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

[KingOfHearts]

I wonder if Rumple is looking for an anti-magic substance, much like Mulan's sword. That's the only kind of thing I can figure that could possibly undo Belle's curse besides a TLK. Who would develop such a thing? One of the great scientists/professors from one of the Victorian/Steampunk worlds, of course. I'm sure Rumple used to avoid it like the plague since it's kryptonite to him, but he may have had a run-in in the past with whoever possesses it now. He's pretty desperate to save Belle and his child. 

Just a wild theory. It fits the "destroy magic" theme from the finale. Who knows if that will come back into play, though. Here's hoping that it was foreshadowing.

Edited June 10, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[YaddaYadda]

If I'm being perfectly honest with myself, I think don't the writers even know who or what Rumple is looking for.

[KingOfHearts]

5 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

If I'm being perfectly honest with myself, I think don't the writers even know who or what Rumple is looking for.

They're probably waiting for the okay to do Zootopia, really.

[Camera One]

When they want the box to open, it will open, by the most contrived way possible.  Like only Goldilocks has the key to Pandora's Box.  And Goldilocks is protected by the BEAR.  And what does BEAR make you think of?  Special guest return!

Edited June 10, 2016 by Camera One

[Shanna Marie]

Is it opening the box that's Rumple's problem, or waking up Belle afterward? He was the one to put her in the box, so you'd think he'd be able to get her out. He just wants to have a way to wake her before getting her out. While she's unconscious, she's more portable in the box. And, really, there's very little change in their relationship, so win-win!

[Rumsy4]

Quote

Plan for #OnceUponATime S6 is 22 ep based

22 episodes of Regina vs Evil Queen. I coudn't be less excited about S6. 

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

22 episodes of Regina vs Evil Queen. I coudn't be less excited about S6. 

22 episodes of Operation Mongoose. 22 episodes of #SaveCaptainSwan. Is this really much different?

The irony is that 3B, 4B, and 5B were all setup like 22-episode arcs. 6A doesn't look like it has enough material for something potentially 22-episodes long. The Evil Queen, literary characters and Belle's fate are not as interesting as A&E seem to think they are. The leads really have nothing going for them. It's the characters, stupid.

Edited June 11, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

I seriously don't see how they can keep The Evil Queen around in Storybrooke for 22 episodes.  Maybe they just mean the usual... they know what twist they want to do in the Season 6 finale, and the rest is treading water.  

I still think that one of their "twists" eventually will be to transport the Entire Storybrooke into the Enchanted Forest.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

I still think that one of their "twists" eventually will be to transport the Entire Storybrooke into the Enchanted Forest.

I've been wanting something like this for a while, but the writers don't really have the balls to do anything that major. It's practically there already with all the world-hopping. 

Edited June 11, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Shanna Marie]

The other quote about small-town stories and smaller arcs shows promise, so it suggests that the Evil Queen won't be a season-long arc. It might be something resolved within a few episodes while setting up another story. The other precedent is the season 3 cliffhanger with Elsa, when she wasn't even really the main thing going on, just part of the setup for Ingrid, and then meanwhile the real threat was Rumple and the hat. So the Evil Queen was their big, splashy cliffhanger moment, but that's not going to be the main story. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

[Camera One]

16 minutes ago, Writing Wrongs said:

From EW:

“This season is going to be different from past because it’s not going to be Hyde comes to town, we fight with him for 10 episodes, and then in the winter finale, he dies and we move on,” Kitsis said. “We are changing around what we’re doing this year and going back to that season 1 mentality of small town stories and smaller arcs.”

Bringing the quote over, so we can speculate about it.

It does sound good.  My worry is his idea of "small town stories" is different from ours.  Because really, they could still have done small town stories without bringing in the entire population of the Land of Untold Stories.  That just shows their disinterest in exploring the supporting/minor characters who ARE in Storybrooke.  

I'm also wary what "smaller arcs" mean.  In Season 1, there was still a much larger, extremely important, overarching arc with Emma discovering and believing the truth about Storybrooke, and everyone remembering their former selves.  What is there now?  

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

I'm also wary what "smaller arcs" mean.  In Season 1, there was still a much larger, extremely important, overarching arc with Emma discovering and believing the truth about Storybrooke, and everyone remembering their former selves.  What is there now?  

Evil Queen I guess? In S1 the mini arcs were Graham, the Kathryn murder case, and August. Everything else was Emma/curse-related or one-offs. I imagine in S6, we'll get smaller stories about the literary characters. Having their "stories play out" sounds similar to giving them happy endings. Then in the background, EQ will be scheming with Hyde and a reluctant Dragon.

Quote

“This season is going to be different from past because it’s not going to be Hyde comes to town, we fight with him for 10 episodes, and then in the winter finale, he dies and we move on,” Kitsis said. “We are changing around what we’re doing this year and going back to that season 1 mentality of small town stories and smaller arcs.”

In a way, it's what we've been asking for - a slower pace with more character moments. S5 was so incredibly hectic and stressful that this might be a welcomed change. I am, however, extremely doubtful that A&E's ADD-style storytelling won't interfere on a high level. S6 is a wildcard in many ways because we know so little about it from the finale. The information we do know is predictable, but there are many unknowns that haven't been touched on at all. (Mostly with whatever the mains besides Rumple will be doing.) I was surprised by how light the teases were. It's just one of those things where it could be interesting in the right hands, but it's TS,TW.

I'm trying to speculate what the Evil Queen will be doing. The most obvious answer is that she'll want to get rid of her enemies, such as Emma and Snow. But EQ's plans are usually more convoluted. Will she be dumb enough to repeat her past mistakes? Would she simply use a sleeping curse or Dark Curse again? Does she plan on getting rid of Regina and taking her place so she can infiltrate + kill? 

Edited June 12, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

In a way, it's what we've been asking for - a slower pace with more character moments.

I'll believe it when I see it, I guess.  In some ways, much of 5B was slower paced, but it didn't result in more sustained character moments for the majority of the main characters.

[Rumsy4]

Quote

22 episodes of Operation Mongoose. 22 episodes of #SaveCaptainSwan. Is this really much different?

It wasn't either. The two halfs of S4 and S5 had different main themes. 4A was about Emma's magic and 4B was about Operation Stupid. S5A could be the Captain Swan season. 5B was mostly about Regina family dynamics. So, having Evil Queen vs Regina for a whole season does feel like they're going back to S1 as far as who the long-term threat is about. 

However, I don't believe A&E have a bit of interest to go back to the S1 feel in ways that really count. Their writing has been more and more ADD and unfocused lately, that I have a hard time believing that there will be any actual change. What I fear will happen is that we will have plenty of self-contained episodes (smaller arcs) that will focus on random guest characters. Character development moments will be the equivalent of a bike ride or a walk in the park before people confess their undying love for each other. In between all that the EQ will run rampant and cause problems in Sb. I think it is ridiculous A&E contrived to bring a whole realm of untold stories into the Show instead of addressing the ones they've already left unfinished. So, I'm not expecting a true S1 feel when it's going to be about random people we've never met before.

Oh, and please don't hate me, everyone! ;-) But if Hyde is going to stick around for a whole season, there is a higher chance of Hyde Queen happening. :-p

[RadioGirl27]

From the EW article:

Quote

“That’s actually providing the opportunity to look at our characters in a different way,” Horowitz said. “What’s really exciting about it is, for season 6, really being in Storybrooke again. As we hinted in the finale last year, in seeing the Evil Queen [Lana Parrilla] split, it’s allowing us to do that for a lot of our characters — not as literally — but it’s turning inward on a lot of these characters that we’ve been with for five seasons so far.”

My interpretation of this? "We are going to destroy all of our characters to prop Regina."

[YaddaYadda]

8 hours ago, Camera One said:

Bringing the quote over, so we can speculate about it.

It does sound good.  My worry is his idea of "small town stories" is different from ours.  Because really, they could still have done small town stories without bringing in the entire population of the Land of Untold Stories.  That just shows their disinterest in exploring the supporting/minor characters who ARE in Storybrooke.  

I'm also wary what "smaller arcs" mean.  In Season 1, there was still a much larger, extremely important, overarching arc with Emma discovering and believing the truth about Storybrooke, and everyone remembering their former selves.  What is there now?  

I think they just don't know what to write for them. Granny is an extension of Red, and Red isn't in Storybrooke anymore, so Granny isn't really needed all that much. And they've done a dwarfs origin story, so that's done too.

Even with the regular characters, they don't know what to write for them anymore.

I think the prime example is in the flashbacks they keep forcing down our throats, and that in the end have very little to no impact on the present day storyline. Did we really need the 100th episode to be focused on Regina's vengeance on Snow? We already knew her mother was a terrible influence, that her father was a push-over, and an enabler, and that nothing would happen to Snow. 

I'm hoping that a 22 episode arc will allow for more Snowing, and more character moments. This is really all I've been wanting, all I want. I think this is what I miss the most. It would be nice to not have the characters be in constant crisis mode, and see them breathe a little.

Edited June 12, 2016 by YaddaYadda

[Camera One]

Horowitz: As we hinted in the finale last year, in seeing the Evil Queen [Lana Parrilla] split, it’s allowing us to do that for a lot of our characters — not as literally — but it’s turning inward on a lot of these characters that we’ve been with for five seasons so far.”

Turning inward, or looking at them with a black-and-white lense?  If anything, the "I don't want to be Mary Margaret" anymore, would have fit more with this theme.  Not that they actually did anything with it in 5B, even in the Hercules episode.  But I suspect they think that is considered a huge character moment even though they never developed the internal motivation of it, nor the impacts of it.

[KingOfHearts]

19 minutes ago, Camera One said:

Turning inward, or looking at them with a black-and-white lense?  If anything, the "I don't want to be Mary Margaret" anymore, would have fit more with this theme.  Not that they actually did anything with it in 5B, even in the Hercules episode.  But I suspect they think that is considered a huge character moment even though they never developed the internal motivation of it, nor the impacts of it.

And she'll do it again in S6 because A&E don't remember character moments. They seem to lose their memories every arc, much like the citizens of Storybrooke.

Edited June 12, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[Camera One]

A little birdie was spying outside the Writers' Room, and has this exciting script tease!

-----------

SNOW: "Seeing The Evil Queen again.  Makes me realize.  That without you, Regina, I wouldn't be Snow White.  You made me strong.  You made me who I am today.  You are the best stepmother anyone could ever ask for."

EMMA: "Without you, my parents wouldn't have met.  Without you, I wouldn't be born.  Our family owes everything to you.  ALL of you.  Even the dark parts."

THE BOX: Mmphff you're taking my line!

HOOK: And Zelena.  Without you, I wouldn't have died.  Emma wouldn't have walked through Hell to find me.  And she would never have been able to say "I Love You" without impending doom.  

CHARMING: Hey, no one brought back King George so I can thank him for killing my mother?

The sky opens up and MUFASA appears.

MUFASA: You have learned the lessons well, my children.  Without the Dark, there can be no Light.  We must be thankful for what the villains have done for us.  Without Scar, I wouldn't be up here in the sky today.  And my son would never have grown up into the King that I am proud of.

MERIDA: And the cirrrrrrrrrrrrrrcle of liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife, and it mooooooooooooooooves us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited June 12, 2016 by Camera One

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

MUFASA: You have learned the lessons well, my children.  Without the Dark, there can be no Light.  We must be thankful for what the villains have done for us.  Without Scar, I wouldn't be up here in the sky today.  And my son would never have grown up into the King that I am proud of.

Cue Mufasa/Merlin bro hug.

I found this exclusive script tease on Tumblr. Totally legit:

BLUE (shifting eyes vigorously): Emma, we need to arrest Scrooge. 
EMMA: Why? He hasn't done anything wrong.
BLUE: He's a villain. We all know villains do bad things.

GOLD walks in from behind.

GOLD: Well, if it isn't the "Ghost from Christmas Past".
BLUE: I told you never to speak of it again!
EMMA: What are you two talking about?
GOLD: You see, Mother Superior failed to mention her longtime patronage to the Cratchit family. Scrooge was a well-meaning employer, but still quite stingy on paying wages.
BLUE: That is enough, Dark One!
GOLD: The family had a bit of leverage, so they got the Blue Fairy to put on a little show for the old man. Ghosts. Crutches for Tiny Tim. I've never gotten to congratulate her on the elaborate deception. It's amazing what one will do for information on one of their enemy's whereabouts.
EMMA: Why are you telling me all this?
GOLD: I take every opportunity to expose fairies for what they are. Con artists.

Edited June 12, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[retrograde]

I'm nervous they can pull off the pacing for such a long stretch, but the season 1 smaller arc thing is something I've been wanting for ages, so I can't look a gift horse in the mouth. Also credit to them for realising their current format is getting tired and switching it up. The show only has one of two seasons left in it anyway, so it's a worthwhile risk. 

[Shanna Marie]

On 6/11/2016 at 5:35 PM, Camera One said:

I still think that one of their "twists" eventually will be to transport the Entire Storybrooke into the Enchanted Forest.

Since the current cliffhanger doesn't seem to have inspired me to devote much mental energy into speculating on what happens next, that's the kind of thing I've been pondering as a possible endgame. Maybe not Storybrooke itself, but some entity in the Enchanted Forest reversing the curse, so that all the Storybrookians find themselves back home. Now that Henry's the Author, that shouldn't be the same problem it was in season 3. Even if him just being the Author didn't get him caught up in the spell, we know that Isaac was able to realm-hop, including from what was supposedly then the Land Without Magic, so Henry could find his family again even if he were left behind. My current mental storyline involves everyone being scattered (since they weren't all at the town line when it happened, they end up all over the place) and having to track each other down, which is made difficult by the fact that the villain is looking for them, so they have to stay underground while still trying to be found by their friends, and they have to form some kind of resistance movement. As you can tell from how elaborate my speculation on this is, I'm really, really not that interested in where they are now in the story.

[KingOfHearts]

So, here's what's going to happen once Rumple opens the box. Belle will be awake, but dirty with leaves scattered all over her clothes. She'll reveal the box took her to the realm of Jumanji. A man named Alan took care of her while she was still sleeping. After a few months of gestation, the baby TLK'ed her in the womb. In exchange for Alan's hospitality, she gave him advice on love and urged him to find his childhood friend, Sarah. It turns out his family knew the Darlings. However, they got separated after the Others attacked them from the jungle. After that, she lived in a crude shelter and hallucinated about her dad. 

Belle, after explaining all this, will tell Rumple gravely that the Others are coming... and they want her baby.

Edited June 16, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[retrograde]

This is such a garbage answer I think I can post it here. From EW's spoiler room:

Quote

What will happen to Emma and Hook in season 6 of Once Upon a Time? — Niamh
If you recall, when Emma and Hook reunited in the finale, there was a wedding dress in the background. Ahead of the Dead of Summerpanel at ATX, I asked the guys point-blank if this means wedding bells will ring in season 6. They stayed very coy on the subject. “I would say you’ll have to watch season 6, you never know what’s going to happen,” EP Edward Kitsis replied. “You never know what’s going to happen with those two.” 

I do feel sorry for the entertainment reporters stuck doing these spoiler sections through the summer, though.

[YaddaYadda]

2 minutes ago, retrograde said:

This is such a garbage answer I think I can post it here. From EW's spoiler room:

But it's such a typical Eddie answer though. I wouldn't expect anything less annoying from him. Everyone should stop interviewing him because his answers always start with "I would say" <insert the name of the character or the season> "should watch because we never know what's going to happen with <insert whatever garbage here>

A&E are so awkward.

CS are likely getting engaged this season, and I think A&E know exactly when their show will end. If they know it ends this season, then wedding. If they have the assurance they'll have one more season, then they'll likely drag that until the end of the series.

[Souris]

Why did I enter this thread? There's not enough brain bleach in the world. I'm sending Camera One my therapy bills.

[KingOfHearts]

A&E haven't had their writers camp yet, have they? They probably have no idea where CS is going to go in S6. Apparently they didn't want to pick a direction yet, since the finale left the couple's future so vague. Shouldn't they have a general idea of what's going to happen? Broad strokes at least?

[Souris]

Writers went back a week ago.

[Camera One]

EW shouldn't be putting that into the "Spoiler Room"... talk about false advertising.  That response wasn't even fit to print... it was basically, "not telling you".

 EP Edward Kitsis replied. “You never know what’s going to happen with those two.”

Actually, your writing is completely predictable, but continue being delusional.

[KAOS Agent]

What's this stuff about an extra feature on the DVD about Cruella and Spike running around the Underworld? I don't care if it's fake. I want this to happen. Why can't we have this on the show? Now I suddenly want the continuing adventures of Cruella in the Underworld as a minor side plot for the show in S6. I'd even take the Evil Queen using Mirror Skype to get advice, snark and dish the gossip to the Underworld. The Blind Witch can join in.

[retrograde]

The actor who played him, apparently, but I'm guessing not the the character. 

[YaddaYadda]

9 hours ago, KingOfHearts said:

A&E haven't had their writers camp yet, have they? They probably have no idea where CS is going to go in S6. Apparently they didn't want to pick a direction yet, since the finale left the couple's future so vague. Shouldn't they have a general idea of what's going to happen? Broad strokes at least?

Camp happened in May, if I'm not mistaken.

They seem to have started writing 6x01 on June 3rd according to Brigitte Hales' tweet, and they seem to have been back to work officially on May 31st. The cast is back at it July 7th.

[daxx]

Yes, the season should be mapped out and episodes broken out already. From what Brigitte tweeted they may have finished writing the premiere.

Edited June 18, 2016 by daxx

[Camera One]

Drinking game for Season 6.  For each instance of:

1. Covert meeting between The Evil Queen and Rumple, and Evil Queen and Hyde in the forest, where they have cryptic conversations about nothing.

2. Emma, Charming and the "heroes" spend episode upon episode walking through the woods to find Hyde and/or The Evil Queen though probably both.

3. Emma, Snow and Henry give Regina pep talks.

4. Snow and Charming stand in the background doing nothing, except for the episode they get with some random Untold Stories character.

5. The Evil Queen kills redshirts in Storybrooke, who are forgotten after 5 minutes.

6. Emma faces The Evil Queen but she gets thrown against the wall.

7. Zelena declares how wicked she is when she confronts The Evil Queen, and she saves the day.

8. Rumple monologues at The Box, showing how deep and complex he is, before he screws everyone over.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Camera One

[Rumsy4]

17 hours ago, retrograde said:

This is such a garbage answer I think I can post it here. From EW's spoiler room:

I do feel sorry for the entertainment reporters stuck doing these spoiler sections through the summer, though.

Looks who's fan-baiting using CS now? My, how the tides have turned. Smh...

But yeah--typical A&E hogwash.

[KingOfHearts]

Quote

7. Zelena declares how wicked she is when she confronts The Evil Queen, and she saves the day.

Zelena: "So I hear you're evil. I'm worse - I'm wicked!"
Rumple: "Hey, you stole my papa's line!"
Henry: "Aren't evil and wicked synonyms?"
Everyone: "Shut up, Henry!"

Quote

3. Emma, Snow and Henry give Regina pep talks.

Regina (crying): "Even though I destroyed the Evil Queen, I can never win!"
Emma: "What's wrong now, BFF?"
Regina: "The dwarves won't come to my tupperware party! They say they have to 'work'."
Snow: "Regina, they actually do work..."
Regina: "Are you questioning my judgement?"
Snow (groveling on the floor): "I'm so sorry Regina! I am scum!"
Henry: "I'll use my Author powers to make them come to your party!"
Regina: "Thank you, Henry. You're the only one who really cares."
Emma: "Regina, I care. I'd go to the moon for you."
Regina: "Shut up, blondie."
Emma (getting choked up): "Wow. That's... the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Edited June 18, 2016 by KingOfHearts

[KingOfHearts]

Here's another wild theory for S6. Regina will die, but the Evil Queen will live. That way A&E can preserve their EQ boner, Regina can be a martyr, and they can mirror Lost with Locke/MiB. Lana will be able to stay on too. Some might say that both entities will die if Regina does, but that hasn't been established on the show. 

[Curio]

Quote

Here's another wild theory for S6. Regina will die, but the Evil Queen will live.

Honestly, I'd be okay with that, as long as everyone treated the Evil Queen like the crazy sociopath she is and not treat her with kid gloves like they do with Regina.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Curio

[KingOfHearts]

1 minute ago, Curio said:

Honestly, I'd be okay with that, as long as everyone treated the Evil Queen like the crazy sociopath she is and not treat her with kid gloves like they do with Regina.

Bonus points if Henry is convinced the Evil Queen still has good inside of her, only to have his heart ripped out and crushed.

[Shanna Marie]

It would fix a lot of the problems with the show if Regina died and we were left with the Evil Queen -- and she was treated as the Big Bad, not as some sad woobie victim whose feelings no one wanted to hurt. Then we wouldn't have the contrived "family" relationships with the people she's tormented, they'd have a villain with real emotional heft, and we wouldn't have to worry about whether or not her redemption arc makes any sense.

Unfortunately, I don't see how that could happen without it being the last season of the series because they wouldn't kill off the Evil Queen, and I don't imagine the Evil Queen being like Rumple, who can live in the town and just scheme behind the scenes instead of openly opposing everyone, so it would be hard to keep her around without making everyone look incompetent. She's incompetent if she can't destroy her enemies over the course of more than one season, and they're incompetent if they can't deal with her in all that time.

[RadioGirl27]

1 hour ago, Curio said:

Here's another wild theory for S6. Regina will die, but the Evil Queen will live.

This would be amazing, but A&E are not bold enough to do this. They like to think they are, but they are not.

[Camera One]

They also would not WANT to do this.  They love Regina, who's so complex and has gone through the most ordeals in life.  

[YaddaYadda]

6 hours ago, Camera One said:

They also would not WANT to do this.  They love Regina, who's so complex and has gone through the most ordeals in life.  

I think you're being sarcastic, but just in case...

Regina might have been a complex character at one point, but she's not anymore. A caricature? Sure. Complex? No.

[Rumsy4]

46 minutes ago, Curio said:

Or the writers could go the "surprise" route like Merida and have Sinbad the Sailor not interact at all with the other sailor in the cast. (How in the world did Merida, Robin, and Snow never interact?) "We got really excited about what would happen if Sinbad met the Evil Queen! Oh, you wanted him to have a flashback with a pirate? That's so predictable."

Well... duh! First choice, it's going to be either Regina or Rumple. Otherwise it will end up being some random connection with Zelena. 

However, it is exciting. I wonder if Sindbad and Sheherezade will be in the same story or different.  

Edited June 24, 2016 by Rumsy4

[YaddaYadda]

About Rumple, I think he will be back by the end of 6x01 with Belle in a Box, and will probably release her from the box when they are back in town to make sure she doesn't take off on him in wherever realm they are since she is carrying precious cargo. 

[Curio]

I'm praying to the Writing Gods that Sinbad and Scheherazade aren't decoy names for Jasmine and Aladdin. Let's have them all, and include Jafar while we're at it.

[maryle]

But I wonder if it just for one episode or a mini arc they talk about I can see both way.

I think they will be in the first episode because of the early casting and in at least 3 episode.

So they can play with Sinbad and Hook, maybe some CS parallel they love so much  ( Shereazade sound Emma) and gave them a interesting twist on their story.  

[Curio]

13 minutes ago, maryle said:

But I wonder if it just for one episode or a mini arc they talk about I can see both way.

I really hope they stick around for most of Season 6. 1,001 Nights has a lot more story potential than Jekyll and Hyde, but with this show's track record of keeping POC around...

[YaddaYadda]

5 minutes ago, Curio said:

I really hope they stick around for most of Season 6. 1,001 Nights has a lot more story potential than Jekyll and Hyde, but with this show's track record of keeping POC around...

I wanna say that it bodes well, but it's this show, so who knows.

We might actually get a first look at them during SDCC.

[maryle]

 for the day-to-day life in Storybrooke.” Adds EP Edward Kitsis: “One of the things that we really want to get back to this year is that season 1 and 2 vibe of small town stories, being in Storybrooke and getting back to Mary Margaret as the teacher, Emma as the sheriff, Grumpy as the janitor.”

Ew news . 

Zut they will bringing back again. I loved all the spoiler today. God pity for my pool Once heart ! I learned nothing.