Reply To: Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

Valid point, Phee. I had missed your post when I posted my above rant. Since I’ve gotten my whole three hours sleep :/ it seems I am just “up” now so I am just going to serial post, because it somehow seems less insane to type things than say the exact same things in my head.

Regarding exit interviews… based on what I’ve read, here are my things. I’ve hesitated to put them out there for a couple of reasons, but they’re chewing me up on the inside so I may as well let them out. If you are not up for (potentially false) hope from loopholes, stop reading here.

1) They’ve said Neal is dead. They did not say he’ll never ever return. Also, see #4.

2) No one has actually said MRJ has left the show. On the contrary; he has said he neither quit nor was fired – and A&E have indicated they’d like to work with him in the future.

3) We do have a history of both shape- shifting monkeys and bodies that are not what they appear on this show.

4) This is the one I’m kind of clinging to at the moment… they have said Neal. “Neal” is not really a character; he is Baelfire’s adopted persona, taken on when – well, I guess we don’t know that, exactly. Presumptively, Neal was likely born when Bae arrived in the land without magic – as both a reinvention of himself and in order to fit into modern American society. LWM is not kind to those who are unique, so shedding his name as both a way to ditch his legacy as the dark one’s son as well as assimilate into our society makes sense. Conversely? If with Rumple’s sacrifice he is no longer ashamed to be the son of the DarkOne, and with Emma he no longer needs to hide his unique background, I think there is a definite possibility that “Neal” is gone but Bae is a different story. It would be an easy way to semantic their way out, and hide in plain sight.

Part of me wants to tweet Adam with, “We know Neal is dead. Is Bae dead too?” but I think I am too afraid of the answer. I would rather use that shred of hope as a life preserver… slowly freeze to death in the wreckage of the Titanic than drown quickly as the ship sinks. It seems to hurt less that way, if I can slowly acclimate to it.

Honestly, I’ve had ships bounce back from worse. Not often, certainly, but it is far from impossible. If anyone here would like to have faith against the odds, it seems I’m your girl.