Once Upon a Time (ABC TV Series)

[Disney Duster]

Oh, yes Divinity he is pretty stupid there. I think he was a better actor this episode, but yea he's not very good. But I don't think his girlfriend was either. Kids don't tend to be good actors.

[Disney's Divinity]

I've been reading some spoilers that the new management at ABC might be forcing the showrunners to make a full-season arc out of the Hyde/double Regina and there'll no longer be a winter break, but the usual back-in-January with a week or two break between every other one or two episodes. Just...wonderful. And I'm being sarcastic, because that sounds f***ing awful. Looks like we're going to waste what little time the show has left on this BS.

[Tangled]

So, I'm halfway through watching season 1 for the first time right now, and I'm really enjoying it. There are a lot of definite problems, but it's a fun, ambitious show with entertaining actors. I'm generally not a fan of soap operas, but this has hooked me anyways.

I'm just dropping in because I wanted to ask: as of season 5, does the show stay, at the very least, entertaining and worthwhile despite its problems? Because all of the fan responses to recent episodes sound really annoyed and frustrated, and I'm wondering if sticking with it will be worth it. I'm also not the type of person to like a show solely because it's "so-bad-it's-good", if that is any help. The first season has a lot of redeeming qualities that are keeping me invested (although the bad CGI is also really enjoyable).

[Disney Duster]

Well Divinity, I don't mind Hyde and Evil!Regina being the next seasons antagonists, but I do agree the way they were forced to do it and the way the episodes will come out and give us less than we want is really terrible.

Tangled, I think the show is good all the way through. Also, I have a question. If Once Upon a Time is a soap opera, what shows that have drama are "good" and not "soap operas"?

[Tangled]

Tangled, I think the show is good all the way through. Also, I have a question. If Once Upon a Time is a soap opera, what shows that have drama are "good" and not "soap operas"?

I don't know, I don't really watch many drama TV shows, so I was just under the impression that a "soap opera" was a very dramatic show with an ensemble cast like Once is. A soap opera isn't inherently bad because it's a soap opera. Also, most of my favorite shows have been primarily comedies (Arrested Development, Community, Parks and Rec, various cartoons etc.) so my words should be taken with a grain of salt.

[Sotiris]

I did appreciate Regina's honesty with Emma though. I think this is the first time we've ever actually seen her own feelings on her reformation, besides just wanting to be good for Henry and the chance for a happy ending. I wish Snow or Emma had pointed out to Regina that it's the heroes who suffer the most.

I agree. The scene with Regina's introspection was the best part of the finale.

The fountain scene was too contrived for me when he was telling everyone to believe in magic and make a wish. It's New York, so I can't imagine that people were so easily won over by his ridiculous speech.

I cringed so hard in that scene. The whole thing was just stupid and schmaltzy. It wasn't believable even by this show's standards.

How come the Evil Queen showed up again at the end? I thought Regina killed her.

Apparently, the dust of dead witches is so powerful, it regenerates their physical form. They did the same thing with Zelena. Don't expect a real explanation.

I've been reading some spoilers that the new management at ABC might be forcing the showrunners to make a full-season arc out of the Hyde/double Regina.

That's a terrible idea. The fact that the show had two storylines each season was such a plus. It prevented the show from getting tiresome and kept it fresh. I was not a fan of the whole Hyde/Evil Queen storyline to begin with and now we're stuck with it for a whole season? Especially, since it's so obvious what's going to happen. In order to defeat the Evil Queen, they'll have to merge her with Regina again because "the darkness is as much of who she is as the light" like Rumple foretold.

I'm just dropping in because I wanted to ask: as of season 5, does the show stay, at the very least, entertaining and worthwhile despite its problems? Because all of the fan responses to recent episodes sound really annoyed and frustrated, and I'm wondering if sticking with it will be worth it.

Well, it really depends on what you're looking for in a show. While I still find the show entertaining and enjoyable, I can't say that the fan responses are wrong. If you get invested in the characters, you'll bound to be disappointed. As the show progresses, so do the inconsistencies when it comes to characterization. Also, other flaws of the show such as poor writing and plot holes become more noticeable. The most common complaint I encounter is that the romance between Emma and her love interest took over the show, resulting in the marginalization of other characters as well as of other aspects/themes of the show. I would recommend watching up to the first half of season 3 (episode 11) and see if you still enjoy the show before committing to more seasons. But even if you stopped at season 1 (which is the best, in my opinion), you're not really missing much aside from the appearances of various Disney characters in later seasons.

I don't know, I don't really watch many drama TV shows, so I was just under the impression that a "soap opera" was a very dramatic show with an ensemble cast like Once is.

While the show does have soap opera elements (such as melodrama and camp), I wouldn't call it a soap opera proper.

[Disney's Divinity]

That's a terrible idea. The fact that the show had two storylines each season was such a plus. It prevented the show from getting tiresome and kept it fresh. I was not a fan of the whole Hyde/Evil Queen storyline to begin with and now we're stuck with it for a whole season? Especially, since it's so obvious what's going to happen. In order to defeat the Evil Queen, they'll have to merge her with Regina again because "the darkness is as much of who she is as the light" like Rumple foretold.

My thoughts exactly. The half-arcs keep this show interesting. Even when I'm not enamoured with one storyline, I know a different one will start in the second half. I hate the idea of being stuck with this double Regina crap all season.

I don't know, I don't really watch many drama TV shows, so I was just under the impression that a "soap opera" was a very dramatic show with an ensemble cast like Once is. A soap opera isn't inherently bad because it's a soap opera. Also, most of my favorite shows have been primarily comedies (Arrested Development, Community, Parks and Rec, various cartoons etc.) so my words should be taken with a grain of salt.

I wouldn't disagree with calling it a soap opera, or at least with heavy elements of one. It seems like most modern TV shows are at least somewhat like soap operas these days because of the relationship drama and convoluted storylines.

As for your first question... That's really difficult to answer. People seem to have wildly different responses to this show. I think a lot will depend on how much you enjoy fairytale villains, tbh. My advice is if you decide to watch, know season 2 may be a bump in the road, although it has quite a few bright spots. Season 3 through the first half of 4 is fantastic (in my opinion at least).

[Atlantica]

Glorious ending ! So glad the Evil Queen can come out to play, and not only having to rely on flashbacks. Think the new Villians will be fab, can't wait to see them in action.

Very glad Zelena is still here, she's creeping up to be one of my favourites.

My big old wish for this next season is the same as season 5 ..... More Snow please. Not even Snowing as I don't particularly care for David, but Snow is a brilliant character (as I'm reminded by watching older seasons). I want her to fulfil her promise of chucking away Mary Margaret and actually being herself again. I know this was obviously very dependant on Ginny having her baby, but I can but hope ! And also a lot more mother / daughter moments too. Glimpsed in Camelot, and a bit by the graveside, but would like full on relationship mode now ! Emma is finally calling her Mom, so I think the time is right. And more young Snow too, if I being super greedy

[Atlantica]

......and a new photoshoot. The main promo photos are from season 3 !!!

I don't know why they stopped doing them...no need as they already had three years worth ?

[Disney's Divinity]

^ Well, they at least had some promotional images for the Queens of Darkness (mostly bad though) and Dark Swan/Camelot. The Underworld didn't get anything that I know of?

I’ve been re-watching Season 3, and it made me realize they missed a huge opportunity to ditch Henry’s actor (who is atrocious) when he and Pan switched bodies. They should’ve killed Pan while he was in Henry’s body, and let Robbie Kay play Henry instead. Loved him. I would’ve loved having both Rebecca Mader and Robbie Kay onscreen regularly.

And I still can’t help thinking how perfect it would’ve been for Zelena’s curse to take us to Narnia and have her be the White Witch. Still, I loved the Frozen/Snow Queen arc and the Marian-Zelena reveal, so I’m fine with it.

[Sotiris]

Well, the rumors were true. This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

During a panel for their upcoming Freeform show Dead of Summer, moderated by this reporter, executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis revealed that the storyline for season 6 won’t be split into two halves, with the story of villain Hyde (Sam Witwer) not necessarily set to be wrapped up in the first 11 episodes.

“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.”

Added Horowitz: “We’re also planning a 22-episode story as opposed to breaking it up into two halves this year. It’s been really exciting and fun.”

In season 6, the show will be exploring more tales from the Land of Untold Stories, which opens up new and endless possibilities for storytelling. But that doesn’t mean the heroes and villains we’ve come to know and love are taking a backseat — in fact, it’s the opposite.

“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 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.”

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/11/on ... t-season-6

[Atlantica]

Why on earth does it sound like a disaster ? It's what the show originally had, and was extremely successful with as well. I think it will be nice to have some cohesion for the whole season rather than split up.

I personally like the 'old' fort at and glad it's being returned. And focusing on already established characters rather than a new set each half season.

[Disney's Divinity]

Utter trash. I can't believe this show only has one or two more seasons in it and we're wasting it on shit like Hyde and Double Regina. SMFH.

F*** the damn ABC executives. I hope they get fired/replaced in a year or two just like their predecessors. At least there won't be any surprise when the show has another big drop in the ratings like S2 and 4B during this crap storyline.

[Disney's Divinity]

http://tvline.com/2016/06/24/once-upon- ... -season-6/

Still not excited, sorry.

[Disney's Divinity]

Apparently they're also casting Morpheus. I find all these individual characters nice, but not paired with the Hyde, Double Regina, Untold Stories trainwreck.

[Disney's Divinity]

New poster:

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/07/07/on ... n-6-poster

It's not perfect, but I like it. It would be nice if it was S6's DVD/Blu-Ray cover, then I'll have liked two covers in a row.

[Disney Duster]

Yea I like the cover. I wish it would have split her face into the queen and Regina though.

I don't know anything about the Untold Stories stuff, but from all I know about it I hate the idea and think it's stupid.

[Atlantica]

Ooooooo love the new poster !

I really do hope that there is a new photoshoot for this season, as the show is crying out for one. It was the first day of shooting I believe yesterday ?

I don't know why there is so much hate for the Untold Stories idea .... I think it will be an interesting way to incorporate not just mainly Disney - based fairy tales.

[Atlantica]

Poop, no Ginny this year at SDCC :

10 am Once Upon a Time (ABC) | Stars Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, Rebecca Mader and Jared Gilmore join executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown. (Ballroom 20)

Though thats to be expected with the baby. I suppose we have to prep for an absent Snow for season 6 ?

[Disney's Divinity]

Casting news I'll put in spoilers:

Craig Horner as The Count of Monte Cristo. (He's hot...)
Cinderella is back for an episode.
Giles Matthey as Morpheus.