Do you see established characters playing the parts (like the way RS played the role of the Beast), or do you see them being there own individual characters?
Maybe a little bit of both?
I think there was a Dorothy, years ago, she’s the reason Jefferson couldn’t get the slippers for Rumple, because she’d already used them to get home. I think we may see her in flashback, and also potentially in present day, as an older woman. But I think Emma’s role will be very Dorothy-esque, with her searching to find her place and her true home.
I think there was an actual Scarecrow in the past too, and maybe we’ll also see him in flashback. But I think Rumple may be the present day representation of him, because judging by the final scene in 313, he may well have lost his mind.
The Tin Man I’m considering slightly differently, because I think he may actually be Walsh. The guy makes furniture, he works with wood, and they like linking the characters’ present day occupations with their storybook character persona. He was pretending to be in love with Emma, which could tie in with his lack of a heart, and perhaps Zelena made him a deal whereby he’d be able to find his heart/love if he worked for her, which accounts for his Monkey-ness in between his Tin-ness and Human-ness.
If they wanted to also have a separate present day character to parallel with Tin Man, like they may do with other characters, then I guess that could be Neal perhaps, because he lost all 3 people he loved, like he had his heart ripped out, and then vowed to get his heart back by finding them all again.
The Lion, again I think there was an actual lion in the past, but if they’re gonna parallel a present day character with his story, I think it could be Hook. He’s been trying to make strides to do better, but I think he’s still stuck mid-redemption, where he’s not overcome his pirate-ness, he’s still acting out of selfish interests, and he’s still telling half truths, but over the course of S3B we may see him find the true courage to be a better, more honest man.
Those 3 – Rumple, Neal, Hook – are already linked together in the story, and each of them have been in the position of partnering with or guiding Emma, so giving each of them 1 of those 3 Oz characters to parallel, alongside Emma’s parallel of Dorothy, would be quite fitting IMO.
As for the Wizard, I’d love to see him play a role in present day as well as in the past. Not sure who could parallel him in present day…maybe Henry, somehow? He’s lost his “magic” of being a believer, and the Wizard had no actual magic. The Wizard did eventually help people, including offering to help Dorothy get home, and I suspect Henry may have a vital role in helping break the Curse, and he’s definitely a factor in Emma’s finding her true home.
I’d like to see Glinda in both past and present, in the past doing battle with Zelena, and in the present helping the SBers do battle with Zelena.
I dunno if they’ll introduce lesser characters in any significant way, but I sort of doubt it, because it’d just add up to being too many new characters, even if some of them are only seen in one ep in flashbacks. It could get overwhelming pretty quickly. I would love to see a scene where Dwarves come face to face with Munchkins, but dunno how they’d work that, assuming the Munchkins are in Oz and staying there. Maybe if Glinda pops over to SB, she can bring a couple with her? Actually, now I’m thinking of it, maybe Snow can parallel Glinda somehow? Snow and her Dwarves, Glinda and her Munchkins. Glinda watched over Dorothy, and Snow watches over Emma.