Some other thoughts: one thing that S2 did really well though was make me much more invested in the core characters:
–Even post Stable Boy I was never a big Regina fan, but after Miller’s Daughter I actually felt real sympathy for her. I really want her to get some kind of happy ending and that’s coming from seeing her relationship with her mother, from seeing how Rumple manipulated her, and how the death of Daniel really affected her.
–I always went back and forth on who was my favorite female character during S1. Now, in S2 the clear winner is Emma. I love her and think her to be such a bad@$$ rockstar who could take any evil thrown at her. A lot of that is due to Tallahassee and JMo’s performance in Manhattan.
–My love for Rumple grows with every episode, even ones where he only appears for a few moments. More of him. Always.
–I already shipped Rumbelle pretty hard at the end of S1, but having Belle not only around full time but also as someone who will constantly ask Rumple to be a better man has made this ship my OTP and something I will defend. Vigorously.