Character You'd Like To See Return From the Dead

[FormerMod-a1]

To limit the list, I kept it to characters that appeared in 2 or more episodes.

 

We're on the honor system, but try to limit this to 3-4 selects.
You can expand on why you picked your selections below, in the comments/replies.

[Shanna Marie]

I don't think Maleficent is truly, totally dead, and I would like to see her as a primary villain, so that was one of my votes.

 

With the others, I don't think their return is necessarily plausible, so I went for the idea of the trouble they would stir up if they did somehow return rather than just characters I like and would like to see more of (that's what flashbacks are for).

 

Daniel -- and not the Frankenstein version -- would be interesting just to get his reaction to what Regina did in his name. I'd hope he'd be utterly disgusted and want nothing to do with her. Maybe then we'd see some remorse from her.

 

Prince James would just throw a monkey wrench into absolutely everything. There's the potential for twin confusion and a rival for David's position. And yet, it would be kind of nice for the brothers to actually get to meet each other.

[pezgirl7]

I voted for Graham and Peter Pan, and the majority of other characters I wouldn't mind staying dead. But I would really like to see Blackbeard again. I don't think enough was done with his character, and I was expecting some horrible, bad-ass pirate, and Hook de-sworded him in about 5 seconds.

[Rumsy4]

I totally want Graham to come back--maybe his long-term rape will be finally addressed. Lancelot died too soon. He may have a good role that ties-in with the Arthur legend. I too don't think Maleficent is fully dead. She is only mostly dead, and we all know what that means... ;-)

Edited July 15, 2014 by Rumsy4

[kili]

I voted for Pan because he's pretty good at the old mind games. I think there is lots of potential for him and Robbie was a lot of fun. Maybe a nice long con. Plus, we didn't see his body and Rumple came back to life, so there is precedence.

 

I want to see more of James, but I'd be happy with more flashbacks. I still remember the utter shock when they "killed off Charming" so early in the show. My son actually gasped. I loved the "next time make sure your opponent is dead" line, so I don't need James to still be alive. Josh has so much fun playing "The Evil Twin".

 

Cora needs to stay dead because bringing her back to life cheapens her impressive death scene (and let's not revisit the dark spot on Snow's heart).

 

I can see Rumple trying to bring Neal back to life, but Rumple is more interesting without Neal and doesn't deserve to be rewarded for centuries of abusing others to reach his goal. Sorry Neal. No good can come from Milah coming back to life (there are already enough debates about her already) and it would just be rehashing other plots.

[sharky]

I would've picked Owen and Tamara but only to watch them die again.

 

Another vote for Maleficent! And I voted for Graham just because I liked him but if he did come back, I feel like it would just be for plotline that we already have covered with Regina/Robin.

[Souris]

Could we have a nobody selection??

[Crimson Belle]

I'd vote for all or some of the villagers Regina massacred, with full memories of said incident intact.  Preferably a young child.  Or maybe the kids the Blind Witch killed.

[RadioGirl27]

None of them (I think Malificent could be still alive)

[Rockybeach]

I would like to see Cora and Daniel back, they would be the two that would add the most to current stories.

 

Unless they are going to dump Hook as Emma's TL, they won't bring back Graham.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Rockybeach

[ShadowFacts]

Only Lancelot holds any appeal, because I would like Camelot type stories.  And I would rather it be that he was never dead.  That was left open, wasn't it?

[FabulousTater]

I'd rather they all stayed dead, but if I must choose -

Maleficent, but the character was so misused that I have no confidence that the show can ever do the evil awesomeness of Maleficent justice.

And Graham. 

 

(And maaaybe Queen Eva, but ONLY if she comes back to bitch-slap some common sense into Snow. Otherwise she can stay dead with the rest.) 

Edited July 16, 2014 by FabulousTater

[daxx]

None, dead should stay dead.

[stealinghome]

Only Lancelot holds any appeal, because I would like Camelot type stories.  And I would rather it be that he was never dead.  That was left open, wasn't it?

Yes--and as I recall, Adam and Eddie said after that episode something along the lines of "Just because Cora says something doesn't make it so," which I took to mean that they definitely saw Lancelot as still alive. Whether or not they do anything with that is an entirely different question.... I'd like to see him again, though I'm slightly terrified to even think about what Once would do with Arthurian mythology (or rather, how they'd absolutely butcher it. I can just see them making Regina Morgana and like, puh-leese, Morgana is so much awesomer than Regina it's not even funny).

 

I have to agree that the only person I'd really like to see come back who's almost (partially?) dead is Maleficent. Cora died a motherfucking badass but, while I agree the show killed her too soon, there's no way bringing her back would not diminish her character. 3x18 already did a lot of damage. So let her stay dead and remembered as a worthy opponent. Graham I'm a little iffier on, but at this point I just don't know where he would fit into the show--they're not breaking up Captain Swan, but he doesn't really have a role aside from Emma's love interest, and the last thing we need is more cast members with ill-defined purposes and places on the show. So.

[ShadowFacts]

 

Yes--and as I recall, Adam and Eddie said after that episode something along the lines of "Just because Cora says something doesn't make it so," which I took to mean that they definitely saw Lancelot as still alive.

 

That's good to know, they might go there then someday, and I'm sure you're right, butcher the mythology all to hell. 

[Dani-Ellie]

None, dead should stay dead.

 

I agree with this. Fantasy/genre shows tend to fall into this trap, and in my experience, it results in lessened stakes every time a previously dead character returns. By the end of Charmed, for example, I couldn't even tell you how many times the sisters had died, and the only one who stayed dead was Prue (who was killed for real-life reasons). Not only did the threat of the death of any of the sisters no longer carry the tension it should, because been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, it only made it all the more glaring and mythology-ruining that they'd all died and come back a bazillion times and Prue was still dead.

 

And the last thing I think this show needs is more potential holes in the mythology. There are more than enough holes as it is!

Edited July 16, 2014 by Dani-Ellie

[Mari]

Is it funny or sad that Owen and Tamara haven't gotten a single vote so far?

 

I'm having trouble remember who Felix is, and he got a vote.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Mari

[legaleagle53]

Is it funny or sad that Greg and Tamara haven't gotten a single vote so far?

I'm having trouble remember who Felix is, and he got a vote.

Felix was Pan's second-in-command whom Pan killed to enact his version of the Dark Curse

[Mari]

Thanks---I'd completely spaced that.

I kept thinking maybe he was one of Cinderella's mice.

[Camera One]

I was going to vote for Cinderella's fairy godmother, Peter from Peter and the Wolf, Gus the mouse and Johanna.

[sharky]

Is it funny or sad that Owen and Tamara haven't gotten a single vote so far

My theory is that A&E are once again borrowing from Lost in this case. Nikki and Paolo, fan non-favorites who showed up and then were killed in season 2, are Lost's version of Owen and Tamara, who were fan non-favorites who showed up and then were killed in season 2 (well their deaths were season 3 but only barely).

[RadioGirl27]

The sad thing is that Owen had a lot of potential, even if the actor was not very interesting. But. once again, a character who can show how bad Regina truly is (or was) is transformed in a bad villain.

[sharky]

Although I've always wondered about Owen and Tamara. They didn't seem like they were shoehorned into the plot, but were they planned before Colin broke his leg? I do wonder what was changed to accommodate his injury and if Owen and Tamara were really necessary. Like I said, they seemed like they were planned to be there all along but didn't really add much to the plot.

[SilverShadow]

Owen I feel like was planned from his entrance. Tamara was shoe-horned in to complicate Neal's relationship with Emma and they had to give her some kind of backstory. They definitely weren't originally supposed to be working for Pan though. IIRC the writers only got the go-ahead that it was okay to include Pan once the second half of season 2 was already in progress. They retocnned their little anti-magic group as being patsies because the concept was univerally unpopular.

[FurryFury]

I voted Cora, Pan and Maleficent, but with the first two, I'd probably prefer one-off appearances rather than arc-ish stuff (although it could work with Cora still, probably). Maleficent is a no-brainer, so much wasted potential, but it could still be salvaged. And I'm pissed we've never learned about her history with Aurora and her mother. 

[sharky]

IIRC the writers only got the go-ahead that it was okay to include Pan once the second half of season 2 was already in progress. They retocnned their little anti-magic group as being patsies because the concept was univerally unpopular.

Hm...I don't know if that sounds right because they would've gotten permission to use Hook and Pan at the same time so maybe they brought Hook on first knowing they could use Pan later because they had the permissions.

 

But yes, the retconning was strong with those two, which was obvious when they got the ax in the season premiere. Hell, I don't even think they made it to the first commercial break.

[stealinghome]

Hm...I don't know if that sounds right because they would've gotten permission to use Hook and Pan at the same time so maybe they brought Hook on first knowing they could use Pan later because they had the permissions.

I don't know how the rights to Hook/Pan/Neverland worked, but the writers have said in multiple interviews that they only got word that they could bring the show to Neverland when they were already writing S2 (ie probably once Hook had already been introduced). And someone--Meghan Ory?--basically said in an interview that they retooled what was left of S2 once they knew they were going to Neverland for 3A. So it seems like the rights to Hook and Pan/Neverland were disconnected somehow. Maybe they knew they wanted Hook, so purchased just him first, and continued to wrangle over Pan and Neverland?

 

At any rate, I agree that they only brought Tamara in once they knew they were going to Neverland, and that they probably had different plans for Greg but shifted him over to the Neverland story as well. Initially it seemed like he and a memory-less Belle were going to be trouble....

[Camera One]

At any rate, I agree that they only brought Tamara in once they knew they were going to Neverland

I do have a sneaky suspicion they always planned to give Neal an evil fiancé though... and the fact that they revolved the entire August exit episode around Tamara suggests that they thought she was an important and worthy contribution to the show at that point. So delusional and ridiculous...

Edited July 16, 2014 by Camera One

[FormerMod-a1]

So far Maleficent is in the lead, followed by Peter Pan and The Hunstman.

[FurryFury]

I never got what was so special and wonderful about the Huntsman. He was a rather shallow character, and his death didn't upset me. I didn't hate him, but I'm sure glad the show didn't start pushing Graham/Emma pairing because I couldn't see any sparks at all.

 

I'm still pissed Regina never paid for what she did to him, though.

[Dirtybubble]

Peter Pan!!  Brillant to take a child-like, good character and turn him so deliciously evil!

 

Also I know this character isn't technically dead but can we turn August/Pinocchio into a man again?  I just miss seeing his naughtly self around. 

[Aliasscape]

I kept thinking maybe he was one of Cinderella's mice.

That's the only person I want back. Poor Gus Gus/Billy. And he actually was in 2 episodes unlike Lancelot.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Aliasscape

[KingOfHearts]

 

And he actually was in 2 episodes unlike Lancelot.

 

I thought he was just in Child of the Moon. What other episode was he in?

[KAOS Agent]

He was in The Price of Gold, That Still Small Voice and Welcome to Storybrooke as well.

Edited July 17, 2014 by KAOS Agent

[Actionmage]

I want Lancelot back, but with the actual story that  he was never dead. Cora trapped him somewhere, but her death freed him. When Snow sees him again, it could be a very sweet, powerful moment. David and Lancelot are confused over the reaction, get filled in and so starts the road of Snow truly reclaiming her awesome Bandit Snow self and re-discovering her leadership abilities.

 

I would love Maleficent to also be back with us, as well. Both characters were ill-used on this show. 

[Mathius]

I don't know how the rights to Hook/Pan/Neverland worked, but the writers have said in multiple interviews that they only got word that they could bring the show to Neverland when they were already writing S2 (ie probably once Hook had already been introduced). And someone--Meghan Ory?--basically said in an interview that they retooled what was left of S2 once they knew they were going to Neverland for 3A. So it seems like the rights to Hook and Pan/Neverland were disconnected somehow. Maybe they knew they wanted Hook, so purchased just him first, and continued to wrangle over Pan and Neverland?

Yes, that's it. They had the rights, they brought in Hook, but they didn't have the Neverland/3A idea until they were making "Manhattan". That's when the rest of S2 was completely retooled, with Cora making a very swift exit and the plot running at faster-than-usual speed as a result.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Mathius

[Rumsy4]

I believe they acquired the rights for Captain Hook first, and the rest of the story later. Something to do with who holds the rights to Barrie's work (Disney vs the Children's Hospital).

[Beezel]

I also voted Pan and Graham.  Even though the events in Neverland got a bit tedious, I adored Robbie Kay and would love to have him back!  It would be enough for me if we maybe gave us some flashback action with Hook in Neverland, though.

 

While I loved Graham and would love to see him return, I  would probably hate it if the writers actually brought him back because they wouldn't acknowledge Regina's abusing him nor can I be certain that anyone would hold her accountable for murdering him. Honestly,  It made me so sad that Emma mentioned him when she was talking about guys she's lost, considering she still has no idea Regina is responsible for his death. (if I recall correctly?) I want her to find out,  if it can defer her dream of being BFFs with Regina once and for all. 

Edited November 10, 2014 by Beezel

[Bluerang1]

Well Helga now.