanation than to think of something else. I’m going toadd in the Ruby and Dorothy TLK here as well. I don’t think we knew enoughabout Ruby and Dorothy’s relationship to say whether or not they had TL, but myproblem with the TLK they had is that Ruby went there intending to wake Dorothyup with the TLK, there was no tension or doubt that it would work and there wasno element of sacrifice in the kiss because of that. 

My memory of the Philip and Aurora TLK isn’t good enough to say whether or notthe element of sacrifice was established. But because of Aurora we learnedabout the room of fire that apparently exists and where people who have beenunder the sleeping curse are doomed to spend their time (except for Brennan?JFC, why did we ever need to know anything about Brennan, at all?). So thatlead to David undergoing the sleeping curse to be able to communicate with Snowwhile she was in the EF, to be awoken by Snow when she returned. Ok, we knowSnowing had TL, that was established, and in S2 there was still an element ofdanger for the person that was under the curse, so a TLK there I can accept. 

But then we have the S6 shared sleeping curse and the daily TLKs for Snowing. Iguess? There was still tension built into that, but the solution? Snowing’sclosest friends and family will take on the sleeping curse for a few minutesand somehow that the curse that was on Snowing’s shared heart? Ummm, what? Asleeping curse is broken by TL, does that mean this huge group of people sharedTL with each other, I don’t… I can’t… *sigh* This is one of the instances wherethe show’s concept of TL lost all meaning.

I don’t even know what to say about the TL sapling that formed when Snow andCharming first spoke to each other through that hole in the carriage. Whatexactly was the point of that thing? They introduce the concept of the TL greenthumb, destroy the sapling as soon as it’s found, and then never revisit theidea. So… yeah.

But, let’s go back to the element of sacrifice and TL, because we did getanother example of that without a TLK in the UW when Liam sacrificed himselffor Killian. (Hey, look at that! Killian got two major TL moments in the UW,why don’t we talk about that more?) I am not a fan of the way they wrote Liam,but that moment in the cave was without doubt TL, and Liam was properlyrewarded for his sacrifice and faith in Killian.

TL/DR; the show did not have a consistent concept of TL/TLK and used theconcepts and used the TLK as a crutch when they got too lazy to think aboutplot.

9.  Which character arc was more like a line?

Belle is the first one to come to mind. Hercharacter was very poorly treated by the writers. She would get her soloadventures with the visiting princess of the season, but then go right back tobeing Rumpel’s cheerleader. She came close to character growth in S6, but thatwas cut short to serve the Rumpel as savior plotline and she was once againrelegated to the background.

Mulan also comes to mind. We know she was a fierce warrior, but she never gotthe emotional development she deserved.

17.  If you could recast someone who would it beand why?

This is a hard one, I tend to think the fault in thecharacters was with the writers rather than with the actors. That being said,the flashbacks where the characters were supposed to be teenagers but wereplayed by the main actors always fell flat for me – giving someone bangs doesn’tmean they suddenly look 20 years younger, and made it difficult to accept thestory they were trying to tell. Also, I was not a fan of S7 Cinderella/Jacinda,I don’t know if was actor or director choices, but there were a lot of sceneswhere the emotions of the character didn’t seem to fit with the emotion of thescene.

36.  What thing that was not meant to be funny made you laugh?

Oy, I feel like there were so many, and yet I cannotthink of a single example. Oh, wait! Robin’s death scene. I apologize to Robinfans, but omg it was ridiculous and over the top – Zeus’s double-ended dildo,the extreme lingering close-ups on Robin and Regina’s faces, Robin’s bodyfalling and leaving his spirit/sparkly essence behind, the “wings” forming ashis sparkle turned to dust and floated away. Sorry, I’m laughing just thinkingabout it.

[killian-whump]

OUAT 3x01: Rewatch Blog

Welcome aboard, mateys! It's time to start rewatching Season 3! As usual, I'm a bit behind everyone else on this rewatch, but I've decided it's more fun for me to move at my own pace, so I probably won't be catching up anytime soon ;)

That said... Let's get started on Once Upon a Time Season 3!!!

Whoa. Wait a minute. Eleven Years Ago?! I really AM behind... ;)

Seriously, though. Do they really have to handcuff her ankle to the bed? Do they have a problem with women in labor jumping up and escaping prison right at that precise moment in their lives?

That's sad, though :(

Ooooh... I love the deadly stillness after the ship "lands" in Neverland. It's so... eeeeeeeerie. 

Ahhh, and the ominous look on Killian's face.

You can just FEEL the tension in the air.

"Aye. Neverland."

AHHHHHHHH TENSION AND ANGST

Kinda lame title card, haha.

Aw, great. It's this guy. NOBODY MISSED YOU GREG. YOU CAN GO BACK TO WHEREVER YOU WENT DURING THE HIATUS NOW.

SHIT. HE BROUGHT TAMARA, TOO.

I really hate these two, guys. Like, really.

Oh, come on. Don't shove a fucking kid, you asshat. Fucking GREG. You're an insult to your name, and I don't even like your name.

Oooooh, spooky noises. I love the atmosphere they built for this realm.

"Who we work for is not your concern, kid." Well, according to YOU as of about 20 minutes ago in show time, it's not YOUR concern either, dipshit.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THERE'S SAND IN YOUR BATTERY COMPARTMENT, YOU FUCKING MORON. WHO PUT SAND IN YOUR BATTERY COMPARTMENT, HUH? YOU FUCKING IDIOT.

Shut up, shut up. I know it was Peter Pan. LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT.

"It's a good thing you guys don't ask any questions." Hahahaha, bested by an 11-year-old and sand.

...and there he goes, shoving the damn kid again. You're just a colossal jerk, aren't you, Greg?

At least Tamara has the sense to look mildly concerned right here.

"Oh, I know, my hot-headed queen."

I JUST DIED. Forward my mail to my gravesite.

I totally forgot that line ever happened. I love rewatching this show.

"I hope not, or we've wasted our lives." AAAAAAANGST

"Your lives... well... THEY'VE SUCKED" hahaha, Why don’t you tell them what you really think, Emma XD

"We found you." Awww... "And lost Henry! And Neal!" Well, to be fair, it's not like you can expect them to give two shits about Neal. They met him, like, last week. And he's kinda a dick. And his Dad's, like, evil incarnate. But okay.

"Oh, that's a great use of our time: A wardrobe change." One of the best lines ever, really.

I mean, did Rumple really need to do the dramatic cane-spinning exit, though? It makes for good TV, so it's cool and all, but imagine it in real life. Like, just a boat full of people staring at where he once stood, thinking, "JFC That was unnecessarily dramatic."

OH, YEAH, LET'S LIGHT A FUCKING FIRE, GREG. THAT'S A GREAT FUCKING IDEA, GREG. Fucking loser.

Yes, I do plan on doing this until he dies. You have your hobbies; I have mine.

"You making S'Mores?"

HAAAAAAHHAHAHAHA OMG LOOK AT HIS FACE:

Fucking goon. Haha. I named that screencap "assface" when I saved it, because I feel it's fitting for both the character AND the face he's making.

"What if the empty communicator wasn't an accident?"

You mean the one someone OBVIOUSLY filled with sand instead of batteries ON PURPOSE??? Noooooooooooo.

"Don't let the kid get in your head." He's not even TRYING, Greg. He's just hungry and wants some fucking S'Mores. I want some S'Mores, too. We all want fucking S'Mores. S'Mores are delicious, FuckingGreg.

OH LOOK, IT'S FELIX.

AND ALL THE REST OF THE LOST BOYS ONES BOYS. I think we’re calling them “Boys” now. Must have gotten the rights.

Kill him, Felix. Somebody. Anybody. I'll even settle for the annoying Lost Boy with the face that annoys me, although I don't think he's in this season, but he's welcome to join it IF HE KILLS GREG.

"Then you're not getting the boy." Oh, Greg. It is entirely too late for you to do anything remotely likable now. Like, I literally want to throw Henry at them now just to spite you.

YEEEEESSSSSSSSSS RIP THAT MOTHERFUCKER'S SOUL OUT OF HIS BODY. TAKE HIS SPINE, TOO. THE ENTIRE SKELETAL SYSTEM. MAYBE A DISEMBOWELING'S CALLED FOR HERE?

Or, you know, you can just leave his husk there by the fire to rot away. That's good, too. I'm not picky.

GREG IS DEAD, EVERYBODY.

Tamara and Henry are running! Oh no! Will they make it? Will they-

This is a great scene, everybody. Thank you so much. This is the best thing to ever happen to me and the season only started 10 minutes ago.

Hahaha, they even show us a close-up of Tamara lying motionless on the ground, and then Greg. Like they KNOW we've all been waiting for their demise and they wanted to give us screenshots for our scrapbooks.

Anyway, thanks Felix! That was pretty cool. Much obliged.

Hey, look. An enterprising young chap has helped Henry up. There's no way he could be a bad guy.

I have to say, of all the "twists" in Once, this was one of the worst ones in terms of how OBVIOUS it was.

To some extent, it's the casting department's fault, because Robbie Kay is just TOO fucking perfect for Peter Pan. Like, he just EXUDES Peter Pan and he's not fooling anybody.

Heeheehee CS flirting <3

"What do you want?" All due respect, but it's HIS fucking ship? Like, he doesn't really need a reason to be below deck on his own ship?

"I didn't realize you were sentimental." "I'm not."

I love it when he spits the cork out, but how many corks does this man go through?!

Oh, look. Speak of the devil - It's Neal.

"Tell Emma I'm alive. And I love her."

Well, that's a GREAT message to pass on through your kiiiiiid. Won't get his hopes up or anything.

ANYWAY.

"Long enough to know I miss him, too." T_T

UH OH. TROUBLE'S AFOOT!!!

Oh, Dave and Snow are at the helm. That explains it. LEARN HOW TO DRIVE, SNOWING. Gosh.

Pun intended. I'm so sorry.

Regina: "What the hell are you two doing?!" Ahahahahaha :D

"Prepare for attack!" "Be more specific!" I love all these interactions. This is like the WORST family vacation EVER and I love every second of it.

"What's out there? A shark? A whale?" "A kraken?"

YOU FUCKING WISH.

Actually, no, Dave probably doesn't wish... but Kraken-san does! :D

Emma's response is classic. "Mermaids?!" Like what the fuck else does she have to put up with in this crazy sham of a life NOOOOW?

Dave's kinda hot manning that cannon, I gotta say. He's showing off some guns firing off that gun, if you know what I mean.

But really, what did they plan to DO with one mermaid, anyway? Especially after Regina chased them all off with her fireballs?

Oh, look. Henry and Totally-Not-Peter-Pan are on the run!

I'm super fooled by him talking himself up in third person, though XD

"If Pan wants you... he WILL get you."

"Pan will rip their shadows into oblivion."

"Pan loves nachos with spicy cheese."

"Pan is the awesomest guy on this island."

Aw, man. This scene is a snoozefest :/

Literally. They're all just watching Aurora sleep XD

Wait. HOW is Neal feeling better? He got shot, like, 10 minutes ago in show time and he's had no REAL medical care, aside from whatever they bandaged him with, since none of these folks here have magic.

HOW IS HE FEELING BETTER?!

I gotta be honest, though. Rumple is hot as SHIT in this season. I ain't gonna pretend otherwise. This leather clad badass thing WORKS for him.

Oh, look. Tamara's still alive.

"C-Can you forgive me?"

I'm gonna guess that is a HARD ASS NO, bitch.

Haha, love the way he flicks the dust off his fingers.

"GET THAT THING OFF MY SHIP!"

I love how panicked he is by the mermaid XD It gives my entire life meaning :D

I wish we had more information in canon about Hook's time in Neverland. We can tell this is FAR from his first skirmish with mermaids, but how/when/why/what happened? I NEED TO KNOW! Especially if it involved wounds or peril or other things relevant to my interests...

Touching Mulan and Neal chat.

More running in the woods with Not!Pan.

"Well, I'm all out of fish food." Love you, Regina <3

"Fillet the bitch." Seriously, love you so much bae <3

Snow's face, tho XD

This is 110% why I watch this show. SHENANIGANS.

...and a pirate. Don't forget the pirate.

"I've outrun many a storm!" We know you have, babe. We know. You keep telling us...

SHAMPOO COMMERCIAL TIME!!!

PERIL ON THE HIGH SEAS!!!

CERTAIN BLETH DEATH!!!

SUPER DRAMATIC MUSIC!!!

...as we cut to a peaceful, though somewhat dilapidated, castle in the Enchanted Forest. Birds are singing, dawn is breaking, the world is alight with hope and possibili-

JUST KIDDING. GET BACK TO THE FUCKING DRAMA STORM, SHOW.

I hate it when they do this.

Hey, Sean. Nice intro.

"You don't want to see ID?" Neal... ISTFG.

Disappearing arrow, heehee. SHENANIGANS.

I love how interested Robin is in what's inside the vault XD Always a thief, eh?

"This isn't a storm. It's bloody damnation!" Love that line <3

"Let the slags go!" Haha "Don't call my wife a slag!" Haha!

BOY FIGHT!! BOY FIGHT!!!

They're all wet, too! Slow down, cameraman! I wanna see ALL of this!!!

Oooh, almost gutted with his own hook. Haaaaarsh.

Emma, no one's listening to you. Emma, no one's... They're not... They're not even looking or paying any attention at all... They won't even- Oh. Okay. Somehow everyone saw you jump, despite literally being in a fight for their respective lives. Neat.

...aaaaaaand cue the convenient rigging falling loose and hitting her in the head.

SHENANIGAAAAAAAAANS

Oh, look! They're flying!!!

This would be super touching if it wasn't, you know, exactly what Pan wants XD

Haha, Emma looks so ethereal floating there, unconscious, in the waters of Neverland, facing certain death.

Awww! A big group effort rescue!!! Good job, team!

"Told you." Right, but no one was listening...? So how do they even know what she's talking about? Well, I guess maybe they WERE listening...?

Shenanigans? idek anymore...

SHENANIGANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awww... Bobby's acting is so great right here. This is awesome. Very moving. The part after the shenanigans, I mean. Although they’re great, too.

Felix, you're kinda a dick, though. That’s kinda a compliment, tho?

I love it when magic flops :D Dramatic music aaaaaand... nothing.

"Actually, I quite fancy you from time to time, when you're not yelling at me."

You like her even more when she's yelling at you, son. IT IS KNOWN.

His offended face when Charming says, "With him?" XD DAVE, WHY WOULD YOU SAY THIS ABOUT ME. DAVE, I THOUGHT WE WERE PALS. DAVE. DAAAAVE.

Hahaha, his adorable shrug to Regina. SHENANIGANS <3

"You couldn't be more right, Henry."

I'm so glad they didn't try to drag out the reveal of Pan to another episode, because he seriously wasn't fooling aaaaaanybody.

Except for Henry. Oops?

It's so great how ominous they're being at the end of this episode, advancing on Henry like that...

Although Pan's "let's play!" is a lot less frightening when you know he literally means "let's dance around a fire and create a rhythmic ruckus" but hey. It still works for the ending of this episode, which is now... OVER!!

PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!! PEW PEW PEW!!!

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 3X01 - The Heart of the Truest Believer

Finally, I can start Season 3! It’s been so long that I can HEART-ly believe it!

...Did you miss the puns? I missed the puns. I don’t think Emma did, because I’m just hanging on by a thread! 

(Ha! Snuck two in!)

Anyway, let’s get under the cut and see what this episode has to offer!

Press Release Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Mr. Gold and Hook enter Neverland to search for a kidnapped Henry, they’re greeted by a school of not-to-friendly mermaids who threaten to end their search before it begins; Henry finds himself on the run from the Lost Boys with another escapee from Peter Pan’s encampment; and Neal, recovering from his wounds, travels through the Enchanted Forest with Mulan in an attempt to learn the fates of Emma and Henry.

General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Neverland Seas ”I blame you.” Yeah, I disagree, Emma. For one thing, this plays a pretty small part of the overall story. For another, while they tried to convince her of what to do, it was Emma’s ultimate decision to do it. As she says, “We’re the same age. We have equal amounts of wisdom.” For a third, their decision, while endangering Henry, saved Regina. For a fourth, the only people’s faults for Henry’s capture are Greg and Tamara. *sighs* Look, I get Emma’s grief and worry, but this writing direction doesn’t feel genuine for her to deflect blaming Snow and David. It feels like a conflict was thrown in so that there would be more of a disconnect between her and her family.  I love Emma, but I can admit when a scene makes her completely unsympathetic despite the framing telling me otherwise, and this is a prime example. And here’s the thing: This never comes up again! Emma doesn’t apologize to them. This moment is utterly pointless!

The importance of teamwork is the big theme of this segment and once we get over that hiccup of a scene as I just mentioned, it’s delivered incredibly effectively. The conflicts between the characters, both internal and external, are incredibly real and no one is holding back. And the twist of those conflicts causing the storm is handled well! Rumple presents the bare essence of the theme, about Emma’s lack of belief, and because he chooses to go off on his own, the narrative has him fail by putting him into a traumatising position, whereas Emma’s belief in their abilities as a team and, in correlation with Rumple’s speech, herself, allows for the rest of the Nevengers to succeed.

Neverland Island So I have a nice bit to say about this segment, but it all applies to my “Favorite Dynamics” segment, so you’ll see that down there!

Enchanted Forest There’s not really much to be said about the story other than I liked it. That’s not to say that I didn’t like it or I didn’t appreciate the characters re-introduced or the interactions between them, but it was rather simple and that just doesn’t leave me a lot to talk about in terms of a breakdown of themes of major character actions. Still, the pacing was nice and the story was engaging!

Insights - Stream of Consciousness -So I didn’t realize that Emma giving birth to Henry was the first scene of the season. For some reason, I was under the impression that it happened at the start of “Coming Home,” but I honestly love it being here. Immediately, you get the sense that this arc was well planned so that it could return to this moment at the end of “Coming Home.”

-Also, I love that flicker of light as Emma gives birth! Such a special part of Emma’s life -- one filled with both joy and misery as she decides to give Henry away -- deserves the magical treatment!

-I seriously got choked up as Emma denied her chance at being Henry’s mother from the start. There’s so much love for him from the start and while it’s causing her so much pain, she’s doing what she thinks is best for him. And the gentle and yet powerful way the theme plays in the background just kills me. Swan Believer forever!

-Damn, what a cool way to go back to the present! We’re put right in the action, not missing a minute of the adventure.

-I will NEVER get over how much I love hearing Killian say “Neverland.” Whether in “The Crocodile” or here, Colin puts so much energy into the word, encompassing the danger and adventure to be found there.

-”It’s a good thing you guys don’t ask any questions.” My sentiments exactly, Henry!

-”More time than I care to remember trying to leave this place to kill Rumplestiltskin.” This provides some interesting insight into Killian’s character. It implies (to me) that he devised his Dreamshade plan with quite a few years to spare before his escape, whereas I always assumed that the planning took most of the time and that the escape was just a pinch of time towards the end.

-”Villains don’t get happy endings.” It’s incredible that this line, said by a character that left so little of an impression, is what follows Regina, Rumple, and Killian throughout basically the rest of the series.

-”That’s a great use of our time. A wardrobe change.” To be fair, Killian, Rumple’s not going to be in fighting shape sporting a Calvin Klein suit. This...honestly weird ass outfit makes the most sense.

-”You don’t believe in your parents, you don’t believe in magic, or even yourself.” Talk about a kickass line of foreshadowing of all that she’s going to overcome by the end of this arc!

-”When have you ever taken a real leap of faith?” Give it about a half hour, Rumple!

-So I must say, it’s funny that a lack of evidence is brought up as such a big story element here, but once Tink enters the picture, it’s her need for evidence as to the safety of their voyage back that secures it. A bit of dissonance, but nothing too severe.

-I love how Rumple spins his cane as he disappears. Rumple is the most beautifully extra person across the realms.

-I probably should’ve discussed this last time, but I love the design for the Lost Boys. They give off this air of being lost souls and their numbers stand to make them very intimidating.

-So going off of Greg’s death as well as the events of “Awake,” I’m gonna say that a shadow rip doesn’t necessitate death unless the shadow ripper wants it to mean death.

-”No time for questions.” I like that subtle line that’s in tune with Greg and Tamara’s line of no asking questions, foreshadowing the revelation about him.

-Damn! JMO is strong!

-The dialogue in the scene with Neal, Mulan, Aurora, and Phillip flows so naturally!

-”How long was he with you?” ”Long enough for me to know that I miss him, too.” I normally don’t make timeline jokes, but...come onnnnn!

-”I will not be capsized by fish.” This may be my new favorite David line.

-Also, any pretense that murder leaves any long-lasting effects of Snow and David go the fuck away when David tries to kill mermaids.

-Why didn’t Regina get rid of them earlier?

-”If Pan wants you, he WILL get you.” This line is delivered so well. Pan is not only just barely holding out from outright bragging, but is trying to deteriorate Henry’s belief and seeing that it isn’t working, cementing his part to play in Pan’s ploy.

-”Lead the way.” Am I the only one humming “Follow the Leader?”

-I like how, until Rumple enchants her, Tamara physically can’t talk. Very realistic.

-You know, everyone talks about heart colors when it comes to Rumple, Regina, Snow, and Killian, but does anyone notice how Tamara’s heart was pretty freakin’ red when Gold crushed it?

-Did no one read “Lord of the Flies?” Get the conch shell away from your enemies!

-”Filet the bitch.” I’m starting to think that all of my favorite character lines in this show have to do with aquatic life.

-”We need to think this through.” Emma, that why they’re shouting at each other. They’re discussing the matter.

-Okay, so I’m not the biggest Robin Sr. fan (And I’m hoping that this rewatch changes that for the better), but this was a solid entrance. It feels iconic, plays to the character’s power and good nature, and the more neutral yet noble tone that the scene requires plays well to Sean’s strengths.

-”See these markings? He was keeping track of me growing.” Awwwww!!! Papafire moment! That was necessary and beautiful!

-I just realized, this is our intro to blood magic! Cool!

-”I ruined YOUR life?” Regina, please. I thought we were past that…

-”Don’t call my wife a slag!” Yeah, Killian. You deserved the fuck outta that punch.

-I love the music that plays during the flying sequence! It’s gorgeous, distinct, and whimsical!

-CAPTAIN CHARMING BROMANCE!!! We have taken off!

-So I’m guessing that Rumple has encountered Felix at least one or two times.

-”Each of us have been too busy being at each other’s throats to be believers.” Those things aren’t correlated.

-”We need to do this the right way.” “No, we don’t. We just need to succeed.” YESSSS! Emma! That is my girl! She gets her tactics from her mama!!

-”It’s easier to get people to hate something than to believe.” That’s...incredibly accurate.

Arcs - How Are These Storylines Progressing? Everyone Working Together AND The Mission to Save Henry- ”It’s time for all of us to believe, not in magic, but in each other.” Emma’s speech took a sentence to get going, but once it did, DAMN did it get good! Now, as one gleams from this episode, these two arcs are one and the same. The only way Henry is saved is by working together, and this episode completely captures why that’s so important.

Emma Accepting Her Parents - This second-part-of-an-arc got off to SUCH a weak start, and that’s frustrating because I KNOW it gets better from here. But what I said above does apply.

Greg and Tamara - “We don’t ask questions. We just believe in our cause.” Holy crap. Tamara and Greg went from being two pretty intelligent and well designed villains into being total morons. I will say, part of me is glad that they did because if not, their conflict would’ve been way too close to a science vs. religion debate for comfort. But they also die here. To be honest, if anyone but Rumple was to find one of them, I’d rather it have been Greg who got the additional moments of life to speak and allow for Henry to get away. His story, well, was actually a story, whereas Tamara’s connection to Neal is loose at best.

Killian’s Redemption - Killian’s redemption takes an honest-to-goodness step forward. He’s acting on his decision to care about someone other than himself (And that shows through the two people aboard the ship that can stand him), but still has quite a bit of his verbal firepower and contempt (Towards David and Rumple) that reminds us of his villainous past and that his redemption won’t be all sunshine and rainbows.

Rumple’s Redemption - Rumple takes what is a realistic step back, though I’m not even certain I should call it a step back. Despite being his Rumple-y self, the narrative makes it very clear that his decision to dessert the group and chastise them beforehand are made on behalf of the mission to save Henry. And as we see the personal trials he’s already taken on in this pursuit with the confrontation with Pan’s minion, there’s so much power that grows with these decisions.

Regina’s Redemption - Regina also takes a step back into some of her more vicious tendencies: hating on Snow, defaulting to magic and violence for all her solutions. I personally like this because while there’s an understanding that these people are family, the anger and resentment between Regina and them is still present and in the heat of the moment, Regina won’t forget it. I will say, the Regina Blames the World trope is back and it still annoys me, though slightly less so here because the framing wasn’t going for sympathy in that moment.

Favorite Dynamic Henry and Pan. Pan’s dynamic with Henry sets up perfectly the kind of monster he will be for the rest of the season. He’s an incredible manipulator and plans out everything he says in order to activate Henry’s belief just when he needs to. Look at the way he set up the pixie dust and how that moment pays off! It’s makes for a triumphant moment that becomes terrifying in hindsight. But what makes this dynamic work so well is how it is set up. In the few minutes we see before Pan’s disguised appearance, Neverland has shown itself to be a cruel place. The location itself is darkly lit and the two villains of the previous season are violently murdered. Because of that, we as an audience clutch to Pan just as Henry does and because of that, for the first time, our belief causes suffering as the deception is exposed.

Writer Adam and Eddy, as usual start up the season! And I honestly like it. A lot of it is good! I’d compare it to the Season 1 finale where it’s a good mix of story and character moments (And just like in the Season 1 finale, has a completely pointless and aggravating moment, but thankfully, this one doesn’t mean a lot)! I feel like the characters were put in a solid place where they have room to grow and are put somewhere that keeps them intimate and gives them opportunities for great dynamics!

Rating 9/10. This episode is a great way to start off the season! The settings and themes have been set up well, and the characters are in good form! It’s exciting and adventurous, but nerve racking all the same. It makes me super excited for what’s to come!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Captain Swan - Look, season 2 was not Captain Swan’s golden time for shipping (For me, at least), but Season 3 is here and they are glorious! Killian is incredibly respectful of Emma, comforts her over her worries, addresses underlying grief she has for Baelfire, and supports her as she prepares for Neverland’s horrors. It’s honestly amazing! Also, Emma and Killian are sailing the Roger together during the storm!! They’re working together and it is the BEST!!! Ship of dreams...quite literally! Swanfire - And don’t think I forgot about Swanfire! Both Emma’s grief and Neal’s devotion to getting back to her is such a big presence in this episode. “Tell Emma I’m alive, and that I love her.” Letting Emma know that he’s both okay and loves her is Neal’s main priority and that’s just incredible! And I loved Neal’s scene with Mulan as he discusses his regrets leaving Emma. <3

-----

Woohoo! Season 3 is off to a solid start and I can’t wait to take the rest of Peter Pan’s Flight! Thank you for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales!

Next time...I don’t know. Reader, help me out, cause I’m lost...girl… ;)

See you guys then!

Season 3 Total (9/220)

Writer’s Scores: Adam and Eddy (9/60)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[negamicchi]

I have been re-watching Once Upon A Time and boy do I still love this show. And boy, am I starting to remember why I ditched this show, oh god. It started off as the best thing ever but now? Eh. Mind me, I’m right now on the Neverland arc and I stopped watching right before season 5 finale so I don’t have any clue what’s happening right now on the show, but I still want to make a post to bash it cause hey I have no life. So, my problems with the show so far are:

- They killed Baelfire. Seriously, the premise of the show aka the first curse was created so that Rumple could find Bae. His motives were based on the fact that he wanted to be reunited with his son. And then they killed Bae? Well good job ruining one of the best characters on the way, because after that Rumple’s character has just kinda... been there. Idek maybe if I gave any fucks about Rumbelle I wouldn’t mind but I don’t, so, yeah. (Please don’t get me wrong, I did love the ship when I watched the show back then, but nowadays it just makes me uncomfortable. They should have left it at Skin Deep. That was good.) Oh yeah, also Bae was a good effin’ character so, meh.

- Too much Captain Swan. Sorry, folks, this is just my honest opinion. Again, I do not hate this ship. Well, I did when I first watched the show but it has kinda grown on me, even though I like Swanfire more, but I do like the chemistry between Hook and Emma. Just that... After all that Captain Swan stuff, Emma’s character went from 100 to 0. She isn’t the badass savior tiger mom who loves his son more than anything. And Hook? He lost all his charm for me when he became a good guy. Also, because I love the family relations in the show more than the romance, I think all this CS fanservice just takes too much time for things I love to see.

- Not addressing horrible behavior. Seriously, wtf writers? The characters have done so much shit that is never addressed. Regina raped Graham many times. Zelena raped Robin. The whole premise of Rumbelle is Stockholm Syndrome. Regina was a very abusive mom. Belle can be just as manipulative as Rumple (like, with the dagger thing for example). I get the redemption thing, I really do and I love it, but seriously, you cannot just address some issues and let others just be.

- They killed Hades. That was the reason I stopped watching the show. Like, I really fell in love with Hades, ok. I love the Disney version of him and the original mythology, and the character in OUAT was a wonderful combination of the two. He was a really great character with so much potential and they gave us the best romance ever aka Zelena and Hades and then... poof, gone. Also you literally can’t kill gods wtf

- The fact that no one cares about Rumple. Like. Um, What? I know he’s a huge dick and a villain and all, but he has helped the Charmings a lot in the Enchanted Forest. He has saved their asses multiple times. And during the Neverland arc he redeemed, truly, and saved everyone and sacrificed himself. Then he lost his son and was kidnapped and tortured by Zelena. And no one (except Belle) came to look for him. No one cared. And after that everyone still treated him like shit. He went through so much, probably got PTSD and loads of traumas and no one even invited him to a family dinner or even asked how he was. And then everyone was shocked when he turned evil again. Mind you, Regina has done far more shit to the Charmings but she’s ok? Like... what the hell? This is the thing I’m the most salty about cause... What. The. Fuck. Give Rumple some love and get him a proper therapist.

- Forgetting nice storylines and characters. Nova and Dreamy forever in my heart. </3

- The lack of representation. Ok, I’ve heard that we have some POC cast in the show and that we have a girl couple, too, so points for that, but still... It’s so infuriating to watch two and half seasons of a show full of queerbaiting only to get one scene where Mulan wants to confess her love to Aurora but leaves the scene crying.

- Robert Carlyle’s haircut. Rest In Peace, floof, I still love you.

- Too many damn curses what the fuck.

- Regina and Rumple apparently became a thing for a while. I watched a few clips and I’m traumatized for life.

- Henry became kinda meaningless after Neverland arc. (I still love you boo).

- Rumple didn’t get a song in the musical episode. I’m not there yet, but what the hell is this fuckery? Ok I understand that it would be really damn hard to sing while in character, especially when Robert Carlyle’s singing voice is so sweet and wholesome so I guess I forgive that. (I love Hook’s song, though!)

- The Dark Swan arc. Also Frozen arc. Also Merlin. Wtf all of that was just shite.

I guess this was it. Now I’ll be trying to catch up so that I can watch at least the final episode on time. Jeez, I’m already scared for seasons 6 and 7, cause they seem so... weird. Lol. 

Oh right make Golden Hook canon 2k18 pls.

[saviourisms]

END OF AN ERA... Goodbye, Once Upon a Time.

I have watched Once Upon a Time since the pilot. I never missed an episode and always watched it with my family. I would also watch it in either my Once logo, Killian, or Rumbelle shirts, drinking coffee or tea out of the chipped cup my friend got me from Hot Topic. I never knew that a simple show could have such an impact on me. The show came to me at a time I lost hope in my relationships with people. I'm more confident in who I am now than when the pilot aired because of that theme... of HOPE being front and center.

Emma was someone I identified with greatly. I had walls up not because of a broken heart, but because I was the subject of bullying my entire life, people using me to get what they wanted, even guys used me to try and date those closest to me. I became someone who was shy and introverted, something I saw in Emma both in flashbacks to her childhood and in the present as the seasons progressed. 

In my opinion, the show started to decline a little with the writing and direction. There were a lot of episodes I didn't enjoy and yet I never found the desire to abandon it. I had my favorite characters and before I could leave the show, I needed to watch to see how their stories would end. I'm glad I pushed through those episodes because there were some great episodes. I was always impressed how the writers developed the stories and characters. Who knew that Peter Pan could be turned into a villain? I really loved this past season especially and felt that the show would go on for another year... so I'm devastated it's over. It still hasn't fully hit me yet that my Friday nights will become regular Friday nights.

I think what I loved the most about this show was everything behind the scenes. Seasons 1-6 consisted of the same cast. You could tell whenever they went to conventions, spent time together on their days off, or between takes that they all got along really well. I honestly don't believe anyone hated each other. You could just see and feel the love and respect the cast had for each other and the crew. It brought us a fairytale romance to reality.... Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas fell in love on a show based on the fairytales we know and love, got married, and now have two children. I also loved how while the actors loved their canon ships, they would never argue with anyone if people disliked the ship and wanted something else. Jennifer and Lana are just as supportive for Swan Queen just like they were over Captain Swan and Outlaw Queen. You have fans shipping characters that were never canon such as Aurora and Mulan, and the cast have been supportive even though Aurora and Phillip were canon from start to finish. I don't think I've ever seen a cast so supportive of their fans desires for different ships instead of canon before. I also love that the cast genuinely care about their fans. They go to conventions and take their time with the fans that come up to them. They will answer questions and never seem to rush people either. I just love this amazing cast. I'm sad to see the show that has been apart of my life for so long end, but I'm excited to see what other projects come their way. I'm already looking forward to Josh and Ginny's new shows and Killian's new movie. 

Lastly, this show introduced me to roleplaying, which also made me create friendships with people all over the world. I did a bit of roleplaying here and there on other platforms. I used Tumblr as a personal blog where I would reblog photos of dogs and cats, photography, and travel... a place to talk to people in my other fandoms, etc. I ended up finding an ask-based roleplay blog called ask-onceuponatime-rp during the second season of OUAT. I applied for the role of Aurora and got it, I decided to create my own group called ask-enchanting-worlds, and lastly, I decided to give that up altogether and try the indie route. I have been portraying Emma for the past four years at least on this blog and my previous one. I created some lifelong friendships once I started an indie blog. You know who you are. :) Whether or not we talk every single day or go days or weeks without talking because of life getting in the way, I am so thankful for all of you and to have you in my life. 

Thank you, Once Upon a Time. 

Thank you for bringing a show into my life centered around hope at a time I needed it the most. Thank you for bringing a show into my life that introduced me to a fandom that gave me such wonderful friends. I will miss you.

[faithandfairies]

OUAT 7x10 Lightning Review

I’m going to try and do a really quick review. No fancy stuff today, because all that takes forever. I’m just going to point out some stuff.

Basically there was a lot more confirmation of things I already believe.

They put Alice in a red cloak. Which confirms that she’s Ruby. And you know, they’re both Emma. We also had Alice decide to stay with Rumple, I think, to pay him back for all he’s done for her or something.

Zelena’s back! I love her! Leave it to her to comment on her hippie lifestyle and spin class. I loved everything about the Regina-Zelena and Regina-Zelena-Henry scenes by the way. I loved the spin class touch.

Meta-wise, since the curse was cast when Lucy was 8, it means the curse has been going on for years. In this version 2 years.  And they had Regina find Zelena after those two years and snap her out of it right when Zelena was about to get married. We’ve seen this scenario before. At least twice. Well, three times. Once between Mulan and Aurora and once between Robin-Regina and Zelena. In both of those there was a pregnancy. Then there was Emma telling Regina she was getting married. In that one the curse supposedly happens simultaneously with the wedding. Another interesting thing is that Zelena’s memories featured “the” flying monkey. And you could say it’s because she’s the Wicked Witch. But if that was the reason then Regina’s memories would have featured a poisoned apple. They didn’t. Basically I think the flying monkey is Rumple. it’s very likely Regina went to find Emma two years after she and Rumple got together, snapped her out of her drug-induced state somehow, only to find out she was pregnant and about to marry Rumple. We also had Zelena tell Regina she loves her. Which I think is important, because I think it means at one point Emma told Regina she loved her. Or showed her somehow. *cough true love=sacrifice *cough

We also have more confirmation on the gay element to the story. Even if we got it through Emma passionately kissing herself (Alice kissing Robin). Seems that Emma may be in denial not just about what happened between her and Rumple (since we also have those scenarios often take place between versions of Emma) but also about what happened between her and Regina. Or at least she used to be. In denial about her feelings for Regina? I’d say so.

For those who are in doubt about the possibility of Regina being the other actual half to what is Emma in that gay pairing, in spite of the yearning looks and suggestive remarks Regina and Emma have thrown each other throughout the first 6 seasons not to mention the often downright romantic actions toward each other and the highly suggestive pairings between Regina and pretty much any other blonde woman on this show (i.e. Mal, Tink...)  there is the letter between the girls, Robin and Alice with the clear “My Love” on the envelope. See, letters have been written between non-platonic pairings before on this show. The first between Cora(also Emma) and Rumple, read by Robin Sr. (whom I believe is (also) Emma) to Regina. That letter was very romantic, albeit supposedly written by Rumple about Regina, found in Cora’s things. Then there’s the letter Robin wrote to Regina. And let’s not forget, the only one between the pairing that wasn’t confirmed non-platonic, Regina leaving Emma a letter in the Wish World. My logic dictates that every other letter on this show before was between a non-platonic pairing, it means Emma and Regina are also a non-platonic pairing and in fact the only all-female non-platonic pairing.

But it really makes me wonder what actually happened that involved a letter. Especially because of Rumple’s letter to Cora, since that would then be the only letter that involved Rumple. Did Rumple really also write a letter to Emma? Or did he write a letter, giving it to Emma while telling her it was from Regina? Or did Regina write a (romantic) letter to Emma that Rumple said was from him?

Interesting that in that curse shot we also have Rumple in the background when the two Emma’s are holding onto each other, which to me is more confirmation that Emma ended up under the “curse” with Rumple.

We had Tiana end up with Lucy during the curse, which to me is more confirmation that Henry originally ended up with Emma during the curse. Of course, I think she was pregnant with him, or had just given birth to him, when it comes to part of the curse, so it makes sense. 

I think the visuals of whom is with whom when this version of the curse is cast is important. And should probably be put up against the ones from the season 6 curse. It gives an idea of how the story went.

We also had Henry try to escape the curse with Lucy via Tiger Lily’s help. Which tells me that Emma(adult Henry) and Henry(Lucy) tried to escape the curse with Regina’s(Tiger Lily’s) help. But it didn’t work.

We had Regina cast the curse, not Drizella. Even though either one would have worked since I think they’re the same person. 

We also had the curse look like Zelena’s time travel curse, which warrants a look back at that curse and its elements/ingredients.

We have confirmation of the 8 years. This could mean that like I said Emma was with Rumple for 8 years. And/or that Regina really did not have Henry from birth but adopted him years later, possibly 8 years after he was born. Which could signify why Regina is the bad guy in this curse scenario after the kid is already born. And not just before its birth. The thing is that in this version of events we have adult Henry, whom up to his point has been Emma, and Jacinda (Regina) raising Lucy together for the first 8 years of her life. So is it possible Emma and Regina raised Henry from birth? I’d say its unlikely, but I’ve said “8 years” is significant. And I still believe it. 

We have Drizella(Regina) turned to stone for 8 years. Before(in season 5 when Emma got tethered to the darkness i.e. Rumple) it was used by Emma to incapacitate/freeze her gay self. Which makes sense. Emma couldn’t be outwardly gay and be with Rumple. Also explains the wardrobe malfunction in season 6. In season 5 we saw her turn Sneezy dressed like her badass gay self into stone. Now a similar thing apparently happened to Drizella for the first 8 years after she threatened to cast the curse. Here’s the thing. We know Regina is Drizella. We also know Regina made a similar threat to Snow (Emma in this scenario) and her happiness on her wedding day. I think the threat back then was at least partly about shattering Emma’s illusion of happiness with a man. Which Regina knew she couldn’t have, not really, because she’s gay. The curse, I think, has many aspects to it. This was one. Later I think the curse may have become about Henry, and Regina possibly taking Henry from Emma. As for Drizella, her being turned to stone right after her threat tells me it functions as a kind of degayifying of Regina. Maybe her losing access to the gay aspect of her life that could make her happy. Emma. If Emma got married to Rumple or was in an arrangement with Rumple, which I think she was, that certainly makes sense.

I think the Curse has aspects or Waves. The First Wave seems to have been Regina possibly sacrificing Emma’s happiness to safeguard her own by pushing Emma towards Rumple. Emma giving up her own happiness to save Regina. The Second Wave would be Regina showing up (2?) years later after she’d seen the error of her ways at Emma’s wedding to Rumple? or a bit before trying to snap Emma out of her perceived love for Rumple. Trying to remind Emma of the bond they shared. She even does it in this episode with Zelena with her “Sisters, remember?” spiel. Only sisters don’t kiss passionately on the mouth and clearly through Robin and Alice that’s an aspect to what happened. Or is it what Emma wishes happened? Who knows at this point. The Third Wave would be Regina adopting Henry away from Emma.  Let’s check it with this episode’s more solid real world timeline (I love how even the show joked about different realm timelines this episode). Based on it, the first wave might have happened when Emma was 14, about to be 15. And the second happened two years later, then Emma would have been 16/17. And could definitely have been pregnant with Henry. Since I think age 17 was when we’re told Emma got pregnant. And if the third wave happened 8 years later, then Henry would have been 8 possibly, when Regina adopted him. That could mean that by the time Emma comes back into their lives Regina has had Henry for 2 years. If there’s a Fourth Wave, I’m guessing it involves Henry and a(his) possible illness. 

We also had confirmation that Emma (Victoria) was supposed to think she’d cast the curse, when it was actually Regina. I think it goes back to the whole “The Queen cast a powerful curse” bit. A line from the pilot I believe that applied to both Snow (Emma depending on the scenario I believe) and Regina.

What else? I think that may be it for the meta-portion of this review. I still don’t completely understand the guardian angle to the story. I still think that it’s a life for a life situation though. As in, I think, for Henry to live, someone has to die. I think that given that I believe Emma and Rumple are his biological parents and that may be an important factor in being able to save his life, given DNA matching, I’d say that Emma and Rumple are the lucky candidates that get to save his life. I’m hoping it’s Rumple. But it may actually turn out to be Emma. But where’s the happy ending in that? Again, I’m pretty sold on the idea that for this to be a real happy ending, Emma, Regina and Henry will all survive and end up together as a family.

Regina is still my favorite thing about pretty much every episode. That curse casting scene was amazing. I love how this one had a emotional heartbreaking tone to it where the first one, and gave us another side to the story. Regina casting the curse to save a loved one, not just herself. Compared to the original casting.

Special Mention to Roni’s curly hair. I love it. 

[faithandfairies]

OUAT 6x10 Thoughts

I'm re~watching OUAT 6x10 and so far I've noticed two things. 1. In the scene where Emma blows out her birthday candle there is an older Asian woman in the background. Now, the only Asian woman on this show so far has been Mulan. Moreover, she has seemed to represent Regina a lot of the time, especially when it comes to her love life. Just like Regina, she chose to join Robin. After we saw her choose not to tell Aurora how she felt about her. She seems to be the only recurring character who hasn't found love on this show yet at all. Even more interestingly, she is almost in every shot of that birthday candle scene, when Regina can't be there. Watching. On top of that, she's wearing a crown. Which tells me she is a princess or a queen. Hmm, I wonder how that happened, since Mulan wasn't a royal originally. I find that fascinating. 2. There are two times in this episode where an arrow is shot. The first is when Regina is just seeming to get through to Emma. She looks just about ready to believe Regina. Until her parents shoot at Regina and the moment is over. Regina loses (what little ground she had with) Emma. The second time is when Emma and Regina are holding hands, about to jump into the portal. And Robin sends an arrow flying towards them. This makes Emma lose Regina. She almost goes into trance. Or a dream. Kind of like Emma when the first arrow goes flying. This is almost like some reverse cupid situation. To me, it makes me think that for these respective individuals, Emma and Regina, the people lodging the arrows at them are what are keeping them apart. Or at least what those people stand for. I think Regina wants a happy ending. And she can't let go of the idea that she adopted ages ago, when she was a young girl. That it's true love. And that she lost her shot at it when she lost Daniel. But Robin, he's the person she feels she can be sure of. Because he is he's her soulmate and he's meant to love her no matter what. He's her second chance. But the sad part is she hides from him. She's mostly reasonable around him. And all smiles or twinkling tears. She hides the real anger she's capable of, the jealousy, the frustration and the fear. She hides her temper. The few times she hasn't Robin has either pretty much called her crazy, looked at her funny(like he was seeing her for the first time and not in a good way) and not defended her when others tried to hurt her feelings. He also has never truly experienced the full force of her wrath. You can't know a person until you know what makes them tick. What gets them pissed off. And until you've witnessed it in all its full glory. For Emma, she has always wanted a family, home. Love and belonging. Acceptance. Instead she got abandonment and a shitty childhood. But now she's found her parents. And so she feels she has a shot, a second chance, to reclaim what she lost. But because of who her parents are and all that she's been through I think she believes she has to be someone else in order to secure their love. And it makes sense. The times when she has shown them her beliefs, they've shot her down. Told her she was crazy or seeing things. When she feared her own magic and it went out of control they rebuked her. She's never truly told them any details about what it was like for her growing up without them. Or she has and they don't understand her. If she hasn't, I'm not even sure they'd want to know. It's clear in how they welcomed Neal with open arms and encouraged Emma to take him back in the interest of Henry. Neal, the man who had her go to jail for a year for a crime she didn't commit. Who left her alone and pregnant in jail. They seem to see what they want to see. The girl they wish they had raised her to be instead of the one her hard life made her. I think Emma and Regina want to be happy. But they believe they have to conform to certain rules in order to get there. One of which involves, being who you think the people you want to love and accept you want you to be instead of who you are. It's funny because they have no problem showing each other who they truly are. The mirror episode is such a good example of that. They were their very own angry, frustrated selves. Because they had reason to be angry and frustrated. There was no fear of judgment. It was clear in their reactions to each other that they know each other and are used to each other's personalities. And fine with them. But in that same episode they weren't afraid to show each other their respective fears and joys. Emma her fear of dying. And Regina her fear of having to raise Henry alone as a result of that. And they were there for each other, cheering each other up. And basically slapping each other on the back for doing a good job with Henry. It's so great because sometimes when these two interact, honesty, showing each other who they are, is almost as easy as breathing. And then other times...