Wishing On A Star: What We Want To Happen

[stealinghome]

Yeah, I don't think the half-season format in and of itself is a problem--it's what they're doing with it that doesn't really work for me. I kind of don't understand why it caused them to abandon the way they structured the story in S1/S2, where the seasons were definitely split into halves (or even thirds) but each half/third contributed to the overall season-long arc.

[KingOfHearts]

What annoys me most about it is just the whole disconnect. They're played out like whole seasons, but when you have less episodes, the climax doesn't hold the same weight. Then you have PLOT PLOT PLOT, which crowds out 90% of the character moments. This is because the premiere and finale are so close to each other. You go up, then down, then up again in a few episodes.

 

Killing the villains off in the finales also infuriates me because it's so darn predictable. I understand that overarching Big Bads make the heroes look stupid, but they could at least A) banish them, B) take their power away, or even C) redeem them. Zelena could have had her power taken away and gotten an interesting dynamic with Regina, but nope. Cora could have been banished to another realm to parallel We Are Both, but nope. When they just kill these characters off, it feels like a shallow Disney cartoon.

Edited August 17, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[Shanna Marie]

As poor as the execution of the Zelena plot was, it actually had the potential to fill a whole season, and then I think it might have worked a lot better because they could have really delved into the issues, explored Oz a little more, made Zelena a little more three-dimensional, and dealt more with the missing year and the return to Storybrooke.

 

So, they could have spent a couple of episodes in the present getting Emma to take the potion and then get to Storybrooke. Taking more time there would also have allowed them to do some fish-out-of-water stuff with Hook, getting more of his reaction to Emma's world. Meanwhile, they could have dealt more with the return to the Enchanted Forest in the flashbacks. Show the adjustment -- were there things anyone missed about our world? It's a tiny thing, but I've always wondered how Snow feels about her hair, since the difference is so drastic. Was Mary Margaret horrified when the curse broke to find that she had a pixie cut? Or did she find it easy to deal with and end up liking it? If so, what did she think upon returning to the Enchanted Forest? It would have been funny if Snow whacked her hair off because she'd discovered that short hair was so much easier than that bird's nest. There'd still have been some tension because the mere fact that Hook showed up in New York and told her that her parents needed her indicates that something bad must have happened.

 

Then they could have shown some of the adjustment back to Storybrooke while we were figuring out who the villain might be. Not having Zelena go from zero to psycho in 3.2 seconds and maybe spreading her backstory out to show more of her life might have made her make more sense. And with more time, they could have shown the Enchanted Forest gang actually trying to do something about her before they resorted to the curse. All the relationships needed a lot more development. Since Zelena couldn't carry out her plan until the baby was born, they even had some room for more one-off episodes -- just a hint that she's still there and waiting and they're still working to find a way to beat her, but spotlight a secondary character who may be helpful and whose backstory, whether in a full fairyback or a missing year-back, fleshes out the story.

 

So there's another wish: Let the stories breathe more and don't fence them in with arbitrary structures.

[myril]

Mostly, I want some Storybrooke stories. I want to see how this town works now that it's populated with fairy tale people who know they're fairy tale people. How many of them are embracing their new identities and the new opportunities they might have? How many are trying to cling to their old ways? Are they okay with essentially still having a queen, since it doesn't sound like there's ever been a real election for mayor, or might someone wonder why they aren't having elections? What do the Storybooke people do for fun? Have they gotten into any fun things from our world, or are they bringing their own leisure activities over? I've been seeing all the pictures of Josh and Colin attending sporting events and amusing myself by saying that Prince Charming and Captain Hook are hanging out at soccer games, but what would David and Hook do for a guys' night out? David has fake memories of our world, but Hook doesn't. What would these two think of sporting events? Does the Storybrooke high school have sports teams? Frederick seemed to be a gym teacher or coach, but during the curse it wasn't like they could have played teams from other schools.

 

I would have some snicker if David, Hook and Robin would bicker about what is more interesting to watch, football or soccer. Robin arguing for soccer (Sean Maguire hardly would mind), David for football, but Hook would suggest, Rugby is the real deal. And Kristoff could barge in and state, the ultimate team sport is (ice) hockey anyway.

[FurryFury]

That would... kinda not make sense. Hook shouldn't have any idea about this world's sports, and was it ever cleared how much info was downloaded into the minds of the 2nd curse's victims? Because I don't remember at all.

[ShadowFacts]

I don't know how much Hook knows about sports or anything, but he could learn fast.  In fact, I see a possible job along these lines -- a sports bar.  Storybrooke needs more than the White Rabbit, and New England has lots of sports teams with intense fans.  Plus, he knows his way around bars.  The hours can be a little hard on relationships, though.

[Kaw912]

I don't know how much Hook knows about sports or anything, but he could learn fast.  In fact, I see a possible job along these lines -- a sports bar.  Storybrooke needs more than the White Rabbit, and New England has lots of sports teams with intense fans.  Plus, he knows his way around bars.  The hours can be a little hard on relationships, though.

This idea is giving me Sam Malone flashbacks. The playboy (or ex-playboy) with a drinking problem with the adventurous career in his past (professional baseball player/pirate) who retires and winds up running a bar in New England. Hah! Would that make Emma Diane Chambers?

[myril]

That would... kinda not make sense. Hook shouldn't have any idea about this world's sports, and was it ever cleared how much info was downloaded into the minds of the 2nd curse's victims? Because I don't remember at all.

You're right, it wouldn't make much sense. But is there much that makes sense on this show? :-) Just fun. 

[retrograde]

was it ever cleared how much info was downloaded into the minds of the 2nd curse's victims? Because I don't remember at all.

No, it's still very ambiguous. Like, Robin seems to be getting along fine in Storybrooke, but the Merry Men seemed pretty confused. I think we can only safely say Marian and Hook have no download. It would seem likely also for Aurora and Phillip. That is definitely something I'd like to see clarified next season (or even just in a Q&A with the writers).

[Shanna Marie]

It would be interesting to see what David's idea of fun is because he didn't spend 28 years living in Storybrooke. All his pre-coma memories would be fake. So it's possible that he has memories of liking baseball, say, without ever having been to a baseball game. The other Curse 1.0 folks would have possibly actually done some things (though fun in Storybrooke was probably limited by the curse -- Regina wouldn't have allowed a lot of leisure activities. Then again, there was that town festival).

 

They seem to keep forgetting that Hook is not only from another world with no fake memories of this world, but he's a few centuries out of time even in his own world. He's a fish out of water everywhere. It would be in character for him to adapt well, and it's in character for him to try not to show any shock or dismay, but it would be nice for even one or two scenes of him alone and trying to figure something out. In one of the deleted scenes in season two, he's using a flashlight. Using a flashlight isn't exactly rocket science, but he's from a world without electricity, batteries or light bulbs. Where did he get a flashlight, how did he figure out what it was, and how did he learn to use it? Maybe that's one reason they cut the scene. I'd love to see Hook learning to use the Internet.

 

I was watching the Good Morning Storybrooke bit on the season two DVDs, and that's the town I'd like to see more of. Yeah, it was clearly done as comedy and the morning show was a bit silly, but that mix of fairy tale stuff in a newscast that belongs in our world was a lot of fun. I particularly loved the Boy Who Cried Wolf as a TV reporter. That must have been written by someone who watches the show but who isn't one of the regular series writers because they fit in a fair amount of criticism, like mocking Belle's romantic idealism with her book club selections or pointing out in one of the ads that Gold's shop contains other people's belongings and treasures. The whole thing is an interesting take on fairy tale characters trying to adapt to this world, and we need more of that in the actual show.

[tennisgurl]

One of my favorite scenes in the finale for OUAT in Wonderland was when Alice and Cyrus (from a Victorian world, and an Arabian Nights world, respectively) journey to Storybrooke, and are absolutely enchanted by electricity. Its pretty adorable. More of that please!

[KAOS Agent]

I'd kind of like to see a Milah and her men episode. I know the woman is despised by a good portion of the fandom, but I'd really like to see the dynamics of her relationships with Hook, Rumpel and young Bae. In particular, it would help to inform the current romantic relationships we see with both Rumbelle and Captain Swan. I've always wondered if Rumpel ever thinks about how he treats Belle compared to Milah. By which I mean, does he have awareness that his actions had a role in Milah leaving him and does he actively consider adjusting his behavior to avoid the same situation with Belle? Does he ever worry that Belle might get bored with him and seek adventure with a hot new man? I know they have true love and all, but Rumpel is all kinds of insecure about certain things, so I'd find it interesting if they could do a parallel between the two. I also so badly want to know how the Killian/Milah relationship worked. And I want to know how she related with her young son before she left him. 

[Shanna Marie]

One of my favorite scenes in the finale for OUAT in Wonderland was when Alice and Cyrus (from a Victorian world, and an Arabian Nights world, respectively) journey to Storybrooke, and are absolutely enchanted by electricity. Its pretty adorable. More of that please!

Yes! I think that was my favorite part of the series, seeing Cyrus, the thousands-year-old former genie, flicking a light switch on and off and on and off with a look of awe on his face. And then Alice encountering the icemaker in the refrigerator. The parent series has done very little like that, aside from Belle's fascination with iced tea and hamburgers and the deleted scene of Hook being baffled by hospital Jello. They've made Hook adapt far too well, to the point where I wonder if they actually forgot he was never cursed -- he quips about Emma being the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming when he shouldn't have any reason to know why that would be considered funny and he chides Zelena about having Rumple kidnap him so she can talk to him when she could have used the phone (and where would she have called him when he doesn't seem to have obtained a cell phone?). It would be out of character for him to flip a light switch on and off or be startled by ice coming out of a refrigerator door when he's in front of people, but we've never had any of those alone moments where we get to see that he's not as cool as he's acting or where we see him studying or practicing with something modern so he can use it properly.

 

I'd kind of like to see a Milah and her men episode. I know the woman is despised by a good portion of the fandom, but I'd really like to see the dynamics of her relationships with Hook, Rumpel and young Bae. In particular, it would help to inform the current romantic relationships we see with both Rumbelle and Captain Swan. I've always wondered if Rumpel ever thinks about how he treats Belle compared to Milah. By which I mean, does he have awareness that his actions had a role in Milah leaving him and does he actively consider adjusting his behavior to avoid the same situation with Belle? Does he ever worry that Belle might get bored with him and seek adventure with a hot new man?

That's a very good point. One of Belle's defining characteristics is a longing for adventure -- that was even one of the reasons she gave for giving in to Rumple's demands in the first place. Rumple lost his first wife in part because she craved adventure and travel and he refused to budge. How's that going to work? I think we got a bit of a glimpse of how things worked with Hook and Milah. She seemed to be second in command or even a co-captain, as she gave orders on his ship and the pirates obeyed and he didn't protest. But seeing more of a slice of life of them might be interesting in comparison to the way he is with Emma.

[KingOfHearts]

 

They've made Hook adapt far too well, to the point where I wonder if they actually forgot he was never cursed

I have a fan theory that he was actually born in the Land Without Magic in the early 1800s, then transported to EF as a child. There's no evidence to support that besides his strange adaptability to the real world, however. It might explain the circumstances of his abandonment. It's just a wish!

Edited August 19, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[Shanna Marie]

I have a fan theory that he was actually born in the Land Without Magic in the early 1800s, then transported to EF as a child.

That would be interesting, except would Regina's curse undoing have taken him, then? The supposed rationale (other than angst) for Neal and Hook being sent back in spite of them not having been brought by the curse was that it was sending back everyone born in the other world, aside from Emma who had Savior immunity. It would have been rather mindblowing if Regina had done that spell and Hook was left standing and had no idea why.

 

He is pretty widely traveled and has seen a lot of crazy stuff, so it makes sense for him not to freak out at a light that magically comes on when you press a button. It would look like just another kind of magic to him. He's used to people who can make light with a wave of their hands. But he is awfully quick about knowing what things are called and what they're used for. We need to see wherever he's staying -- a room at Granny's? -- and find that he's got stacks of magazines and newspapers and books he's pilfered from the library and from newsstands and that he's been studying diligently so that he's less out of his depth. Then we need to see his reaction when he discovers and reads the Peter Pan novel.

 

Speaking of books, the Belle segment on that Good Morning Storybrooke feature was brilliant, but what does Belle think about our world's books? Has she discovered Amazon? So far, they just play up the "I know everything because I like books" thing without her actually acting like a real book lover. I think we've seen more shots of Hook with a book in his hand than Belle. He's the one they keep finding lurking in the library holding an open book, or sitting in the diner with an open book on the table. But can you imagine supposed bookworm Belle discovering Amazon or getting a Kindle?

[KingOfHearts]

That would be interesting, except would Regina's curse undoing have taken him, then?

 

 

Darn! You just blew my theory! Wouldn't it be funny if Hook was left behind, and he spent the whole year trying to coax Emma?

[Shanna Marie]

Wouldn't it be funny if Hook was left behind, and he spent the whole year trying to coax Emma?

That could have been a great storyline -- Emma and Henry drive off, forgetting all the fairy tale stuff, all the Enchanted Forest people vanish, the smoke clears, and there's Hook, wondering what the hell happened. Now he's totally alone in a strange world, and the only person he knows doesn't remember him, and he has no idea how or why he was left behind.

 

Hmm, maybe we need a story about one of the fairy tale people without cursed memories having to cope in the outside world. Or we could see Bae's arrival in 20th century America from Neverland (which we should have seen during the Neverland arc).

[KingOfHearts]

 

Or we could see Bae's arrival in 20th century America from Neverland (which we should have seen during the Neverland arc).

Would that be around 1986?

[Shanna Marie]

Would that be around 1986?

Depends on which timeline they're using this week. Henry was presumably conceived in the 2000/2001 range if he's ten in 2011 when the series begins. According to the wanted poster, Neal was around 24 at that time and Bae was 14 in Neverland, so that puts his arrival around 1990. But that's if you believe that he was 24 then (ha ha ha ha ha!!!!). But then there's the fact that it sounds like Bae got away from Neverland before Hook did and Hook was back before the curse, though while our world and the Enchanted Forest seem to be in sync, time-wise (there's been real-time communication between worlds with Emma's mirror trick), Neverland seems to be out of sync with everywhere, time-wise (Wendy was gone a short time but thought she was gone weeks; Bae spent centuries there but was only out of our world for about a century). At any rate, seeing how Bae, who grew up in a medievalish world, then spent a short time in late Victorian/early Edwardian England, then spent centuries in Neverland, coped with late 80s America would have been interesting. As would seeing how that noble, heroic kid became a sleazy thief as an adult.

[stealinghome]

You know, I would totally pay for an episode where half the characters get whammied with the love potion from A Midsummer Night's Dream and fall in love with wildly inappropriate targets of affection. Like I'm snickering just thinking about it.

Except if Emma didn't suddenly have the hots for Regina, the Swan Queeners would go ballistic and if she did, SQ would become marginally canon, so I vote no on that scenario.

But Emma has to stay unwhammied--she's by far the best straight man the show has. Her facial expressions would be amazing. Plus, only her ~powerful magic can save the day (or something).

 

But seriously, what would be the best pairings for such a cracky episode? I'm thinking Regina writing sonnets to Grumpy and Belle totally having the hots for Red, for starters.

[Rumsy4]

Man--this would makes an amazing episode! Or at least a fanfic. Somebody get on it!!

[FurryFury]

I'm thinking Regina writing sonnets to Grumpy and Belle totally having the hots for Red, for starters.

 

Belle and Red are too obvious. They are friends and Red's probably, like, Belle's second most popular ship.

[KingOfHearts]

Snow and Rumple. Archie and Regina. Henry and Red. Hook and Belle.

Edited August 23, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[FurryFury]

David/Rumple, Hook/Granny, Whale/Regina, Grumpy/Emma, Snow/Robin and I have no idea about Belle :(

[ShadowFacts]

I don't know about the pairings but I'd want to see some twerking. 

[Amerilla]

Belle and Aurora.

Is Evil Cricket a thing, or am I mis-remembering my crack ships?

[FurryFury]

Yeah, I definitely encountered mentions of it.

[Shanna Marie]

If you really want lingering consequences from a big romantic mix-up spell, Hook and Belle would be the way to go because I'm not sure Rumple would care that it was just a spell. He wouldn't take well to Hook "stealing" yet another wife.

[wingster55]

Tall order perhaps but:

Charming to be the male lead again

The relationship (romantic) to be Snow and Charming. 

[KingOfHearts]

Yes, I agree wingster55. So sick and tired of Charming being Snow's sidekick. He really needs to step up to the plate and stop handwaving all of Snow's dumb decisions!

[FurryFury]

For Snowing to be the primary romance, they'd have to break them up in some contrived way, so, no thanks. 

[Mari]

For Tinkerbelle, Regina, and Robin to discover that stolen pixie dust doesn't work properly.

[KingOfHearts]

Pondering about what the show needs to do...

 

I'd say most of the character arcs and storylines have hit their height and/or been concluded. I've posted about that before so I won't go into too much detail about that, but many of the plots that the show has been about since day one have reached their end. Rumple found Bae, the curse was broken and ripped apart, everyone got to go back to EF, several of the romantic couples have gotten as good as they'll ever get, Emma has chosen Storybrooke as home, and Snowing got the baby they always wanted. This show has a reached its peak in many areas already with nowhere else to go there.

 

My suggestion for a possible solution is to introduce a very, very big plot. It needs to be something far more complex than simply killing a Big Bad or meeting characters from a franchise. Take what Oz could have been, as an example. 3B had the potential to have some epic storylines going. You had the Missing Year, Emma and Henry in New York with Hook, Wicked vs. Evil, a new curse, Oz, and Neal and Belle's possibly awesome adventure all lined up. Just getting everyone back together could have been a major plot that could last an entire season.

 

As it stands, our characters have become very comfortable with each other. They need something that rocks the boat to push them into new territory. They need a push to keep the momentum going for the next few seasons. I see so much potential here, and I don't know why the writers have to waste it on a pointless Frozen plot.

Edited August 28, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[ShadowFacts]

 

As it stands, our characters have become very comfortable with each other. They need something that rocks the boat to push them into new territory.

 

I second this--new territory is needed, not more of the villainous threat of the month.  At this point, the only things that would make me prick up my ears would be something along the lines of the loss of magic and how people deal with an even playing field, or forays into the outside world, or outsiders coming in. 

[Shanna Marie]

I'd kind of like them to do some holiday-themed episode in Storybrooke. It would come naturally to the curse survivors to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., but since we now have a few more people in town without cursed Storybrooke memories, it might give them a chance to play with that culture clash. Are there comparable occasions in the Enchanted Forest? Would they have to explain why you would cut down a tree, put it in your house and hang things on it? Or why you would put on masks and go door-to-door demanding things? (Hook: "When I used to do that, they called it piracy. Perhaps I should have worn a frightening mask." Emma: "And asked for candy. Without threatening bodily harm. That's what makes it different." Hook: "Where's the fun in that?") Plus, they really need to pay off that joke David made about how Thanksgiving in their family would really suck. They did Valentine's Day during the curse in season one, but otherwise, have they acknowledged holidays? I guess it gets difficult when half a season only takes up two weeks, so there's no telling when in time they are, and they certainly aren't in real time

[KingOfHearts]

 

I'd kind of like them to do some holiday-themed episode in Storybrooke.

Santa Claus is totally Season 10's Big Bad. "I'm not evil or wicked, I'm naughty." 

Edited September 9, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[FozzyBear]

I want the Mad Hatter back. I thought he was an interesting character played an interesting actor and after all sorts of build up and implied back story he just faded away. I know that's probably more about Sebastion Stan being ready to move on after the success of the Captain America franchise, but I would love Jefferson back.

Edited September 10, 2014 by stacey
Fixing duplicate text

[FurryFury]

Eh, they'd probably just ruin him like everyone else.

[KingOfHearts]

 

Eh, they'd probably just ruin him like everyone else.

I'd say they sort of did starting in S2.

[Shanna Marie]

Santa Claus is totally Season 10's Big Bad. "I'm not evil or wicked, I'm naughty."

We'll find out that the similar figure in the Enchanted Forest is actually a notorious villain. The Enchanted Foresters in Storybrooke are horrified when the Christmas decorations go up and they include images of Santa Claus. This is someone used to terrify children into good behavior! It's not festive.

 

Emma: "Really? You hate Santa Claus?"

 

Then there would be flashbacks of his sad childhood in the North Pole that made him this way. Snow's family probably had something to do with it.

[FurryFury]

He'll probably bond with Regina over their shared obsession with small children.

[Anakerie]

I want Scar. In lion form, thank you very much. Because the idea of Belle being chased around town by a lion makes me giggle. But if he did show up he'd probably be related to Henry, in love with Rumple, and sleep with Ruby.

[Souris]

I want Scar. In lion form, thank you very much. Because the idea of Belle being chased around town by a lion makes me giggle. But if he did show up he'd probably be related to Henry, in love with Rumple, and sleep with Ruby.

 

Ooh, lion-wolf hybird baby!

[angelwoody]

I would like an entire season (or half if they must) of the entire cast in the EF.  They should have done this with the missing year, but I would love to see the whole town living life for a time Enchanted Forest style.  Or, if not the EF, transport them all somewhere else.  Just make it everyone so no one is isolated and make it count - not just an episode or two.

[KingOfHearts]

 

They should have done this with the missing year, but I would love to see the whole town living life for a time Enchanted Forest style.

 

I'd like to see Emma and Henry living there. Emma has been there yes, but she hasn't experienced living there. Henry is the only member of the cast to have never been there.

 

The Missing Year would have been so much interesting if they didn't become accustomed to it again so fast. "We Are Both" went in the trash pretty quickly. From then on it was redundant with fairybacks.

Edited September 11, 2014 by KingOfHearts

[angelwoody]

I would like a GOT-style map laying out all of the realms, worlds, and kingdoms and where they (and the important places within them) are in relation to each other.  Someone from Once needs to make one and throw it up on the website.  I get headaches trying to figure out where everything is.  

[Camera One]

I would really like to see that.  Though I really have doubts if they even have a map.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Camera One

[Mari]

Though I really have doubts if they even have a map.

I have no doubts.

 

I sincerely believe they do not have a map.  They would not see the need for a map.  It's all "over there".

[Camera One]

Yeah, they probably think it quenches creativity.  I mean, what if they need to situate the African Pride Lands in between King Leopold and King George's kingdoms in Season 7?

[stealinghome]

Yeah, I have absolutely no doubt that there is no map...and not only no map, but that they have never sat down to do a single iota of worldbuilding past "oooh, swords and trolls and kings!"