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All this! Actually, “inexplicably bored” with Belle (and then Neal) is spot on — and I think increasingly bored with Rumple, which shows up in Bobby’s seemingly grumpy acting lately. However, if you think about it, it’s all about how the writers seem to relate to the male characters (and as they wrote the relationships, the POVS almost inevitably shifted away from the women).
Hook and Emma is actually structurally similar to Rumbelle. It’s about the love of a good woman redeeming (potentially) the bad guy. And it looks like now it’s going to be (even more problematically) Hook saving Emma the “lost woman” from her inner darkness. Except lets face it, Captain “Personality” makes for a better wish fulfillment character than Rumple. He’s older, he’s a coward, he doesn’t wear guyliner… But I think the bottom line is that what we’re seeing is the writers’ likes and dislikes — plot twists seem, to me, increasingly motivated by these personal tastes. So for example, I have the distinct feeling, with all that’s been happening, that they don’t actually like Robin, though I’m not sure why not.
This is a bit of an “out there” cinematic reference, but there’s a French comedy from the 1970s called Le Magnifique, about a writer of over the top spy thrillers, who is essentially increasingly frustrated with his idealized, overly competent character and throws more and more “plot nasties” at him, just to take him down a notch 🙂 Not a perfect parallel, but my point is that I can’t shake the feeling that what we’re seeing is the writers’ wish fulfillment romp. The fact that writing has gotten so unbelievably un-self-reflexive just makes it worse.
[adrotate group="5"]Here I want to break down this thing with Hook really simply:Imagine a recovering drug addict is getting their life together, but tells their significant other that they only reason they got clean, and the only reason they have for staying clean, is them.
What Hook said to Emma is this, both metaphorically if you use being “dark” as a symbol for drugs, and literally in that he has outright stated he has no other reason to abstain from bad habits.
That is not romantic. That’s manipulative and dangerous. It’s guilt tripping co-dependance, it’s an ultimatum that you stay or you’re “responsible” for what happens. It’s not sweet, it’s emotional blackmail.
THIS!
Hook and Emma is actually structurally similar to Rumbelle. It’s about the love of a good woman redeeming (potentially) the bad guy. And it looks like now it’s going to be (even more problematically) Hook saving Emma the “lost woman” from her inner darkness. Except lets face it, Captain “Personality” makes for a better wish fulfillment character than Rumple. He’s older, he’s a coward, he doesn’t wear guyliner… But I think the bottom line is that what we’re seeing is the writers’ likes and dislikes — plot twists seem, to me, increasingly motivated by these personal tastes. So for example, I have the distinct feeling, with all that’s been happening, that they don’t actually like Robin, though I’m not sure why not.
That’s exactly right. CS and RB have a lot more in common, but with Hook choosing “good” and “light” because of Emma, thereby making the “right” choice, while Rumple is choosing “darkness” by not choosing Belle, thereby making all the “bad” choices. Got that? Hook’s choosing Emma = Right Choices while Rumple not choosing Belle = Wrong Choices. Yep. Rumple, who sacrificed himself to save Belle and Baelfire is the new boogeyman, while Hook (aka Killy Will Poo), is the patron saint of all that is holy. In fact, Hook (and Regina it seems) are now so in tune with their inner light that they’re teaching EMMA, TRUE LOVE INCARNATE, all about being good and doing the right thing.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
It’s about the love of a good woman redeeming (potentially) the bad guy.
Apart from Snowing and SwanFire, this is the basic paradigm of most of the ships, just with genders reversed.
Hook and Emma : Bad Boy and Good Girl
Rumple and Belle : Bad Boy and Good Girl
Regina and Robin: Bad Girl and Good Guy
Regina and Emma : Bad Girl and Good Girl
Even some more crack ships
Hook and Ariel/Tink : Bad Guy and Good Girl
Ruby and Dr. Whale : Good Girl and (Somewhat) Bad Guy
Regina and Graham : Bad Girl and Good Guy
There is this trend that runs through OUAT that in order for a couple to be interesting or “hot” or worthy of A and E’s time it must have some sort of inequality as far as morals, ethics, past, deed and actions go.
Which is passing strange given that the only couple on this show for a very long time was Snow and Charming who are Good Girl and Good Guy.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"ep. Rumple, who sacrificed himself to save Belle and Baelfire is the new boogeyman, while Hook (aka Killy Will Poo), is the patron saint of all that is holy
Just for the record, that Killy Will Poo line of yours still makes me irrationally happy.
In fact, Hook (and Regina it seems) are now so in tune with their inner light that they’re teaching EMMA, TRUE LOVE INCARNATE, all about being good and doing the right thing.
This! How far we’ve come from S1 Emma kissing Henry on the forehead, simultaneously embracing and giving up on her chance at motherhood, and thereby breaking the curse. What a bloody sad state of affairs.
Hook (and Regina it seems) are now so in tune with their inner light that they’re teaching EMMA, TRUE LOVE INCARNATE, all about being good and doing the right thing.
When you put it like that, I get all the sads.
No but really…that’s just a very sad way to look at this show. Too bad it’s also insanely accurate.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Hook (and Regina it seems) are now so in tune with their inner light that they’re teaching EMMA, TRUE LOVE INCARNATE, all about being good and doing the right thing.
When you put it like that, I get all the sads. No but really…that’s just a very sad way to look at this show. Too bad it’s also insanely accurate.
In Adam and Eddy’s minds….to make people more interested in the heroes…they had to add a little evil in them.
Even though I wasn’t fond of them, I don’t think S1 Snow and David would have sacrificed a child the way that they did. And we know for a fact that S1 Emma would be so against ever giving Killykins the time of day….I think one of the last episodes that I truly enjoyed Emma was Second Star To The Right/Straight On Till Morning!
And Adam and Eddy are trying to show us Emma becoming dark when everything she has done was completely human! Cruella threatened her son, the jack(beep) last episode insulted one of her only friends, and Lily all but threatened the Charmings to Emma’s face.
It wasn’t turning dark, she was acting in defense. If they really want us to believe Emma was going dark, have her kill a total innocent in a fit of rage, show her snapping at people for no good reason, let her have a complete change in demeanor….darker clothes, wilder hair, turn Emma from Sandra Dee to “You’re The One That I Want” Sandy!
"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor
There is this trend that runs through OUAT that in order for a couple to be interesting or “hot” or worthy of A and E’s time it must have some sort of inequality as far as morals, ethics, past, deed and actions go.
Well, at least one of the partners doesn’t sparkle 😉 Seriously though, of course A&E are going to simply reproduce the typical trope that crops up throughout the last couple of centuries of Western literature, culture etc. Cue the Brontes, Jane Austin and other classics. Heck, cue Nabokov if you want to go really problematic. Or, more recently, and with a lot less sophistication, cue Twilight and the whole vampire kick of the last couple of decades.
We (lets call it “Western popular culture”) have been obsessed with romanticizing (to use the neutral term for the sake of appropriateness) power differentials. If you’re going to write a romantic subplot, it’s simply the point of least energy expenditure.
*I guess it’s my turn to climb down from the soapbox*
Well, at least one of the partners doesn’t sparkle
Oh just you wait, my friend. That’s S5.
Cue the Brontes, Jane Austin and other classics. Heck, cue Nabokov if you want to go really problematic. Or, more recently, and with a lot less sophistication, cue Twilight and the whole vampire kick of the last couple of decades. We (lets call it “Western popular culture”) have been obsessed with romanticizing (to use the neutral term for the sake of appropriateness) power differentials. If you’re going to write a romantic subplot, it’s simply the point of least energy expenditure.
I complete agree with you. I know I’ve said it before; a lot of the really problematic stuff on OUAT isn’t really an OUAT problem or an A and E problem, it’s a media problem and cultural concern.
*joins you on soapbox*
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Even though I wasn’t fond of them, I don’t think S1 Snow and David would have sacrificed a child the way that they did. And we know for a fact that S1 Emma would be so against ever giving Killykins the time of day….I think one of the last episodes that I truly enjoyed Emma was Second Star To The Right/Straight On Till Morning!
Emma hasn’t really been Emma in a looooong time. I miss the real Emma! And yeah, I totally agree that Snow and Charming from S1 never would’ve done to Lily what was revealed in S4. The writers are committing character assassination of the Charmings and everything that makes them likeable: their goodness and family love! Good thing Neal died before they could totally ruin him. They tired (e.g. Hook called Neal a “villain” and then Neal died in a stupid ooc way), but at least Neal got a (somewhat) honorable barrial, so to speak, being called a hero by Emma and Henry. If Neal had lived, Baevil might’ve happened (which might’ve been entertaining in a car-wreck sorta way, but would’ve made me really sad on the inside). At least I can comfort myself knowing MRJ is away from all this crap.
And Adam and Eddy are trying to show us Emma becoming dark when everything she has done was completely human! Cruella threatened her son, the jack(beep) last episode insulted one of her only friends, and Lily all but threatened the Charmings to Emma’s face.
So true! So far, all Emma has done is protect her loved ones, but we’re supposed to believe it’s her “inner darkness”? Okay then.
It wasn’t turning dark, she was acting in defense. If they really want us to believe Emma was going dark, have her kill a total innocent in a fit of rage, show her snapping at people for no good reason, let her have a complete change in demeanor….darker clothes, wilder hair, turn Emma from Sandra Dee to “You’re The One That I Want” Sandy!
Yeah. So far, Emma just comes across as Sandra Dee on her date with Killy Willy Poo. But I’m guessing based on spoilers, we’re going to see a totally dark Emma in the finale.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy
Oh, you guys are all so smart and interesting in your analyses.
It would be interesting to compare the writers for each seasons. Wasn’t there a bit of a change between 2 and 3? Some left, new ones came. The first two seasons almost seem like a different series. Yes, we had twists and playing on fairy tale characters (e.g. Rumple the beast, croc, fairy godmother, etc) but essentially each character had a foothold in their original stories. We recognized and could identify Mary Margaret as Snow or David as Charming or even Ruby as Red. They had variances, but they embodied their stories. Now none of the characters are similar to their original tales. They have no connection. Snow White and Prince Charming infect a baby with evil and throw it down a portal? Belle is naive and lets people control her?
On top of the shipping problems and subpar writing, the fact that they’ve strayed so far from their beginnings adds on to the discontent viewers have with the show. There is a show growing and evolving and then there are train wrecks. I think you know the track we’ve gone on.
Now it’s just sad to watch Season one and think of what might have been.
Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.
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