Spoiler Discussion: The apple was poisoned?!

[Rumsy4]

Considering Rumple comes back to Storybrooke, I wonder if he found some off-screen way to cleave himself from the Dagger? Otherwise, what's to keep Belle or whoever's holding the Dagger from ordering him not to do anything bad?

[KingOfHearts]

Considering Rumple comes back to Storybrooke, I wonder if he found some off-screen way to cleave himself from the Dagger? Otherwise, what's to keep Belle or whoever's holding the Dagger from ordering him not to do anything bad?

Unless they somehow destroyed the dagger or removed Rumple's name from it, which I can guess will happen. That's what his Angels are there for. They're his bodyguards and dirty work folks.

[Rumsy4]

Here's a link to the extended promo: http://seriable.com/upon-time-4-12-darkness-edge-town-extended-promo/

Not sure how much more is there. Regina definitely has the Dagger in a couple of the shots. At least they had a six week break before Rumple came back, I suppose.

[Bluerang1]

It's the same promo!

[Artsda]

Hook will ease Emma's 'Frozen' loneliness when 'Once Upon a Time' returns

http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/once_upon_a_time_hook_emma_elsa_captain_swan_season_4_fall_finale-2014-12

[HoodlumSheep]

Regina has it in another shot as well. This game of "who has the dagger" just gets crazier by the minute. Belle, Hook, Rumple, Regina... I'm waiting for Henry to get his hands on it.

(I love how Belle is part of the Nevengers now in those gifs. She's becoming her own character!)

You know i find this kind of exciting and something I'll stick around to watch (haha, who am I kidding? I'll be here watching this show 'til the bitter end).

It really is a game of "hot potato," as many of you lovely people here have described it. My question is, who's going to be the one to make a mistake and screw up the game?

Trade make-up secrets? Oh, Colin you. I could totally see it happening. So Emma will miss Elsa, but won't have any time to mourn the loss of her bestie. Wonderful.

Edited December 15, 2014 by HoodlumSheep

[daxx]

Hook will ease Emma's 'Frozen' loneliness when 'Once Upon a Time' returns

http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/once_upon_a_time_hook_emma_elsa_captain_swan_season_4_fall_finale-2014-12

Colin, you truly are an adorable dork!

[allyj128]

From that Zap2It article:

Don't expect the series to linger on any loss Emma is feeling -- especially she already has solidified her girlmance with Regina (Lana Parrilla) now that they're drinking buddies. As O'Donoghue notes, this is Storybrooke we're dealing with, meaning "it's not too long before something else happens" to distract everyone. At least Hook and Emma's relationship is a "very real thing for both of them," and both characters are trying to make things work.

 

 

Don't worry, OUAT, my expectations re: Emma's feelings are just not that high anymore. Especially since you're calling her relationship with Regina a freaking "girlmance". Ugh.

 

No. Just no. 

 

That said, Colin is insanely adorable.

[Souris]

Bless Colin's heart. The actors try so hard, but sometimes you simply can't get blood from a turnip.

[legaleagle53]

From that Zap2It article:

 

Don't worry, OUAT, my expectations re: Emma's feelings are just not that high anymore. Especially since you're calling her relationship with Regina a freaking "girlmance". Ugh.

 

No. Just no. 

 

Just what the Swan Queen shippers needed.  Ugh is right!

[BoPeeps]

The spoilers create a scenario for some serious emoting and emotional connections. We all wait for the emotional payoff. It rarely comes. And that is sad. Sad for everyone, including the actors. The whole business of making TV successful is based on keeping the viewers entertained. But not all viewers have the attention span of fourteen year olds who want to jump from one CGI trauma to the next. SOME of us actually yearn for some deeper meanings and fulfilling closure . Like the Belle/Rumple/Town line scene., or Hook/Emma/ (hidden Rumple) diner scenes, we know they can happen. There are just NEVER enough, and we aren't being all that greedy either, we just want intelligent storytelling that appeals to our ADULT (not Disneyfied) fantasy needs.

 

The spoilers with Bell, Hook and the dagger are potentially filled with deeper meaning and thought provoking plot. However...

well you know.

 

And yeah, Colin is pretty damned cute..and careful! Heh

[KingOfHearts]

 

There are just NEVER enough, and we aren't being all that greedy either, we just want intelligent storytelling that appeals to our ADULT (not Disneyfied) fantasy needs.

Heck, just our basic story needs. Payoff shouldn't be left out of any story, period. Even children's books have it. That really says something about the overall writing quality.

 

 

As O'Donoghue notes, this is Storybrooke we're dealing with, meaning "it's not too long before something else happens" to distract everyone. At least Hook and Emma's relationship is a "very real thing for both of them," and both characters are trying to make things work.

 

"It's in Offscreenville, you have to believe us!"

[RadioGirl27]

Hook will ease Emma's 'Frozen' loneliness when 'Once Upon a Time' returns

http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/once_upon_a_time_hook_emma_elsa_captain_swan_season_4_fall_finale-2014-12

Colin is so cute.

But after reading that interview, I have a pretty good idea of how it's going to be 4B for Hook and Emma: a ten seconds scene per episode with some kisses and cute moments, so we don't forget they are together, with Hook acting as the third wheel in the Rumbelle drama and Emma stuck with the black whole that are Regina and Operation Stupidity.

[YaddaYadda]

http://tvline.com/2014/12/15/once-upon-a-time-season-4-cruella-de-vil-rumplestiltskin-ariel-return/

 

Ariel is coming back.

[kili]

EW Interview with A&E and some spoilers. Emma does not get her own place because they ran out of money...?

[MaiLuna]

 

Some thought the Emma/Hook Once-CaptainSwan_Kissreunion felt a bit rushed, especially for someone carrying such a fear about losing the men she loves. Was that a time issue? That you had other story masters to serve?

KITSIS | We would have loved to do 40 minutes of them kissing, but we had a lot to get in.

Kissing? That's all they could've possibly done if they had had more time? Not, you know, TALKING. I know they're an attractive couple but they're not just there for the hot kisses. SMH.

[Souris]

EW Interview with A&E and some spoilers. Emma does not get her own place because they ran out of money...?

 

That is such bullshit. Just something else they teased and promised and didn't follow through on.

[FabulousTater]

TVLINE | I very much enjoyed the moment where Regina welcomed Emma to Operation Mongoose.

KITSIS | Even though Regina did the right thing and she let Robin Hood go, we loved the idea of everyone rallying around to help her — which is a lot different from two years ago, when they all went to get dinner and left her on the side of the road.

 

And if anyone ever had a question about what or who this show is about that's it right there. I mean, never mind that Regina spent 30+ years trying to kill them all (and in some cases succeeding). No, what matters is that they didn't invite the mass murderer and the person who forced the separation of the family to fcking dinner! By all means let's rally around the person who doesn't regret everything she did. Let's feed her insatiable ego that blames everyone else for her problems. F.

 

Nope. I can't take it anymore.

Edited December 15, 2014 by FabulousTater

[YaddaYadda]

EW Interview with A&E and some spoilers. Emma does not get her own place because they ran out of money...?

 

They clearly blew their budget on terrible CGI.  So if she can't have her own place for budget reasons it means that Hook will just keep living at Granny's.  

 

ETA -

 

So Ariel's return.  Does Emma know what went down between Ariel and Hook or is Ariel just in Ursula's flashbacks which actually wouldn't make all that much sense.  

Edited December 15, 2014 by YaddaYadda

[Serena]

Of course they ran out of money. They had to hire not one, but THREE guest actresses as villains. They had to give Will an expensive regular contract and not use him. So many ways to waste money!

[YaddaYadda]

Of course they ran out of money.

 

That's probably why they didn't think about putting Marian in non prisoner clothes when she crossed the town line into the Land without Magic where people will look at her like she's heading to a Renaissance Fair.

[RadioGirl27]

Why have I read that interview? I was starting to calm down a bit after last episode and I had to read that.

[Souris]

Yep, I'm about ready to take a dagger to something myself after those POS interviews.

[Shanna Marie]

And if anyone ever had a question what and who this show is about that's it right there. I mean, never mind that Regina was being spent 30+ years trying to kill them all (and in some cases succeeding). No what matter is that they didn't invite the mass murderer and the person who forced the separation of the family to fcking dinner!

Yeah, the first time they ever in their entire lives had a chance to get together as a family, and they're terrible and mean because they didn't invite the person who separated them all in the first place.

 

This is why the book plot will never make sense. They don't see Regina as being at all responsible for anything that's happened to her. It's all someone else's fault. And now that idiocy is going to spread to the Rumple plot because all these villains are going to be trying to get happy endings by changing the book. Yet somehow they'll be villains for doing so and be proved wrong when they're defeated, but Regina will be right about it and be rewarded.

[HoodlumSheep]

At least the interviewer straight up asked about time constraints. Glad to hear Ariel will be back in some capacity. Also I'm kind of happy that Snowing seem like they'll get more spotlight. More charming Huzzah! possible return of Bandit Snow, hooray! Happy to know Rumple is basically confirmed big bad for 4b.

YaddaYadda, I don't think Emma knows about the Hook/Ariel situation. I can vaguely remember her seeing Ariel and Eric together in the mirror, and she was all like, "you helped her?" And he was like, "not really" and I got the vibe that she thought he was just being sheepish about it before he leaves and she's all "the past is in the past." Or at least hat's how I think it went down. So I don't think she'd be too upset if she found out.

[KingOfHearts]

 

 

TVLINE | Can you give a hint as to how her magic leans?

EDDY KITSIS | It leans towards what she wears on her back. It deals with animals.

HOROWITZ |  And it’s dark.

What if Cruella shapeshifts into animals she kills, like stealing their life force or something? Or maybe she can shapeshift from their fur?

 

 

 

TVLINE | Would you call Rumple the Big Bad for Season 4B, with the Queens of Darkness almost as his “backup singers”?

KITSIS | Rumple is absolutely the Big Bad. And I would also say that the three women can more than hold their own. It’s a very formidable team of evil coming our way.

Yay for Rumple being the Big Bad. Hopefully that means he won't be getting back together with Belle any time soon.

 

 

We would have loved to do 40 minutes of them kissing, but we had a lot to get in.

See, this is my problem with how CS is treated on the show. It's about kissing and flirting to the showrunners. They don't care about the real meat of the relationship. They're more concerned with gif sets.

 

 

We can’t wait for everybody to get to know the Queens of Darkness.

That scares me. They were excited about everyone getting to know Zelena, too...

 

 

A little of both. We're going to see the Queens of Darkness, but it's really going to be a way to focus on our core characters. And we're really excited that the flashbacks will return to the time of season one. We're going to get much more Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin), Charming (Josh Dallas), Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), before the curse. We're going to be going back to that time period.

 

I'm a little bit excited about returning to the show's roots, but it sounds like repetition (Snow vs. Regina) and retconning (Cruella, Ursula and Maleficent were there the whole time!) are in the forecast.

Edited December 16, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[The Cake is a Pie]

Emma can't have her own place because of budget? The MAIN CHARACTER of your show can't have her own space that really doesn't need to be more than a single room set because you can't afford it? Meanwhile Regina gets a mansion, office, castle, and a vault? Rumple has a shop, house, imp castle, and occasionally a honeymoon house? Bull and shit, I say.

[YaddaYadda]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/once-a-time-bosses-tease-758082

 

And another one.

[Curio]

And we're really excited that the flashbacks will return to the time of season one. We're going to get much more Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin), Charming (Josh Dallas), Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), before the curse. We're going to be going back to that time period.

Oh, brilliant. Because that's exactly what this show needs, the 567,984th flashback to the Charmings vs. Regina. Seriously, how much more story is there left to tell? Stop beating the horse, it's been dead for years!

 

Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) was under Rumple's control for the last few episodes, and was forced to tell some lies. Will there be fallout from that, or does everyone understand he had no say in the matter?

Kitsis: I think he kind of has a pass on that. He's tried really hard to do the right thing, and we're excited: we're going to get more into his backstory in the second half. And what's fun is he and Emma are [now] a couple, so we're going to watch them grow.

Okay, so I'm happy we'll be getting more Hook backstory, but that probably translates to exactly one flashback episode ala "Good Form" or "The Jolly Roger." And of course they don't want to address any fallout from actual character-driven drama. If it doesn't have to do with the plot of the moment, the character gets a pass. Such bullshit.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Curio

[MaiLuna]

 

Horowitz: I think with the arrival of these three new villains, the Queens of Darkness, while we're going to spend some time with them, it's going to be how are they affecting our people. And we're really excited to delve into them.

Kitsis: And really, our core characters.

I love how they mention that they will also delve into the core characters like an afterthought. And when I read "core characters" I just think or Regina to be honest.

[retrograde]

Yay for Rumple being the Big Bad. Hopefully that means he won't be getting back together with Belle any time soon.

Yeah, I was excited to read this. I had mixed feelings about the trio, but I'm definitely on board with Rumple as a genuine big bad with three snarky henchwomen. I'm also FAR more interested in the author storyline if it is a showdown between Rumple and Regina (though I still don't care about who the author is).

[kili]

Emma can't have her own place because of budget? The MAIN CHARACTER of your show can't have her own space that really doesn't need to be more than a single room set because you can't afford it?

 

Heck, do a location shot for one episode and have her refer to it thereafter. She got an appartment in New York. You can't find her a place in Storybrooke? Borrow a freakin' condo show home for an afternoon. Goodness knows there are enough of them around Vancouver. 

 

I live in the area. Come and use my house. I'll even vacuum up the dog hair (unless you need the hair there for a Cruella scene then they can have it all - free).

 

If you end up wanting a more permanent set later, she can always "move" again. Young people do that.

 

I don't think it's because they can't afford her set, I think it's because they can't afford the time in the story for her to get her own place. And maybe because they want a plausible excuse for no Taco Time. That's probably the reason they had Hook re-hearted in Grannie's bathroom hallway.

[ParadoxLost]

As you're looking at the second half of the season, what theme are you most

excited to play out?

Kitsis: I would say that right now, the thing we're excited about is what makes a hero and what makes a villain. And what is a happy ending.

 

Is this something you think fans will be debating? Or, because we've known so many of these heroes for so long, do you expect fans to be biased toward the characters they've grown to love over the past few years?

Kitsis: I think fans will be much more biased, because they're our fans. But I think we'll have some surprises in store because of some new information they didn't have.

You mentioned Snow and Charming will get new light shed on their past, but what can you share about what's in store for them in the present?

Kitsis: We're very excited because they're going to be much more in the forefront of the second half. We're going to realize they had a secret past with the Queens of Darkness. And you know what they say about the past? It always comes back to haunt you.

 

Well let's just stake the Charmings in town square and stone them to death for looking at someone cross eyed and spare ourselves the frustration. This has the feeling that 4B is going to be the Charmings are the bad guys because Snow's mother once told her fiancée that Cora was pregnant with someone else's child on LSD.

 

I predict the following:

- Snow is responsible for destroying Malificent's friendship with Regina and Regina tossing her below ground for a quarter century over {gasp} a truth

- The Charmings brought such joy to their kingdom that the heavens wouldn't weep and the lakes and oceans all dried up and Ursala was forced to leave the Enchanted Forest

-The Charmings bought baby Emma a puppy that once barked at Cruella so she must skin all puppies alive.

[KingOfHearts]

 

I'm also FAR more interested in the author storyline if it is a showdown between Rumple and Regina (though I still don't care about who the author is).

 

This caught me too. It's Regina's Cheerleaders versus Rumple's Angels. That's a power struggle I've been interested in since S1.

[ParadoxLost]

Yeah, I was excited to read this. I had mixed feelings about the trio, but I'm definitely on board with Rumple as a genuine big bad with three snarky henchwomen. I'm also FAR more interested in the author storyline if it is a showdown between Rumple and Regina (though I still don't care about who the author is).

 

I don't think that will happen.  I think the aligned motivation of Regina and Rumpel and Robin being outside Storybrooke will create a situation that Regina will betray the Charmings to get the happy ending despite trying to do the right thing up until now.

[retrograde]

Well I wouldn't mind that either because I like full evil Regina. The key point is: this storyline becomes 400% more interesting to me when it involves Evil Rumple.

[BoPeeps]

TVLINE | Some thought the Emma/Hook Once-CaptainSwan_Kissreunion felt a bit rushed, especially for someone carrying such a fear about losing the men she loves. Was that a time issue? That you had other story masters to serve?

KITSIS | We would have loved to do 40 minutes of them kissing, but we had a lot to get in.

HOROWITZ | We felt like it was a sweet moment between the two of them, her returning his heart and then the kiss. Could there have been a lot more? Yeah. But there’s still plenty of episodes left in the season.

KITSIS | We thought the kiss and the way she put his heart back said [a lot]…. But the truth is they’re a couple that is continuing, so we’d rather watch them grow together and see what happens.

 

 

Yeah, OK, I am still annoyed. As stated above Kitsis' little snarky sarcasm doesn't sit well with this Peepster. If he thinks, after all this angst and relationship trauma/drama and the endless comments about the development of Hook and Emma's trust and vulnerabilities with each other, AND indeed the lovely little snippets that we were given...that all anyone wants to resolve a MAJOR traumatic plot line for Hook is a two second smooch, a comment about being a survivor and Emma running off for a bender with Regina, he knows shit about who is interested in this coupling.

 

Not Jennifer Morrison's fault at all but Emma looked like a cold jerk the way they edited things. And she totally isn't, they just wrote her this way in the *restoring his heart* mid-finale. And it makes them look rather ass-hole-ish when they make such patronizing comments.The Captain Swan pairing is one of the biggest reasons for this show's popularity Yeah, there are other reason people still follow the show but really? Robin Hood isn't the only one making douch bag comments.

 

If they don't have the time or interest to follow through on their own dramatic build up, they are telling too many damned stories and are doing a literary disservice to most of them. And it would behoove them to knock it off. They give too many passes as it is and are frustrating a lot of people who have remained loyal to them in spite of being jerked around.

 

And since this is the spoiler thread, Adam, your script spoilers are lame.

Pfffft.

[Mari]

Kitsis: I would say that right now, the thing we're excited about is what makes a hero and what makes a villain. And what is a happy ending.

 

I'd be less worried about this storyline if the show hadn't already amply demonstrated that it has no understanding at all of these concepts.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Mari

[Emma]

Those interviews confirmed what many of us Emma and CS fans figured out long ago. The writers don't care about the emotional pay off. So more cheap lines and hot kisses with none of the real substance we want.

[YaddaYadda]

Well the writers are very good at building up and believing their own hype, drag us along with them, then wonder why we don't like what we see on screen.  They think their comments are cute, but they really aren't.

[BoPeeps]

To calm down a bit (grin) they best be careful with the *animal thing*

People tend to be more protective and concerned with plot lines about puppy killers, no matter how deliciously snarky Cruella may be with Rumple, if she is shapesifting into a dalmation puppy while stalking prey for her wardrobe.

Ummm.

trouble.

Evil Rumple. Good. Always. He is a total delight that way. Gold doesn't have near the charm (heh)

Three quasi-powerful witches doing Gold's protection bodyguard bidding while he re-enters a magic town where the dagger is...somewhere, in someone's control seems a little...wacko....and undermines the individual power of each of these female foes.

(I hope Hook keeps the dagger actually. Just desserts for the scaly crocodile. And could lead to some pretty adult hero-villain issues. But then that will mean they will have to pay attention to Hook as a deep and complex character, which they only do when they want to momentarily attract prurient attention.~ Guess I am  still a little peeved :)~ )

[Minneapple]

TVLINE | Some thought the Emma/Hook Once-CaptainSwan_Kissreunion felt a bit rushed, especially for someone carrying such a fear about losing the men she loves. Was that a time issue? That you had other story masters to serve?

KITSIS | We would have loved to do 40 minutes of them kissing, but we had a lot to get in.

HOROWITZ | We felt like it was a sweet moment between the two of them, her returning his heart and then the kiss. Could there have been a lot more? Yeah. But there’s still plenty of episodes left in the season.

KITSIS | We thought the kiss and the way she put his heart back said [a lot]…. But the truth is they’re a couple that is continuing, so we’d rather watch them grow together and see what happens.

This annoys the hell out of me too. Basically yeah, you didn't want to spend time on something that you built up a lot because you got bored with it or you wanted to see some twitter followers squeeing about #SwanQueen on your mentions, so you rushed the ending and it fell flat. Nobody wants to see 40 minutes of kissing, but solid emotional payoff is all we're asking for. Just admit it, man. What's the big deal anyway? It's just No. 367 on the list of "storylines you rushed that you should have slowed down." (The companion list is "storylines you dragged out that you should have rushed.")

 

And I hate TV writers' stock answers about growing and journeys. It might mean something if you actually showed it in your writing.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Minneapple

[scenicbyway]

I don't buy that there's no budget for Emma's place. We've seen her have 2 apts in Boston and NYC. No place to live but with the parents means no "alone" time with her boyfriend. Perhaps they are waiting until the Jolly comes back to town or maybe we'll see her move in with Regina and Henry (more bait for Swan Queen! Ugh). I think it's just another way to slow down Captain Swan.

[Souris]

I think scenicbyway nailed it. I fully expect Emma to move in with Regina and Henry so SQ can have their happy family. I had this thought a couple of months ago. It was one of my overnight specials. Did I post about it here? I feel like I did, but I may have thought it was just too horrible to share.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Souris

[YaddaYadda]

we'll see her move in with Regina and Henry

 

Please, no.  If they start giggling at jokes and braiding each others' hair, I will quit this show so fast!

 

I think Emma getting her place is the inevitable, well Captain Swan are moving in together, then people will be expecting a marriage proposal, then a wedding, then babies.  Not that there's anything wrong with that because everyone wants pay off for the characters/couples they enjoy watching.  I think the writers are just generally scared of things like that.  

 

I will however have a cow if the fairy dust couple gets all of this first, which I'm fairly certain they will.

[HoodlumSheep]

Those interviews confirmed what many of us Emma and CS fans figured out long ago. The writers don't care about the emotional pay off. So more cheap lines and hot kisses with none of the real substance we want.

Makes me sad, because CS was one of their better built relationships, and now it seems like they're just tossing it away for some odd reason. It's kind of depressing. I didn't even mind the smaller moments they had in the latter half of this season, but now it sounds like they'll be put on the back burner for the rest of season 4 as well. I'm happy that snowing will be getting screen time as well as there being hope for charming family interactions, but we'll see if A&E follow through. It does feel a couple seasons too late to add to the Snowing story though.

Season 4 started out so good ;_;

[KingOfHearts]

 

Please, no.  If they start giggling at jokes and braiding each others' hair, I will quit this show so fast!

Well you know, Snow and Regina were giggling and braiding each others' hair while Regina was thinking of ways to kill her, so... no real BFFs here.

 

 

I think Emma getting her place is the inevitable, well Captain Swan are moving in together, then people will be expecting a marriage proposal, then a wedding, then babies.  Not that there's anything wrong with that because everyone wants pay off for the characters/couples they enjoy watching.  I think the writers are just generally scared of things like that.

I'm hoping CS goes a less traditional route, and by that I mean, not settling down in some suburban household and having three kids named Reginald, Walsh and Peter. They're a pirate and a princess for goodness' sake. Surely there's a more fantasy-adventure appropriate ending for them.

Edited December 16, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[YaddaYadda]

Makes me sad, because CS was one of their better built relationships, and now it seems like they're just tossing it away for some odd reason. It's kind of depressing. I didn't even mind the smaller moments they had in the latter half of this season, but now it sounds like they'll be put on the back burner for the rest of season 4 as well

 

But that's not what they're saying.  All of us are waiting for Emma to move out from the hovel because she needs her own place and even her brat kid has moved out of there.  Where the writing sucks is that now they're bringing back Ariel, we don't know if she's in flashbacks or in SB, so for me it's has Hook explained how his lips got cursed in the first place?  Does Emma know anything about what went down for him during the missing year or is Ariel going to walk into Granny's and curse him out and everyone will have this WTF look in their faces?

 

I'm sure she doesn't have a clue who he traded his ship to and if she doesn't know that, then the chances that she knows anything about Ariel are slim to none.  I will be shocked if it's the opposite.

 

It's those things that I find set back a relationship.  It's contrived angst.  Angst is fine and all, but sometimes, having too much of it kills the momentum.

[Emma]

YaddaYadda, I'm not sure what's worse. Your scenerio where Emma knows nothing and they bring it up out of the blue to create angst. Or we find out that she does know everything and we didn't get to see any of those conversations.

[Shanna Marie]

You know, guys (the writers), there's a huge difference between 40 minutes of kisses and one minute of true concern and connection. Hint: the one minute will actually have a lot more resonance.

 

I won't hold my breath about Ariel bringing up any of the old issues. Did they even specify that she's in the present rather than in a flashback? I do, however, hold out hope that the heart thing was a fakeout and all the death foreshadowing will hit in the second half of the season. Not that I want Hook to die (though that would allow me to quit watching this show), but I feel a little let down after all that foreshadowing and him having that cloud over his head for several episodes, only to have it resolved so quickly and easily and with apparently no emotional impact.

 

As for the apartment, I mentioned this on the episode thread, but they could use the same set as for the loft, say it's another unit in the same building, and then just change out the posters on the walls, move the furniture around a little and put out different rugs and throw pillows. About a hundred bucks at a thrift store and they've got a whole new apartment. They could even hang a lampshade on it by pointing out that they're neighbors and that Emma can't get lost because her apartment is laid out exactly the same way, or mentioning that it's just like her parents' apartment, only without the parents and the newborn.