Frozen in Storybrooke: Characters and Story

[scarynikki12]

I think we could use a thread to discuss Elsa, Anna, Sven, Kristoff, Marshmallow, the Trolls, the Ice Parents, the movie, and so on so as not to hijack other threads devoted to episodes, non-Frozen characters, and general show discussion.  This is not meant for movie discussion (we have a movie forum for just that), but a place to discuss the characters and story and how they relate to the show, how they benefit the show, or how the show benefits them. 

 

This can also be a thread where it's safe to discuss the story and what the characters experienced pre-Once without worrying that non-movie watchers will get spoiled.  A spoiler zone designation can be added but I think that would result in confusion and make it seem like all Once spoilers can be discussed, which will not be the case. 

 

Anyway, I'll get the ball rolling.  One thing I'd like to see the Frozen-backs explore are Elsa's and Anna's parents.  We saw so little of them in the movie and, while seeming to be nice people on the surface, they did raise Elsa to be in complete fear of who she was and what she could do.  There was no indication that they tried to help her gain control so that she could live her life without fear of hurting anyone, especially Anna.  Their big solutions were to lock out the world and give her a placebo in the form of gloves.  Meanwhile, Anna was being punished right along side.  Her altered memories may have removed the accident that hurt her, but it also kept her from understanding why Elsa suddenly wanted nothing to do with her.  Do You Want To Build A Snowman and For The First Time In Forever are just so sad, because they showed how both sisters suffered from the isolation and loneliness that came from their parents' fear of Elsa's powers.  I've always seen their parents as really awful people at the end of the day but I would still like to learn more about who they were and how they could come to such a disastrous parenting choice following the accident.  The Frozen-backs and the diary, coupled with Anna's journey to the Enchanted Forest, could provide this.

[myril]

Great idea for a thread! :-)

 

Right there with you being curious about the parents. Found that a weak spot in the movie, though got they couldn't spend much time with it. It was a bit puzzling, I am still not so sure if the parents were overwhelmed with Elsa's powers and just didn't know better how to handle it, or if Arendelle was a kingdom opposing magic, maybe there had been some very bad experience with magic in the past, so it was not only about protecting from accidental harm, but (as much) out of either shame, that their daughter had such scary magical powers, or to protect her until she would be able to control it enough to be able to hide it, or a mix of both. At some point I had the thought, the parents could have been the Gerda and Kai of the original Snow Queen story, though at least one of them from royal family, and the powers of their firstborn kinda an aftermath of the adventure. Don't know what Frozen fans have discussed in that matter.

 

Aside that I would like to see Pascale Hutton on screen again, a chance to show more of her talent :-)

Edited October 3, 2014 by katusch

[scarynikki12]

I just rewatched the scene between little Elsa and Anna in light of the most recent episode and I think it does good job of highlighting why Elsa was feeling like Anna was the only one who could help her be stable and reverse her magic.  Before the accident and fallout, when Elsa's powers were stable, Anna LOVED them.  Elsa created snow from thin air and Anna screamed with delight "this is amazing!" as it fell all over the ballroom.  Anna loved sliding around on the ice Elsa created, she adored snowman Olaf from the start, and she thought there was nothing better than playing with her big sister in the winter wonderland created by her powers.  Anna's response to Elsa's powers is exactly the right one and, since Elsa's memories weren't altered, she no doubt remembered that natural acceptance during Anna's act of True Love. 

 

Oh, and that opening sequence shows how little physical comfort Elsa received from their parents.  Anna got to hug them before they left on that doomed true but they looked afraid to even approach Elsa.  The gloves and being covered head to toe didn't help things.  I expect we'll see a big hug between the sisters when they reunite but I'd also like to see one from Emma too.  I think both of them could use a hug from a true friend and both generally need physical comfort from loved ones as well as emotional.  Elsa is a great parallel for Emma in emotion and, so far, the show playing this up is really working for me.

[Mari]

(little tiny voice)

 

I actually feel sorry for their parents.  I'm not saying they did exactly the right thing for Elsa, because, well, no.  But sometimes you're stuck making the best decision you can--and it's the wrong one.  It's not like they were given any self-help books on "How to Raise Your Magic Child in Seven Easy Steps". 

 

And I know Elsa spent most of her time in her room, but I'm not sure that was entirely the parents' decision.  Elsa seemed to isolate herself, too, or at least that was the impression I got from parts of the movie.

 

It would be really hard to try and try to be a good parent, and know you're failing. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by Mari

[Camera One]

I sort of felt badly for the parents too.  They had no idea how to deal with it, and they knew Elsa couldn't control it.  The crazy trolls' advice wasn't exactly clear or helpful.  I think shutting her in a room was overkill, especially since she seemed to be fine with her gloves on. I agree that Elsa herself was fearful that she could hurt Anna by accident, so she also isolated herself.   I do find it smart that they came up with the idea of having the parents try to get help with Elsa's magic by travelling to the Enchanted Forest.

 

I don't think the animated movie did all that great a job of fleshing out what was actually happening in that castle.  Didn't Anna have a governess?  Why did they have to shut the entire palace up?  Was Elsa training to be the Queen?  Who were the other people in the palace?  What about the children of the nobility? Who was the regent who ruled in place of Elsa until she came of age?   Even the whole gloves thing was ill-defined.  

 

I find it kind of ironic, that I can't think of much Frozen-related stuff to say or discuss even though that's the main arc/mystery this season.  Is it because we know too much about the Frozen story, and we know the writers can't really change it too much?  

 

I felt the Episode 2 flashback was the first time this season where they actually twisted an original character out of shape (in this case Charming in his flashback) to fit in a Frozen character (Anna).  The other Frozen stuff they've done have worked fine with the characters on "Once".  The current time Elsa storyline, for example, is consistent with the personalities of all involved.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Camera One

[InsertWordHere]

Someone in another thread (sorry, I've forgotten who) was asking for the Frozen callbacks they've made so far. Here's a gifset that includes a few of them.

 

It's amazing how hard it is to tell animated Hans apart from live action Hans. Well done, show.

Edited October 13, 2014 by InsertWordHere

[myril]

Someone in another thread (sorry, I've forgotten who) was asking for the Frozen callbacks they've made so far. Here's a gifset that includes a few of them.

 

It's amazing how hard it is to tell animated Hans apart from live action Hans. Well done, show.

 

That was me, thanks!

[Aliasscape]

(little tiny voice)

 

I actually feel sorry for their parents.  I'm not saying they did exactly the right thing for Elsa, because, well, no.  But sometimes you're stuck making the best decision you can--and it's the wrong one.  It's not like they were given any self-help books on "How to Raise Your Magic Child in Seven Easy Steps". 

 

And I know Elsa spent most of her time in her room, but I'm not sure that was entirely the parents' decision.  Elsa seemed to isolate herself, too, or at least that was the impression I got from parts of the movie.

 

It would be really hard to try and try to be a good parent, and know you're failing. 

For the first year or two, yeah, I get that they were trying and failing. But my sympathy for them STOPS after that because they continued on with a plan that wasn't working for years and years AFTER. They made Elsa afraid of herself and start to hate and loathe apart of herself. And if they were that concerned about her "isolating herself", then they should have opened back up the castle, they should have tried to find her a magic teacher/lessons. They should have encouraged more time for Anna and Elsa to spend together. Did they go out and ask the troll king for some clarification when what they thought was his advice wasn't working?  There's a zillion things they could have tried to help and they DIDN'T.

 

Whatever problem your child has, you keep trying new things to help. If those new things don't help, then at least you kept trying. If you try one med, or one form of therapy or one idea, and that doesn't work and you just give up and keep things the same way for the next decade, then well shocker if your child doesn't improve.

 

One of the things I wondered was why stay inside the (warm) castle. Why didn't they take her up into the mountains where she could freely use ice and snow powers and it be no big deal so she could get comfortable with them again?

 

I never think the parents didn't mean well. But they put a seriously lack of effort in to truly helping their daughter. And that's just with Elsa.

 

They KNOW there was nothing dangerous about Anna, but did they take Anna on outings? Did they let Anna have friends over? They locked up and isolated Anna too. They should have realized how stifling and isolating that was for her. She was so lonely she was talking to the pictures on the walls and they didn't do a good job of explaining anything to her so Anna just felt rejected by Elsa.

 

They had TWO children and they failed at parenting BOTH of them in a healthy manner. I consider them abusive parents. You don't have to be doing it on purpose to be abusive. Plenty of people think they're beating their kids to make them stronger or more obedient or better people in some way. And a lot of parents actually center their abuse on one kid more than the others (often one they for some reason may see as weaker or defective, maybe even one with a noticeable difference or disability), but the others suffer by default.

 

Those parents frustrate me to no end.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Aliasscape

[Camera One]

The parents were practically non-characters in the movie.  One of the reasons why the film did not impress me was because their behavior made little to no sense except to create the premise they needed.  Yes, they should have done all those things, but then again, the movie was clearly not about them.  I might have found the movie more interesting if it were.    

[myril]

For the first year or two, yeah, I get that they were trying and failing. But my sympathy for them STOPS after that because they continued on with a plan that wasn't working for years and years AFTER. They made Elsa afraid of herself and start to hate and loathe apart of herself. And if they were that concerned about her "isolating herself", then they should have opened back up the castle, they should have tried to find her a magic teacher/lessons. They should have encouraged more time for Anna and Elsa to spend together. Did they go out and ask the troll king for some clarification when what they thought was his advice wasn't working?  There's a zillion things they could have tried to help and they DIDN'T.

 

The movie doesn't tell that story, they rush through childhood and teenage years in a few minutes, from the moment they seek out the stone trolls for help to when they cut to guests arriving for Elsa's coronation we have not even 4 minutes. The first scaring Elsa about her powers herself and then Pabbie, her father though is convinced she can learn to control them. There is a scene, where Elsa's father gives her gloves to help her, a little later we see Elsa telling her parents to stay away from her, fearing she could hurt them, seeing her powers growing but struggling to control it. Then the parents leave and get lost on sea, the sister are teenager at that point. I don't get the impression from these few minutes they didn't try, there is just little shown of what they tried. Inserting the attempt to find a teacher for Elsa to learn about her powers would have taken away from the story they wanted to tell, that of love between two different sisters, one struggling very much with her powers.

 

I don't think the parents made her afraid of herself, Elsa saw, what she did to her sister, she was with them, when they visited the trolls, heard everything.Her father said there, he is sure, she can learn to control them, until then they took precautions to limit the risk of Elsa to accidentally harm anyone. And the parents are shown to support Elsa, especially her father. In the movie it was never said, why they went on that sea trip, which leaves open they did it to find better help for Elsa.

 

Would have made it such a difference to move her into the mountains? The family couldn't have stayed together there for long, after all the parents were the rulers of Arendelle. And in the movie there was not the idea, that there were many people with magical knowledge around.

 

Now, in the Once universe we know there were a number of people with magical powers and knowledge, at least in the Enchanted Forest. Now one can as so often wonder, what the fairies were doing (but if you don't know there are fairies, you can't call for their help). There must haven been rumours, travellers from the Enchanted Forest. What did the parents knew, what did they learn, what did they try? And what did they eventually fear based on their past? We might get a few answers.

[LucidDreamer]

I hope they DON'T make the parents Kai and Gerda from the original story -- or any relation to them. Andersen 's characters are quite deliberately NON-royalty. (He had very conflicted feelings about royals, and usually only wrote about "ordinary" folk, unless it was to skewer royals, as in The Emperor's New Clothes).

FROZEN retains nothing of the original story except the concept of a female who can control winter weather, so I don't want them to bring in Andersen's tale at this point. Stick with the FROZEN story -- making one of the parents related to the "Snow Queen" as depicted on OUAT is fine, and a good way to tie that all together.

But for the love of snowflakes, leave Andersen alone (since they already did that with FROZEN, might as well continue).

[KingOfHearts]

Well in Frozen, Anna was Gerda and Elsa was both the Snow Queen and Kai. The trolls from the story became the good rock trolls. They focused on the themes in the adaptation instead of the actual details.

Edited October 14, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[LucidDreamer]

Sorry, I'm not buying that. Even the themes are wrong, in my opinion.  FROZEN is a great film on its own, but it isn't any version of The Snow Queen.

But that's not really relevant to OUAT because they are using their FROZEN story, so I just hope they stick to the mythology they created for that. It works fine on OUAT, and I don't think the original story as written by Andersen would actually work as well in this context.

[SilverShadow]

Sorry, I'm not buying that. Even the themes are wrong, in my opinion.  FROZEN is a great film on its own, but it isn't any version of The Snow Queen.

 

It could be said that the finished Frozen is too far removed to "count," (though I don't necessarily agree, because Disney adaptions are almost always very very loose) but I've been following the development of the movie, and the Anderson story was explicitly the starting point. The sisters relationship came up because they wanted to create a connection between the Snow Queen and the Anna/Gerda character, and Elsa was a villain until fairly late in the development process (though one that would be redeemed). There's a deleted scene with Elsa (voiced by Idina) with an army of evil snowmen floating around online.  There's also a couple of fun shoutouts: The two middle-aged castle servants are named Gerda and Kai in the script and Hans, Kristoff, Anna, and Sven are named to pay trubute to Anderson himself. IIRC the script writer also confirmed that Hans has some elements of the mirror in the original story.

[Rumsy4]

I hope they DON'T make the parents Kai and Gerda from the original story -- or any relation to them. Andersen 's characters are quite deliberately NON-royalty. (He had very conflicted feelings about royals, and usually only wrote about "ordinary" folk, unless it was to skewer royals, as in The Emperor's New Clothes).

 

But A & E have always tried to do their own twist on things. Why does authorial intent matter when it comes to re-imaging the Hans Anderson story to fit the ONCE narrative?

[Writing Wrongs]

It's finally happened. I'm really starting to dislike things Frozen. I hate that I can't hear the words "let it go" without having to sing them immediately afterword.

[KAOS Agent]

Fun fact: I have never heard the song Let It Go.

[ShadowFacts]

Let It Go is the kind of song that only about two lines of it replay on a loop in my head if triggered, and I can't abide that.  A mind worm or whatever they call it.

[Shanna Marie]

If you want to get the attention of little girls and then completely freak them out, sing "Let it Go" with the wrong words. I don't have the song memorized but am prone to making up my own words, and when my kindergarten choir starts getting out of control, all I have to do is start singing it the wrong way and soon they're all listening and correcting me. They don't listen to anything else I say, but that will bring about utter silence, fast. It's rather amusing.

 

I really need to learn it the right way and then surprise them sometime. But sing it like opera to really annoy them.

[Aliasscape]

Heh, I have like the first 5 notes of Do You Wanna Build a Snowman as a text tone for a friend who loves Frozen. She texted me while I was in a class of 3 year olds one day and the way their ears perked up and they looked around and then they started singing it.

[Shanna Marie]

There's been a proposed Halloween drinking game going around Facebook: You get a drink every time a trick-or-treater dressed as Elsa comes to your door.

 

Too bad I'll be out of town for Halloween. Not that I ever get trick-or-treaters. All my neighbors are either elderly or Indian. And you can't see my front door from the street.

[MedievalGirl]

One of those Elsas lives here. I'm so screwed! Seriously though one my younger nephews is going to be Elsa for Halloween. I'm so proud of his mom that she's not freaking out about this. 

[Minneapple]

There's been a proposed Halloween drinking game going around Facebook: You get a drink every time a trick-or-treater dressed as Elsa comes to your door.

You'll be blacked out after, like, 15 minutes. The other day I took my daughter and niece to an amusement park where they were having Halloween-related events, and kids were encouraged to wear their costumes. Only exaggerating a bit, I probably saw a thousand girls dressed as Elsa with a few Annas mixed in.

 

I'm actually proud of my daughter because Anna is her favorite. She's a little rebel!

[ShadowFacts]

The four year-old in my life is an Anna fan but wants to be Spidermangirl for Halloween. Not sure how that will play out.

[Shanna Marie]

I'm actually proud of my daughter because Anna is her favorite. She's a little rebel!

Yay! In the movie, I'm totally Team Anna. I proposed an alteration to the drinking game, for the sake of livers, to drink when a kid dressed as Anna shows up.

 

However, in the show, I like live-action Elsa more than live-action Anna.

[Rumsy4]

Speaking of Anna in OUAT, I think the actress is doing a really good job. What a break for her! Her first official acting gig, and she gets to act with seasoned veterans, and is holding her own pretty well.

 

However, I do think she's being written as a bit of a Mary Sue. Her fiance is supportive of her running out on her wedding day on a vague quest to another kingdom. She teaches "cowardly" David to sword-fight in a few hours, and inspires him to "stand up to a bully", while dissing his alcoholic father. She outwits the Dark One, of all people, with the help of a mouse. I'm afraid to see who else she's going to meet and help out next. lol The writers struggle with nuances, and this is one example. 

[ShadowFacts]

I agree that Anna is just a tad too good to be true. This show doesn't let the good people win without some downside. It's got to be the hand of Disney controlling the writers' pen (keyboard).

[Camera One]

Jimmy Kimmel did a skit on the popularity of Elsa costumes this Halloween.  He does work at ABC after all, though I suppose it could really be that popular.  A co-worker of mine recently had a child attend an Elsa birthday party, where all the girls were dressed up as Elsa and they hired an Elsa impersonator.

 

I just put the link to the video in spoiler tags so the video preview image doesn't take up so much space.

 

 

It reminded me that this is the first Halloween since "Frozen" came out.  For some reason, it seems to have been around for longer.  It makes it all the more amazing that "Once" brought Frozen on the show before its one-year anniversary.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Camera One

[ShadowFacts]

Some Boston Bruins players wore Frozen costumes to their annual visit to Boston Children's Hospital.  Not all of them were Olaf, Sven or Kristoff, either.  Frozen is just omnipresent.  But it is sort of ripe for a hockey tie-in. 

[LucidDreamer]

But A & E have always tried to do their own twist on things. Why does authorial intent matter when it comes to re-imaging the Hans Anderson story to fit the ONCE narrative?

 

Sorry, a little late on this, but now that the Gerda thing has been established...

I don't mind OUAT twisting fairytales to suit their stories, but in this case, they aren't really.  They are using FROZEN "as is" with almost no character alteration (none allowed, I think is the reason).  So they've inserted a non-fairytale into the fairytale world.  FROZEN isn't even a classic children's story, like Peter Pan, that has had it's own share of variations and adaption. It's a completely original story written for a film that has nothing to do with any folktale, fairytale, classic kids' tale, etc.

 

Don't get me wrong, good film -- but somehow out of place in the OAUT world, at least for me. Especially since they have taken the film and basically inserted it with very little alteration or twists.

 

Of course, now they're pulling stuff from the original tale for little tweaks, like using the Gerda name (NOT the mother's name they used on the gravestones/runic stones in FROZEN, apparently). I don't really mind the mirror thing -- that's a good addition that was left out of FROZEN (well, like EVERYTHING from the orig. story except for the fact that there was a female character who could control ice and snow). Even adding in the Snow Queen -- okay, that's an interesting twist. But Gerda and Kai should have been left out of it. They were never royalty and their story could have been kept separate from this one easily enough. (The orig. story could have sort of happened with this Snow Queen in some other land/time/universe.  Making Gerda a princess -- ugh).  Just my opinion.

[Camera One]

Do we know if Anna and Elsa's parents became shipwrecked en route to see Rumple, or when they were getting back?

 

I hope it is revealed that Gerda was going to Rumple to get the ribbons back, not to take Elsa's powers away from her.  I guess that message in a bottle still has yet to come into play.  

[Curio]

I guess that message in a bottle still has yet to come into play.

I totally forgot about that bottle. It will probably be conveniently found in the 4A finale and will convince Elsa that her parents actually did love her and didn't see her as a monster. Which will then give her the strength to overpower the Snow Queen at the last second.

[Camera One]

It will probably be conveniently found in the 4A finale and will convince Elsa that her parents actually did love her and didn't see her as a monster. Which will then give her the strength to overpower the Snow Queen at the last second.

 

Which means Elsa will eventually join the "dark side" as well.  Probably when she remembers Anna did trap her in the urn.  Hope it's not going to be as predictable as all that.

[HeimrArnadalr]

Do we know if Anna and Elsa's parents became shipwrecked en route to see Rumple, or when they were getting back?

 

I hope it is revealed that Gerda was going to Rumple to get the ribbons back, not to take Elsa's powers away from her.  I guess that message in a bottle still has yet to come into play.  

According to Rumple, they made it there and were inquiring about the hat. The fact that "Gerda" (Iðunn) said that they have to tell their daughters what they found would seem to confirm that they made it to their destination. Whether they actually wanted the hat or not, we only have Rumple's word to go on.

[Writing Wrongs]

I notice a lot of people saying they haven't seen Frozen and watching them on Once doesn't make them want to. I'm curious. Is there a reason why you refuse to watch it? Is it all the hype? When it came out, I loved it a lot. Now all the hype it gets kind of cooled me on it (ha!). But it is worth at least a watch.

[ABitOFluff]

Because I have nieces and nephews, I've seen Frozen at least a dozen times. That said, I do think it was a little overhyped, but it's definitely up there with the classic Disney movies.

 

While I've been enjoying the Frozen characters here, I just now realized how much I'm going to miss them. Anna and Kristoff's scenes last night were the best I've seen between them since the season started. The scene in the chest (despite the sunlight) gave me feels, their reunion with Elsa made me happy, and Kristoff and David's reunion was awesome. Is there any way we can keep them?

 

I just wish we got a little bit of Olaf, and I'm worried about who's taking care of Sven for now.

Edited December 1, 2014 by ABitOFluff

[Trini]

 

Is there a reason why you refuse to watch it?

Well, I'm not refusing to see it; I just haven't gotten around to it yet. (Plus, no kids.) And I'm still kinda annoyed at the title.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Trini

[Camera One]

I forced myself to watch it in the summer as "homework" for 4A.  It was alright... not as great as all the reviews I heard, but I'm glad I watched it, since it made this half-season more fun to watch to see how they built on the original story to adapt it to "Once", while minimizing any lasting damage that could be done to the franchise (very important since everything "Once" touches turns to the opposite of gold).

[Minneapple]

I love the Frozen characters in Storybrooke and I'm going to miss them so much. I'm thinking about petitioning ABC to make a spinoff called Once Upon a Time: Arendelle and include Hook and Emma along with the Frozen characters.

 

I've seen Frozen about a hundred times, since my daughter and my niece are both obsessed. Except for "Let It Go," the music is forgettable. My daughter's room looks like Frozen threw up in it. Thank God sheets and posters are cheap ways to decorate kids' rooms. Six months ago you couldn't get the merchandise at stores. Now? You can't escape it. And given the way Disney is usually adept at overcrowding stores' shelves with their merchandise, I have no doubt they held back the Frozen merchandise on purpose, to whip parents into a bigger frenzy than usual.

[HeimrArnadalr]

I found this post on tumblr that shows parallels between the movie and the most recent episode ('Fall'). I'm quite impressed with some of them and it really shows how well the actors and actresses fit their roles. Many of these I only realized upon seeing that post; clearly I need to watch Frozen more often.

 

Now I'm really hoping that Hans gets punched off a boat when Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff take back Arendelle. 

"Anna? But, we tossed you overboard..."

"The only person going overboard around here is you."

*splash*

Edited December 3, 2014 by HeimrArnadalr

[Camera One]

Can you imagine telling a "Frozen" fan that you know what happens to the characters after the movie.  Anna traps Elsa into an urn for 30 years, Anna and Kristoff are locked into a trunk and thrown off a ship to drown, and Hans takes over Arendelle.

[HeimrArnadalr]

Hey, the story's not over yet. I just hope that we see Hans get kicked out of Arendelle (again), and that they don't go back to Arendelle and then we're just left to imagine what happened. 

[Curio]

I love the Frozen characters in Storybrooke and I'm going to miss them so much.

 

I've really enjoyed the Frozen characters, too! But I think an 11-episode run with them is the perfect amount of time. Just enough to get to know them and like their characters, but not too long so that they're over-staying their welcome. Although, it'd be nice to check in on them occasionally in the future, especially since Emma and Elsa have really bonded as close friends. Doesn't Emma know how to look at other lands via mirror magic? Maybe she and Elsa can figure out a way to do Mirror-Skype together occasionally to keep tabs on how they're doing.

 

And the super sappy this-should-only-exist-in-fanfiction part of me really wants to see Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff attend the inevitable Captain Swan wedding. ;)

[Shanna Marie]

I figure they'll all get back to Arendelle to find that Sven has led a successful revolution and overthrown Hans, and Hans and the Hot Brothers are all in the dungeon.

[The Cake is a Pie]

Maybe the Storybrookers will get invites to Anna and Kristoff's postponed wedding.

[RadioGirl27]

 

I've really enjoyed the Frozen characters, too! But I think an 11-episode run with them is the perfect amount of time. Just enough to get to know them and like their characters, but not too long so that they're over-staying their welcome.

Really, the longer they stay, the bigger the chance to destroy them. Can you imagine what Adam and Eddy would do with Anna and Kristoff's beautiful relationship if they stay?

[Jean]

Well also no one at Disney wants a full time job babysitting A&E.

 

They sure hit the jackpot with the casting of Elsa/Anna though. Kristoff too but the ladies really shine. I like both Haig and Lail enough that I would watch other works from them.

 

One thing I find strange is Elsa seems to be more popular of the 2 from the film, and yet in both the film and Once, Anna gets to do way more. I predicted that they would let Elsa lead the story in a way she really didn't in the film but they didn't do that.

[Camera One]

Some of the stuff they gave Anna was pretty bad, so maybe Elsa lucked out with less screentime.  I already liked Haig from her stint on "Fringe", but she really did an awesome job as Elsa, both in present-day and in the flashbacks.

[Jean]

I thought Anna was annoying in Charming's episode and the Belle backstory was useless. But her scenes with Rumple, especially in the barn were awesome. I also loved the jail scene with Ingrid in Belle's episode and the vows in the trunk. I'm not much for sappy romances but I went aww a little bit. Those scenes I think could be listed in a top standout scene list somewhere of 4A. The rest of her material was comic relief lifted out of the movie.

The problem with Elsa is not only the airtime but that most of her airtime was supporting material. I wished we got a little more substance out of Ingrid/Elsa. She finally found a person that was "like" her only not. And really it doesn't need a lot of airtime. I would've been happy if they had gotten one meaty scene like the one with Anna/Ingrid.

I knew Haig was in Fringe but I gave up that show after S2.

[Camera One]

That's a good point that Elsa was mostly supporting.  Though I thought she got more emotional character moments, which I thought was meaty but in a different way.  Anna got the adventurer protagonist role in the flashbacks.  The other problem with what they did with Elsa, was she was given a single goal... find Anna, which was dragged out for 9 episodes.  She seemed to be given material which was more passive... she didn't even realize herself that Ingrid was evil.