If your ship doesn’t sail…

[Josephine]

No shipping wars! No mentioning of specific ships! This isn’t meant to be a “my ship is better than yours” thread.

What I want to know is if your ship doesn’t sail (remember no specifics), will it affect your enjoyment of the show?

I’m a multiple shipper. There are a number of couples I love, so the chance that some of my ships won’t sail off into the sunset together is pretty much a sure thing. Will it affect my enjoyment of the show? Probably not. I used to be a soap opera junkie as a teen so I’ve learned years ago to not get so invested in my storylines. The writers have their story they want to tell, and I have no say in it. And there is always fanfiction to fall back on. There are so many storylines going on and I was hooked on the show long before the shipping names became a huge thing. I’ll be watching this show till the end no matter who is endgame and what happens.

Oddly, in books I’m completely different. Usually if my pairing doesn’t happen, I quit reading or end up hating the book. The most glaring example is “Little Women”. As a teen, I remember reading this book and fell in love with the first half. I remember thinking, “Oh my, this is the best book ever written.” That is until I got to the scene where Jo turned down Laurie’s marriage proposal and the book went to pot afterward. I hated the fact that he ended up with Amy, my least favorite character in the book. But it’s happened on the flipside, too. If I don’t want a pairing together and it happens I’ll quit. The first time I read “Pride and Prejudice” I quit reading halfway through because I despised Bingley and Darcy. I didn’t think either deserved either Bennett sister. But then I restarted the book and ended up falling in love with Darcy, but still hated Bingley. Then on the third rereading I started to like Bingley, too. So my shipping opinions can change.

Okay, off of literature and back on the show. If your ship doesn’t happen, if the two people you’re yearning to get together just don’t, what will happen? Will you quit watching? Write fanfiction to sooth your broken heart?

Remember NO specifics!

[obisgirl]

I don’t think I’ll quit Once if my ‘ship doesn’t happen. I didn’t quit watching Heroes after it was revealed Peter and Claire were related (and it took me even longer before I could bring myself to read related fic about them). But back to Once, I don’t expect the couples on this show to have a smooth journey.

The show would be so boring to watch if everything went fine. Of course, I want my ‘ships to have their happy ending but I know it’s not going to happen right away and I’m okay with that.

[oncewatcher]

This show belongs to K&H. What is forgotten, is that 99% of the characters they are using do not. These are characters we grew up loving as children. Why? Well, in our culture we put as much effort into fiction, as we do reality. It starts young with fairy tales, books, tv, video games, etc. These things become as big a part of the world we live in as anything else. Right now, things aren’t going so well in the world we live in, and it’s not getting any better. A lot of people in their personal lives, would love to have something go their way; to find some satisfaction in something, even if it’s just a fictional place to go hide for a while, and that’s what tv shows are. They are that distraction.

Sadly, I think a lot of the people who manage projects in Hollywood view the public in the same way my cousins saw my Grandma’s dog: Objects to play with. People enjoy entertainment to the level they do, because they want to escape reality for a while. That’s what these tv networks do. They offer the public a chance to be distracted from stressful, mundane, and sometimes even painful aspects in their lives. I have to be honest. I have liked Once Upon A Time since day 1, but I was upset when they killed off Graham. It wasn’t needed. Then, Hook came along. I have a whole new reason why I look forward to watching this show. Hook is the reason why I joined this board. Hook is the reason why I have taken more of an interest in the show.

If my ship doesn’t sail, whatever they leave behind had better be worth it because if it’s not, I’m going to be very disappointed. I’ll be happy so long as they keep my favorite character around. Otherwise, for the writers to tease viewers with an appealing character like Hook and then rip him away is to me, cruel. It’s a tease of the heart. For the writers to tease the possibilities around him would have been a waste of my time, a waste of my appreciation, a waste of my emotions, a waste of my fandom, and yes, even a waste of the time I’ve spent here; a waste of the time I spent appreciating their work. I don’t like it when people are taken for granted. That happens when people forget the other people who they impact are just that: people. Not objects. That’s what will have happened.

I don’t know if they are going to keep Hook, or not. I just hold out hope they will, and even after all this conversation about the “Hook is going to die” threads on the board, I still have it in the back of my mind that they may do this because I know their history. Why would I want to stick around to regard a show that is managed by people who in return, will regard me the same as a cardboard box? Maybe it’s because of politics, unions, lawyers that the public just doesn’t matter anymore. I guess when you’re kept in such isolation away from the general public, that it can skew one’s perspective, and influence their judgment….never able to see outside the box they’ve kept themselves locked in. This is a whole other conversation worth talking about in another topic, and not just here on this board. It’s a bigger issue, and its core is found in a a question of ethics.

Nevertheless, as for Once Upon A Time, it is what it is, and what will be, will be. Que sera sera. We’ll see what happens

[Josephine]

You have to remember, too, that Eddie, Adam and the other writers are telling their version of the story. Not mine or the fans. There are so many differing opinions that I really feel they can’t appease different fan groups. They have to go with what they want to write.

For example, the tv show “Glee” was fantastic the first season, particularly the first 13 episodes. They were written “in a bubble”. There were no fans, no press, no fandom. They were goofy, weird, and fantastic. As the seasons go on, and they’ve added writers and catered to certain fan groups, the show has gone downhill dramatically. When I tell people to watch the show now, I say “Just watch the first season and stop.”

J.K. Rowing is another example. I remember her interviews about “Harry Potter” and her talking about writing the story she wanted to tell. One interviewer asked her about alienating fans by putting two certain characters together or killing off such-and-such and she said more or less that she couldn’t listen to what fans wanted to hear, that in the end she had to tell the story she wanted to tell and if it lost her fans then that was the cost.

Everyone sees something different in what they’re viewing or reading. I never saw a hit of Harry/Hermione in the “Harry Potter” books and was a staunch Ron/Hermione shipper from the beginning, but I would have continued to read the series to the end if Harry/Hermione had happened and been a fan of the books. Same thing with Once. There are certain characters I’m not enamored of, but if the storyline goes certain ways then I’ll suck it up and watch it and hope the story they’re telling is good. The great thing about ensemble casts is that there are always multiple storylines going on, so if you don’t like one, there is usually another to get you through.

Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.

[oncewatcher]

I never cared for J.K. Rowing, and have never seen a Harry Potter movie. I think one of the reasons for that may be, because I am already aware of the controversy surrounding her work, which is the product of her judgement, and it’s quality. What determines what we do looks like doesn’t just come from our hands, and our brains. Especially when from from an artistic capacity, it comes as a visual reflection of who we are, and how our hearts regard others around us. J.K. Rowing had an entertaining story, however I don’t know that I can call her an example worth following. Just because something “seems” to prosper someone, doesn’t mean that where it really matters, that it really did. Not in any way being worthwhile, and meaningful. Look at the bigger picture. That’s where the question of ethics comes in, which I mentioned in my post. In other words, aim higher. Not just in what you do, but also for what you do does not only for, but to yourself; to the person who you want to be, and to what that person has to give to the world we live in.

[maryrose d.]

I’m not one to have dramatic Shippings of people in shows. Reason being is that I always try to predict what will happen next and unless I think of every possiblity even the ones which are not my favorite, I may not be able to come up with a more accurate idea of what I believe will happen next. That being said when I ship people together, I am disappointed when they don’t turn out like I wanted but I usually give a chance to see how it plays out because some times the ideas which I think are stupid in the beginning come to be my favorite ones in the end. Example being I though it was stupid when Ginnifer Goodwin said she wasn’t going to make any more movies and focus on tvs shows, well, let’s just say I regret my words alot, a lot.
And even when it dosent end in a way I prefer like Heminone ending up with Ron instead of Harry, I remember that it isn’t my story but someone else’s. I don’t like reading fan fiction even when it helps out my Shippings because it is not the fans story but the creators. And most good story’s have a good idea of where they are going when they start. Meaning that even though we do not know the end of the story yet, it doesnt mean it hasn’t been written yet.
Finally most good writers want to enjoy the show as a fan. Usually what they do they think nessacary or vital to the story line. And when they don’t fit in the story line it is usually the result of a real life problem like other jobs or something along those lines. It is just important t remember that it is the writers story so let them tell it, and if u feel so inclinded to voice your opinion about what happens theypn either make fan fiction or your own way to make everything to turn out the way you want to, and invent your own way to write the story but if u are a true fan of the show you will be able to look past when things turn out a different way then what ou wanted

Keeper of Swanfire's dream catcher, the Blue Fairy Plot Device, the contact name "Her", the lanyards, the trigger, the Netherworld room and necklace, Charming's quote on Thanksgiving, and PP's pic of Henry

[elle]

I only ship canon couples–Snow White and Prince Charming, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin, Nova and Grumpy/Dreamy, Princess Abigail and Frederick, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip, and so on for other couples that may appear in the future. 🙂

Not trying to offend anyone, but I don’t get behind Emma and August or Emma and Jefferson or Regina and Jefferson and Snow White and Lancelot–and so in if it is not confirmed to happen. And so far, all these couples have either been dismissed by the writers, or have never seemed to have happened in the show, yet.

For the most part, people seem to easily ship two people together if they have one scene together and good chemsitry. I like the different types of relationships–True Love romantically, mother and son, mother and daughter, father and daughter, brother and sister, best friends, and worst enemies.

[Myril]

@Josephine wrote:

You have to remember, too, that Eddie, Adam and the other writers are telling their version of the story. Not mine or the fans. There are so many differing opinions that I really feel they can’t appease different fan groups. They have to go with what they want to write.

Very much agree with that. Furthermore: As I see it, it is their work, they are the ones putting in many hours of work for this show and not us. Yes, they get paid for it, but that doesn’t make them slaves to our wishes. We don’t depend on watching the show, but they depend on their work. So whatever they do, whatever stories they write, I am sure they never do it without regards and respect to what fans and critics are saying about their work. But if they follow all voices they only can mess up, they have to make choices – and these choices will please some people and some not. Talking about ethics here? Alright, then we should show some respect for those putting in much hard work to create the stories we merely consume (and I think there are different reasons why people enjoy fiction, here in the form of a TV series, distraction is just one of them).

Now about ships not sailing … Not much of a shipper anyway, and more likely it would affect my enjoyment of the show at the moment, if some ships would sail. 😉

Besides that some of the ships I would go for, if for any, I expect to never going to happen, quite simply, because they would stress the tolerance of a number of viewers. I am very much used to ships not sailing, only in fan fictions and personal dreams.

@Elle wrote:

For the most part, people seem to easily ship two people together if they have one scene together and good chemsitry. I like the different types of relationships–True Love romantically, mother and son, mother and daughter, father and daughter, brother and sister, best friends, and worst enemies.

Exactly!

¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯

[nonnie]

I personally feel that instead of messing with OUaT the fans should write their own stories… that would be of greater interest to me then writing about characters someone else invented. I personally find the story that is evolving on OUaT to my liking and do not need the match up that occur on the side.

Sorry if that hurts someones feeling but how I feel.

Nonnie

[sarah_tn]

@Oncewatcher wrote:

I never cared for J.K. Rowing, and have never seen a Harry Potter movie. I think one of the reasons for that may be, because I am already aware of the controversy surrounding her work, which is the product of her judgement, and it’s quality. What determines what we do looks like doesn’t just come from our hands, and our brains. Especially when from from an artistic capacity, it comes as a visual reflection of who we are, and how our hearts regard others around us. J.K. Rowing had an entertaining story, however I don’t know that I can call her an example worth following. Just because something “seems” to prosper someone, doesn’t mean that where it really matters, that it really did. Not in any way being worthwhile, and meaningful. Look at the bigger picture. That’s where the question of ethics comes in, which I mentioned in my post. In other words, aim higher. Not just in what you do, but also for what you do does not only for, but to yourself; to the person who you want to be, and to what that person has to give to the world we live in.

I just had to post this, on top of that 😀

[Author]

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