Speculation WITHOUT Spoilers: Lalalalala! I can't hear you!

[KingOfHearts]

 

This goes back to whether the Author "giving Regina a happy ending" involves changing the past, which seems unlikely since that would be against the laws of magic (except when Zelena does it), plus it creates all sorts of problems like Emma and Henry no longer existing.

 

 

So Emma?  Would she even exist anymore?

I believe Emma would still exist, simply because Snow and Charming are True Loves. They always find each other. They'd meet in some other way. I will always be totally okay with Henry never existing.

 

 

This goes back to whether the Author "giving Regina a happy ending" involves changing the past, which seems unlikely since that would be against the laws of magic (except when Zelena does it), plus it creates all sorts of problems like Emma and Henry no longer existing.

I don't doubt the sorcerer can break the laws of magic. He can open doors to the Land Without Magic, and Rumple seems to imply he's even powerful compared to himself, so I don't see why not.

 

 

One of the (many) things that worries me about this storyline is that, in the end, A&E are going to use it to justify Regina enacting the curse, saying that, because of the decissions Regina made, Snow and Charming met and fall in love, so Emma and Snowflake were born.

I've actually thought this for a long time. I believe the show is going to go there, whether they do the alternate universe or not. The ending will be at Granny's, with everyone enjoying their happy endings. They'll realize it was Regina who created Storybrooke and brought everyone together. They seem to be happier there anyway. Not happy about that at all, but that's going to happen regardless.

Edited January 2, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[YaddaYadda]

This goes back to whether the Author "giving Regina a happy ending" involves changing the past, which seems unlikely since that would be against the laws of magic (except when Zelena does it), plus it creates all sorts of problems like Emma and Henry no longer existing.

 

They could go AU on this one, something like A Wonderful Life or whatever.  

 

I'll never understand why Tink told Regina that she ruined Robin's life by not going in the tavern and meeting him.  Why is that?  I don't really give a fig about Robin, Regina and their happy ending because my happy ending with this show is those two whiners to be off my screen (and I don't mean to offend anyone who loves them), but you can't drop a line like that and just leave it.  I mean Robin not meeting Regina made it that he met Marian and became a lot more than what he was (and has now regressed) because she saw something in him (as per Will) and he changed.  So the implication that Regina ruined his life is likely that she had Marian arrested and sentenced to death by which he believed Marian died which effectively ruined his life until he met Bold and Audacious murderer.

 

I know once 4B is done and we go back watch Season 3, we'll find where they were laying the ground work for that and every throwaway line they've had like they did when they were preparing for Oz and the Snow Queen.

 

One of the (many) things that worries me about this storyline is that, in the end, A&E are going to use it to justify Regina enacting the curse, saying that, because of the decissions Regina made, Snow and Charming met and fall, so Emma and Snowflake were born. That because of the curse Emma met Neal and had Henry, and now she has met Hook. And that their lifes would have been worse without Regina and the curse. So we would end up the season with everybody thanking Regina for all the pain she has inflicted them because it brought them their happy endings.

I think we all know the nature of this show and how everyone needs to bow down to Regina and kiss her feet.  If things are going to really go better, then they need to make her everyone's equal, not something who is better than everyone because i don't know what makes her better because nothing does, but they have a perpetual hard on for her (must hurt a lot) that they can't even see straight.  I don't think it will go that way, but you can tell me I told you so after the season finale.  I think I'm more worried at this point that A&E will have another curse in the works, because so tired of those.

 

There were two things that sort of stood out about the Dark Curse.  The first thing was that Regina told Emma in "Going Home" when Emma said everyone was miserable that they didn't have to be.  I'm not sure what that means.  Does it mean that if everyone had enough will that they might have been able to break through the curse somehow?

 

The other thing is "happy endings are not always what they seem to be."

 

So hey, they find the author and he gives the villains their AU or version of happy endings and tells them, enjoy it bitches and I'm willing to bet that the end result will be the same one.  Their old selves are guaranteed to make the same mistakes because they will have learned absolutely nothing.

 

At least that's my take on this.

[KingOfHearts]

 

So hey, they find the author and he gives the villains their AU or version of happy endings and tells them, enjoy it bitches and I'm willing to bet that the end result will be the same one.  Their old selves are guaranteed to make the same mistakes because they will have learned absolutely nothing.

Thinking back on Page 23 and the blank books, if the writer does write everything, I wonder if the different books show different realities? Like Page 23 was just taken out of another universe? I know, having infinite universes is crazy and way out of A&E's league, but it's this show. They pretty much already introduced that concept with time travel. If it's just a matter of a few characters going on an adventure there, then fine. It's not new territory.

 

 

I'll never understand why Tink told Regina that she ruined Robin's life by not going in the tavern and meeting him.

See, I'm confused about how Robin and Marian's lives were. In one place, Robin tells us how amazing Marian was. Then in another we're told his life was ruined. I'm hoping we get flashbacks this season to set the record straight. 

 

Would Regina really have been happy with Robin though? Both Leopold and Rumple would have been after her. And, knowing Robin's wonderful ethics, what would happen if Marian came along and stole his heart? (Not literally!) Wouldn't he just ditch one woman for another like he did in the current universe?

[Mari]

There were two things that sort of stood out about the Dark Curse.  The first thing was that Regina told Emma in "Going Home" when Emma said everyone was miserable that they didn't have to be.  I'm not sure what that means.  Does it mean that if everyone had enough will that they might have been able to break through the curse somehow?

 

The other thing is "happy endings are not always what they seem to be."

Replying in the magic thread.

[Notwisconsin]

I just saw the trailer for Tomorrowland, and I'll bet a c-note that that's what next season is going to be about. Because the teaser (With no spoilers for the movie) fits in perfectly with the Storybrooke mythos, and the Showrunners would be morons not to.

[retrograde]

Hmmm. I see the correlation, in that spoilers/speculation say Tomorrowland is about a sort-of sci-fi

alternative universe and about timelines affecting the future or whatever and that is kind of similar to Once's previous travels in time plus the idea of the book affecting your destiny

, but it otherwise seems very different in tone to Once, not really fairytale-ish. Frozen worked I think because it was still very much like a classic Disney film. But -- with the caveat that there is very little info about Tomorrowland out there -- this seems to be a live-action fantasy sci-fi thing with

robots

. 

Edited January 3, 2015 by retrograde

[Camera One]

I just saw the trailer for Tomorrowland, and I'll bet a c-note that that's what next season is going to be about. Because the teaser (With no spoilers for the movie) fits in perfectly with the Storybrooke mythos, and the Showrunners would be morons not to.

 

"What if there's a place where nothing was impossible."  Neverland?  Wonderland?  Oh it's Tomorrowland.  

 

If this movie does well, they might still go there and set the action in corn fields with the Futuristic City in the background.

 

I'm kind of hoping Cinderella does well, so A&E will suddenly gain a little interest in creating their own Cate Blanchett.   I know Cinderella's stepmother already appeared in Wonderland, but it was pretty much a bit role.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

 

I'm kind of hoping Cinderella does well, so A&E will suddenly gain a little interest in creating their own Cate Blanchett.   I know Cinderella's stepmother already appeared in Wonderland, but it was pretty much a bit role.

I'd love to see Ashley, Anastasia and Lady Tremaine reunite for a Cinderella storyline. Lots of potentially interesting family drama there when put their husbands and their in-laws into the mix as well. I wonder what happened to Drizella.

Edited January 4, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[KingOfHearts]

Dissecting the 4x12 promo... Looks like the town line just got its centric.

 

* It appears Rumple and Cruella are talking in an empty house or apartment. The interior behind them is blank and Rumple's voice is echoey. In one shot Cruella is standing in front of furniture covered in cloth.

* Regina has the dagger with the hat on the table. Snow, Belle, Hook and Emma are there. Charming is absent, but probably babysitting. What's with the random fire bowls?
* Robin is standing with a forest backdrop, staring to the right with his arm out. He's probably at the townline.

* Emma says "We'll find him Regina" which means something causes her and Regina to want to look for Robin, possibly getting him over the border.

* Maleficent appears to be in a flashback, if not in the mines.

* All three Queens of Darkness are standing in the forest in present day. (Ursula is wearing real world attire.)

* Emma, Snow and Charming appear to be at the townline.

* Rumple, Cruella and Ursula are strutting around Main Street at night.

* Regina is holding the dagger in a separate scene. It's day in this scene.

* Emma looks upset when speaking? I'm not sure.

* There's a flashback with Rumple saying to the Queens, "It's time the villains got their happy endings". I thought Rumple didn't believe in that hoopla back then?

* Emma is at the town line with Cruella and Ursula.

* Two dark figures see Cruella's car headlights turn on at night. One looks like Charming. Not sure about the other.

* Emma, Snow, Belle, Hook and Regina look up into the sky on Main Street in the day time, like there's a monster or something.

 

I'm a little confused about Maleficent. If she's still in the basement, how is she with the Queens of Darkness in Storybrooke's forest?
 

4x14 is supposed to be centered around her resurrection...

 

I'm not too crazy about the Author plot, but I'm optimistic about the Queens of the Darkness. They'll be good scenery chewers for sure. I like how it's a traditional battle of good versus evil. I'm also fond of Belle joining Team Heroes. It does all seem just as underwhelming as the winter finale, though.

Edited January 5, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Souris]

Dissecting the 4x12 promo...

* Emma says "We'll find him Regina" which means something causes her and Regina to want to look for Robin, possibly getting him over the border.

 

I took that line as a reference to the Author, not Robin, since the stupid book plot is supposed to be the big 4B plot. Could be either, I guess.

[KingOfHearts]

 

I took that line as a reference to the Author, not Robin, since the stupid book plot is supposed to be the big 4B plot. Could be either, I guess.

I just thought they meant Robin because Regina seemed like she had been crying, then the next shot is immediately Robin. Could be a misdirect I guess.

[Serena]

I don't agree that there would be no curse. Rumpelstiltskin would have to find someone else to cast it, wouldn't he?

I can just imagine those writers would think it delicious irony if in this alternative universe where Regina chooses Robin and Emma grows up a princess in the EF, it's Emma who casts the curse! Maybe Rumple kills Hook right in front of her or something. Yes, it makes no sense, but it seems like something they could do.

 

Anyway, I would love another "two-hour-movie" where someone from the "original" timeline (please not Henry) has to get fairytale!Emma from the "Regina chooses Robin" timeline to believe this is not the way things are supposed to go, and restore the original story. Hey, maybe Emma can kill Robin!

Edited January 5, 2015 by Serena

[kili]

I just saw the trailer for Tomorrowland, and I'll bet a c-note that that's what next season is going to be about

 

Part of it was filmed in Vancouver so Once could probably even re-use some of the locations/sets.

[KingOfHearts]

That would mean that travel between the Land Without Magic and the Enchanted Forest would be time travel, which is explicitly against the Rules of Magic (unless you have the power of the three genies or the unholy combination of brains, courage, a heart, and a newborn).

Time Travel isn't against the law of magic, per se. Changing the past is. If the Enchanted Forest and the Land Without Magic run parallel, then going there doesn't change the past, but it is the past. It's what has always happened. Zelena's time portal was different because it was intended for changing the past.

Edited January 6, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Shanna Marie]

I had a thought about this whole "Author" thing ...

 

I've wondered about what the relationship is between the tales of our world and the real people in their world. We've had stories about Snow White for hundreds of years, but the Snow White living in that world is relatively recent, so it's not like our stories are the history of their world. Does this mean that the "Author" might be creating the people in their world based on our world's stories?

 

If the author's name is "Grimm" I don't know if I'll want to throw something at the TV or applaud.

[KingOfHearts]

 

If the author's name is "Grimm" I don't know if I'll want to throw something at the TV or applaud.

Knowing this show it'll be either "Disney", "Kitsis", "Horowitz", "Igor", "Merlin" or "J.K. Rowling".

[Camera One]

ve wondered about what the relationship is between the tales of our world and the real people in their world. We've had stories about Snow White for hundreds of years, but the Snow White living in that world is relatively recent, so it's not like our stories are the history of their world.

 

Blue's original "time and space" thing made sense and explains that.  But since then, they seem to be implying that we are seeing the two worlds occurring concurrently.  Thus, Neal falls through the portal and ends up with Philip and Aurora after the events of 2A.

 

 

 

Knowing this show it'll be either "Disney", "Kitsis", "Horowitz", "Igor", "Merlin" or "J.K. Rowling"

 

The author will be Merlin for sure, and he'll be dumber than a doorknob.  Think Glinda except a man.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

 

Blue's original "time and space" thing made sense and explains that.

Care to elaborate?

[Camera One]

I think back in Season 1, I vaguely remember thinking that was a neat concept because the Enchanted Forest could have been a thousand years ago, and Bae travelled through space to the Land Without Magic, and through time, to Current Day when all the Enchanted Forest stories have become legend.  And I thought Rumple's Curse specifically took the Enchanted Forest folk out of their realm and their "a long time ago" era to our world (so space and time), and that's why the Curse was more complex than a simple world-crossing portal.

[KingOfHearts]

I guess it doesn't really work knowing they all speak mostly modern English.

Edited January 7, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[YaddaYadda]

The whole Enchanted Forest vs Land without Magic is like stepping back in time basically.  The Enchanted Forest has things we have in the Land without Magic like for instance, rum, champagne.  They waltz and so on.

 

I think it might have been interesting if the show had gone through the whole Magic vs Science like they seemed to be setting up.  I mean I would think that a realm like the Enchanted Forest that happens to have magic tends to rely more on that whereas a Land without Magic needs to have these technological advances that replace magic.  

 

Even now in Storybrooke, people who are from the EF tend to rely on magic to sort of save them.  This is why I find it so much more interesting to watch the characters being practical and using their heads and wits.

Edited January 7, 2015 by YaddaYadda

[Rumsy4]

I think back in Season 1, I vaguely remember thinking that was a neat concept because the Enchanted Forest could have been a thousand years ago, and Bae travelled through space to the Land Without Magic, and through time, to Current Day when all the Enchanted Forest stories have become legend.  And I thought Rumple's Curse specifically took the Enchanted Forest folk out of their realm and their "a long time ago" era to our world (so space and time), and that's why the Curse was more complex than a simple world-crossing portal.

 

Same here. I too thought Blue had implied she had sent Bae forward in time and space. Mid-victorian England is not 300 years ago... But in S2, they made it clear that it was all happening concurrently. I guess it made it easier in the long run for storytelling purposes.

[Faemonic]

Does this mean that the "Author" might be creating the people in their world based on our world's stories?

If the Enchanted Forest were in Fairyland and not Fairy Tale Land, then I could easily extrapolate that time passes strangely there. Never mind Neverland (except that would make a great band name...), just trying to align the Wonderland spinoff with the 28-year curse is mind-boggling because Alice knew both the Mad Hatter and

the Queen of Hearts

since she was a child.

 

 

 

If the author's name is "Grimm" I don't know if I'll want to throw something at the TV or applaud.

 

My guesses as to who the author is:

 

- "Uncle Walt"

- Mother Goose

- Scheherezade

- August Booth all along that shady, sneaky son of a birch!

- The Childlike Empress (from The Neverending Story) because the old guy with the book only writes about Fantasia, but the Childlike Empress' hobby is creating worlds beyond it through her writing

- The Seer

- Nealfire comes back to life and reveals that he was a paradoxical fiction who created a fiction of his own truth in order to solve the paradox of parallel dimension travel

Edited January 8, 2015 by Faemonic

[Camera One]

I found the first page of the script for the next episode on the ground today:

 

Episode begins at loft.  Charming, Snow, Emma and Henry are playing Charades.  Insert laughter.

 

CHARMING

Wow, what a great family moment we just had.  

 

EMMA

There has been so many heart-to-heart talks these 6 weeks.  Too bad they're all off-camera

 

Everyone laughs heartily.

 

Door knocks.  Regina enters.

 

HENRY
Mom!  I mean, my other mom!  Do I need to explain again I have two moms, or did all the Frozen fans leave?

 

REGINA

Are you both ready to go over to the Manor to look for more clues about the Author?

 

SNOW
The Author?  And yes, that is my only line this episode.

 

CHARMING

Is this the Operation Mongoose I've been hearing about these last 6 weeks but I never asked about, but now I will because we need to remind everyone what it is?

 

HENRY

Yes, that's Operation Mongoose!   If we can find the Author of the Storybook, Mom can have her happy ending!  Not Emma, but my other mom.  

 

EMMA

Too bad we have found nothing at the Manor these last 6 weeks, so this plotline has stalled.  

 

Regina, Emma and Henry walk into the hallway and close the door.  Hook is walking up the stairs.

 

EMMA

Regina and Henry, I'll be right out.

 

HOOK
Swan, care to join me on a boat ride which will be rudely interrupted by octopus tentacles signaling the next big baddie to enter Storybrooke?

 

Emma pushes Hook against the wall and they kiss for an extended amount of time. Please time this to ensure it is longer than the kiss in the last episode.

 

EMMA

No time right now.  I'm headed to the Manor with Henry and Regina to find a clue to the Author.

 

HOOK
The Author?

 

........

Edited January 8, 2015 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

Hm, Rumple's plan. I'm guessing there will be some contrived way he gets back into Storybrooke instantly, like magic hairspray from Cruella or something else equally ridiculous. He'll probably lay low, letting his Queens do the work, in other words resurrecting Maleficent and getting the dagger. Since he's powerless without it, he can't exactly appear to anyone unless he kills them with his cane on the spot. The Queens will effectively act as magical bodyguards. Then, somehow in the middle of the arc, the status quo pertaining to the Author will change, and that will cause a rift in Team Villain. Eventually they'll turn on him and be the main antagonists for the climax. That's how I think it might play out

 

My reaction to the Queens of Darkness is simply, "It's very intriguing, but it's this show."

Edited January 9, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[The Cake is a Pie]

My reaction to the Queens of Darkness is simply, "It's very intriguing, but it's this show."

 

That's probably the safest reaction to any upcoming storylines we might be tempted to be excited about. "But it's this show."

[Camera One]

Usually the first two episodes of every arc are just Storybrooke setup.

 

What do people predict?  Will the first episode back be "6 Weeks Later"?  Will we see Rumple and Ursula getting the "other two" in real-time or in flashbacks?

 

I'm guessing the first or second episode ends with Rumple and the Queens of Darkness at the Town Line looking in.  Dun dun dun.

[KingOfHearts]

 

I'm guessing the first or second episode ends with Rumple and the Queens of Darkness at the Town Line looking in.  Dun dun dun.

Well the promo actually shows Rumple and the Queens strutting down Main Street, so that might be the ending. I'm pretty sure 4x12 is going to show Storybrooke getting ready for the next fiasco, dealing with the dagger/hat stuff, etc. The flashbacks are going to be more Rumple/Queens stuff it looks like from the promo as well. Then 4x13 will probably be the Queens running around town with Team Hero getting really suspicious.

 

(I'm just going by promos and what has happened in the past.)

Edited January 15, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

I don't watch promos, so I was just taking a wild guess.  I hope they are not already on Main Street by the first episode.  How tiresome.  So are they going to go hide in the woods, and we will get episode upon episode of them "tracking" the villains?  Hmmm.. when have we seen that before?

[Souris]

Whoops, thought I was in the SPOILERS thread, though it was just promo talk.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Souris

[KAOS Agent]

I expect Swan Queen jazz hands. And I fully expect it to pick up about 6-8 weeks after the clock tower showdown. God forbid we see them dealing with any of the fall out from anything that happened in 4A.  I haven't watched any promos, but I have seen that still of everyone looking shocked or whatever except for Hook's face which is like eh, what else is new?

 

I am just not looking forward to 4B at all. Doubtless it will be Regina heavy with endless Outlaw Queen angst, stupid author drama and flip-flopping from the Evil Queen. With three villains, we'll get at least three episodes of villain sob stories, a couple of Sad!Rumpel stories, some background on Robin and Will has got to have something right? That leaves us with no story for Emma or Snowing, so they'll do nothing but run around and look stupid. How exciting.

Edited January 15, 2015 by KAOS Agent

[YaddaYadda]

I'm thinking that more than 6 weeks have passed before they get back to Storybrooke.  Unless Ursula is still friends with Cruella and she knows exactly where to find her, then they still need to search for her.  How long do they spend creeping around the edge of town before they manage to actually get in?  Do they need magic for that?  Ursula should be like Emma, magical even if she is in the Land without Magic (although I still don't understand all the dynamics and this show very often makes me feel stupid...because just doesn't compute). 

 

I'm interested in seeing how they free Maleficent from her spell, though at this point, I'm rather convinced that Regina will be the one to do the honors.

 

Whatever happens, we all know it will be completely contrived.

[Mitch]

The easiest way to fix the time situation in the EF vs. Storybrooke and Season 1's assertion (from both Blue and Rump) that they traveled through time and space,..(much less common sense as their stories have been around for years..) is to say that the Curse was specifically created to take them to where Bae was, and once that happened the two time planes were permanetly linked as Rump felt that they could travel back to their world once he found Bae...i.e. they always travel back to their time when we leave even if it happened 800 years on our past, etc. 

[KingOfHearts]

 

Unless Ursula is still friends with Cruella and she knows exactly where to find her, then they still need to search for her.

Especially if Cruella lives in London, but I sort of doubt that because it wouldn't be convenient enough like the rest of this show's locations. I'm preparing myself to be mad about this. ;)

Edited January 15, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[YaddaYadda]

I'm preparing myself to be mad about this.

 

I get the feeling  that we are all preparing ourselves to be mad about something during this hiatus.  

[Camera One]

Time to guess the backstories of some of these villains.  I can forsee Maleficient's one going like this...

 

FLASHBACK 1

 

Pink Fairy: Oh look how ditzy I am

Green Fairy: I love these beautiful wings.

Maleficient: I feel being a fairy is important because you can help people... all I've ever wanted was to be a fairy.  If I wasn't a fairy, I would go clinically insane.

Pink Fairy: What an ugly fairy.  Why are you dressed in such drab colors.  I think we'll call you Horn-face.  You can never be a good fairy.

 

Maleficient goes home crying.

Maleficient's Mother (on her deathbed): You must be a good fairy. That's all I ever want from you.

Maleficient: I shall not fail.  And if I do, cray cray will ensue.

 

FLASHBACK 2

 

Blue: Gray.  I need to speak to you.

Maleficient: I have a name.

Blue: Talk to the hand.  Listen carefully.  So every year, you are allowed to grant a single wish in a realm. You have been assigned to the realm of King Stefan.  Do a careful tabulation and calculation based on the variables of Selfless, Brave, and True as you learned in the course I instructed last semester.  Pay careful attention to the Pinocchio experiment we conducted in class to test out all the algorithms.

Blue flies away

 

Peasant 1: Oh help me, I'm so needy.

Maleficient: My heart aches for you, and these rules are unjust.  I will grant you your wish without doing the calculations.

 

FLASHBACK 3

 

King Stefan: The idiotic fairy godmother you assigned our kingdom granted a wish to a vagabond who burned down half our village.  I want her to DIE.  Even though I'm Sleeping Beauty's father, I'm really morally gray and I swear this isn't a copy of the Angelina Jolie movie.

 

FLASHBACK 4

 

Blue: Gray Fairy, that vagabond tricked you, and you ruined lives.  You're fired.

Maleficient loses wings and drops into a ravine of mud

Maleficient: If I can't be a fairy, I'll go psycho evil instead.

Rumple: Hi Dearie.  

 

FLASHBACK 5

 

King Stefan: Thank you all for attending the christening of our baby daughter!

Maleficient: My my my, what a glistening assemblage we have here.  You told on me, you snitch.  Now, what's equivalent to snitching.  How about this?  On her 16th birthday, your daughter will prick herself on a spindle and DIE!

 

Maleficient disappears in a plume of smoke.  Stefan turns to Blue who was standing by the cradle.

 

Blue: Dear me, I always seem to be hiring whackjobs, don't I.  I haven't given my gift yet, so instead of dying, Aurora will fall into a deep sleep until she is awakened by the dime-a-dozen True Love's Kiss.  

King Stefan: But how do you know she will meet her True Love?

Blue: Because I have something you don't have.

King Stefan: What's that?

Blue: Hope.  BTW, I'm not going to volunteer to raise her for 16 years.  I don't do that kind of thing.  

Edited January 21, 2015 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

Camera One, your post seriously made me laugh out loud.

[Mari]

Maleficent has to be a fairy, right? They won't ignore all those years of precedent and make her not-a-fairy, would they?

Edited January 21, 2015 by Mari

[YaddaYadda]

I've always assumed she was the Black Fairy.  I mean she has to be.  

since Snowing have history with her, can she be the one who gave Snow the dark fairy dust on which they put oh so much more emphasis in the season finale last year

 

Tagging just in case.

[The Cake is a Pie]

Maleficent is even called an evil fairy in the original Disney cartoon. If she's not the black fairy, then the writers are missing an opportunity. And if she is, would that make Blue, Tinkerbell (green), and Nova (pink/red) the equivalent of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather?

[KingOfHearts]

 

And if she is, would that make Blue, Tinkerbell (green), and Nova (pink/red) the equivalent of Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather?

Hm, Tinkerbell, Nova and Maleficent... three fairies Blue has managed to tick off. I wouldn't be surprised.

Edited January 22, 2015 by KingOfHearts

[Mari]

It would be interesting, but would they be able to get Acker or McGowan back?  Aren't both working on something else right now?

[Souris]

I can see it now: The finale will be an alternate timeline where Regina goes to meet Robin in the tavern instead of running away. Everyone’s life will be terrible and utter misery, and it will show how much better off they all are now. So in the end they’ll all line up to thank Regina profusely for so nobly casting the Dark Curse and freeing them from their wretched futures. Then they will feed her grapes and fan her with palm fronds.

[YaddaYadda]

If Regina goes in the tavern and ends up with Robin, if the dark curse is cast, then Henry doesn't exist anymore, period.  She doesn't regret her actions because it got her Henry.  Well he's not there in her alternate timeline.

 

I think Regina would have cast the curse regardless of whether she stepped into that tavern or not.  We may or may not like/love Regina, but Rumple manipulated the hell out of her using Daniel to get her to that point where she decided that she was going to learn her craft so that she can get her revenge.

 

Zelena became out of the question for Rumple as the person to cast the curse because he was the thing she loved the most, so I have no doubt that no matter what Regina's decision would have been, Rumple would have seen to taking Robin away, probably by killing him because he needed her too much for the task at hand.  He kills the man, pins it on Snow.  Maybe he magically shoves him in front of Snow's arrow when you know, Regina goes to tell Snow that she has made peace with her or something like that and that she should come home and they can be one big happy family.

 

I don't think matters what Regina would have done, go in, don't go in...it's just one page that appeared for her where OQ are kissing.  It doesn't mean that they lived happily ever after.  They both think they could have, but maybe they could not because that story has not been written since they have not lived through it.  And that's what the book is a story, things that have already happened are what's recorded.  The new page 23 represented something that could have happened, but it was just a kiss, nothing more than that.  The kiss is not the story.

Edited February 3, 2015 by YaddaYadda

[Serena]

Camera One, love your spec. But if they don't ignore their own canon (I know), Maleficient first curses Aurora's mother (King Stephan's wife?). Then she gives up evil and gets a pet unicorn. Then she somehow changes her mind, in the period of time between the 102 flashback and Regina casting the curse, and curses Aurora.

[Selina K]

I can see it now: The finale will be an alternate timeline where Regina goes to meet Robin in the tavern instead of running away. Everyone’s life will be terrible and utter misery, and it will show how much better off they all are now. So in the end they’ll all line up to thank Regina profusely for so nobly casting the Dark Curse and freeing them from their wretched futures. Then they will feed her grapes and fan her with palm fronds.

 

Souris, this is 'I would quit the show' speculation.  I pray the showrunners are NOT reading these boards and thinking, "Hey, a 2 hour Regina movie!  What a great idea!"  I think I would actually cry.  They could only make it worse by having Emma tag along to be Regina's whipping boy.  

 

I'm still hoping for Emma, badass princess, Season 1 attitude with Season 3 finale development.  Maybe if I close my eyes and clap my hands and believe, it will happen.

[RadioGirl27]

I can see it now: The finale will be an alternate timeline where Regina goes to meet Robin in the tavern instead of running away. Everyone’s life will be terrible and utter misery, and it will show how much better off they all are now. So in the end they’ll all line up to thank Regina profusely for so nobly casting the Dark Curse and freeing them from their wretched futures. Then they will feed her grapes and fan her with palm fronds.

This is what I've been dreading since they presented the "Lets make the author give me my happy ending" plot.

 

Souris, this is 'I would quit the show' speculation.  I pray the showrunners are NOT reading these boards and thinking, "Hey, a 2 hour Regina movie!  What a great idea!"  I think I would actually cry.  They could only make it worse by having Emma tag along to be Regina's whipping boy.  

Well, they are trying (and failing) to reproduce what they did with Captain Swan with Outlaw Queen (sad goodbye scene by the townline in the half season finale included), so I wouldn't rule a 2 hours Outlaw Queen movie as the season finale.

[Curio]

I pray the showrunners are NOT reading these boards and thinking, "Hey, a 2 hour Regina movie! What a great idea!"

 

I pray the show runners don't read these boards, only because it would make them look even worse for completely ignoring the blatant plot holes and writing mistakes we point out on a daily basis. (No, but seriously. I actually do wish they read every single thread in this forum.)

 

So, we know the show is introducing Maleficent in 4B. Because of her character and her ties with Sleeping Beauty, my speculation is that someone will fall under a sleeping curse in 4B, but I'm debating who it will be. The back half of the season is generally Regina-heavy, and they've already dropped a hint about Regina going under a sleeping curse in 3B, so she'd probably be the most likely candidate. However, we already know she has two verified True Loves who could wake her up, which makes the situation less dramatic since we know the outcome will be either Henry or (more likely) Robin waking her up.

 

The other option could be Emma, which I feel would be the more dramatic option from a writing stand point. Emma is the one who's always so focused on everyone's happy ending but her own, so putting her in a situation that makes her vulnerable and forces her to rely on someone else saving her would be a unique situation. (Okay, maybe not that unique since Emma has a tendency for becoming frozen by the villain while someone else swoops in to stop them. But you know what I mean.) There's also the dramatic tension about who would wake her up. Obviously, Henry or her parents could easily wake her up, but if it came down to Hook having to wake her up, the writers have never verified if they're True Loves yet (even though the audience probably knows they are). Unlike Robin and Regina who have fairy dust confirming their status, a True Love's Kiss between Hook and Emma would either verify or debunk their True Love status.

 

With all of that in mind, here's my completely off-the-wall speculation for the 4B finale. None of this will probably happen, but we still have a couple weeks left before the premiere, so what the heck I'll just go with it:

 

• The villains of 4B will want to put Regina under a sleeping curse for some reason. Perhaps they do it to prevent her from finding The Author before they do, I don't know. But they'll eventually find out Henry can give Regina a True Love's Kiss, so they manage to take some of Henry's blood and add it to the potion to prevent Henry from being able to give her a kiss to wake her up. When the gang finds out about this plan, they decide to go on a mission to get Robin from wherever he is in the real world so he can wake Regina up if need be.
• Meanwhile, Hook and Emma's relationship gets put to the test when he confesses he loves her but she can't verbally say it back yet. The writers will need to throw some kind of wrench into their relationship since things have been going too smoothly for them so far, and this would be a realistic scenario that doesn't involve any cursed body parts or contrived drama. Just, real drama. They won't necessarily break up, but Hook will probably want some space to himself for a while.
• Regina and Emma go off to battle the villains with their combined powers because the writers are dead set on them becoming best friends. As the villains are about to use the sleeping curse on Regina, something goes awry and Emma gets the curse instead. If they really want to push the Regina/Emma friendship thing they seem have going, Emma will take the bullet for Regina.
• Regina delivers the bad news to the Charmings, who immediately jump to the conclusion that either Snow, Charming, or Henry could easily wake Emma up. Regina reminds them that the curse used blood magic from Henry, so Charming and Snow can't wake Emma up because they're Henry's blood relatives. That leaves Hook, who at the moment is unsure he can even wake Emma up because a) he's already failed one time in New York, and b) Emma and him are on shaky ground because she couldn't say "I love you" back to him when he told her previously.
• There's palpable tension right before Hook goes in to kiss Emma because there's multiple layers at work here. If the kiss doesn't work, Hook knows for certain Emma doesn't return his feelings, there's no other solution to fixing the spell because the Charmings can't work around the powerful blood magic, and Storybrooke will probably fall under the control of the villains because the savior can't help them ever again. But if the kiss works, Hook finally knows Emma does love him even though she can't verbally admit it, the Charmings get their daughter back, and Emma can go kick ass and defeat the villains and not get frozen by Rumple this time.
• Kiss works; everyone's happy; villains are defeated by the combo of everyone working together; end season.
• Somewhere in there, Robin can reunite with Regina, I guess. I really don't care about that storyline though, so whatever.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Curio

[Dani-Ellie]

Unlike Robin and Regina who have fairy dust confirming their status, a True Love's Kiss between Hook and Emma would either verify or debunk their True Love status.

 

I gotta tell ya, if their True Love status gets debunked, I might actually throw something at my television. Because for a show that blows through plots like they're going out of style, the fact that they've been building this thing for at least a season and a half (longer if you consider "Tallahassee" the beginning of Captain Swan) should mean something. I've been really enjoying the slow burn, don't get me wrong, but stringing the two of them along this long only to have it not be True Love -- on a show that's essentially a modern-day fairy tale -- is 1) cruel to the characters, and 2) cruel to the audience to enjoys the relationship/characters involved.

[RadioGirl27]

I seriously doubt we would get a true love kiss between Hook and Emma this season. I'm pretty sure they are saving it for the last season. But Hook telling Emma that he loves her, Emma freaking out and they ending the season in shaky ground or even breaking up, that for sure.

The Sleeping Course is for Regina and Robin would be the one to wake her up, because, for some contrived reason, Henry would be unable to do it.

Edited February 3, 2015 by RadioGirl27