Reply To: Snowing Parallels

[The Swan Princess]

You’re right, it’s impossibly not to notice them. We were discussing it last night in chat. I don’t think it has anything to do with shipping endgame–pretty sure Cylice and Wilana end up happy together. But I think it has more to do with that writers write what they are familiar with, and even if these writers aren’t on ONCE the parent show, they would be familiar with what happens with Snow White and Prince Charming.

Oh that makes sense. But I hope that these are clever hints or something cool,

Of course, I noticed that Alice captured Will, a thief, in a net just as Charming captured Snow, a bandit, in a net. While a common narrative, that is where the similarities end. Snow and Charming fell in love by that troll bridge, but Will’s role was to direct Alice onto her love story, which happens to be with someone else. Perhaps that’s because Will didn’t have his heart at the time, but even now that Will has his heart back, it still beats for Ana, not Alice. There was another romantic Snowing parallel, but it was with Cyrus and Alice. Charming felt the pain in his heart when Snow ate the poisoned apple, just as Alice felt a pain in her heart when Cyrus died. Alice and Cyrus are meant-to-be and Will is a good friend to Alice who pointed her on her way to her destiny. He said she was a great girl whose happy ending was just around the corner. Low and behold, that is when Alice stumbled on Cyrus’ genie bottle. Will and Alice’s relationship is actually closer to how I see Emma and Hook’s relationship on the parent show, except that Hook pines for Emma whereas Will never did for Alice. Both Hook and Will have the best one-liners and the quintessential British phrases like “bloody hell.” I’m glad to see Will and Alice have a platonic friendship across the gender divide. There aren’t enough of those types of friendships on the parent show. I suppose David and Ruby have a similar dynamic going on of a platonic friendship, but we never got to see their friendship develop, except in “Child of the Moon.” Emma and August gave off a similar sibling vibe like Alice and Will do, but of course, August is now a little boy again. I love that Alice reminds Will of his sister, who died tragically. I can’t describe how lovely it is to see two adults of the opposite gender decide that their friendship means just as much to them as their romances with their respective partners, Cyrus and Anastasia. Will repeatedly risked his life to help Alice reunite with Cyrus, and he risked his life to save Alice, even when he had a chance to revive Ana. Alice likewise risked her own neck to get Will’s heart back for him. I’m so glad that OUAT in Wl decided not to make Will and Alice romantically interested in one another or to make a love triangle between Cyrus-Alice-Will. It’s so refreshing to have a sibling type dynamic between non-related individuals. OUAT could learn a thing or two from OUAT in WL. No more love triangles, fake fiancés or the like. It’s enough for friendship to take the center stage as a real and valid form of platonic love which rings true.

You’re right, I forfgot the part when Alice felt Cyrus’s pain. I’ll add it to the list.

I don’t ship Alice and Will and I agree with you that the couples are Alice & Cyrus and Ana & Will, but this is exactly the reason that I don’t understand why the show is comparing  Alice and Will’s relationship to Snow and Charming’s.