A lot of times people who are angry with OUAT and the writers get labeled as bitter shippers and nothing more. Sure, I don’t like that SF didn’t work out but my main complaint has always been that change in tone and thesis. From a show that was fresh by virtue of strong women, female focused, and centered on family love (and thus a deconstruction of most modern day fairy tales) to one that makes women all about the men they are dating/love/married to and centers on romantic love it went from fresh to cliche.
This, is the fairest thing I’ve seen you post haha. No argument from me on this one. There is no doubt that all the themes you listed above, have changed over the course of the show. And it’s super fair to criticize the writers for moving away from these themes for whatever reason that we all feel they have. Can they bring the show back to what made it great even with the loss of Neal? I still think they can. But it is a blind hope at best.