Rumsy4

I donno what's happening to me. I started reading another modern CS AU (http://gp28writer.tumblr.com/post/88502756759/catchlight-au-cs-fanfic-4). I just read Ch 1, and there are three more chapters written already. Next thing you know, I'll be reading Lost Boys and Scarlet, and be knee deep in Modern AUs. :-p

From reading interviews with actors playing villains, they consistently say that they have headcanons that help justify what their character is doing on-screen so that they can portray the character believably. I think Lana took it a little too far and quoted it as something actually happening on screen, instead of what she does for acting. It's a shame, and just makes me rage whenever I think of poor Graham.

Here's a seriously cute little modern AU by madj https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10421275/1/The-Favor

The problem with Season 2A was that they had three separate storylines going on each episode--Storybrooke, Enchanted Forest present, and a flashback. They simply did not give themselves any time to deal with emotional fallout. 2B was basically an incoherent mess, as far as I remember. I was ready to give up on the Show if S3 didn't get better. Honestly, early Season 3, and my new shipping of CS was what revived my interest. And then, 3B happened, but I feel way too invested to drop the Show right now. A lot of things they needed to have dealt with in S2 will never be addressed right now--because it is too late in several cases, frankly! Thank goodness for fanfic! ;-)

Shame on all those people who sent her hate on twitter (I checked--it was nasty). She really didn't need to have to explain herself. It's unfortunate. I partly blame Adam--he encourages trolls and haters all the time--so they think they can take the same liberties with the cast as well. Social media gives a lot of people "courage" to be rude to people, and they don't realize they are actually being cowards.

Omg!! He looks adorable... Definitely prefer the scruff, though...

I'm with you Cindy and FabulousTater. Such threads tend to fester rants, without promoting discussion, IMHO.

Colin--no! haha Hope he gets the scruff back in time for OUAT. I do think his hair needs a trim though. That look he had in The Crocodile was super hot!!

And yet she spends time bonding with the woman who ripped her away from her daughter and was responsible for Emma's hard life. She also names her son after the man who abandoned their daughter and sent her to jail. 3B has made me dislike Snow, and she used to be one of my favorites in S1.

The writers acted as though Regina reversing the Dark Curse created an inseparable barrier between the worlds that could only be broken by reenacting it. Despite Emma telling him "Good", Hook realized that it was before she knew she would lose her memeries, and he had suffered enough from Dark Magic not to use it to selfishly get to Emma for his own sake. He even calls Neal a villain (I think) for having used Dark Magic to revive his father. Once the supposed barriers were down, and knowing that he had a chance to not only reunite with Emma, but also bring her back to her family and help save lives, he immediately set about finding a way to get to her. As for why it had to be yet another "rare" Magic Bean, it's again because the writers like their parallels a little too much over continuity. Hook has used Magic Beans twice to try and get revenge, and now has used them twice to reunite Emma with her family (Henry in Neverland, her patents in Storybrooke). Inversely, Rumple has almost always lost family when using Magic Beans (his father, little Bae, Neal falling through the Portal in Storybrooke). Even though he got to Neverland to save Henry through a Bean Portal, he still ended up sacrificing himself to save his family.

If Emma had wanted to go back to New York because she really thought it was safer and better for Henry and herself, that would be a different thing. But that was not true. Hook called her out on it. The only reason she was running was because she had bought into Neal's idiotic idea (which was presented as something wise) that the only way to know what home is to keep running until you miss it. She had been no safer in New York (Walsh) with her false memories. The same would go for the next Big Bad. She wanted to run because that's what she was used to doing. I would agree that Mary Margaret and David haven't given her much reason to stay other than make some passive aggressive statements. However, Henry clearly prefers Storybrooke, and would want live close to Regina, his grandparents, Archie, etc., rather than away from them for most of the time in New York. Emma could at least have had some discussions with Henry about it. Instead she made idiotic statements as though Henry was not smart enough to even choose the right kind of milk to put on his cereal. And yet, earlier she was taking relationship advice from him. The writers just took it too far for the sake of angst. Organically, Emma at the end of 3a was much more receptive than the Emma with false memories. The memory loss and separation was done just for plot reasons. In fact, they could have let Emma and Henry keep their memories, and still have Emma feel conflicted over returning to Storybrooke. But as I said in another thread, the writers love their parallels way too much. That conversation she had with Hook in the finale needed to have happened earlier. She and her parents should have had at least one discussion where they tried to show they really wanted her in Storybrooke, and not just to save them. Emma should have discussed her decision with Henry, even if he did not agree with her. A little bit of tension between her and Regina over this issue during 3B would have been better than the stupid Maid Marian issue as well. Having Emma merely keep chanting "New York, New York" without developing the arc properly only made her look like a brat.

Henry basically arranging a booty call for his mom with Walsh was one of the most cringe-worthy Henry moments in the season. Ugh! Both Emma and Regina come acrooss as far too clingy with Henry (Emma to a much lesser extent). Now that Emma has finally started to let other people in, I hope this pattern changes. As for Regina, I fully expect her to cling to Henry to help cope with her tragic break-up. I didn't really mind Outlaw Queen until the finale. I was just blah about it. But now, I just can't ship it even passively. Oh well... I know it's going to happen. I think the fact that the actors for Robin Hood changed between seasons adds to the disconect some of us feel with the character.

Yeah--some of the meta writers on tumblr drew up several parallels between the two episodes. I think that in essence captures the problems with the writing in ONCE. The writers are so intent on creating parallels and call-backs, that they let consistency and characterization fall by the wayside all too often.

Oooh--I like that name--Captain Duckling. I'm a sucker for well-written fics of that order.

A lot of CSers on tumblr were shipping OQ so hard before 3B started. Even I was excited for it until after their "meet-cute" in the Enchanted Forest. Everything went downhill after that. Their supposed "Tallahassee" episode, Witch Hunt, fell flat for me, and there was no recovering it after that.

Not necessarily. Basically, these are fics where Hook is still a Lieutenant. Liam may or may not be alive. Emma never left the Enchanted Forest, and is usually a princess in these fics (hence Duckling, as opposed to Swan--hehe). When Doves Cry is definitely my favorite LD fic right now. Dark!Hook fics are when Emma meets a darker version of Hook (Rotten Heart, White Light on a Black Sea). I don't think there are any particular names for some of these AUs. haha Yay! Another amazing chapter of Put Me In Coach...

Robin Hood seems dull and bland, and even not close to Hook, Charms, or even characters like Dr. Whale, in terms of spiciness or attractiveness. Even Jiminy is an interesting character, despite not being sold as a love-interest for anybody. I don't blame Sean McGuire--it's the writing and lack of proper back-story for Robin. However, outside of our TWoP/Previously Universe, I've seen several people completely sold on OQ (not SQers, obviously--haha), and blaming Emma for destroying Regina's Happy Ending. I do think the writers intend for Elsa and Marian to teach their favorite villains some much needed lessons about consequences. However, considering how biased they are towards Regina and Rumple, it will end up show-casing them in even even more saintly light than before. I bet Regina does something to sacrifice herself to save Roland or something, and Marian realizes the error of her ways and gives her blessing to Robin and Regina before dying.

Agree with all your posts about Outlaw Queen. I find Robin Hood bland, with a questionable moral sense, and no back story to flesh him out. The writers rushed through the set-up of this pixie-dust proven "epic" romance. So, they kissed (and maybe more), and he literally held her heart in his hand, but I don't buy they now have this deep and abiding love for each other or something. I have half an idea that the while pixie-dust thing was done in part to silence rabid SQers, but I could be wrong...

The show has always brought in fresh fairy tale characters to make brief appearance in the Show, though. I don't think that's going to change. They do tend to give far too much backstory to their main (Regina, Rumple) and seasonal villains for the short time we see them (Cora, Pan, Zelena), while they neglect giving proper backstories to characters like Emma, and not enough significant screentime to deepen the main characters they already have. That is the problem with being plot-driven, and being more interested in getting a shiny new toy to play with all the time!

Haha--yes. Henry, at any rate, seemed to think he would be going back to New York with Emma when Hook "let it slip" that she was planning on leaving. So, Henry at least seems to assume that Emma still has the "primary" custody, even if he may not put it to himself that way. True Love's Kiss or no, Emma still needs to be the primary guardian of Henry. Regina's still not stable enough to be trusted. However, if the snide remarks Regina kept making in 3B are any indication, she will attempt to undermine Emma's authority at every step in Season 4.

If we are talking legality, half the main characters in Storybrooke would be in prison--especially Regina, Rumple, and even, Snow. So--saying Regina still has legal rights over Henry is not going to wash. Regina would have lost custody of Henry in the real world for her multiple crimes, and Henry would be put back on the foster system. Emma would have to fight to gain custody of Henry.

I just add the fics as favorites on ff.net and periodically check my favorites page. There are only a couple of fics I follow solely on AO3, but the ones that put their multi-chapter fics only on tumblr are the hardest to keep track of! Man--I've never been this desperate for fics since my HP days!

I stuck to canon in the beginning, but soon diverged to reading AUs. I am all into Princess/Pirate, Dark!Hook, Lieutenant Duckling fics these days (especially after that finale!!). Screaming in the Dark is a very lovely Werewolf!Killian fic (and I have a thing for werewolves after Remus Lupin ;-)). When it comes to modern AUs, it depends on the writer. I'm more likely to give modern AUs a chance if I like the author's other fics. I too am a huge fan on Put me In (and it took me a while to give it a chance even though I love BK's writing as a rule). I should probably put together a fic rec list myself, though there's probably plenty of overlap with daxx's (haha)! And Sharky--I did end up putting my fics on AO3--thanks for giving me the push I needed! :-) "When Doves Cry" is Killing me right now! That fic is amazing!

What's legality in Storybrooke? Half the main cast should have been thrown in jail for the shenanigans she pulled in Storybrooke alone!

I didn't think she needed to jump into Hook's arms right away either, but I did find her cutting remarks to Hook increasingly grating, culminating in the nasty "one-hand" remark. I get it--she was trying to push him away, afraid to take another risk, etc., but it became borderline childish by 3.20. She also did not have any meaningful interactions with her parents after she got back to Storybrooke. The writers should have shown her talking to them and feeling conflicted, and her parents making some kind of an effort to show her they wanted her. And then they squished all her character growth into two episodes. It was an amazing and satisfying finale, no doubt about that, but Emma was merely spinning the wheels the rest of 3B. The problem is the writing is plot-driven, and they would rather play with their new toy raher than develop their main characters in a more organic way.