However, I still feel that that would have made a very different show than the one we see.
Yes, IMO it would have been a better one!
We could not have our main characters- villains or heroes in these same situations, as they are in now, if they had put so much emphasis on said evil acts.
Yes, but that just means it would have been different, not necessarily worse. There are MANY different ways this could have been done, limited only by imagination. Here are a few possibilities in addition to @RG’s suggestion:
– Rumple describing to Henry how difficult life was for peasants back in the EF. You could substitute the Charmings, or Belle, or Regina for Rumple. It could be worked in organically as a dialogue initiated by Henry expressing the desire to be a hero in his storybook.
– A recurring character who is a champion of the peasants but who hates royalty (due to past experiences in the EF) and is constantly antagonising the Charmings and Regina. Robin Hood would have been perfect for this role, but they were only ever interesting in having him as Regina’s boyfriend. Bonus points if this character created trouble by using his/her wits instead of magic.
Emphasing things like the power imbalance back in their world would actually gain villains like Rumple and Cora more sympathy. It’s what made ‘Desperate Souls’ such compelling viewing.
What I mean by that is, often I think people are taking the show way too seriously. That’s not meant as a judgement, you can take the show as seriously as you want. Im only saying that- For me, it would be taking it too seriously. So it was meant as a question, as I wonder why people look at it that way. Taking it seriously is what makes people see all these bad morals, I think. I don’t think the creators sat out thinking lets make this show, so we can teach the people some of these important moral lessons. I think they just wanted to make a fun show. And as I tried to say above- Yes the bad morals are there, if you look beyond the veil. But I don’t think the average viewer looks there,, that’s why this is not the main moral lessons that they will learn.
The problem is, the show and its messages will influence you whether you take it seriously or not. They will bypass your critical faculties and impact you on a subconcious level. This is why marketers pay such exorbitant amounts for advertisements. They know that mere exposure to certain images will increase your chances of buying their product, even if you don’t consciously pay any attention to the ad. Now, take this principle and apply it to something you have an emotional investment in – it’s going to exert an even more powerful influence. Exactly how much influence is impossible to determine, as it will affected by factors such as your personal beliefs, your social network, your age. But it will influence you (and everyone who watches) for sure. This is why a TV show is never “just a TV show”. Viewers are always passively absorbing the show’s messages without even realising it; they internalise them into their belief system and then go and act their beliefs out in the world.