Mathius

I would have been all for that as early as a month ago. Then 6x12 airs, and I now have a phobia of Hook's past being shown anymore.

So if both Jen and Lana are gone, there's no need for Jared. If Bobby is gone, there's no need for Emilie. Gosh and Bex are also going. As much as the network loves Colin, do you really think they'd reboot the show with him as the only carryover? I doubt it.

I don't think they were ever going to do a cliffhanger, Channing Dungey, Eduardo Castro, and A&E themselves have indicated that this is going to be a close-ended wrap-up to the narrative that's been going on since the pilot even if they get a S7, which would be something entirely different spun off from characters introduced in the finale and their situation. Think "Going Home" but without the last-minute scene with Hook coming to Emma. I understand, but I disagree. The demo numbers have not gone up in 6B, they've only held steady at 0.9 (except for 6x13, which got 0.8), and the audience numbers are shrinking. The ABC execs can look at the show's past history and do basic math to determine that a S7 would get even lower, so they'd be wasting money if they threw it at a S7. And as I said above, other shows on Sunday doing worse no longer means anything since the network is probably going to change Sunday night into being comedy-oriented this Fall. Basically, I ask: what would be the motive for a renewal? And given the reboot concept, I think if they renewed it, it would last 13 episodes or less. It'd be Heroes Reborn all over again.

Yes, it is just hearsay and no confirmation by any means. But it does fit the hearsay we've gotten from people with sources closer to ABC, including Tiger's recent remark about the May Sweeps promotional material. Honestly, I don't think it's very surprising. A&E's proposed S7 reboot pitch with lower costs and a smaller cast sounds unappealing and not something ABC would accept, and OUAT doing slightly better in the ratings than other Sunday night dramas doesn't count for much when ABC would find it more profitable to just completely blow up the Sunday lineup and change it to be comedy-oriented. High costs, bad writers, a tired cast, low ratings, an ever-decreasing audience...OUAT has everything working against it now.

THAT should have been what David was utilized for in 5A, instead of the go-nowhere bromance with Arthur. They had even set it up in the earlier seasons that Rumple envied David for being the kind of brave hero he could never be. It would have been an organic development, but instead we get a new character in the role, a character who otherwise has her own thing going on that has nothing to do with Rumple and Emma at all.

Really? I'm not seeing it. Maybe she changed it after realizing the implications? But yeah, Bex being gone is one thing, but if Lana is gone? That means there's no S7, which I've been suspecting is the case.

All the writers having a perma-boner for Lana / Regina confirmed. Not that we needed the confirmation at this point, but still.

It's said that it will be filmed out in the streets and use a lot of lighting and smoke effects. And considering that Rumple's first death was filmed out in the open, I see no reason his second one couldn't be as well.

Also, we're dragging politics into this? Really?

This is what I've been saying all along. One more season makes no difference, these writers are simply incapable of delivering a satisfying conclusion. You mean "finale" as opposed to "season finale" like the other shows are being described as having in the May sweeps. I remember your post said so was Quantico and Modern Family - the latter of which will have final negotiations in May, so I guess the "finale" label is being put in place just in case things don't work out. The decision for Quantico and Once, on the other hand, has probably already been finalized.

Agreed. S1 through S3 (most of 2B aside) wasn't perfect, but it felt like a legitimately fun show about fairy tales and, yes, about hope. Then things took a hard dark turn midway through 4A and it's just kept at it from there. That, above all else, is what has been killing the ratings.

Nobody can blame them for not renewing their contract. Even in S6, the so-called "Year of Snowing", they've been completely sidelined.

Here's the way I see it: the split Evil Queen, the Land of Untold Stories, and the Aladdin stuff that they shoehorned in to relating to Emma's Savior status were all thrown together at the start of the season and competing for screentime. A&E started on the former two already in the S5 finale. I think Dungey was fine with the LOUS since it was a good springboard for more self-contained procedural-esque stories, but the EQ as the ongoing arc amidst these episodes didn't appeal to her and she made them also do Aladdin as well. This was bad enough, but then as I said, A&E's ADHD-style writing struck midway through and now suddenly all of this has been pushed to the side in favor of the Black Fairy / Gideon drama. The LOUS was dropped after just six episodes, the EQ was literally thrown out when Gideon arrived in 6x10 (only resurfacing for a single-episode resolution and then it's right back to Gideon), and as said above, the Aladdin story is barely focused on (as is the Emma story it's meant to link to, for that matter.)

The way Snow referred to her, the Evil Queen was to blame for all the evil and persecution, while Regina was blameless. That's why it was the Evil Queen who ended up apologizing to Snow while Regina never did. Seriously, Snow acted like the Evil Queen redeeming herself was something entirely different from Regina, who was and is the Evil Queen, having already redeemed herself. It's so ridiculous. This entire arc was horrendous.

Nonsense. The shift of focus to Regina happened back when Paul Lee was in charge, Channing Dungey simply didn't change it. Honestly, I think Channing Dungey's vision for the show just plain wasn't followed through with by A&E, and they're in trouble for it. Her vision of the show sounded like she wanted it back like S1, with not half-season arcs and a more procedural, "small-town stories" type of format, which A&E set up with the Land of Untold Stories characters and their problems. Then that all got dropped like a hot potato and they resumed their ADHD style of writing, resulting in a severe lack of focus and cohesion in the season. It's clear that not even the network can stop these showrunners from sucking.

I highly doubt that Robert would be coming back even if OUAT got a S7. He's clearly done with the show. And let me guess, they do that market research totally online. That would explain a lot. It sure as heck hasn't seemed to pay off for them. The declining ratings in S5 were nowhere close to the decline in S2, S4, and S6. And 5B ("Emma's quest to save her boyfriend") was pretty damn steady, opening at 1.3 / 4.01 and ending at 1.2 / 4.07. Although I do agree that Jennifer Morrison couldn't keep viewers interested during 5A, since her performance as Dark Swan was lacking and wasn't helped by the tepid writing which ended up amounting to "Surprise! Hook's the real villain!"

To be fair, it probably can't be any more or less awful than what's currently going on with the old characters.

So is this subtle confirmation that Rumple might end up going down for good as a villain, no redemption? (Wishful thinking, I know.) Of course, what does it matter if he does at this point? Baelfire still gets the blame anyway.

As I said before, not even David Goodman has been able to do well with writing for Regina. None of the writers have any objectivity about her.

That happened a long time ago, it's just more blatant now.

Don't forget, Rumple is now free from his cell there too. So basically, A&E turned a wish realm of Emma's that was based around an AU fans wanted to see for a long time into a realm where only Regina and Rumple live happily ever after. Why am I not surprised?

That's EXACTLY what will happen, just watch.

I could have sworn I read or heard somewhere that he said he would have gladly done it if he could, but his current work makes it impossible. This is true. Even Deniz and Karen (Aladdin and Jasmine) are under contract as recurring characters, but Oded is a guest star.

Actually, there was confirmation of them together in 6x18 ("Where Bluebirds Fly"), so they're at least reunited by then. Hopefully they'll be together by the time the actual final battle (that will be filmed this week) gets underway.

I think the EF and Storybrooke are merging, actually...or at least, the forest around Storybrooke is becoming the EF.