Magic vs Swords. Magic wins again.

[kfchimera]

@Riddleraven wrote:

I don’t want them to surrender. I’m just tired of their POSTURING. They always act like they don’t even KNOW that their swords are useless. They always seem to think, “This time, it’ll work!” And that’s just stupid.

Why couldn’t the writers just drop a line that Charming has an enchanted sword, or that some people have some kind of innate magic dampening field or resistance.
I sort of fan-rewrote that scene to imagine that Regina and Cora were drained magically speaking from breaking the protection spell. That is why Cora could not just turn them (or their swords at the least!) into fish (as she did the guy on the dock…so transformation was not exclusive to the dark one). So it took her awhile to build enough rage and magic to transport them (and she could not transport them into anything b/c Emma’s magic prevented it). At least that what I am going with.

[beastwhisperer]

I was just about to mentioj the fish incident, but KFChimera beat me to it. 🙂 Transformation seems to be well within Cora’s scope and probably Regina’s.

[MysteryKat25]

One of the parts of Cora’s personality is making people who formerly wronged her pay for their mistakes (in her mind) and show it. She turned the random dock guy into a fish because she didn’t care and needed to make sure that nobody knew they were in town. She lets others live so that they can watch as they fail. It’s probably where Regina gets a lot of her ideas on revenge: it’ll be more painful for them to not remember they love who they love and I get to watch them be separated. I get the last laugh. It’s very similar to Cora wanting them all to kneel because she never would again.

So my guess is that Cora and Regina don’t mind just tossing people aside and continuing on because it shows their power. They like to feel superior.

Keeper of Hook's Trenchcoat.

[beastwhisperer]

It’s not like Cora couldn’t turn someone into an animal and turn them back when she’s ready to really make them suffer/die. In fact it would be kinda the ultimate in lording her power over others to show how powerless and beneath her they are. It’s just one of those classic villain mistakes that a powerful sorceress must lose a good fifty IQ points to give the underpowered hero a fighting chance instead of killing him/her outright. People can fanwank it or not as makes it most enjoyable to them, but it’d be refreshing to see the heroes at least acknowledge that swords don’t really stand a chance against magic.

[kfchimera]

@BeastWhisperer wrote:

People can fanwank it or not as makes it most enjoyable to them, but it’d be refreshing to see the heroes at least acknowledge that swords don’t really stand a chance against magic.

It would be refreshing, but after that they have to come up with something else, or else not be able to do all the cool/fun magic stuff. Though if they did, I think it would be in keeping with the wry humor the show uses sometimes (like when Prince James died)…There was this cartoon spoof I saw once where Aquaman is captured and says “My ability to talk to fish is of absolutely no use!”. That cracked me up, and it’s the same idea here.

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[beastwhisperer]

They could always have the writers work a bit harder at adding things like enchanted swords, protective amulets and good magic to the good guys’ side. As it stands at least Cora had the sense to warn Hook against going up against Rumple’s magic with just a sword/hook. Then Hook finally picked a time when Rumple was without magic to attack. So it’s not like no characters on the show understand the problem inherent in swords vs magic.

I think Emma seemed to get it when she cast the second barrier, but she and Neal just didn’t have any other defenses after Cora got through that. Kinda a shame considering how much magical stuff Gold has in his back room, but I loved the reaction that Neal and Emma had to being teleported like that. So it’s all good.

I’ve seen that Aquaman spoof! It was very funny.

A little snarky comment from Rumple, Emma, or Neal (the resident snarkers) could be a nice bit of lampshading. “Really? You plan to take a knife to a magic fight?” “This is all we have to face them? You’re kidding, right?”

[arkham258]

@malchore wrote:

@Riddleraven wrote:

Frankly, Regina or Cora could’ve just turned them into bugs without having to use any dark fairy dust and squashed them!

This.

It’s always bothered me a little bit too. But if the magic users killed off the main characters so easily then we wouldn’t have a TV show. It’s for the sake of the fiction the “good guys” are kept alive.

Pretty much every James Bond 007 movie suffers from this meme. (The first Austin Powers movie had a great spoof of this meme. 😆 )

This link kinda explains it a little. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InvincibleHero

I brought that up in the favorite/least favorite moments thread. I do find that amusing how Kora and Regina were essentially holding back. It makes some sense for Regina because I think she still has some shred of good in her (or did before the events of this episode), but not Cora

@Demileto wrote:

Has any magic user other than Rumplestiltskin ever turned someone into a bug or rose, though? I recall only him doing such a thing, maybe that’s a Dark One exclusive power.

Cora could if she wanted to. She turned a guy into a fish a few episodes back. She’s as well versed in magic as Rumpel, and I think Regina is too. Rumpel is more powerful though, being the dark one and all, kind of gives him an unfair advantage

@Riddleraven wrote:

@myril wrote:

If they would act all rational they should see that there is no point at all, sword or whatever silly weapon they use, to win a fight against such powerful magic, so why don’t they surrender? 😉 😈

I don’t want them to surrender. I’m just tired of their POSTURING. They always act like they don’t even KNOW that their swords are useless. They always seem to think, “This time, it’ll work!” And that’s just stupid.

We’re dealing with fairy tale characters here, which means the classic, idiot hero trope who believe that good always triumphs over evil. Henry says this all the time and it makes me roll my eyes, but I understand that’s the nature of the show.

What I would love to see is a magic absorbing sword on this show. For any of you anime geeks, there’s this really old series called The Slayers. One of the characters is the best swordsman alive. However, he is usually the weak link in the group because he exists in a world where the strongest are all magic users. However, it’s revealed in one episode that his sword can absorb magic, he just never figured how to do it. So one episode has a villain take control of his mind through magic. In his possessed state, he was more dangerous than usual and fully knew how to use the magic absorption abilities of his sword. He took on the whole group of good guys, all experienced magic users and came pretty close to destroying them. They barely eaked out a victory. Basically, if you can find a way to nullify a magic user’s spells, they’re easy pickings.

If David had a sword like that, the power rankings on Once Upon a Time would shift dramatically in his favor

[beastwhisperer]

@Arkham258 wrote:

What I would love to see is a magic absorbing sword on this show. For any of you anime geeks, there’s this really old series called The Slayers. One of the characters is the best swordsman alive. However, he is usually the weak link in the group because he exists in a world where the strongest are all magic users. However, it’s revealed in one episode that his sword can absorb magic, he just never figured how to do it. So one episode has a villain take control of his mind through magic. In his possessed state, he was more dangerous than usual and fully knew how to use the magic absorption abilities of his sword. He took on the whole group of good guys, all experienced magic users and came pretty close to destroying them. They barely eaked out a victory. Basically, if you can find a way to nullify a magic user’s spells, they’re easy pickings.

If David had a sword like that, the power rankings on Once Upon a Time would shift dramatically in his favor

Yes! That would be a terrific addition! Adding to the anime geeking for The Slayers, they were also able to charge the sword up with magic to make powerful attacks. While I don’t wanna see Rumple charge up David’s sword with a Dragon Slave (Lol. Actually, after typing that I kinda do…. it’d be hilarious), it would be cool to have a sword that absorbed the magic and allowed it to be directed back at the caster or another target.

I will never be able to look at David again without thinking of Gourry Gabriev, blond… accomplished swordsman… pretty… has the brain of a jellyfish. No wonder I have such a softspot for Charming. LOL

[kfchimera]

@BeastWhisperer wrote:

@Arkham258 wrote:

What I would love to see is a magic absorbing sword on this show. For any of you anime geeks, there’s this really old series called The Slayers. One of the characters is the best swordsman alive. However, he is usually the weak link in the group because he exists in a world where the strongest are all magic users. However, it’s revealed in one episode that his sword can absorb magic, he just never figured how to do it. So one episode has a villain take control of his mind through magic. In his possessed state, he was more dangerous than usual and fully knew how to use the magic absorption abilities of his sword. He took on the whole group of good guys, all experienced magic users and came pretty close to destroying them. They barely eaked out a victory. Basically, if you can find a way to nullify a magic user’s spells, they’re easy pickings.

If David had a sword like that, the power rankings on Once Upon a Time would shift dramatically in his favor

Yes! That would be a terrific addition! Adding to the anime geeking for The Slayers, they were also able to charge the sword up with magic to make powerful attacks. While I don’t wanna see Rumple charge up David’s sword with a Dragon Slave (Lol. Actually, after typing that I kinda do…. it’d be hilarious), it would be cool to have a sword that absorbed the magic and allowed it to be directed back at the caster or another target.

I will never be able to look at David again without thinking of Gourry Gabriev, blond… accomplished swordsman… pretty… has the brain of a jellyfish. No wonder I have such a softspot for Charming. LOL

😆 I loved that series. I agree, the writers should write something like that sword in. And Charming is totally the Gourry type–especially with that “But I’m Henry’s Grandpa” line.

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[tombo671]

I don’t understand the hostage scene, Regina is meant to be a powerful witch, and yet she couldn’t simply teleport out of Emma’s hold? That scene was poorly written.

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