Rainbow Hearts and Unicorn Stickers: A Positivity Thread

[SilverShadow]

I know we all spend quite a lot of time talking about the wrong turns we feel the show has made (me included) and I started feeling like it would be cool to have a place to maybe take a step back, let the "Squee!" run wild, and discuss some of the things that made us all such big fans in the first place.

 

And I'd like to start with the savior herself-Emma: Guys, I really love Emma. From her very first scene in the pilot. I love that despite trying to keep her walls up and be "tough" she finds herself drawn into empathy, and when someone's in pain or needs help, she steps up or comforts if she can. Even if she thinks she's gonna get screwed over, she can't help it. Even if she does something that hurts someone else, she immediately feels guilty, and I just wanna give her a hug. Yeah she can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but I don't care. Oh: And I love that she's never mean. She doesn't instigate fights or make petty comments unless someone seriously provokes her. I just love how heroic she is while still being beliavable as somone who grew up in the "real world".

 

 

[KingOfHearts]

My favorite part about Once Upon a Time is the premise. It's the ultimate Disney/fairy tale mash-up that I had been subconsciously wishing for all these years. Red Riding Hood and Snow are friends, the Evil Queen is buddies with Maleficent, Tinkerbell and the Blue Fairy work together, Rumplestiltskin makes deals with everyone, and Captain Hook goes to Wonderland to assassinate the Queen of Hearts. The whole concept is so crazy that even when the writing isn't the best, I still find the characters interacting entertaining in of itself. In many ways, this show is a dream come true.

Edited September 16, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[stealinghome]

Daddy Charming. Best same-age father ever!

[Shanna Marie]

The title of the thread made me smile, so mission accomplished!

 

I have to say that as much as I sometimes wish I could rewrite it, I still enjoy watching, for the most part. I like that they actually depict an existing relationship that's solid, loving and stable, with Snow and Charming. There's no will they/won't they, no stupid misunderstandings keeping them apart. They're just themselves, and that's nice to see on TV. I'm also encouraged that they were willing to take the slow burn route with Emma and Hook, letting them be friends first and develop that trust before they moved to more instead of them being the usual TV route of total opposites who fight until the sexual tension overtakes them.

 

And, in general, I like most of these people. Some of them I want to slap, but most of them are a pleasant way to pass the time.

 

In a way, this show takes me back to when I was a little kid and The Wonderful World of Disney was on Sunday nights. My dad would make peanut butter and honey sandwiches (I'm sorry, jelly with peanut butter is just gross), and we'd watch it together while my mom retreated with a book for some alone time. I'm more likely to make a pizza or pasta now and have a glass of wine instead of milk, but it gives me the same feeling to be watching fairy tale stories on Sunday nights.

[sharky]

Loved that the first thing you mentioned was Emma in the pilot! I ship Emma and that awesome cupcake of hers.

[YaddaYadda]

Emma when she's happy is a really beautiful sight.  I hope she's allowed more of that.  Emma/Charming scenes are mostly pretty awesome and I really like that they took their time with her and Hook. 

[Crimson Belle]

I loved the Emma/Mary Margaret relationship in Season 1.  And Snow and Red as friends.  And the costumes.  The costumes are awesome.

[Shanna Marie]

Emma's smile -- a real, earnest, unguarded smile -- is like the sun coming out from behind the clouds after a rainy day.

[MedievalGirl]

I love this show too, warts and all. I'll be the one wearing my Bandit Snow cosplay 20 years from now. 

 

I love it because of the hope thing. 

[Dani-Ellie]

Ooh, ooh, I'll play!

 

Emma Swan. She is on the cusp of edging out Prue Halliwell as my favorite TV character ever (partly by longevity ... Prue was dead by this point in Charmed's run :P). I want her to have all the happiness she never did. I love that she took that painful, lonely childhood of hers and turned it into empathy. I love that once she decides you're hers, she will fight for you tooth and nail. I love her sass, I love her endless "WTF" reactions, I love her sarcasm. I just love her.

 

Daddy Charming. One can never have enough Daddy Charming. He's got dad jokes and he's got life lessons and he listens without judging and if I could make him some kind of honorary adopted dad for myself, I would.

 

I also love that they didn't go the Love at First Sight route with Hook/Emma. The writing was on the wall in "Tallahassee" but it wasn't until 3x01 that I fully picked up what they were putting down. It would have been so easy and so cliche (since this is a fairy tale with Love at First Sight is kind of a big deal) for them to go all, "Hot pirate, no-nonsense princess, cue the Tchaikovsky" but they didn't, and I appreciated it.

[Camera One]

There are so many aspects which attracted me to the show initially, and which keeps me engaged despite the problems with the writing.

 

1. I still like all the characters on the show, especially Emma, Snow and Charming.  Even Regina has her moments with me.  I simply cannot imagine watching a show where I hate certain characters' guts.  To me, criticizing how a character is written is different from spewing vitriol at characters with intense hatred.  The writers are so lucky they got this cast since they really bring these characters to life, and for the most part, the main characters are likeable and intriguing.  I can seriously watch them washing dishes.

 

2. The little character moments.  There is usually a moment or two per episode that I enjoy, and it's usually a quiet character moment.  They haven't been as frequent in S3, but I still find there is a moment or two to savor.

 

3. The fantasy aspect.  Despite the lack of worldbuilding, I have always enjoyed the escape of fantasy and science-fiction, and the world of fairy tales and even idealized Disney versions of stories.  So I get a kick out of simple magical stuff like a short scene with the Blue Fairy, or a cameo from a mythological character, or just mash-ups with Granny and Jiminy Cricket and Grumpy.

 

4. Nonlinear storytelling structure.  I loved "Lost" (or at least the first 5.5 seasons of it), and this show tells a story in an extremely similar way to "Lost".  I really like the structure of flashbacks, even when it's close to broken by this point in the show.

 

5. Discussing the show.  For all its flaws, there is just so much to talk about with every episode of this show and from so many different angles.  It's strange, but there's so much going on and even if most of it is just random stuff thrown against the wall in the writers room, it is quite fun to discuss.  

Edited September 16, 2014 by Camera One

[Rumsy4]

I started watching the show because I loved the concept (fairy tales with a twist). In S1, part of the fun was figuring out who was who. Also, OUAT lends itself to discussion and endless theorizing in a manner similar to LOST. I also LOVED the Snow and Charming storyline (not the faux-adultery stuff in present-day), Emma getting the better of Regina, Rumplestiltskin (need I say more?), and most of the fairytale flashbacks.

 

S2 was really rough going, and I confess that at times, it was only the acting of Robert Carlyle, or Regina evil-queening it in flashbacks that kept me watching (I used to love watching Lana act as the evil queen, even as I disliked her whining in present day storylines. Now, I'm just over Regina, period). Tallahassee and the all the Hook/Rumple/Bae flashbacks were great. I also liked Cora as a villain a lot (before 3B, but we will not speak of that here).

 

In S3, I enjoyed the start of the Neverland arc, and became more obsessed once I started shipping Captain Swan (when the Neverland kiss was released). After 3B, I'm now mainly in it for the CS, but I keep hoping that some of the magic of S1 will return. :-) I am looking forward to seeing Elsa in Storybrooke, though. I think/hope she will be an interesting, if temporary addition.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Rumsy4

[SilverShadow]

Add me to the list of loving the massive multi-player Disney crossover premise, Daddy Charming, Mary Margaret and Emma's relationship, and all the great friendships and character interactions.

 

And I'm so thrilled people seem to like the basic idea of this thread. I had just hit a place where I was maxed-out on negative (in general not just with OUAT) and seriously needing some warm and fuzzy feels.

 

Fun Fact: I also considered naming this thread Once Upon A Squee, but then I remembered RAINBOW HEARTS and how could I not?

[KingOfHearts]

I have to say I'm really excited about S4. Not necessarily because of Frozen, but because there will be all new things to discuss and see. I'm counting down the days until the premiere, genuinely interested in seeing where the show goes from here. This has been my first major hiatus, and I'm so glad I got to share it with you all! Can't wait to see what happens next.

 

12 days!

Edited September 16, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[daxx]

I started watching for the premise, loved it. Then fell in love with Emma. Was pretty happy as a casual fan until that damnable life ruining pirate showed up and made Emma lock him up. Bye bye casual, hello OTP, first OTP since Clois.

[bettername2come]

I love the entire Charming family. I love watching them interact and learn how to be a family. I loved watching Henry and Charming bond in season 2 when Emma and Snow were gone.

I love Henry's earnestness. I think it's great how he is so much like Snow in some ways.

I love that this show was somehow able to turn Peter Pan, one of my favorite characters ever, into a great villain without making me feel they had disrespected the character.

I love Emma's jackets and would kill to have Jennifer Morrison's biceps. And Snow's beautiful flashback wardrobe full of white.

[regularlyleaded]

A big "Oh, me too!" for everything people have said about Emma Swan. I gave the the pilot episode a try because of the "fairytales in the real world" premise, but I stayed because of Emma Swan. She's the only reason I've kept on watching the show. I just want all the love in the world for Emma Swan (and world peace ;)

 

I'm also diggin her budding romantic relationship with Hook. As others have already stated, I appreciate the slow burn. And I also love how dependable Hook has become for Emma and a good friend (I think he probably understands her better than anyone else). And that in Hook, Emma finally, finally, finally has someone that shows up for her, because of her, and when she needs them. I love how damn hard Hook tries for her and stays by her side even when he's messed up (or when she's messed up). I love that they are imperfect and yet call each other on their crap because ultimately they each just want the other to be the best versions of themselves. I love that they seem to build each other up and not tear each other down.
 
And also, I love how much you all still love this show. And I say that sincerely. The other day I saw a TV guide cover with Once Upon A Time & Frozen and the first thing I thought was "I can't wait to see what everyone on the boards has to say about the season premiere." No lie, I'm looking forward to the discussions on here more than anything else. So don't let me down, guys. I expect snark and sass and squeeing if it is in fact squee worthy.

[tennisgurl]

I just want to bake a cake filled with rainbows and butterflies and we`ll always be happy...

 

I love the idea for this thread! Sometimes I get so carried away with complaining about this show/its creators/some unfortunate parts of the fandom, that I need to remember why I feel so hard for this show in the first place!

 

I love Emma, and I love her relationship with Hook, and I love how well that relationship was handled. I always love when they put on a twist on a well known fairy tale (like Red Riding Hood being a werewolf), and I loved connecting the real people with their fairy tale counterparts in season one.

 

I still love so many of the characters (especially Red, Granny, Emma, Hook, and Charming), I don't even mind when they get screwed up or ignored, I just love watching them do their thing.

 

I really just love the premise of the show itself. Its what first sold me on the show, and its why I still love it so much. I love the idea that all fictional characters are real in some alternate universe, and that there is a giant multiverse connecting them all. Its such a cool idea, and I love the fact that, going by that logic, any fictional character ever can meet up with each other! I love the cross overs, where Snow White can go on an awkward date with Dr. Frankenstein, and Ariel and Belle can have an adventure together, and Tinker Belle can make small talk with Robin Hood, its just awesome.

 

And...I am really looking forward to season 4. God help me, I still have hope!

Edited September 17, 2014 by tennisgurl

[SilverShadow]

I just want to bake a cake filled with rainbows and butterflies and we`ll always be happy...

 

Two for you tennisgurl, you go tennisgurl! Heeee. I am super looking forward to the Frozen stuff. No other Elsa can quite replace Idina in my heart, since I've been her bitch since I was a sad little fourteen year-old nerd listening to the Wicked and Rent cast recordings (and I finally got to see her live in If/Then!), but I loved Georgina in Fringe and she seems really great in the short promo clips and teases we've seen. I haven't seen Anna or Kristoff in much but I've heard good things. And Hans as was excellent as the hot preacher as the cracktastic and cancelled too soon GCB.

 

But yes I want all the Elsa and Emma parallels. I'd also love if we got some scenes with Emma and Anna. Anna's someone whose first love screwed her over and then ended up with someone unexpected, so that'd be interesting to see brought up.

 

I also desperately need more Joanna and Gil as Ariel and Eric on my life. I really really want Eric and Hook to interact. Eric is canonically a huge sailing dork and he spent time on the Jolly Roger, which is the most awesomest ship ever in Once-land. I really just want them gushing like two modern guys over a classic car and Emma and Ariel just snarking in the background.

 

Eric: I mean, I'd been sailing all my life, and I'd never seen crisper lines. I would sell my soul to Rumplestilskin to see her plans.

Hook: No need for all that mate. A bottle of your best rum to share, and I could be persuaded...

*blahblahshipsblah*

Ariel: Human men are weird.

Emma: Oh yeah... Come on, let's go to Granny's and get a drink of our own. They should notice we're gone in an hour or two.

Ariel: Oooh...can I drive your-whadda ya call it-car?

Emma: No way. I've seen your movie.

 

I may have thought waaaay too much about this.

[InsertWordHere]

Best thread title ever!

 

I hate to be boring, but I'm going to have to echo the 'fairytale mashup" sentiment. It's like the grownup version of House of Mouse. I also love how its the women's show first.

 

And I will always love this show for giving me the Charming family, especially its beautiful duckling, Emma Swan, and the unbeatable love of Snow and Charming. This show intrigued me from the moment I saw Charming fighting with a baby in his arms and it had me hooked by the time Snow said (the first time), "It seemed like the honorable thing to do."

[retrograde]

Well one thing I like about OuaT (that the show itself gets no credit for) is the intelligent and generally respectful discussion it generates on these boards. I love that a bunch of adults can get together to seriously dissect a show about fairy tale characters. 

 

This could probably be cross-posted on the Unpopular Opinions thread, but I kind of love the shitty CGI. I find it charming.

 

I think the actors do a great job selling some of the most ridiculous dialogue ever. I couldn't do it without dissolving into laughter every take. 

 

I covet Snowing's apartment and want to live there (though maybe with a little more privacy for the bed).

 

And extremely superficially, the cast is really, really attractive. 

[myril]

And extremely superficially, the cast is really, really attractive. 

It's simply great to admit it. The cast is attractive.

 

Remember that I watched the pilot with some reservation (not a fan of the fluffy Disneyfied fairy tale versions, but always have been deep into fairy tales and mythology, even as child preferred the darker and gritty versions though), but the first scenes with Emma got me to keep watching. And with Red being the wolf I became a fan.

 

What I love(d) about the show: women talking not just about men with each other or about the best outfit, being friends, but as well women being villains (and still like Cora a lot more than her kids if it comes to that).

Edited September 17, 2014 by katusch

[YaddaYadda]

I sort of loved how Red and Dr. Whale came out of nowhere and how it just makes me sad that we might never know if something was ever going to happen with those two.  I think one of my favorite scenes on the show is when he went back to the hospital and just nodded at her. 

 

I just love the subtle moments on the show.  Those are by far the best.

[ShadowFacts]

 

I just love the subtle moments on the show.  Those are by far the best.

 

I'll jump on that bandwagon.  The small moments, the genuine character interactions, are what I like best, too.  I could be a happier viewer if there were more of that and less of the villain battling, etc. 

[Rumsy4]

I have to add that the actors are really good looking, and the costumes are (mostly) gorgeous. That certainly adds to the appeal. There are some really good actors in the show as well. It's a joy to watch Carlyle being Sparkle Dark, and Colin O'Donoghue is a master at subtle acting and facial expressions. Jennifer Morrison is great too, even though she has to act walled-in half the time. Robbie Kay was great as Pan (not so much as Panry), and Barbara Hershey was fantastic as Cora. Josh Dallas is a decent actor, but I particularly liked him as spoilt Prince James and NightRoot!Charming. I used to love watching Lana being the evil queen, but I'm over it now. 

[Dani-Ellie]

Oh my goodness, Rumsy, you just reminded me! One of my favorite things about the first half of 2B is how you can totally tell that Barbara Hershey is just having an absolute freakin' blast playing Cora. She's having such fun with the whole nine yards that I grin like an idiot.

[Shanna Marie]

Colin O'Donoghue is a master at subtle acting and facial expressions.

He's such a discovery. Even if he weren't made to order for my flavor of attractive (though far too young for me), he's such a treat to watch. I love actors who can convey a page worth of dialogue with about five seconds of facial expressions. I've always been fascinated with Amy Adams for the way emotions just flicker across her face, and he has a similar acting style. It's fun to watch him in the background even in scenes where Hook is essentially just part of the scenery because there's a whole story going on with just his face. It's even more interesting now that I've seen more interviews of him as himself, since his character is such a polar opposite to his real personality, so you know it's acting, not just being while in costume. While I'd love to see this show run for a while, I'm really curious to see where his career goes from here because he's got a lot of potential -- he's got comic timing, can do the sexy swagger, can be swooningly romantic and really rocks the intense drama.

[Curio]

While I'd love to see this show run for a while, I'm really curious to see where his career goes from here because he's got a lot of potential -- he's got comic timing, can do the sexy swagger, can be swooningly romantic and really rocks the intense drama.

Selfishly, I would love to see Colin play Captain Hook for a few more years, but I'm also really excited to see what he does when the show is over. I hope he doesn't fall into the trap of "oh, he's so pretty, let's typecast him to play the romantic lead in every romantic comedy." I'd love to see him do something like a Coen brothers movie, where there's usually a lot of dark comedy mixed with some awesome dramatic acting opportunities. I could even see him rocking a role on a cable comedy like Silicon Valley. I just don't want him to get too popular... I like that Once shot him into a little bit of TV fame, but I'd be completely content watching him do indie movies the rest of his career.

 

I'm also really happy this show turned me into a Jennifer Morrison fan. She never really did anything to impress me on House and How I Met Your Mother, but I seriously love Emma to bits! And I love hearing her insight into her character - you can tell she takes more time to think about Emma than the writers on this show.

[retrograde]

The discussion about diversity (or lack thereof) on OuaT in the Fandom thread got me thinking about how this is allegedly a show families sit down to watch together on a Sunday evening, which got me thinking about the kind of things kids might pick up from watching. The problematic stuff aside (and I think we've got that well covered elsewhere on this board) I think it's great that they see leaders and warriors and heroes who also happen to be women (and mothers and princesses, to boot). Emma and Snow's gender is rarely an issue (I want to say "never" but I bet someone can come up with one occasion) -- both for the townsfolk and for their respective love interests. The women save the men just as often -- if not more -- than the men save the women. And it's never commented upon -- neither in a "Woo, girl power!" way or a "What is that woman doing with a sword?" way. 

[SilverShadow]

One thing I like as well is that there's not the default "strong woman", who is strong basically because she acts like a man. There's such a wide spectrum of personality, skillset, dress, etc. it makes me really happy. I despise that "Oh I'm not like those other girls with their dresses and their makeup and their hormones, all frail and needy" bullshit. And the same applies for the dudes. They're allowed to have emotions, be the one supporting their partner insetad of vice vera, and be in distress either phsyically or emotionally.Pretty much all the major male characters have cried, many more than once. And it's presented as a normal human reaciton, not something emasculating or shameful. Gender roles is one thing I think Once gets right more often than not.

[YaddaYadda]

Retrograde, your post reminded me of that campaign Always did this summer about the whole "being a girl" and how girls' perception of being a girl changes in a very negative way as they age.  So yeah, bringing up that Snow and Emma are these kick ass women is pretty awesome.  I knock on Belle a lot because of her relationship with Rumple, but she's book smart which is a great thing and there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to read or learn new things.  The women bring something different to the table, they all have a different skill set.

[ShadowFacts]

 

One thing I like as well is that there's not the default "strong woman", who is strong basically because she acts like a man.

 

I agree with a small quibble-Regina.  I felt in the beginning they portrayed her as acting in a masculine manner, but that's actually not a bad thing necessarily.  It's one flavor of strong woman, Snow is another, Emma is another, and Belle and Red, etc.  I like that they are not all stereotypes. 

[SilverShadow]

I agree with a small quibble-Regina.  I felt in the beginning they portrayed her as acting in a masculine manner, but that's actually not a bad thing necessarily.  It's one flavor of strong woman, Snow is another, Emma is another, and Belle and Red, etc.  I like that they are not all stereotypes. 

 

I thik Regina by virtue of her agressiveness and assertiveness reads as having certain traits traditionally considered masculine, and I agree that's not a bad thing at all.

 

I was taking more about shows that have one character who is the "strong woman" who always wears pants and is like "uggh why is literally every other woman into like shoes and makeup and gossip, and crying over sad movies. I am special snowflake who is awesome because I am above tradionally feminine hobbies and pursuits which are by definition shallow and less meaningful. I'm just like a guy but with BOOBS!" That's just as bad as having one female character and that character always being in a skirt and pumps with perfect hair and makeup who has to be saved every epsiode by the male characters, and she's forever whining about why can't her boyfriend just commit. Either way it's dealing in sterotypes. Either "Women are always X and I comply with those stereotypes" or "Yeah, MOST women are X but I'm not, which is why I'm awesome." Either way, it's sexist as hell, and boring.

 

But Once doesn't have that nonsense. There's Aurora with her princess dress who has mental and emotional fortitude but maybe isn't so great in a fight, and that's cool. You have Mulan, who will kick ass any day of the week in her awesome armor and that's cool too. And Snow, Emma, Regina, Red, Granny, Belle...the list goes on. 

Edited September 18, 2014 by SilverShadow

[Shanna Marie]

One thing I like as well is that there's not the default "strong woman", who is strong basically because she acts like a man.

Yes! We don't have a single "Rambo in drag" character on this show who's so awesome because she's not like those other girly girls who are into icky girl stuff like sewing. Even though Regina has that aggressiveness that might be considered "masculine," I don't think she registers at all masculine -- she dresses very elegantly and has a rather feminine style, her way of fighting is to stand back and throw fireballs instead of mixing it up physically, and she's very driven by emotion. And while our women are all strong in their own ways, I think they're also realistically strong. We don't have any 100-pound women singlehandedly taking down a squad of marines in hand-to-hand combat. Regina has magic as an equalizer in a fight, Belle researches to find weaknesses, Emma has a gun, Snow has her bow and sword, Ruby is a werewolf, and Granny has her crossbow. When they come out okay in a fight, it's believable. The only time it was kind of iffy was when Emma, a novice with a sword, beat Hook, an experienced swordsman, but every indication is that he threw that fight because he didn't really want to stop her and only needed to look to Cora like he was trying.

 

None of the men seem to have any trouble with the women being in charge. David seems to be pretty happy taking a secondary role to Snow (even though I think he'd make a better leader), and Hook seems to love it when a woman is strong and in charge. Rumple seems closer to being a more traditional "head of household" kind of guy, but I think he just has control issues, in general.

 

It really seems that they have characters rather than "gender roles." And there isn't just one character whose role is to be "the girl." I think I'd have loved this show when I was a kid and all the neighborhood kids used to act out our favorite shows (sort of live action improv fanfic, I guess). At that time, until Charlie's Angels came along, there was usually just one "the girl" role, so all the girls would either have to fight over who got to be that character, gender-switch another character or create an original character. With this show, there would have been enough roles to go around, and everyone would get to do interesting things.

[scenicbyway]

I like the connectedness of the characters.  The idea of Emma being Charming and Snow's daughter who had a child with the son of Rumpelstilskin.  I like that Snow and Regina try to work through their issues being step mother and step daughter yet sharing a son and grandson.  I like that Henry has questionable characters in his family and light characters---he truly lives in a grey area.  I like that even though Emma was born in the Enchanted Forest and grew up in our cruel world her true love seems to be from the fair tale world and Captain Hook of all people.  It's wonderful to see such strong female characters who truly take the lead.  The men are also strong but so supportive of the women.

[Mathius]

I love the Neverland arc of Season 3A, and feel that it's highly underrated. Sure, it may not be Season 1 quality, but it's damn close and its flaws cannot overshadow its strengths, foremost being the brilliant villainy of Peter Pan and Robbie Kay's performance.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Mathius

[stealinghome]

You know, thinking about Once's excellent group of female characters has made me realize that I also appreciate how the male characters on this show are portrayed--and not just that they love that their ladies are so kick-ass and proactive, but also, specifically, that they all act like grown men. Way too often on TV, the irresponsible, slovenly man-child/frat boy who wants to still act like an adolescent is held up as the height of masculinity, or like what a "normal" adult man should be like (and otherwise bright and accomplished women who could do so much better apparently find that irresistible and swoon over it). Whatever their other faults--and as a group they have many!--the men of Once are definitely not in that mode. They actively embrace their adult responsibilities and lives, comport themselves like grown and mature people, those that are fathers obviously adore being fathers and relish the opportunity to parent their children, and generally they just seem like...adults. I really appreciate that. I'm so over TV women falling for men who act like they're 13 still.

Edited September 20, 2014 by stealinghome

[Shanna Marie]

You know, thinking about Once's excellent group of female characters has made me realize that I also appreciate how the male characters on this show are portrayed--and not just that they love that their ladies are so kick-ass and proactive, but also, specifically, that they all act like grown men.

Oh, gosh, yes! I've just about given up on romantic comedy movies (other than rewatching the classics) because the popular mode now is the overgrown fratboy vs. the vicious shrew who expects him to grow up and be a man, and he only reluctantly does so because he wants to get laid, and I'm so very tired of that. We don't have any overgrown fratboys on this show. Okay, Neal might have been a bit borderline, but he was prepared to step up and at least try to be a father once he found out he had a son. The others are mature men. Whatever their faults, no woman is having to nag them into taking responsibility for their lives, and they don't consider settling down, marriage or fatherhood to be a death sentence. In fact, they're all looking for some kind of commitment.

[KingOfHearts]

From a guy's perspective, I'd also like to say I love how the gender roles are portrayed on the show for the most part. In a world of sitcoms where women are superior and men are stupid, it's so refreshing to see the strengths of both genders working together. Chivalry might be seem dead to some people, but it isn't on Once. I agree with posters above that it's so refreshing to see men taking responsibility and behaving nobly. We need both men and women for their own unique traits, and I'm so grateful that this show exemplifies that in so many ways.

 

Woohoo! Girl and Guy Power!

Edited September 20, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

Chivalry might be seem dead to some people, but it isn't on Once.

 

I get a kick out of the somewhat old-fashioned nature of it.  In general, they speak to each other quite formally and properly.

[KAOS Agent]

While the world building on this show is rather lacking, I do appreciate how the fairybacks tend to show a different society with more formal language and etiquette. Just little things like wording and more old fashioned actions (and bonus these actions aren't condescending, but more just the polite/nice thing to do) go a long ways towards showing that you are dealing with people from a separate world. Considering we also see these same characters looking like normal people in Storybrooke, these little things help to watch without thinking oh that's just David in a silly costume and carrying a sword.  I really liked that this difference was on display in the finale with everyone acting more formally and in fairy tale character and there's Emma asking David "What's up?" and just being so Emma. Everyone must have thought Princess Leia was quite odd.

Edited September 20, 2014 by KAOS Agent

[stealinghome]

Chivalry might be seem dead to some people, but it isn't on Once.

What I appreciate about the chivalry on Once is that the men are never chivalrous because they think the women can't do things. It's never paternalistic or condescending or implying that women are fragile/incapable or anything like that. Instead, being chivalrous is the men's way of showing affection--like "the sandwich means I love you." It's something nice and courteous they do for their partner to show respect and caring.

[Serena]

But Once doesn't have that nonsense. There's Aurora with her princess dress who has mental and emotional fortitude but maybe isn't so great in a fight, and that's cool. You have Mulan, who will kick ass any day of the week in her awesome armor and that's cool too. And Snow, Emma, Regina, Red, Granny, Belle...the list goes on. 

I love Aurora a lot. When fragile, girly Aurora stood up to Cora, and basically told her to fuck off, and that she wasn't gonna betray Emma & co.? I think the episode was Into The Deep. Anyway, that was an "hell yeah" moment. In some ways, for me, even more than other characters punching or defeating the villains. Aurora was definitely at a physical disadvantage but Cora couldn't take away her integrity.

[RadioGirl27]

One of the reasons I keep watching the show, even with the bad writing and the sometimes skeevy morality, is because I still love many of the characters, and how both men and women are portrayed as equals.

[Dani-Ellie]

I really liked that this difference was on display in the finale with everyone acting more formally and in fairy tale character and there's Emma asking David "What's up?" and just being so Emma. Everyone must have thought Princess Leia was quite odd.

 

I liked this, too, up to and including Emma addressing Regina as Regina. I love the little fish-out-of-water bits of the fairy tale people not quite grasping things in this world (Cora's "enchanted box" in place of "computer speaker" cracked me up) but I also loved these moments of Emma not quite grasping the propriety and the politics of the fairy tale world.

[Shanna Marie]

What I appreciate about the chivalry on Once is that the men are never chivalrous because they think the women can't do things. It's never paternalistic or condescending or implying that women are fragile/incapable or anything like that. Instead, being chivalrous is the men's way of showing affection--like "the sandwich means I love you." It's something nice and courteous they do for their partner to show respect and caring.

Yes, it's like a more modern chivalry that's about respect and love. These men can open a door for a lady, guide her gently with a hand at the small of her back, and stage a daring rescue if she's in danger. But they also expect their ladies to have their backs in a fight and to come to the rescue if they're ever in trouble.

 

And I like that as much as they're very much men, they aren't so very "macho." They aren't afraid to cry openly and aren't freaked out by a woman's tears. They can use a sword and dance the waltz at a ball. I guess the iconic image of Charming from the pilot says it all -- cradling an infant while doing battle with a sword.

[SilverShadow]

Marathoning in preparation for the premiere. On 1.07 (RIP Graham) and you know a lot of what I found frustrating on the first go-round is better. Cindy still comes off as a bit too gold digger-y but David Nolan sucking so hard is okay because I get that the idea is that the Storybrooke versions are meant to have traits most likely to make them miserable and make decisions to keep them "stuck". Initially it seemed more like the cursed!characters were basically the same people but with modern lives that were terrible.

 

And the great stuff is still great. Mary Margaret and Emma's relationship, Snow and Charming in FTL, Rumple/Gold, the buildup of things changing due to Emma's presence. *sighs* It's all so good.

[MaiLuna]

I love this show. It's the only show I own on DVD. Here we discuss the negative because it's more fun but I love the show and I still get excited about new episodes. The characters and actors make me care even though the story isn't always the best. I also love that there's no BTS drama like in many other shows.

 

Also, fairytales and CS...the fangirl inside me can't help loving that.

[KingOfHearts]

This show, believe it or not, has taught me life lessons. The morals are very twisted at the moment, but it wasn't always like that. I love Snow's perpetual hope, for instance. It's encouraging and it's the kind of attitude I wish to keep through life. The emphasis on love being the most powerful thing in the universe rings true to me in so many ways. Oftentimes I've felt like Emma - a person who's closed off for reasons. To see her have faith and share love with others is very cool because I can relate to her character. 

Edited September 25, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[SilverShadow]

So I finished a marathon Season 2 rewatch yesterday, and while I have serious issues with the way the long-term arcs were handled (or weren't handled) I was pleasantly surprised how many individual episodes I dug this time around.

 

    Lady of the Lake-solid plot and characterization in both the present day and flashbacks. Also I absolutely adore Snow's flashback outfit (I'm going in it for Halloween this year) and that bought a lot of good will.

    Tallahassee-Neal actually comes off a bit better here on re-watch (not so much in latter episodes), I loved the beanstalk quest, Hook and Emma's dynamic, and of course Tiny.

    Child of the Moon-When you're not waiting for weeks to see the resolution of the Team Princess VS Cora arc, it's a great episode for Ruby, I love her interactions with Belle, and I liked David VS his fake Dad.
   

Into the Deep & Queen of Hearts-The end of this arc is awesome and I love it so much.
 
    In the Name of the Brother-Poor Whale and his brother. I like the flashbacks and his scene with Ruby is great too.

  

Tiny-I don't love the present stuff, but the flashbacks are gold.

 

    Manhattan-This was a really great episode, despite the fact that later episodes fail to pay it off.

    The Miller's Daughter-Just great all around.

    Welcome to Storybrooke-Regina is terrifying and I liked seeing the early days of Storybrooke.

    Second Star to the Right & And Straight On 'Til Morning-Great end to the season and setup for 3A. Loved Wendy and the Darlings and Bae. Hook's flashbacks and present change was satisfying. Loved Emma and Snowing bonding.