McGuffin

[darcyfarrow]

The Once writers must be Hitchcock fans, because August's mystery box, which he reveals in this episode to be a typewriter, turns out in later episodes to be a McGuffin. A McGuffin is a film device that Hitchcock used: he'd get the audience fascinated with one mystery, only to show you later that that mystery didn't matter at all; there was another, bigger mystery the viewer should have been focusing on all along. August's typewriter, we learn later, is part of a ruse to get Emma involved. August will do the same thing with Gold; stealing Bae's identity is a McGuffin to get Gold invested.

Kathryn's disappearance is a McGuffin. We think it's about a murder, but we find it 's not Kathyn's death we should've focused on. What's important is what this scam reveals about the Regina-Gold relationship---and who's really got the upper hand. Regina thinks she's created a McGuffin that throws the public off the scent of her real motive (to get rid of MM). But Gold has McGuffined her with his surprise kidnapping--which isn't really about hurting Kathryn but about smearing Reina.

All of which makes me wonder: what if Storybrooke is a McGuffin that Gold is pulling on Regina? What if it's a McGuffin that the writers are pulling on us, like the hatch in Lost?

[LisaFromOH]

I love Hitchcock! I would not be surprised at all if the writers are pulling a McGuffin on us, maybe even several. Maybe Henry's book of fairy tales is a McGuffin. I predict that something will be revealed as a McGuffin in the season 2 premier.

[obisgirl]

All of which makes me wonder: what if Storybrooke is a McGuffin that Gold is pulling on Regina? What if it's a McGuffin that the writers are pulling on us, like the hatch in Lost?

like Storybrooke isn't really real?

[darcyfarrow]

All of which makes me wonder: what if Storybrooke is a McGuffin that Gold is pulling on Regina? What if it's a McGuffin that the writers are pulling on us, like the hatch in Lost?

like Storybrooke isn't really real?

Right, perhaps to the rest of the world, SB doesn't exist. Perhaps the town itself is a false memory...one that Rumple created to fool Regina. or one that the writers are pulling on us, and someday we 'll find the characters have been walking around thinking they're in SB when they've never actually left FTL.

[LisaFromOH]

All of which makes me wonder: what if Storybrooke is a McGuffin that Gold is pulling on Regina? What if it's a McGuffin that the writers are pulling on us, like the hatch in Lost?

like Storybrooke isn't really real?

Right, perhaps to the rest of the world, SB doesn't exist. Perhaps the town itself is a false memory...one that Rumple created to fool Regina. or one that the writers are pulling on us, and someday we 'll find the characters have been walking around thinking they're in SB when they've never actually left FTL.

But then how would they explain Emma? And August? They both came to SB from the outside world. And Henry too.

[obisgirl]

I think they did leave fairytale world; the way I think of it, fairytale world is underneath our world. I mean, everything we've seen so far hints that it is beneath us. Regina just sent everyone 'upside' and the curse created fake memories.

[hjbau]

I think that both worlds have to be real for the show to work. I don't think it is interesting to build characters and then erase them. That just seems like a cop out.