Unpopular Opinions: Happily Ever After? Yeah, Right!

[Geeni]

I figured since most other shows' boards have them, there should be a UO thread for this board too. Post away!

 

-I find Hook utterly useless and wish the writers would have killed him off.

-I don't find Regina or Rumple likable or interesting in the slightest.

-I liked Neal (but don't like him with Emma).

-Captain Swan is literally one of the worst ships to hit TV, next to Rumbelle.

-I enjoyed Cora.

-JMo, not Jared Gilmore, is the worst actor on the show. But I still love Emma.

-I love Belle....when she's not around Rumple.

-I think Lana is gorgeous but in no way is she the hottest lady on the show.

[TheGreenKnight]

- Regina's still my favorite character on the show, even though her writing has always been confused. And I actually liked the way they wrapped up the Zelena story with Regina showing an untapped potential for light magic.

- I didn't mind Tamara and that other guy. I didn't even hate the idea of a goverment agency in the real world looking for magic (before this was swept away as just Peter Pan's lies), although it wouldn't have been my ideal storyline. I think the Frankenworld/Whale backstory is more cringeworthy.

- I always found Snow and Charming boring, even in the first season. I didn't/don't hate them, but I don't think they just became boring post-season 1.

- I don't mind that they combine characters occasionally (the way Gold is both Rumpel and Beast is perfect), although there are some characters I would prefer to have their own actor.

- I like the new villain every half-season setup they have going. And I don't mind the villains so far having been related to the main cast, since this series has always heavily on its twisted family dynamics since the beginning. I just hope they don't continue that trend.

- I've always hated Rumbelle, although I guess I wouldn't want them separated on the show either. It's hard to explain... I think it works in-show, but I can't root for them either. And not just because Belle's actress is awful. (I also thought Rumpel fit better with Cora... Even Rumpel/Zelena had more chemistry.) But it might go with the fact that:

- I think Rumpelstiltskin is much less deserving of a happy ending than Regina.

- I enjoyed the Pan storyline, even though maybe one or two less episodes in the woods would've helped.

- I'm looking forward to Elsa/Frozen...

Edited June 8, 2014 by TheGreenKnight

[FurryFury]

Well, this is one of the few shows where my views seem to align with quite a lot of people... at least here. If I'd go to tumblr or twitter, lots of my opinions will become unpopular fast, lol.

 

Anyway, I'll try:

- While I'm not a big fan of Regina, I really liked "Save Henry" and sympathized with her actions and feelings both there and in "Going Home". If her redemption continued in that vein, I'd probably buy it, or at least wouldn't mind it. I also liked "Welcome to Storybrooke", for some reason.

- Young Cora is my favorite female character on the show (Emma's still my favorite character in the main cast, though). Ambitious, selfish, cunning woman who can still feel, but refuses to let her emotions sway her from her goals? Yes, please. But then, I generally enjoy such characters, or similar to them.

- While I mostly like Captain Swan, I didn't like the way they've finally hooked up (both narratively and simply from the cinematographic standpoint), and I've found the development of the relationship in 3B neither believable nor fun. Actually, scratch that: I've found the whole of 3B (with the exception of the finale) not very fun, and all of the relationships were developed pretty badly (Regina/Robin, Emma/her parents, etc.)

- I hate Rumbelle with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Every time Belle talks about Rumple I want to punch her.

- I didn't mind the neverending wanderings in the woods in 3A. Actually, 3A may be my favorite arc on the show after season 1, at least until Papa Pan reveal.

- I really dislike the Disneyfication of the show - they've gone from a fairytales mega-crossover with some nods to Disney, like character design, to full-on Disney fanfiction.

Edited June 8, 2014 by FurryFury

[CatMack]

I like Robert Carlyle, but I find Rumple to be one of the least interesting characters on the show.  He gets some good lines, and Carlyle's acting saves him to a certain extant and makes him watchable, but at his core his story is all about obnoxious boring manpain that I don't care about. 

[Mari]

For the most part, I like Carlyle's acting.  However full-blown imp Rumple?  I find that so incredibly over the top that it's not menacing, it's just silly.

[Domenicholas]

- I absolutely hate Captain Swan.  I think Hook is boring and useless, and since I find Emma engaging I don't want her tied down to him.  Also, their chemistry to me seems incredibly forced.

- I loved Neil.  I thought his character made sense given what he went through.  Michael Raymond James and Jennifer Morrison also had very natural chemistry that made it believable that Neil and Emma still loved each other after over a decade.

- I actually miss Greg Mendell.  I thought his story was tragic, but the writers pushed that aside to make him a generic villain.

- I actually miss Walsh.  I thought his story interesting and, once again, even though it was all a farce, his understanding of Emma made them a believable couple (notice a pattern here?).

- I didn't mind Regina being able to do light magic in the finale; it seems as though magic is light or dark depending on where it manifests from.  Regina's magic was coming from love and wanting to protect, therefore it came out as light.

- I didn't mind that they made Regina and Henry's relationship more amicable because I didn't like how they portrayed their relationship  in the first  season.  They tried to make Regina look like a bad mother, but at most she was emotionally distinct, which is a popular method of childrearing in Eastern countries.

- Rumple has lost his purpose on the show after they killed off Neil.

- Finally, I am excited to see Elsa  and

on the show, and see  what they bring to it.

[stealinghome]

-I absolutely cannot stand Regina and would not miss her if she left the show tomorrow (perhaps not so unpopular around here!).

-I think Lana Parrilla is solid but not great in the role, and at this point her acting skills have become way overrated/overpraised. Her best acting season was definitely S1; she hasn't been nearly as effective since.

-I still, somehow, like and root for Rumbelle, despite the writing for them being awful for two seasons now (and also kind of wanting to tell Belle to run away and never look back, so some cognitive dissonance there!).

-When he's not forced to be Regina Propper 1A or the Truest Stupid (so like 1% of the time these days), I still like Henry. Though S1 Henry was easily the best Henry, because he was allowed to call Regina out on her evil/abuse.

-Captain Swan have very little chemistry.

-I don't think either Regina or Rumpel deserve a happy ending.

-Sometimes I wonder if Robert Carlyle has checked out of this show a little bit, mentally, because while he's still the best actor of the bunch, even he isn't consistently excellent anymore. (Goodness knows I wouldn't blame him if that's the case.)

-I don't think the decision to let Rumpel find Bae/Neal was bad in theory, but they've completely bungled pretty much everything about Rumpel's character and arc since.

-Josh Dallas isn't nearly as bad an actor as some parts of the fandom like to claim. When he's given material that doesn't consist of "run around and wave a sword," he does really well. In fact, I think, Carlyle aside, he might be the most consistent actor the show has. He's never turned in a scene that makes me cringe, and I can't say the same about Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, or Lana Parrilla.

-That said, Jen Morrison is also much better as Emma than she sometimes gets credit for. No way was that S1 Tubey deserved.

-Their episode was bad, but I really want Nova and Grumpy to get a happily ever after.

-I've never understood the appeal of Whale, and therefore Frankenwolf. Also, making him Frankenstein was imo a bad move.

[Geeni]

Oh yeah, stealinghome, I like Henry too. I mean, unlike most other characters, he calls Regina out on her actions. I wish we got to see him act like a kid/teenager though, like make friends his own age, start to notice girls, etc.

 

 

-Sometimes I wonder if Robert Carlyle has checked out of this show a little bit, mentally, because while he's still the best actor of the bunch, even he isn't consistently excellent anymore. (Goodness knows I wouldn't blame him if that's the case.)

 

This! He's so obviously over it and I think he knows he's way too good for this shit. I've noticed this in S2 too.

 

 

And not just because Belle's actress is awful. (I also thought Rumpel fit better with Cora... Even Rumpel/Zelena had more chemistry.) But it might go with the fact that:

 

I love Emilie and she's a good actress in everything else she's in, but yea, both she and Robert have better chemistry with literally everyone ELSE they share scenes with, but not each other.

 

 

I also really liked Abigail/Kathryn, and wish they had shown her and Frederick together in the finale.

 

Oh! And the Home Office thing was interesting when we first heard about it, because I thought it was going to be non-magic people discovering magic and trying to eliminate it- and that would have been the Big Bad. It would have been far better than what it turned out to actually be.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Geeni

[stealinghome]

Oh! And the Home Office thing was interesting when we first heard about it, because I thought it was going to be non-magic people discovering magic and trying to eliminate it- and that would have been the Big Bad. It would have been far better than what it turned out to actually be.

I think Science vs Magic could have been an interesting storyline--but if they were really going to go there, they needed to devote an entire season to that conflict. Trying to shove it into an already too overstuffed season plotwise did it no favors (as did the really poor execution of that storyline in general).

[KingOfHearts]

Well this is an interesting thread.

 

- Regina is my favorite character. Her writing is inconsistent and plagued with development problems, but I adore the actress and her character itself. Believe it or not, I can relate to her in some cases.

- Cora is my favorite villain of the show.

- I didn't hate Season 2. The latter half was weak, but the first half and middle were still pleasant to watch.

- Snow and Charming are boring.

- I liked Snow's black spot on her heart. It would have been an interesting storyline.

- Ideally, I wish everyone came back to the Enchanted Forest in the end, including Emma and Henry.

- Regina's light magic didn't bother me.

- The S3 finale was not that great.

- I'm hoping Zelena is still alive.

- Walsh coming back would have been better than Marian. I need to see Emma realize she dated the Wizard of Oz.

- Both Rumple and Regina are redeemable and their evil pasts can be forgiven and repented from. 

- Redeemed Regina is a better mom than Emma.

- Snow is bossy and annoying.

- Wonderland should been on the parent show instead.

- Jafar would have been better than Elsa for the S4 "Big Bad".

- I don't hate Belle or her acting.

- Never liked Neal, but I liked Baelfire.

- I would totally live in Storybrooke in real life.

[Geeni]

I think Science vs Magic could have been an interesting storyline--but if they were really going to go there, they needed to devote an entire season to that conflict. Trying to shove it into an already too overstuffed season plotwise did it no favors (as did the really poor execution of that storyline in general).

 

Well yea, but I thought they should have done the whole thing in S3 instead of Neverland/Pan. I had no problem with them introducing it/setting it up in mid-S2 with Greg coming to town.

 

 

Snow is bossy and annoying.

 

I agree with this too. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I like cursed Mary Margaret 100x better than Snow White (hated David, though).

 

 

Wonderland should been on the parent show instead.

 

I thought it was, albeit briefly (remember Jefferson)?

Edited June 8, 2014 by Geeni

[RadioGirl27]

I know this is going to be very unpopular but, while I miss Jamie Dornan beautiful face on my screen each week, I don't miss Graham at all.

[KingOfHearts]

 

I thought it was, albeit briefly (remember Jefferson)?

 

You're right, I just meant as a main feature like Neverland or Enchanted Forest.

 

I agree about Mary Margaret... her cursed self was so much better.

[Kaw912]

I know this is going to be very unpopular but, while I miss Jamie Dornan beautiful face on my screen each week, I don't miss Graham at all.

I second this! While I always thought he was cute, I also though Graham was rather bland as a character. Plus, to my ears Jamie Dornan's Northern Irish accent was so thick that I really had to strain to understand what he was saying at least half the time.

I also love Regina, so what do I know?

[kitticup]

This is my first post here.  Here goes:

 

1)  I totally do NOT get all the Jefferson love.  I just don't.  I thought he was creepy.  I also don't find the actor that handsome.

 

2)  Before OUAT, I hated JenMO or more accurately hated the characters she played.  I did not like Cameron on House or Zoey on How I Met Your Mother.  I almost didn't watch OUAT because she was cast  in it.  Now that I've seen her in interviews, she also seems like a lovely person in real life.

 

Edited to be more precise, especially since I think it awful how JenMo is treated on twitter.

Edited June 11, 2014 by kitticup

[TheGreenKnight]

1)  I totally do NOT get all the Jefferson love.  I just don't.  I thought he was creepy.  I also don't find the actor that handsome.

Oh, yes, I forgot that one. I remember season 1 had people online shipping Emma with a roundtable of guys that didn't suit her (Graham, August, Jefferson), but I especially didn't understand the Jefferson love at all. I did like the character and thought he was well-executed, don't get me wrong, but he wasn't attractive and the one episode he was in with Emma in Season 1 was too serial killer for me to see where a romance could come from.

[maryle]

Well i do find that

Lama

Pauilla is overpraised. Sometime it seem tant people just want evilQ and Regina and now OQ. What worsen the situation  is the  fact that the writer clairly are one of those. And i like Regina but it should bé about all the main cas not only ber rédemption story or about rumple

I like rumpelle but i do not understand the level of dévotion for This particuliar ship. I like rumple as a grey caracther much more than the love story.

Emma should Save the Day in season 4. And yeah! JMO really is undervalue as a actress. But it seem that pretty actress or female lead get hâte on loads of show on TV these days , why?

The charming should be the real hearth of the. show instead of the sob story of the vilain, we got it already! évil is made.

Never understand the Jefferson love too, but i like Graham is was the good Guy!

[FurryFury]

Well, if we're talking about Jefferson, my unpopular opinion: Not only I loved him as a character, were he to stay on the show, I'd probably be shipping the hell out of Jefferson/Emma, much more than any other pairing. Sure, there were creepy vibes, but he had an excuse of being, well, crazy at the time. I can forgive that.

[Domenicholas]

Well, if we're talking about Jefferson, my unpopular opinion: Not only I loved him as a character, were he to stay on the show, I'd probably be shipping the hell out of Jefferson/Emma, much more than any other pairing. Sure, there were creepy vibes, but he had an excuse of being, well, crazy at the time. I can forgive that.

I totally agree.  In my unpopular opinion, Emma had more chemistry with Jefferson than she has had with anyone else on the show.  I also have loved Sebastian Stan in everything I've seen him in, so I wouldn't mind seeing him again.

[Cindy McLennan]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't like "unpopular opinion" discussions. By default, they rule out dissent. I don't think they're healthy for a community or a board. I wish we would all feel free to discuss our opinions on all the threads, regardless of their popularity.

That said? I like Henry and I like Jared as Henry. There. I said it.

[FabulousTater]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't like "unpopular opinion" discussions. By default, they rule out dissent. I don't think they're healthy for a community or a board. I wish we would all feel free to discuss our opinions on all the threads, regardless of their popularity.

Cosign. I almost posted something similar but then I had a moment of "Wait, is that considered boards on boards?"

TWoP lives on within my heart.

[Rumsy4]

I'm with you Cindy and FabulousTater. Such threads tend to fester rants, without promoting discussion, IMHO. 

Edited June 9, 2014 by Rumsy4

[Cindy McLennan]

Cosign. I almost posted something similar but then I had a moment of "Wait, is that considered boards on boards?"

TWoP lives on within my heart.

Dave, moderators, and co., if this is against the spirit of your boards here, please feel free to delete my comment and/or warn me. Also, though, please know I didn't intend for it to be a problem. To me, what I posted didn't fly in the face of what I'd say at a party, and wasn't dickish (but we dickish often don't know we are). It's just (for me) I don't think 1-opinion threads foster healthy discussion. Peace.

Edited June 10, 2014 by stacey
No problems here! We're all good.

[FormerMod-a1]

Expressing opinions about the topic is fine, in moderation.  We let things ebb and flow here as long as the digression doesn't take over the entire thread.  That said, if you'd rather discuss something elsewhere, you can always quote the post and reply "Taking this to the [insert name here] topic."  If you don't see one that you think fits, you can create it.  Just click the "Start Topic" button.

[Cindy McLennan]

Thank you, aquarian1.

[Jean]

How are people deciding what's unpopular? Based off of Twitter or something? What if you're insulated to just this place for this show? It'd be hard to discuss. Or is this based off of old TWOP? If so I think TWOP was big and diverse enough not to have an "unpopular" opinion. Except maybe if you loved a Mary Sue. That was the one single unanimous sentiment across all boards and all shows, Mary Sues are the most loathsome creatures!

On top of that I find most of the internets' "popular" opinions seem to run counter to those not sitting on social media obsessing over shows, i.e. most of the general viewing audience. And since we make up what 0.001% of all viewers, anything on the net would be unpopular.

[FormerMod-a1]

If you don't like or understand Unpopular Opinion threads, you don't have to read them or post in them.  

[aradia22]

The actress playing Regina is terrible. She does not know how to convey emotion with her face. It's not even that she's expressionless. She seems to actually struggle getting her face into the right conformation, like she's confused about the way feelings work. I do not understand anyone who thinks she's this great villain. The only thing she's good at is looking vaguely perturbed/sad. And wearing fabulous costumes.

 

Emma is a bag of bad fanfiction tropes. A Mary Sue OC who is the child of two of the biggest characters (Disney-wise... Snow White is "the one who started it all"). What? Try, guys. Or try harder. The only thing magical about Emma (and her waxing and waning ability to tell when people are lying) is the spell that sucked out Jennifer Morrison's acting ability after she left house. Seriously, she seems catatonic most of the time. Did she botox her face? Did the hair bleach seep into her brain? I do not understand what happened to her.

 

Red (little red riding hood) might be the worst actress of the bunch and that's really saying something.

 

People who say this show is feminist or has great female characters need to get their heads examined. 

 

To spread the hate to the male characters... I hate Charming. He is terrible. They ruined his character with the whole other wife thing and all of that. It made him so unlikable. Also, he's a terrible actor. He has the charm of a block of wood. As of season 1 he was terrible at his fight scenes, with real opponents or CGI monsters. It didn't matter. He needs to go back to stage combat/fight choreography school. 

 

I don't know how unpopular this opinion is, but I hate the way they think they can mix up everything. You get Disney properties. That's it. You can't even access all the Disney properties. Mulan? Nope. Doesn't fit. Robin Hood? Unless he's a fox... nope. Alice in Wonderland was a stretch as far as fairytales go but I'll allow it. Nope, you can't have the Wizard of Oz. Especially if you make her Regina's sister because you can apparently only write fanfiction plotlines where everyone is related or wants to sleep with everyone else. No, you can definitely not have Frankenstein because that is just a punch in the face worthy offense. 

[jhlipton]

- I didn't mind Tamara and that other guy. I didn't even hate the idea of a goverment agency in the real world looking for magic (before this was swept away as just Peter Pan's lies), although it wouldn't have been my ideal storyline. I

 

I didn't care for Emma and Neil -- he just seemed too wimpy for her, so I was hoping that he would stick with Tamara.  Having a beautiful black actress would have been a major plus.  I didn't even mind the Science vs Magic -- that would have been a great theme to explore.  But having them work for Pan, then get killed -- that just sucked, and didn't make a lot of sense.

[Geeni]

 

The actress playing Regina is terrible. She does not know how to convey emotion with her face. It's not even that she's expressionless. She seems to actually struggle getting her face into the right conformation, like she's confused about the way feelings work. I do not understand anyone who thinks she's this great villain. The only thing she's good at is looking vaguely perturbed/sad. And wearing fabulous costumes.

 

I agree somewhat. As far as decent, passable TV actresses go, Lana's fine. But she's not this brilliant undiscovered talent that her stans make her out to be. She's best as the snarky, ragey Evil Queen. When she does emotional/crying scenes, all I see is Acting! It's something Lana does with her face that just looks so unnatural to me.

 

Another UO of mine is that if Neal isn't good enough for Emma, then GOD DAMN is Hook's creepy obsession just as bad, if not worse. Another thing is that if you have to completely character assassinate a character in a ship (Hook) to make it work, then the ship really doesn't work. I know that's blasphemy around here, but I don't care.

 

Oh, and "Rumbelle" IS abusive. There, I said it.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Geeni

[stealinghome]

But having them work for Pan, then get killed -- that just sucked, and didn't make a lot of sense.

I honestly think they retooled the Greg&Tamara storyline to kill them off as quickly as possible after it became apparent that 99% of the fandom loathed Greg and Tamara and their storyline in S2. I really do think that they intended the "Home Office" stuff to be a legit science vs. magic thing (S2 really made it seem like science vs. magic was going to be a major theme of S3), but the characters and storyline so tanked that they had to shelve it ASAP in S3.

Edited June 13, 2014 by stealinghome

[redbudrose]

My unpopular opinion is that I don't like "unpopular opinion" discussions. By default, they rule out dissent. I don't think they're healthy for a community or a board. I wish we would all feel free to discuss our opinions on all the threads, regardless of their popularity.

 

 

I don't think threads like these have to be unhealthy or cause dissension among members. Often times it is the opposite for me and I find someone else who may be just like me and share the "unpopular" opinion. It makes you feel like you're not the only one. These type of threads are generally a very small part of a forum and I more like a list thread. By not having the thread it would mean we can discuss everything but aren't free to discuss what we think is unpopular but we like. I don't really know if this opinion is popular or not lol, but I tend to think it's healthier to have all types of threads and discussions allowed and then read and respond to the ones you want rather than not allowing threads you don't agree with. It ends up being the opposite of allowing all thoughts and opinions,

 

I don't want to go to far off topic but I did want to respond. One of the things that is really nice about these forums is the flexibility that TWOP didn't offer. Boards on boards always confused me so often times I just didn't post something because it wasn't worth the risk to be wrong and get a warning.

 

 

How are people deciding what's unpopular? Based off of Twitter or something? What if you're insulated to just this place for this show? It'd be hard to discuss. Or is this based off of old TWOP? If so I think TWOP was big and diverse enough not to have an "unpopular" opinion. Except maybe if you loved a Mary Sue. That was the one single unanimous sentiment across all boards and all shows, Mary Sues are the most loathsome creatures!

 

On top of that I find most of the internets' "popular" opinions seem to run counter to those not sitting on social media obsessing over shows, i.e. most of the general viewing audience. And since we make up what 0.001% of all viewers, anything on the net would be unpopular.

 

I think you are right about the internet's popular opinions not matching up to real life opinions. I have noticed that trend more and more when when noticing things I thought were unpopular actually being popular or that opposite of that. In general I've always based what I think is popular or not from social media, internet, forums etc. just because I end up like a lot of shows that in real like I don't know many people that watch them. I end up only having people online to discuss them but we also tend to find forums or sites that match what we like.

[patchwork]

I really don't like the Robin/Regina pairing. They were messing with one of my all time favourite OTPs but I tried to give it a fair shot, Marian was dead so Robin moving on and finding another love is healthy, a good thing. But he is such a non character in OUAT, the Belle to Regina's Rumple, he isn't given anything to do beyond being Regina's cheerleader. Robin Hood should not be panting after the Evil Queen who terrorised villagers and destroyed the Enchanted Forest to inact a curse like it's no big thing.

 

I'm going to hate next season I just know it and if anyone i.e. Snow gives Emma grief about saving Marian and ruining St. Regina's happiness I'm not going to handle it well. 

Edited June 16, 2014 by patchwork

[FAU]

I honestly think they retooled the Greg&Tamara storyline to kill them off as quickly as possible after it became apparent that 99% of the fandom loathed Greg and Tamara and their storyline in S2. I really do think that they intended the "Home Office" stuff to be a legit science vs. magic thing (S2 really made it seem like science vs. magic was going to be a major theme of S3), but the characters and storyline so tanked that they had to shelve it ASAP in S3.

 

Yeah, the whole Greg and Tamara thing just felt awkward in a show about Fairy Tale characters and this felt like they were trying to be Lost and it just didn't work so I wasn't surprised by their rushed exits in the premiere.

[redbudrose]

I'm going to hate next season I just know it and if anyone i.e. Snow gives Emma grief about saving Marian and ruining St. Regina's happiness I'm not going to handle it well.

 

 

I honestly can't see Snow being the one to give Emma grief over this. If anything I think she'll be supportive and tell her it was the right thing to do, that saving a life is always right. Snow has such a naive view of the world and uses her good vs. evil glasses for all situations and people. I think if she had to choose which was the right choice it would be saving Marian since that is something tangible. They know they would have to kill her or let her die to not change things but letting her live not knowing what changes might happen is a more abstract consequence. It's easier to think it's okay because on one hand you have her literally dying and on the other you don't have to think about if she might end up killing 20 people in the future since they don't see what might happen at the moment.

 

I didn't have a problem with Regina's immediate reaction to Marian being back. It was just that, immediate, and it's okay to be angry in that second. How she responds next will show what changes in her have stuck. I think it's okay for Emma to be sorry that she did something that might break Regina's heart but Emma doesn't need to regret saving her. She can show empathy without wanting her forgiveness.

[stealinghome]

Taking this to the speculation thread.

[jhlipton]

Yeah, the whole Greg and Tamara thing just felt awkward in a show about Fairy Tale characters and this felt like they were trying to be Lost and it just didn't work so I wasn't surprised by their rushed exits in the premiere.

 

I liked Greg and Tamara's story-line when they were separate things.  Greg had a legitimate beef with Regina -- it would have been interesting to see that explored.  And I felt that Tamara&Neil had 1000% more chemistry than Emma&Neil.  I wouldn't even have minded if Tamara was Eeeeeeeeevil (although having the only black female be bad is more than a little problematic).

 

If the characters seemed awkward, then the writers/show-runners need to do their job and figure out why, not just dump them at the first opportunity.

[FAU]

I liked Greg and Tamara's story-line when they were separate things.  Greg had a legitimate beef with Regina -- it would have been interesting to see that explored.  And I felt that Tamara&Neil had 1000% more chemistry than Emma&Neil.  I wouldn't even have minded if Tamara was Eeeeeeeeevil (although having the only black female be bad is more than a little problematic).

 

If the characters seemed awkward, then the writers/show-runners need to do their job and figure out why, not just dump them at the first opportunity.

 

It was just awkwardly executed, Greg's past with Regina was thrown out the window for Poor Matryr Regina bs that we got at the end of S2 and Tamara was just contrived all the way with all the speeches about advanced technology/science and all this time they were fooled by Pan.  XD.

[Shanna Marie]

I think this is the rare show where my opinions tend to fall down the popular line (at least on this forum), but there are a few points of difference for me:

• I'm really not fond of the "Charming" nickname. It's fine between Snow and David because it's their inside joke, but I cringe when others use it. It's like the whole kingdom is referring to him as "Pooky Bear." There are a number of characters who have the same name in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke, and his name really is David. Now that the James/David switch has been revealed, and it seems like that's general knowledge, can we please just give up the "Charming" thing unless it's Snow talking to him? At least he did introduce himself to Rapunzel as David. It would be downright silly if he introduced himself to other people as "Prince Charming."
• Now that I'm rewatching the first season for the first time since it initially aired, I have to say that Graham isn't all that. He's attractive, but there's not really a lot to him, and he's a rather wooden actor. I can tell he's reciting lines, so it takes me out of the moment whenever he opens his mouth. His death is sad, but in terms of the overall series, I think he contributed more by dying than he would have by staying.
• I desperately want to get rid of the guyliner on Hook. And after getting used to the clean-shaven pictures of Colin, I might be able to deal with losing the beard, even temporarily. He looks so different that a shave would be a good disguise, and the man has some amazing bone structure.

[daxx]

Shanna, I love both looks on Colin, but I would despair if the beard never made a reappearance.

[stealinghome]

I'm really not fond of the "Charming" nickname. It's fine between Snow and David because it's their inside joke, but I cringe when others use it.

Have other characters used it all that much? Serious question--the only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Rumpel and Regina, and they've both used it in very mocking, derogatory ways.

Edited June 19, 2014 by stealinghome

[retrograde]

I'm really not fond of the "Charming" nickname. It's fine between Snow and David because it's their inside joke, but I cringe when others use it. It's like the whole kingdom is referring to him as "Pooky Bear." 

I guess the argument could be made that they are all (except Hook and now Marian and maaaybe Aurora) surely aware of the fairytales and Disney versions in our world. So they would know of the name "Prince Charming" outside of Snow's use of it. But, yeah, it's still weird, because within the mythology of this show, it's her pet name for him.

[ShadowFacts]

 

Now that I'm rewatching the first season for the first time since it initially aired, I have to say that Graham isn't all that. He's attractive, but there's not really a lot to him, and he's a rather wooden actor. I can tell he's reciting lines, so it takes me out of the moment whenever he opens his mouth. His death is sad, but in terms of the overall series, I think he contributed more by dying than he would have by staying.

 

That's pretty much how I remember feeling at the time of airing.  I don't think there was much between Emma and him besides some attraction or a little hint of future possibility.  Maybe his somewhat wooden acting was his interpretation of being a heart-ripped sex slave.  I don't know, I've never seen him in anything else.  I thought he did well in the Enchanted Forest scenes.  As to his character's contribution by dying, like every other horror Regina has perpetrated, little was made of it, sadly.

 

[Shanna Marie]

Have other characters used it all that much? Serious question--the only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Rumpel and Regina, and they've both used it in very mocking, derogatory ways.

I seem to recall Grumpy/Leroy using it. Of course, I could be wrong. I'll give Emma a slight pass in telling Rumple that her father was Prince Charming instead of using his name (since it's possible she doesn't actually know that David is his real name, if she then told Rumple he was Prince James).

 

Maybe what I mean is that, by golly, I'm going to call David by his name, regardless of which realm he's in at the time.

[Souris]

Normally I prefer guys clean-shaven, but with Hook/Colin, the scruff just wooooooooooooooorks. So I never want it to go away. It really is amazing how different he looks without it.

 

I'd be OK if they toned down the guyliner, though I don't particularly mind it.

[Shanna Marie]

Normally I prefer guys clean-shaven, but with Hook/Colin, the scruff just wooooooooooooooorks. So I never want it to go away.

I don't think you're in too much danger, just for continuity purposes. In the age of high-definition, it must be difficult dealing with men who get noon shadow, especially those who are dark-haired and fair-skinned, so even the slightest growth shows. When it takes all day to shoot a ten-minute scene, that might require multiple shaves so there's not obvious shadow coming and going in one scene. If they maintain even a low level of scruff, then minor variations aren't as obvious.

 

But still, Hook going clean-shaven would be an excellent disguise for maybe one episode, just because they might as well use the rather striking difference it makes.

[babyPhat279]

My UO (and it does seem to be VERY unpopular on the other threads) is that I like the Regina/Robin pairing. Yeah, she's been a psychopath in previous seasons, but I guess I kind of watch this show like I would watch something like Family Guy, I don't think we are really meant to take anything too seriously. And if people are going to look too deeply on anything, then why so much more support for Emma/Hook? It seems like he killed plenty of people too, as a pirate. That's ok because he was upset his brother died, but not when Regina's boyfriend died? He's only seemed remorseful in one episode so far (the one where he thought he was talking to Ariel). And why is everyone acting like Robin is such a saint he deserves better? All we really know about his character on this show is a few bits and pieces - he seems like a good guy, but if I remember correctly, when he was introduced (season 2 I think?) the sheriff claimed Robin "stole" his wife (Marion) away. Just because we have read stories about Robin Hood being such a great guy doesn't necessarily mean that is where the show is going to go once they have more flashbacks. I mean they made Belle dumb as a box of hammers, so who knows where they are going with some of the other characters.

 

Maybe I'm just more sympathetic because I tend to like sarcastic characters, and I enjoy all the smarmy things they have Regina say. Especially when she makes fun of the Charmings. I might kill a village of people too if I had to be around them for a significant amount of time.

[kili]

when he was introduced (season 2 I think?) the sheriff claimed Robin "stole" his wife (Marion) away.

His exact words were "He ruined me. He stole the woman I loved and made me the laughing stock of all of Nottingham".

 

There is no evidence that Marion was married to the Sherriff of Nottingham. Given that the "deal" he just wanted to make with Rumple was for a night or an hour or twenty minutes with "his wench" (Belle), I'm guessing it wasn't too hard for Robin to "steal" the woman the sherriff claims to have loved. He probably helped her escape.

 

Despite that, one of unpopular opinions is that I kind of feel sorry for the Sheriff when Rumple steals his tongue and beats the ever-living crap out of him. He's a total pig, but that was a brutal beating. That's just over the top for the sins he's been shown doing on the show.  I may love the villain characters, but I do not love everything they do. And I don't mind when they are made to suffer every once in a while. Rumple can go cry to somebody else about his son dying and I'm throwing a welcome home party for Marion. I'll save my tears for the mute maid's Mom, the carter's wife and the families of those villagers and eaten children.

[Dani-Ellie]

And I don't mind when they are made to suffer every once in a while. Rumple can go cry to somebody else about his son dying and I'm throwing a welcome home party for Marion.

 

Same here. I know the Marian opinion is definitely unpopular within the fandom at large, but dude, Emma reunited a family. Who gives a shit if that makes Regina sad? Certainly not me. ;)

 

And I'm not sure how unpopular this is within the fandom at large, but I really, really liked the decision to kill off Neal. I mean, yeah, I didn't like Neal, but that's not even the reason. I really didn't like seeing Rumple rewarded for his behavior. He destroyed just as many if not more lives than Regina. It sucks for Neal and it sucks for the idealistic little boy Bae was, but I really liked the irony of Rumple plotting for centuries and doing all of this to get his son back only for the son to die in the end. 

[Shanna Marie]

Maybe his somewhat wooden acting was his interpretation of being a heart-ripped sex slave.

After rewatching "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," I think Jamie Dornan was good with facial expressions and body language and did show a distinct difference between hearted and non-hearted Graham, but his line delivery was still problematic. He came across as very self-conscious, so that the inflection he had seemed rather calculated, more "Now I should sound sad" than just sounding sad because of what his character was going through, if that makes sense. He still sounded very much like he was reciting lines and thinking about his lines and how to say them. You could practically see the wheels turning in his head. I can't imagine him giving Emma some of Hook's speeches about thinking about where she belongs. Still, he's very pretty.

 

For another unpopular opinion that's come up as I rewatch from the beginning:

I think David gets a bad rap. I'm not sure why or how he got that "Prince Dullard" label, when he seems to be one of the better strategic thinkers in the group. He's the one who came up with a plan that outwitted Rumple so they were able to have him imprisoned. He killed the dragon with strategy, not brute force. And it's all the more impressive when you realize that he didn't get the kind of training and education a prince would get, that he was thrown into all this cold. As for David Nolan coming across like a wishy-washy putz, that to me seems more like he's a husband so loyal that the lies weren't working on him, and yet at the same time he's a good enough man not to want to do the wrong thing. He probably had the weakest Storybrooke fake identity, since he never lived it. The others may have had fake background memories, but they actually lived those lives for 28 years. David never lived the "David Nolan" identity. He had a few days to be himself and react to things the way he would, although without his memories, before that identity was superimposed on him, and he didn't get Storybrooke memories until the curse was already cracking, so it wouldn't have taken as well. No wonder he's kind of a mess.

 

The really dumb thing he does is listen to his wife when she's in "stupid good" mode.