#just to save that one person. to rewrite their tragic fate. regardless of what it takes.

[pokemonruby]

god, now that we know lu guang's big secret, his reaction to qian jin shooting cheng xiaoshi is so horrifically gut-wrenching, the way he went absolutely ballistic afterwards, the inestimable amount of times he has likely had to witness cheng xiaoshi dying, perhaps finally deluding himself into thinking he finally bypassed the death node - and while cheng xiaoshi was alright in the end, the sheer horror that lu guang experienced at that moment, thinking that it's all been undone again. it's all been for naught... i'm sorry i'm just

[themattress]

OUAT AND ME: FINAL ANALYSIS

"That is indeed a complicated story. The timelines alone would make one’s head spin. Only a true Author could weave such a tale." - The Sorcerer's Apprentice, 7x21: "Homecoming"

So, the question still stands: how am I supposed to make my peace with Once Upon a Time? How am I supposed to fully love it again and hold on to that love when it made such a tragic downward spiral in quality? It seemed like an impossibility, but in keeping with the spirit of the show back when it was true to its message, I held firmly onto hope that I could do it.

And as frustrating as having to re-experience the show's decline was....I have!

Because you see, I came to remember something important. In the end, OUAT isn't about hope, or morality, or redemption, or what it is to be a hero or a villain, or happy endings, etc. 

OUAT is about stories. And regardless of whether a story is told well or told poorly, it is a story nonetheless. This commitment to being all about stories remained true from start to finish for OUAT, as it went balls to the wall telling stories within stories within stories. While the creative staff behind the show seemed to have differing agendas in many aspects, this was the one aspect they were firmly united behind, and in the end that's what makes OUAT special.

And in the spirit of that storytelling focus, and in the spirit of the show's own tendency to stand on wobbly logic in order to tell its stories, I have decided that the story of OUAT is actually a timestream; one that branches into several different versions (or tellings, if you will) of the story, all of them with differences in their timelines, plotlines, and end points.

The "Snow Falls" Timeline - This is the original telling of the story, spanning from the Dark Curse Saga of Season 1 to the Neverland Saga of Season 3. It begins with Henry Mills seeking out his birth mother Emma Swan and bringing her to Storybrooke so that she can break the Dark Curse, and concludes with Emma and Henry driving across the town line as Storybrooke and all its inhabitants are sent back to where they came from, the Dark Curse fully undone and Henry's "Once Upon a Time" storybook disappearing within the cloud of purple smoke. And in this timeline, the Wonderland Saga happens in the timeframe of the early events of the Price of Magic Saga, as it was originally intended to in the initially filmed pilot episode.  Anything that happens beyond "Going Home" is left up to the imagination.

The "Snow Drifts" Timeline - This telling of the story spans from the Dark Curse Saga of Season 1 to the Operation Mongoose Saga of Season 4, with the Wonderland Saga transpiring directly afterward. It begins with Henry Mills seeking out his birth mother Emma Swan and bringing her to Storybrooke so that she can break the Dark Curse, and concludes with Henry becoming the new Author, freeing everyone from Isaac Heller's illusionary reality, followed by the rest of the heroes looking to find a way to contain the Darkness after it is removed from Rumple. Afterward, this hypothetical Season 5 of mine is able to transpire.

The "Heroes and Villains" Timeline - This telling of the story spans from the Dark Curse Saga of Season 1 to the Underworld Saga of Season 5, with the Wonderland Saga transpiring after Season 4's Operation Mongoose Saga. It begins with Henry Mills seeking out his birth mother Emma Swan and bringing her to Storybrooke so that she can break the Dark Curse, and concludes with a finale like this one, except that Robin sadly is dead.

The "Final Battle" Timeline - This telling of the story spans from the Dark Curse Saga of Season 1 to the Savior's Fate Saga of Season 6, with the Wonderland Saga transpiring after Season 4's Operation Mongoose Saga. It begins with Henry Mills seeking out his birth mother Emma Swan and bringing her to Storybrooke so that she can break the Dark Curse, and concludes with Emma triumphing in the Final Battle, saving all the realms and light magic from destruction. There are two versions of this telling, one where Rumple dies sacrificing his heart for Gideon, and another where he lives and is given a second chance at a family.

The "Coven of Eight" Timeline - This telling of the story spans from the Dark Curse Saga of Season 1 to the Hyperion Heights Saga of Season 7, with the Wonderland Saga transpiring after Season 4's Operation Mongoose Saga. It begins with Henry Mills seeking out his birth mother Emma Swan and bringing her to Storybrooke so that she can break the Dark Curse, and concludes with Regina being crowned Good Queen of all the realms.

So now you must be wondering, how did these branches of the timestream come to be? Well, each but one holds two possible options for their creation, both equally valid: they are either the result of a new Dark Curse being cast or of the fabric of time being messed with.

The "Snow Falls" Timeline was created by either Snow and Charming casting a new Dark Curse or by Emma and Hook traveling through time and altering the past. The result caused the events of "Snow Drifts" to supplant those of "Snow Falls", which meant that the now-alternate timeline in which "Snow Falls" was canon had to be branched off at the exact point before the events leading to "Snow Drifts" (in other words, the Wicked Saga) happened.

The "Snow Drifts" Timeline was created by either Nimue casting a new Dark Curse through Dark Hook or by Isaac Heller temporarily rewriting reality. This means that the timeline that was currently in effect was rendered alternate at the exact point before the events leading to Nimue's Dark Curse (in other words, the Dark Swan Saga) happened, or at the point when Isaac messed with reality (in other words, the Operation Mongoose Saga).

The "Heroes and Villains" Timeline was created by either Fiona casting a new Dark Curse or by the Evil Queen creating the Wish Realm to trap Emma in. This means that the timeline that was currently in effect was rendered alternate at the exact point before the events leading to either of these causes (in other words, the Savior's Fate Saga) happened.

The "Final Battle" Timeline was the only one created by a single possibility: Drizella leading the Coven of Eight in casting a new Dark Curse, since it was both the casting of a Dark Curse and screwing with the fabric of time by sending everyone back several years into the past. This means that the timeline that was currently in effect was rendered alternate at the exact point before the events leading to this (in other words, the Hyperion Heights Saga) happened and that the "Coven of Eight" Timeline is now the "official" timeline, aka the show.

While I technically can conceive of ways in which the story could stop at either the Wicked Saga and even the Frozen Saga, they can't realistically be made into branches of a timestream because they rely too much on cutting out things that are present in the show, which is a leap too far and I'd feel like a real Isaac Heller if I did that. And it goes without saying that (even though it's satisfying in of itself) the story can't really end at the Dark Curse Saga since there's way too much still up in the air, least of all the big "magic is coming" cliffhanger; the Price of Magic Saga since its ending is a direct lead-in to the Neverland Saga; or the Dark Swan Saga because its ending is a direct lead-in to the Underworld Saga (it can end with the Underworld Saga as it does in the Heroes and Villains Timeline because the "Only You" / "An Untold Story" Season 5 finale is it's own thing apart from that arc, so its removal and replacement isn't affecting anything.) So I’m left with just these five options.

And with the variety presented here, I find myself kind of loving Once Upon a Time again! The quality of the story may fluctuate wildly depending on which timeline / telling it is, but regardless of which one it is, it’s something that - for better or worse - you’re going to find quite unlike anything else out there. And so at least I have made peace with it, realized that it is bigger than its awful creators, and have accepted that regardless of my personal feelings towards all of the less than desirable parts of it....I’m a ONCEr. And I always will be.

“And you may think this is just a story. But that's the thing about stories. They're more than words. They live inside of us. They make us who we are. And as long as someone believes that......there will always be magic.” - (Teenage) Henry Mills, 7x20: “Is This Henry Mills?”

[mittensmorgul]

They are filming ep15 right now (Cas and Jack are working alone on a case) and the fact that Misha will miss one more ep due to his contract makes me think they dropped the empty deal arc. I just cant see them playing it out when they have to set up Jack to be the God killer, Cas to fix heaven, Amara plotline in 4 eps. Plus Dabb implied that Michael!Adam would also come back to defeat God in some form. Thoughts?

hmmm...

*does math in my head* *admits this is dangerous*

So we know that Misha is scheduled to be in 15 episodes this season, leaving five he will not appear in. So far, he has not been in 15.04, 05, and 10. Of the remaining unaired episodes (including the ones he’s already filmed, but haven’t aired yet), that leaves two more that he won’t be in.

And yeah, I really don’t think there’s time to explore the full weight of that deal, especially given that the entire cosmic situation has shifted since he made it. I mean, even the fundamental REASON Cas made it was so Jack would not end up in the Empty. And then Jack... ended up... in the Empty...  Kind of a dick move for the Shadow to still try and cash in on that deal, right?

I just think it’s more a factor of them having committed to end the series at the end of s15 that led to the reframing of the deal, you know? If they had intended to go on for a s16, I think it would’ve been heavily dealt with in s15, or even in the back half of s14, but instead things needed to happen to accelerate dusting AU!Michael off the table to make room from Chuck to get all uppity with the story. :’D

They could bring it up as a potential way for Dean and Cas to deal with the rest of their communication issues. Like Cas could tell Dean about the deal, and Dean react to it with a Normal Amount of upset, because it IS reasonable to be upset to learn your best friend literally sold his own happiness in exchange for what he thought would make you happy, you know? Worst Gift of the Magi AU ever. All Dean wants is for Cas to be happy, but he’s willing to trade “enjoying that in a peaceful, not world ending life” and stand by Cas’s side through all their battles to make that happen. All Cas wants is for Dean to be happy, and he’s literally willing to sacrifice his own happiness and life to make that happen.

I think this was at least partly delved into in 15.09, with the very real threat of Cas having taken on a Mark like the MoC, which would eventually drive Dean to a point where he would’ve had to lock Cas in a ma’lak box forever, effectively losing Cas forever. It wasn’t the Empty deal, but the Empty would’ve never been able to collect, because Cas would’ve never been happy after that, you know? But again, I personally think that deal went out the window the moment Jack burned up his own soul to kill AU!Michael. Because I don’t think the Empty ever really wanted Cas... I think the entity was biding its time until everything was ready to bring ALL of Jack to the Empty, as we saw in 14.20... There was a bigger game afoot, and we don’t entirely know what that is yet.

Is Billie’s plan really to kill Chuck? Or is she, like Death always has, pushing at the Winchesters (yes, including Jack and Cas) to do something specific with no intention of them actually DOING the thing, but knowing that Cosmic Level Nudge will set into motion an entirely different sequence of events? Because Death... can’t act directly. Billie has come closest to just saying it outright, in 12.06, and this was before she ascended to that Bigger Picture View of Creation:

Mary: How would it work?Sam: Mom?Mary: You just kill me again?Billie: Reapers don't kill people. Rules.

So many rules... and Billie is so, so good at working around those rules. Even better than OG Death was. 6.11 is still a prime example of how Death functions.

DEATH So, if you could go back, would you simply kill the little girl? No fuss, no stomping your feet?DEAN Knowing what I know now, yeah.DEATH I'm surprised to hear that. Surprised and glad.DEAN Yeah, well, don't get excited. I would have saved the nurse, okay? That's it.DEATH I think it's a little more than that. Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain. Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So... I think you've learned something today.DEAN Want to know what I think? I think you knew that I wouldn't last a day.DEATH I have no idea what you're talking about.DEAN I lost. Fine. But at least have the balls to admit that it was rigged from the jump.DEATH Most people speak to me with more respect.DEAN I didn't mean --DEATH We're done here. It's been lovely. But now I'm going to go to hell to get your brother's soul.DEAN Why would you do that for me?DEATH I wouldn't do it for you. You and your brother keep coming back. You're an affront to the balance of the universe, and you cause disruption on a global scale.DEAN I apologize for that.DEATH But you have use. Right now, you're digging at something. The intrepid Detective. I want you to keep digging, Dean.DEAN So you're just gonna be cryptic, or...DEATH It's about the souls. You'll understand when you need to.

Just like Billie’s command to Dean about the Ma’Lak box in 14.10:

Billie: And just look at you now. Do you remember visiting my reading room? The shelves and shelves of notebooks describing the ways you might die?Dean: Yeah. Upbeat classics.Billie: Well, it's the funniest thing, but they've all been rewritten. They all end the same way now -- with the archangel Michael escaping your mind and using you as his vessel to burn down this world.Dean: All of them?Billie: All of them. Except one.

Except... ALL of those books... were wrong... even that one that said the ma’lak box solution was the thing... And I think Billie was HOPING to get that EXACT reaction from Dean We’ll Find Another Way Winchester. But if she hadn’t TOLD him about that one anomalous book of fate, Dean wouldn’t have known to even TRY. And in doing so, in attempting to build that box, his loved ones realized something was super fishy (lol I didn’t intend to make an undersea pun, but there you go) with Dean, and stepped up to support him until out of nowhere, a wildly unexpected solution presented itself. BECAUSE Dean drew strength to keep Michael contained beyond the original prophesied ends... Because Billie “interfered.”

I don’t think Death actually KNOWS what will happen after she shakes up reality, you know? She just knows where to apply pressure in order to force a rewrite of destiny. This was also the entire point of 13.19-- the things you CAN change, versus the things you can’t. And how to give just the right nudge to set those changes in motion.

Well, that went off on a tangent... >.>

Point is, I don’t know for sure that Jack will end up as a God Killer (I mean even in a practical sense, the ONE THING the CW has ever said was that they were not allowed to kill God... I assume that hasn’t changed and am basing my own personal expectations accordingly...). So I’m thinking that whatever the final plan will look like... we haven’t seen it yet. Okay, now back to the point... Cas’s Deal with the Empty.

So regardless of the why (because I try to avoid using a doylist rationale like Misha’s contract or the remaining number of episodes in order to justify narrative choices, because no matter how you slice it, that’s Bad Science right there...), I don’t really see the Empty deal as a threat to Cas anymore. Unless Cas is destined for a tragic end and will be sucked into the empty in the series finale-- which, again, would mean that DEAN would also never be able to be happy, because it’s been explicitly established in text that Dean can’t be happy without Cas, and again, I don’t think the series CAN have a tragic ending, so it’s so unlikely I’m not even bothering to consider it. Except... Cas might not know that because of everything else, his own happiness won’t spell his doom, you know? Which leaves some interesting possibilities on the table for really cool CHARACTER stuff instead. Cas’s fear of finishing that conversation with Dean that Dean’s Purgatory prayer began, for example... because heck that’s treading really dangerously close to words that could make Cas happy... And could be holding him back from continuing that dialogue now, at least for a few more episodes of tension between them.

They may just bring it up again as a WTF Cas? How could you not tell me? moment, just to demonstrate that Cas and Dean truly HAVE resolved their interpersonal conflicts, by having Jack confirm that the deal is null and void because of his arrangement working with Billie and the Shadow now. Or even Cas himself already knowing the deal has been nullified when it’s mentioned in conversation, allowing them to finally have a conversation about what would make them happy, using Cas’s continued existence as a prime factor in Dean’s happiness, and Dean wanting him to stay to be a prime factor in Castiel’s happiness... I think this could be a really interesting way to use the fact that the deal had existed at all could spark that revelation, you know?

But again, all of this is just theory at this point. I could be 100% wrong about all of this. But as you said, with only 9 episodes left (and two of them theoretically not even including Cas... and heck they could do a speed run through the Empty for one of those episodes too... I have no idea what they have planned), I don’t think it’s going to be a long, drawn-out ordeal, you know? They’ve refocused all of the character arcs back into the main story now, and they’re all converging on what will eventually be the series finale, not flinging them all out in opposite directions to generate drama and angst, you know? Different point in the story, different options available to wrap up open threads.