I think what complicates OUAT’s situation is the actors contracts. If this was say S5 it would absolutely get a full and final season to wrap it up. But the fact that we’re dealing with actor contracts complicates things a lot.
Agreed. But I think ABC has two options: 1) Cancel OUAT, letting all the actors out of their contracts, and try to totally over haul Sunday night with all new dramas. 2) Renew OUAT with mostly new cast members thereby keeping a low but steady show on Sunday night while they try to rebuild the rest of the week. The contracts are a big deal, but if ABC believes it can get a fair amount of money from ad buyers for one more season (even an abbreviated one) so that it has one more year to try and save the smoking ruin that is their network, they might just do it. A and E are obviously keen to do another year, actors or not.
Low but steady? If you get rid of any of our main characters there specific fanbases will be leaving with them.
For example get rid of Emma, you’re losing Hook fans as well. CS fans are not going to stay for one half of their pairing.
Snowing fans will leave if Gosh do
Dearie/Rumbelle fans will leave if Bobby does.
ER’s are the only ones that will stay and even though they and CS fans are the majority of the fanbase there’s no way they can maintain a show on just Regina and new characters. It would go so bad.
And how will they explain all of these characters leaving the show? Will Emma and anybody else leaving be swept in a curse to the EF and S7 will be about whomever stays reuniting the family? I’ve seen this post on Tumblr.
I think it’s a horrible move to split up CS yet again the episode immediately after they get married.
Just end the show on a high note. Ratings will be absolutely terrible next season if not by the end of this year.