405: Critical Analysis

I’ve come to the conclusion that Adam and Eddy are depending solely on ships to save their show now because it’s lost it’s family touch it once had in S1 and S2, where we actually had our characters discuss their past and pain with one another. There aren’t scenes anymore like when Regina explained to Henry how she didn’t love very well, and allowed him to go stay with Charming in 2×02, or Emma taking Henry out to coffee in S1….and personally….it seemed to me that Emma had a slightly easier relationship with Mary Margret in S1 than she does now with Snow, I know their trying the whole mother/daughter thing, but it just seems like she’s trying to force herself a little….like Snow and Charming waiting up till late morning hours for their thirty year old daughter to come home.

But like I said in another Thread….this was Regina’s episode to vent and scream, and get all her building frustration out on Emma. And at the end of the episode, we were shown that Regina took a step forward in getting over this whole situation, and starting to forgive Emma. Lana Parrilla even said that, Adam and Eddy are really setting up a sisterly relationship between Emma and Regina, which would parallel the Elsa and Anna sisterhood. I know…just another weird connection because Regina is really Emma’s Grandmother through marriage….but a type of sisterhood is where they’re heading for.

I actually applauded Emma this episode…she genuinely felt remorse for disrupting Regina’s HEA….and although she won’t apologize for saving a life, she understands the part she played in ruining Regina’s happiness. Something Pre 3×18 Snow never would admit…..I guess the apple did fall farther from the tree. 🙂

But Elizabeth Mitchell…..brilliant…just brilliant. That is all.

WickedRegal wrote:
Lana Parrilla even said that, Adam and Eddy are really setting up a sisterly relationship between Emma and Regina, which would parallel the Elsa and Anna sisterhood. I know…just another weird connection because Regina is really Emma’s Grandmother through marriage….but a type of sisterhood is where they’re heading for.

Well if your step-grandmother were frozen at the same age you currently are, you might become like sisters. However, that raises the question of why Emma and Snow aren’t closer and more sisterly. I get that Emma feels more similar to Regina since they both have magic and that they’re both mothers to Henry. Yet, I would hope Emma could have a closer relationship to Snow the way she and Mary Margaret were close in S1, before Emma realized she was indeed her mom. Why is it that Emma can forgive Regina for casting the dark curse which caused her to grow up an orphan in this world, yet Emma doesn’t seem able emotionally to open up to Snow, who only sent her away to give her her best chance? I wish Emma could give her own mom more of a break. Emma is also a lot closer now to David than she is to Snow.

Emma and Snow’s relationship as mother-daughter is vastly different than Emma and Regina’s relationship, though.  It makes sense that Emma and Snow are struggling – they have nothing to base their relationship on.  Their relationship is completely unique.  Snow is trying to mother Emma, which is not a role you can just slip into after 30 years no matter what the reason you weren’t there for her growing up may be.  Emma was forced to grow up with very little by way of parents, and as a result, accepting someone – her age, no less – as her mother is always going to be difficult, if not near-impossible.  Snow’s likely going to have to acquiesce, realize the consequences of their decision to give Emma up and try to form a friendship, not a mother-daughter relationship.
Regina and Emma however, can develop a more sisterly bond more easily than Emma and Snow’s mother-daughter bond, though, I think.  One thing this episode really pointed out to me is how deep Regina’s abandonment issues run.  Sure, we’ve been beat over the head for the last 3 years with Emma’s abandonment issues, but we’ve never really focused on the abandonment that Regina felt.  Even though her mother was there, Cora was no mother and Regina has felt alone for most of her life, even when surrounded by people.  Emma has dealt with much of her problems with abandonment, and I think is in a place in her life where she can be the person/friend/sister-figure that Regina needs to start dealing with her own abandonment issues.  Regina’s going to need exactly what Emma needed – people in her life that refuse to give up on her, refuse to back down when she’s pushing you away.  I think this episode really did a good job of showing that Emma recognized this and is not only willing, but wants to be this person for Regina.  Not out of guilt, but because she sees much of herself in Regina.

In regard to the baiting thing — ok I’m just playing devil’s advocate here, but…
I do agree that this episode almost seemed like A&E saying to the fandom ‘yeah, we hear you.  ALL.’  So here’s a response to much of the stuff we hear.  We saw it with Hook and Will’s exchange regarding Henry.  With the picture of Emma and Neal.  With the shoelace (did it almost seem larger than it usually does?).
None of it offended me.  I was glad to see Hook attempting to establish a relationship with the person who will always be the biggest and most important person in her life – Henry.  And I was glad to see him put Will in his place when Will tried to mouth off about it.  And I was very happy to see the shoelace was back – it showed that Emma may have been able to take herself away from those things she’s gathered as reminders of her past for a bit, but they still play a role in her life and always will.  And though the picture of Neal was odd – yeah, it was a special moment between the two of them, it never would’ve been photographed – I would have been angry if there weren’t something associated with Neal in that box.  Neal was unarguably one of the most important people in her life, she’s going to have mementos of him – and we haven’t been shown anything other than the swan pendant that she already gave to Henry, so a picture would really have to be the thing in the box representing Neal.  I did, admittedly think some are going to look at the Emma/Regina scenes and see romantic undertones – but the writers have 2 choices.  Bring Henry’s mothers together and form some kind of friendship (because to be blunt, we’ve been told flat out it’s not going to be romantic) – or have them remain enemies.  And not grow.
So, my question then is, if these things were the writers ‘baiting’ various members of the audience — what would you have rathered seen, or not seen?  Would you have NOT wanted them to include Neal in Emma’s memory box?  Would you rather NOT see Emma/Regina’s friendship grow if it’s not going to turn romantic?  Woudl you NOT want to see Emma did put the shoelace back on?

Regina and Emma however, can develop a more sisterly bond more easily than Emma and Snow’s mother-daughter bond, though, I think.

But in my book that shouldn’t be the case. Regina has tried to murder Emma, twice: once as a baby and again as an adult (well cursed with eternal sleep, but same difference). Snow White and Charming did technically abandon their child, but only because of Regina casting the dark curse Rumple had created. If Snow hadn’t insisted that Charming put their daughter in the wardrobe, then baby Emma would have died at the hands of Regina’s guards. So, no, Regina hasn’t always had Emma’s back. Yes, Regina has changed a great deal, even going so far as to put her life in jeopardy to save Emma and the town in S2 and again giving up Henry to go with Emma in S3. So Regina gets big props for that. And yes, I’m glad that Regina and Emma are now working things out for the sake of their friendship and co-parenting Henry.

However, Regina should not be more forgivable than Snow is in Emma’s eyes. Yes, Snow has made some poor choices like the admission she wanted a second child, but then again, should Snow be denied a second chance at parenthood because she was forced to give up Emma to protect her? I don’t care if Snow is Emma’s mother; while that is complicated with the whole adult parent thing, Snow does not deserve to forever be held at arms’ length by Emma while Regina gets Emma’s confidence. Henry was able to forgive Emma, who gave Henry up for the same reason Snow gave her up: to give her kid the best chance. Henry and Emma were super close in S1 even before Regina blessed them with false memories of a lifetime spent together. Emma and Snow were super close in S1 too, but as soon as Emma learned Snow was her mother, she’s been mostly emotionally closed off (except to admit to Snow she’d always felt like an orphan). Also, if Emma can have heart to hearts with David about parenting Henry, then I don’t see why Emma can’t have similar discussions with Snow.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Adam and Eddy are depending solely on ships to save their show now because it’s lost it’s family touch it once had in S1 and S2, where we actually had our characters discuss their past and pain with one another. There aren’t scenes anymore like when Regina explained to Henry how she didn’t love very well, and allowed him to go stay with Charming in 2×02, or Emma taking Henry out to coffee in S1….and personally….it seemed to me that Emma had a slightly easier relationship with Mary Margret in S1 than she does now with Snow, I know their trying the whole mother/daughter thing, but it just seems like she’s trying to force herself a little….like Snow and Charming waiting up till late morning hours for their thirty year old daughter to come home.

That’s the problem I have, too. I’m just going to add that Emma should have had her convo about her childhood with her parents rather than with Hook. I’m tired of those close moments being shared with everyone else other than her parents, who long to know more about the years they missed with Emma. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast Emma’s experiences in the foster care system with the experiences her baby brother gets to have being raised by Snow and Charming. But instead Hook, Regina and even Elsa get to have all the “walls down” moments with Emma. I want more Charming family moments instead of “ship” moments.

GOodbye “once upon a time very beloved show” !!