Will Scarlet, Knave of Hearts: Bloody Hell!

[Curio]

Now that Will Scarlet has officially jumped over from the Wonderland series to Storybrooke, I decided to make a thread to discuss his character/Michael Socha.

 

As one of only 12 people who watched the Wonderland series, I'm excited to see how the main show uses him. I like his interaction so far with Emma and Charming, and if anything, he can help make Robin's character a bit more interesting. I'm also curious to see if he's still staying at his old apartment or crashing somewhere else.

[Camera One]

His story was complete with a happy ending in the "Wonderland" series, so while I really liked him, I'm not that keen on having him on the parent series.

 

I'm sure we will find out why eventually, but he has reverted back to being a thief, which again, is retread and not welcomed.

 

Now if they were doing "Aladdin", I think it would have been relevant to bring all the main characters from "Wonderland" back.  

 

At this point, there are so many neglected characters on the main series that I would rather they get some of the screentime (from regular characters used as props like Henry to supporting characters in the town like Grumpy, Granny, Red, Archie, Gepetto and Blue), either shared, or spread out evenly among them.  It also wouldn't hurt to use some of that screentime to slow the pace down and provide more character moments and development.  

[ShadowFacts]

I think he could possibly rev up Robin's story somehow, but not Robin himself.  I think that's a lost cause.   I liked him a lot in Wonderland, he really was a scene stealer.  He could smart off to Regina, tick off Rumple, etc. etc.  I feel like Grumpy, Granny, Archie have been so underused as to have become stale. Maybe Will can break the mold on supporting characters.  It seems like his thievery is a retread, but I'm hoping there's a really interesting reason for it.

[Mari]

 It seems like his thievery is a retread, but I'm hoping there's a really interesting reason for it.

I just keep hoping he was looking for something specific, but doesn't trust them yet.  Otherwise, don't they have to pretty much scrap OUATiW?  (Which, I know, cancelled, but still.)

 

Also, please let him not lose his attitude.

 

(Hand waving at Curio--I was one of the other twelve people.  Now we only need to find the other ten and we'll have a complete set.)

Edited October 16, 2014 by Mari

[HoodlumSheep]

I was one of the few who watched Wonderland :) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I'm very easy to please when it comes to tv shows. I loved the Knave in Wonderland. So far he is acting more like he was at the beginning of Wonderland than at the end. Maybe he's just disguising his true feelings about whatever is going on with him. It could be a coping mechanism sort of like Killy's extra showy pirate behavior.

But then again, has it actually been canonically established that the current events are taking place after Wonderland but before his happy ending?

Slightly off topic (please forgive me): Can people still post on the Wonderland boards? I just want to double check, because now that I have finally joined a forum, I wouldn't mind sharing my thoughts on Wonderland. Better late than never?

Edited October 16, 2014 by HoodlumSheep

[Camera One]

(Hand waving at Curio--I was one of the other twelve people.  Now we only need to find the other ten and we'll have a complete set.)

 

We're up to 5 people now.  Pretty good, just six more and we can change the laws of magic.

[Curio]

But then again, has it actually been canonically established that the current events are taking place after Wonderland but before his happy ending?

I'm hoping they'll explain that soon. This show can't even keep its own timeline straight, so it's giving me a headache trying to figure out how the Wonderland series fits in, too.

 

I'm sure we will find out why eventually, but he has reverted back to being a thief, which again, is retread and not welcomed.

I'm not sure how much of a retread it is, depending on how the timelines with the two shows align up. But I think the writers threw in that "I'm a thief and always will be one" line to catch up viewers who didn't watch the Wonderland series. 

 

Slightly off topic (please forgive me): Can people still post on the Wonderland boards? I just want to double check, because now that I have finally joined a forum, I wouldn't mind sharing my thoughts on Wonderland. Better late than never?

Yep! It looks like the board is still open. I don't know if you'll get much response, though... it doesn't seem like it's been very active lately.

[HoodlumSheep]

Yep! It looks like the board is still open. I don't know if you'll get much response, though... it doesn't seem like it's been very active lately.

Sweet! Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow. I've tweeted adam about the wonderland timeline a couple of times but have never gotten a response. :( maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to get a response from him.

Anyways, i don't mind Will being all "I'm a thief," it just felt a little too "in your face" to me.

However, if this is a pre-Wonderland adventure Will, i look forward to seeing him show up everyone on how one should act when he or she is heartless, 'cause I think Socha nailed that aspect.

[Rumsy4]

I saw the last three episodes of OUATiW, Does that count? :-p I really like Will Scarlet's character, and I think he will be a great addition to the cast if they use him well. I agree that characters like Grumpy and Granny have become stale, so Will's addition will inject fresh energy into the mix. I think he is looking for something to help find Ana, who is probably missing, and he is pretending to be a petty thief to hide his true motives for now. 

[stealinghome]

fwiw, I think I read on here that Socha and Adam&Eddie have all confirmed that Will's appearance in Season 4 of Once takes place after the end of Once: Wonderland/

[HoodlumSheep]

What does every one think of Socha's status as a regular character? He's a regular character for season 4, but do you think he'll stick around for future episodes beyond that? Or do you think he'll be a regular for just a season and then he'll be sent on his merry way to live out his happy ending by the end of 4b?

[retrograde]

I would guess it depends on fan reaction. If people love him, they'll find an excuse to keep him around.

[Camera One]

What does every one think of Socha's status as a regular character? He's a regular character for season 4, but do you think he'll stick around for future episodes beyond that?

 

That's an odd choice to me, because they certainly like using returning characters as a major player for a single episode guest appearance (eg. Ariel in "The Jolly Roger") or sometimes in two/three adjoining episodes (eg. Mulan in 3A).  

 

But why make Will a regular?  Do we need another male character?  S3 had one more male regular (Neal) but he doesn't fill the same niche as Will, who is half comic relief.  Did they feel they needed to inject more humor into the show?  It's already a squeeze with dialogue in an investigative scene with Emma, Charming, Hook and whoever else is helping that week, and now to add another regular on top of that?

 

I don't think characters like Grumpy and Granny need to be "stale" and it makes me sad when viewers don't give them a chance, which basically reinforces the writers continuing to use them as glorified extras and filling whatever convenient role needs to be filled.

 

I do like Will, but I don't think his scenes in "Rocky Road" highlighted his wit and aspects of him I liked on the Wonderland show.  Such as how he developed such loyalty to Alice.  

 

Hopefully, learning the backstory in the rest of the season will show why he is needed.  So I don't think I can say anymore until I see more episodes with him.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Camera One

[stealinghome]

I'm waiting to see how Will's next few appearances go. I really liked the energy and humor he brought in 4x03--his snark and attitude came off as completely different from anyone else's (and, sorry Hook fans, more natural and fun), it felt really fresh--but we already have far too many characters, most of whom get shafted for screentime on a regular basis. So I'm withholding judgment until I have a better sense for how he clicks with the larger ensemble and how exactly the show plans to use him.

 

Though I will say I don't think Kitsis and Horowitz signed him as a regular just to have him for not even a true full season. Now, do I think they have a real plan for Will? Oh hell no. But I highly doubt this is a one-year-rental kind of situation, at least in their minds/initial plans.

Edited October 16, 2014 by stealinghome

[Rumsy4]

I don't think characters like Grumpy and Granny need to be "stale" and it makes me sad when viewers don't give them a chance, which basically reinforces the writers continuing to use them as glorified extras and filling whatever convenient role needs to be filled.

 

Taking this to the All Seasons Thread.

[Jean]

But why make Will a regular?

Because otherwise Socha could book another gig and then they would be SOL. Or he has a really great agent that succesfully negotiated his contract and they gave it to him.

I didn't watch Wonderland but caught his and Ana's story/scenes on youtube and liked him well enough. I also liked Ana too. I'd be fine with having both of them but the big cast is a problem. They need to stop doing pointless fairybacks every episode or most of them, after the Frozen arc. It cuts down the actual storytelling in the present by half.

[Camera One]

No chance of that.  They'll have new fairybacks about whoever the villain is in 4B and how they're connected to Rumple, Regina, etc.  

[RadioGirl27]

I didn't see Wonderland so my opinion is based only in "Rocky Road" and I have to recognize that I didn't like him. I know this is going to be unpopular, but I didn't liked neither the actor (I love a guy with an accent but his was too much), nor the character. Maybe, with more episodes, he can make me change my mind, but right know I'm not a fan.

And I don't think A&E have a long (or short) term plan for him. I think they liked the character and/or the actor in Wonderland and decided to bring him to Once without really having a plan for him. It's like the Belle situation. They made Emilie a regular because Rumbelle was popular, not because they had a plan for her. I think this was something similar: "he is cool, lets make him a regular. We can think a story for him later, it doesn't mather if it makes sense or not". Actually, I'm sure 98% of the time that's the way they write their stories.

Edited October 16, 2014 by RadioGirl27

[ShadowFacts]

 

I didn't see Wonderland so my opinion is based only in "Rocky Road" and I have to recognize that I didn't like him.

 

Personal preferences are always just that, but I would say what you've seen so far isn't much--what we saw of him in Wonderland was really a kick.  Even if he only injects humor, and they can write for him the way he was written in Wonderland, that will be a shot in the arm for this show, in my opinion.  Grumpy can do a funny line, but he's wearing on me with his hysteria.  Hook is too much about Emma now to bring much humor to other situations, so I think there is a lot of potential for Will Scarlet to liven things up.  I do agree they probably snapped him up without a plan in mind, because he was very popular on their spinoff.

[Serena]

I do like Will, but I don't think his scenes in "Rocky Road" highlighted his wit and aspects of him I liked on the Wonderland show.  Such as how he developed such loyalty to Alice.

Maybe they want to recreate Will and Alice's platonic friendship with Emma. Considering her friend Elsa is leaving at the end of her arc, and they've expressed more than once the desire to see Emma with a friend who's not her family or her boyfriend...

 

Because otherwise Socha could book another gig and then they would be SOL. Or he has a really great agent that succesfully negotiated his contract and they gave it to him.

Which is kind of hilarious because it implies they thought Sean couldn't get another job and would be available for guest star appearances any time they needed. Really, what's up with that?

 

Anyway, unless the character totally bombs on the show (and I don't see why he would) I doubt they're gonna let him go after S4. They seem to like him a lot, in  way they never liked Belle, Red, Archie or Neal (other regulars that were let go/ignored)

[HoodlumSheep]

Maybe they want to recreate Will and Alice's platonic friendship with Emma. Considering her friend Elsa is leaving at the end of her arc, and they've expressed more than once the desire to see Emma with a friend who's not her family or her boyfriend...)

I don't know how that'd make me feel. Knalice is kind of the "one Brotp to rule them all" in the Once universe, at least in my opinion. Good luck recreating that. I guess we'll see how the rest of his episodes go. I feel bad for saying it, but think he'd be better used as a 1 season character, but I think that's due to me watching Wonderland. Every time I see him I think of how he should be living it up with Anastasia instead of being sucked into another adventure. And I also worry about the number of regular cast members; I'm surprised the belle fanatics haven't gone ballistic on him and I kinda feel bad for Sean.

[Mari]

Maybe they want to recreate Will and Alice's platonic friendship with Emma. Considering her friend Elsa is leaving at the end of her arc, and they've expressed more than once the desire to see Emma with a friend who's not her family or her boyfriend...

Which is kind of hilarious because it implies they thought Sean couldn't get another job and would be available for guest star appearances any time they needed. Really, what's up with that?

Replying in the speculation without spoilers thread.

[Shanna Marie]

Hand waving at Curio--I was one of the other twelve people.  Now we only need to find the other ten and we'll have a complete set.

I watched all of Wonderland and actually liked it, but I must confess that I was kind of lukewarm on the Knave. I thought he was actually pretty generic for that kind of character. He did grow on me, and I liked him better once it became clear that his relationship with Alice was platonic (I was perhaps the only Team Cyrus person in the audience). I rather liked the foursome once Cyrus was freed and Ana was having second thoughts and they all teamed up. But I'm really not sure I'll like Will removed from that dynamic and don't see what his role here will be. I will keep an open mind, however, because he's not Regina, Rumple or Robin.

[Writing Wrongs]

I marathoned Wonderland after quitting during its initial run. It got better and better. I really like Will and his "Bloody hells".

[Mari]

He did grow on me, and I liked him better once it became clear that his relationship with Alice was platonic (I was perhaps the only Team Cyrus person in the audience). I rather liked the foursome once Cyrus was freed and Ana was having second thoughts and they all teamed up.

I didn't actually care about Cyrus one way or another, but did really like that they kept Alice and Will completely platonic--it would have been so easy and predictable to go the love triangle route, and they completely resisted.

 

One of the things I liked about Will was that if he thought something was a bad idea, or something was wrong, he came right out and said it.  He occasionally went along with the stupid plan anyway, but he would point out it was a stupid plan.  If they can keep that going, I'll enjoy his addition very much. 

[KingOfHearts]

I started watching Wonderland right after its hiatus. Will and Ana's relationship blows Outlaw Queen out of the water. It made me mad when Ana became so weak in the end because I really liked her. I'd like her to come on the parent show at some point since Will isn't exactly complete without her. 

 

 

I was perhaps the only Team Cyrus person in the audience

Hehe, I couldn't stand Alice and Cyrus.

Edited October 16, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[HoodlumSheep]

It made me mad when Ana became so weak in the end because I really liked her.

Interesting... Would you care to elaborate in the Wonderland thread???

I also like Will's bluntness. He's not afraid to tell people what he thinks. One of my favorite moments in Wonderland was when he called out Alice for not pulling her weight in Brotp responsibilities when she was kind of making everything about her and was ignoring Will's needs.

[FurryFury]

I was inclined to ship Knalice simply based on character descriptions - that's how I hate when the show tries to make me ship an already established couple (my pet peeve). I dropped it soon because of different reasons, but still, I really didn't like Alice/Cyrus. The show tried too hard to make me like them.

 

Re: Will on Once - I think it's way too early to pass judgment. I do agree that Hook has stopped being fun, though. I just don't care about him now that he's all about Emma and trying to play a supportive boyfriend. That's boring.

[HoodlumSheep]

Another thing that worries me, as previously mentioned, is his establishment as a thief. I know that's what he was in Wonderland, but I felt he was beginning to outgrow that persona by the end of the Wonderland series, or at least that he would steal if it was for good, kind of like robin hood. There's a good chance that he is just thieving to help out ana or whoever though. But as it stands:

Emma's a thief, Snow was a thief, nealfire was a thief, hook has a pirate/thieving background, Robin Hood's supposed to be prince of thieves. If Will gets to show off his thieving skills more than Robin Hood (even though his are used to help the poor, etc.) or pretty much anyone else, I'm probably going to be a just a tad upset.

[Shanna Marie]

I was inclined to ship Knalice simply based on character descriptions - that's how I hate when the show tries to make me ship an already established couple (my pet peeve).

I'm pretty much the opposite. I seldom "ship." I just watch what's on the screen and either like it or don't like it, but I've been conditioned not to expect any established couple (as opposed to a will they/won't they one) at the beginning of the series to stay together, and that goes double if the guy in the established couple is good and earnest and there's a bad boy with a heart of gold lurking anywhere nearby. I took it as a given that Cyrus would be considered boring and would do one bad thing that would make him unworthy of Alice, and meanwhile the Knave would prove himself a hero by doing one good thing, and Alice and the Knave would be end game. But they pleasantly surprised me by letting Cyrus turn out to be a lot more complex than he seemed initially, by giving Will his own True Love, and by not turning it into a triangle. I'm pretty much allergic to the bad boy with a heart of gold, which is why me actually liking Hook is so weird, but then if you look at him in context of any possible triangle with Emma, he actually is the earnest good guy who just loves her, in comparison to the thief who let her go to jail for his crime, the drifter who left her alone in a foster home as a kid and then went to Thailand on the money meant for her, or the evil winged monkey spying on her. The Hatter wasn't quite the full-on bad boy, but he may have used more eyeliner than Hook. Graham was dead before Hook came on the scene, and I think it might have been a draw there, depending on whether he had his heart. He wasn't necessarily a bad boy when he wasn't Regina's pawn, but he was extremely anti-social and hated people. And if they do anything even resembling a triangle with Will in the mix, I think Will would still play the bad boy role to Hook's more earnest "good guy." But unless they really, really change things from the spinoff, we know from the future epilogue that Will and Ana end up together, so we already know there's no way that Will and Emma could be endgame, so I'm good.

[FurryFury]

I seriously doubt Will could become a romantic interest for Emma at this point. Maybe Regina, but even that is doubtful. Actually, that's one of the reasons I'm interested in the character. I've given up on expecting a really well-written romance on this show - flashback Snowing and CS in 3A were the best the could do, and it didn't last.

[myril]

Oh, please, can't they bring someone on the show without being a romantic interest for someone (and not being the big bad of the season)? Yes, I know, there is now Elsa (if it weren't for their early statement that she's not getting a romantic interest I would wonder what kind of shipping "wars" we had already around her, love interest for Emma, Regina, Hook, Robin, Mulan, Ruby,...).But seriously. I know, this show is so much about love, and the overdose of soapy romance on it might be attractive to some (big) parts of the audience, but they're driving me more and more away from the show if cheesy written romance takes an all dominating lead. Thankfully that is still more of an audience thing, the show is not yet totally reduced to it.

 

This romance thing was by the way the reason for me to ditch Wonderland even before it got started. I would have found Alice maybe interesting, and the scenes they showed early with her in the psych ward intrigued me a bit, but the moment they came out with the Alice - Cyrus thing the show was on the  bottom of my watch list. The pilot didn't convince me otherwise.

 

I don't expect to get much of an answer, why Will is in Storybrooke in this first half of the season, because there is already quite a lot going on. He might be good for some scenes to fill for the time being, good for information, prompting, so not always the same people talking, enough to make or keep people curious about him, but not enough to already give answers.

[FurryFury]

. I would have found Alice maybe interesting, and the scenes they showed early with her in the psych ward intrigued me a bit, but the moment they came out with the Alice - Cyrus thing the show was on the  bottom of my watch list.

 

Yeah, it was really so heavy-handed, it took me out of the show. If you really want to make romance such a big part of the show, could you, I dunno, write it well? 

 

Yes, I know, there is now Elsa (if it weren't for their early statement that she's not getting a romantic interest I would wonder what kind of shipping "wars" we had already around her, love interest for Emma, Regina, Hook, Robin, Mulan, Ruby,...).

 

I'd think her being gone in a few episodes is more of a reason not to ship her seriously with anyone. Although some people probably will do it anyway.

[stealinghome]

Yeah, I actually think one of the best things about bringing Will in is the fact that he already has a True Love and really can't be romantic with anyone. This show sucks at writing romance, but actually writes some wonderful friendships. Bringing in someone who pretty much by definition has to be everyone's friend and no one's romantic interest is always a good thing.

[justcris]

Agreed! And actually the only time I liked Robin Hood was in his Wonderland episode where we see him with Will.

[KAOS Agent]

Someone did an incredibly detailed post on Tumblr explaining Will Scarlet's entire story from Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (obvious spoilers for that show's entire run). So if you're like me and never bothered to watch the spinoff but want to know what his story is, this seems like a fairly exhaustive summary. 

[Camera One]

As I was saying in the other thread, I finished marathoning 4A with a visiting friend, and she was interested in Will's story, so we ended up watching the first 3 episodes of "Wonderland" tonight.  Beware OUAT Wonderland spoilers below... 

 

I liked the first episode more upon rewatch than the first time.  I remember hating The Red Queen and Jafar's acting, and found it incredibly fake, especially their confrontation.  Their confrontational scene still wasn't that great (and the villain scenes in general dragged on too long), but I could buy it now knowing their full stories.  

 

"Wonderland" did such a better job with world exploration than 3A in terms of Neverland exploration, and definitely 3B with Oz.  I had forgotten  the characters visited so many interesting sites in Wonderland on their quest.  Another plus for the series was that the "heroes", especially Alice, were very resourceful and smart, clear from the first three episodes.

 

There were also way more character moments which felt meaningful, though I suppose some people could have gotten bored by the slower pace.  The flashbacks, especially in the first two episodes with Alice/Cyrus, felt very dream-like and ethereal.  My friend was a bit put-off by the violence, though, such as Jafar killing the villagers and the previous lamp owner in Episode 2 and then killing the Grendel in Episode 3.  She also commented that everyone has an accent, which could have turned some viewers off.

 

I actually thought watching "Wonderland" fit more after 4A (than 3A), since it seemed to provide a bit of payoff in seeing Will's backstory, and we actually got to see Robin Hood at work.  Plus that episode featured Maleficient as well.  I still think Will was a bit of a waste of time in 4A, but I would have accepted him as a lead-in to a spinoff like Wonderland... They could have had the Rabbit take him during "Heroes and Villains".

Edited December 27, 2014 by Camera One

[Faemonic]

I think most people who had seen the spinoff were hoping that Will's history of

heartlessness

would have allowed him to recognize what was up with Hook, but since that didn't happen and the attempted book theft is going nowhere fast, I don't see why he's here.

 

Is Will going to lead the Merry Men now? Would that not be too much to juggle with the Queens of Evil, Regina, Rumbelle, maybe Henry and The Author plotline?

[ShadowFacts]

If Will is going to be involved with the Merry Men it would only be a slight step up from the nothing he is doing now.  I envisioned him having his own quest of some sort, and that probably would be too much to juggle with the other things that are up in the air.  The way I thought they would use him would be similar to what he was in Wonderland -- funny as heck with a snappy line/platonic friend.  But no.  His friendship with Alice was so well done, but apparently the showrunners aren't interested in giving Emma or David or whomever a real friend, Elsa notwithstanding.

[Rumsy4]

As usual, they have way too much on their plates. And yet, A&E keep adding more and more characters and plots into the mix. They don't have enough money to build Emma a house/apartment set, but had enough money to bring in Socha and have him do nothing in 4A. They had all the Frozen characters and the Arendelle sets, plus Ingrid and her sisters. They have three more villians for 4B, and all the sets and cat their backstories will need. Did the Sorceror really need a mansion? Couldn't they have rented a small cottage? lol They're just like kids in a toy shop, running around dumping all the big, new, and shiny toys into their shopping carts, and then start neglecting the old toys in favor of the new.

[Faemonic]

They're just like kids in a toy shop, running around dumping all the big, new, and shiny toys into their shopping carts, and then start neglecting the old toys in favor of the new.

Wah, I miss Ruby! But I don't want her back if her presence is going to be less use than Will's.

[Featherhat]

I imagine that like Ruby/Meaghan Ory it was a case of "we love that actor/character" and if we don't sign then right away they are going to get another gig rather than having any specific storyline for them. And I think they might have signed him before they got final permission to do Frozen, which probably derailed any ideas they were going to use him for. As it is he had a bit role in 4A and I agree, I can't see it getting much better for 4B with everything we know so far.

[Camera One]

After rewatching "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" these last few days, the way Will acted in 4A is more similar to his pre-Heart days.  Based on his personality, it makes more sense if the Rabbit takes him to save Alice AFTER the events of 4A.  

 

However, the writers have indicated this is Will after the events of the spinoff series, and I have no doubt they will show us the story of what happened, but I am not optimistic about this storyline.  Everything that could have happened to Will and Anastasia already happened on the spinoff.  I can't see a calamity which would be more extreme than what they went through on that show.  

 

And why is he living with the Merry men anyway?  He has an apartment in Storybrooke.  

 

For fans of the spinoff, the only plus to having Will Scarlett on the parent-show is the possibility we'll get a cameo from Anastasia, Alice and Cyrus eventually.

[Faemonic]

why is he living with the Merry men anyway?  He has an apartment in Storybrooke.  

Maybe Will defaulted on a couple of payments and Mr. Gold repossessed it?

[Camera One]

About Anastasia from the Spoilers thread. Nothing spoilery:

 

It does seem that way. If he were just on some mission, then petty thievery, drinking and chilling with the Merry Man doesn't seem like logical behavior. (Though, what is on this show?) We saw him drunk on the floor with a Wonderland book, plus a picture of the Red Queen. When he's asked about her, he says nothing and keeps it vague.

 

What I'm assuming is either she's dead, she's missing, or she's in a place Will has no hope of getting to. But knowing Wonderland and it's many portals, those kinds of places are few and far between. I doubt it's a break-up since they are a confirmed True Love couple. It could be that he just presumes her dead. My reason for believing she maybe alive is because of the epilogue at the end of Wonderland implying they had been ruling it for a long time. This epilogue was at least seven years later, according to Alice's daughter's age. That's of course assuming time in Wonderland is consistent with everyone else's.

 

Will's actions in Storybrooke and the total reversion of his character development in the other show seem to come out as grieving to me. He's lost his wife, so he's drinking and going back to the way he was as a way of forgetting about her. But he's still struggling with letting her go, hence the book in the library. That's just my thoughts.

 

Could it be as simple as Will being pulled away from Wonderland when the second Curse hit?  Though if that had been the case, you'd think he would be desperately looking for a portal back to Wonderland.  Or maybe he thinks there's no way to go back?

 

I agree his drinking and reversion is better explained by him *thinking* Anastasia is dead.  I doubt she is, considering their happy ending in the spinoff.  

 

Though the prologue in the spinoff makes no sense to me.  Why would Alice be hiding Wonderland from her own daughter?  After the wedding, you would think Alice and Cyrus would be making regular visits to Wonderland to see their friends.  Maybe Wonderland did become a dangerous place, after Anastasia was overthrown?

Edited February 28, 2015 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

 

Could it be as simple as Will being pulled away from Wonderland when the second Curse hit?  Though if that had been the case, you'd think he would be desperately looking for a portal back to Wonderland.  Or maybe he thinks there's no way to go back?

Anastasia could simply send the White Rabbit if that were the case, or like you said he'd be searching for a portal. He wouldn't be wasting time doing what he's been doing.

Edited February 28, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

Maybe he waited all of 3B, and the White Rabbit still didn't arrive?  So by 4A, he had lost hope (thinking something happened to Anastasia/White Rabbit/Wonderland) and thus his mopey self?  I am assuming that something *did* happen in or to Wonderland, or there wouldn't be a plot.  I like Will, but I still think this is a mis-use of screentime on the parent show, at least at this juncture in time.  It would make more sense to bring Will back when they do Aladdin.  I suppose this could all be a lead-up to the 4B finale revealing that Jafar is the next "big bad" and he escaped and took Anastasia hostage.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Camera One

[KAOS Agent]

He should talk to Hook about finding him a portal. The man seems to have no trouble acquiring one when it is necessary. Instead of trying to beat him up when his girlfriend isn't around to protect him, Will should just ask how Hook became a portal magnet.

[rachel1496]

Now that Will/Belle has aired I can drag this over from the Spoiler thread to bitch about it.

 

 

As series co-creator Eddy Kitsis notes, Belle and Will, after all, have “a lot in common,” in that “they both fell in love with villains (Rumple and Wonderland’s Red Queen, respectively), and they both hoped that these villains would be redeemed.” And they both were let down. With Rumple banished (as far as Belle knows!) and Anastasia MIA, “Anytime you have your heart broken,” Kitsis says, “you look for a way to smile again.”

I know we joke about the fact that no one watched the spin off but did Eddy actually watch the spin off?  Anastasia wasn't a villian until well after she left Will and he pretty much despised her for most of her redemption arc.

When Cora told him Ana wasn't coming he was so devestated that he asked Cora to rip out his heart.  He was willing to betray Alice and serve Cyrus up on a platter for Jafar so he would bring her back to life after she was killed.  Nothing about his character this far has been a guy who just moves on to the first available woman to get over losing Ana.

[KingOfHearts]

 

Anastasia wasn't a villian until well after she left Will and he pretty much despised her for most of her redemption arc.

Then she redeemed herself and got back together with Will. Am I missing something there? Is the timeline different?