Fantasy and comic book stories are coming back BIG time and I think it’s because this world needs that escapism. The last decade has been war, unemployment, and a recession… life is dark and dreary on its own and happily ever afters rarely happen so people gravitate towards entertainment that gives them that escape. The good guys win. The guy gets the girl. The girl gets the guy. Happily ever after.
That doesn’t mean the stories need to suck and be one dimensional. For so long it’s been “in” to have stories that end too grim. Too realistic. If you don’t kill off a loving character, you’re not edgy enough. If you don’t leave the theater or turn off the TV feeling depressed, then it’s just not good TV/film. I don’t think so.
Stories that do have a nice ending are freaking refreshing. And I hope that OUAT doesn’t fall into that trap of thinking it needs to depress the crap out of their audience in order to be successful.
That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be death and destruction and all that stuff. But, it should all make sense for the story. And I hope they don’t end anything with Emma dying because what the hell was the point and the message? “You do all this hard work, you make something of your life, you get what you want, but you’re gonna die before you can enjoy it.” ???? Nah, no thank you.