Season 5A In Review

[PriceofMagic]

My opinion on 5A is that it was a slight improvement over 4A, which isn’t saying much, because it at least focussed on the main group of characters instead of the special guest stars aka Frozen. I despised how Anna was made to be the reason that Charming and Belle are the people they are.

One of the highlights of 5A was Zelena and her snark. However, considering how hated Zelena was in 3B and season 4, that might not be so complimentary for 5A to call her a highlight.

The weakest aspects of 5A were the Camelot storyline and the inclusion of Merida. Whilst the actors and actresses did well with their roles, ultimately the story did not go anywhere. The Bear King flashbacks were pointless and ruined Ruby’s character. I think I would’ve preferred her just to be off-screen around Storybrooke instead of suddenly deciding that she wants to leave all her friends and family behind to find other wolves like her. What ever happened to Granny teaching her to run the diner because she wanted to pass it on to Ruby when she got too old?

I think 5A would’ve been stronger storywise if the action had been kept to Storybrooke and played out consecutively instead of relying on a time jump then multiple flashbacks to tell the story. The Dark Swan storyline had so much potential that was ultimately wasted, much like other strorylines on the show such as Neverland, etc. Dark Emma should’ve been treated like Dark Phoenix, she’s still in there somewhere but the darkness has taken hold and isn’t relinquishing its grip easily.

Once has suffered ever since it switched to the 11/11 format. The town characters, such as Granny, Whale, the dwarves, Archie, have been reduced to cameos if they appear at all so Storybrooke has lost that small town feel. Rather than having a season long arc story split into two halves, we’re getting two story arcs per season and thus both storylines suffer because there is not enough time to do either story justice.

The dark ones storyline had so much potential but was wasted. That is an end of series storyline to destroy the darkness, “the final battle” as Rumple predicted back in season 1, but was essentially reduced to Emma wangsting and Hook’s man pain.

Snowing and Henry are a joke with Snow now in the role of Emma’s cheerleader. Killing Snow would be a kindness as it would at least leave the character with what little integrity she has left. Charming and Henry are just yes-men- they have no independent thoughts of their own and just agree to do whatever the women say.

Robin has always suffered as a character, pandering to the likes of Regina. Likewise with Snowing, he’s willing to abandon his young children for a pirate that none of them have a particular close bond with just because Emma’s given in to “love”.

RumBelle suffer yet again. Rumple’s character had a potentially interesting storyline about how he copes without magic, what’s he like stripped of the darkness etc etc and yet the writers have reduced him back to “power, power, power”. Belle is written so inconsistently it’s not even funny. She wants Rumple, she doesn’t want Rumple, she wants Rumple, she doesn’t want Rumple, she wants Rumple, she doesn’t want Rumple. Emilie de Ravin deserves better.

Emma’s and Hook’s storyline reminds me of this only taken seriously without the humour

[nevermore]

1) What was your favorite episode of 5A?
Probably Dreamcatcher, although more by omission than based on its own merits. Overall, the whole season was so sub par, that the episodes where things actually came together in a believable way are really the only ones I can vaguely recall

2) What was your least favorite episode of 5A?
Bear King. I fail to see its point.

3) Overall thoughts on the Dark Swan/Camelot arc?
Both had potential, but were done really poorly. It seems that they tried to cram what should have been an entire season into 1/2 season. It would have made so much more sense to have it broken down into two sub-seasons: 5A could have been Camelot, and 5B Dark Swan proper. Instead, they seemed to have forgotten about Camelot altogether at some point mid-way. Character development was jerky: kind of a “shake’n’bake” approach which was very dissatisfying.

4) Who was your favorite new character?

Gorgon the Invincible

5) What was your favorite moment?

Honestly, I’ve no idea. With previous seasons I can still remember specific episodes and scenes. With this one, it’s all already a vague and messy blur. Some of the things that stand out is Clippy!Rumple’s snark, JMo when she does Dark Swan, some of the conversations and repartee between Emma and Regina, and some moments between Rumple and Belle.

6) What was your favorite plot twist?

I think Evil!Arthur had potential, and when it was revealed early on that he had his own agenda, I was intrigued. What they did with the rest of the Camelot story is just laughable.

7) What was your least favorite plot twist?

Take your pick. Rumple reverting to DO (no rhyme or reason to it, awful characterization), Dark Hook (totally flushing the whole DO cosmology down the drain), Merlin being killed by Hook, Guinevere being mind-controlled by her psychotic husband. The heroes planning to rescue Hook from Hell while leaving their young children in the care of the fairies. But taking teenage Henry along.’

Good thing SB isn’t hooked into the main grid. I can see Social Services having a field day with that one.

8) Overall grade for 5A and final thoughts?

Overall, the quality of the writing has deteriorated so much that I’m honestly not sure I want to return to OUAT again in 5B. The only reason I would is because I’m intrigued by what they might do with Hades, but I’m at the point where I am not really interested in any of the main or supporting characters and their plight. The dialogue is still, on occasion, done well — especially when Jane Espenson is involved. But that’s the only part of the writing that has kept any sort of quality.

S5A has methodically assassinated most of OUAT’s best characters, has continued to peddle an insidious but seriously objectionable gender ideology, and wasn’t even able to carry a minimally coherent or logical narrative.

C- for the plot / D+ for characterization

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