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All we know is that Hook is in NY–we don’t know why him or if only him, or anything yet to conclude some of the things that you are Happy Endings.

We also do not know if Hook wasn’t born in FTL.  All we know is he and his brother served a king who had access to dreams of magical plants and Pegasus feathers, which would suggest NOT real world birth.   Plus, he was taken by the reverse curse along with the others and that suggests to me he was not born in real london like Wendy.  They said Henry would be left because he was born and conceived in phoenix (and that’s why Alexandra gets taken…..apparently no one had kids during the year of time moving forward either).

I suppose that means Whale was sent back to his realm too, so wonder how he ends up back in SB too.  He shouldn’t if the new curse is per someone else’s design, and just targeted at EF people.  He ought to be back in Land Without Color.

Ariel ought to be back in NL–what’s left of it.  She can probably cross realms at will, but why don’t they ask her to go talk to the Darlings who were not memory fogged? I suppose they are side-characters and less interesting to tell the story than our mains.  I just hope it’s a line of dialog and a “what if” and they have some contrived reason it won’t work (just like they shot down the red room with Aurora as a means of contacting Henry).

I wonder if Aurora could contact Henry this time too, but I suppose it depends on how long they drag out the memory thing.  Perhaps they try all these things and nothing gets through to Emma and they have to find a portal to use to get to her, since the Hat won’t go to the land without magic.    They had a year of separation so they had time to try things to get back in contact.

I hope adult August really is to help finish the tale of why August knew what he did, and why he went to Neal and not Emma.    Perhaps it will pay off with the Black Fairy mention and the “little fairy” told him breadcrumb.
Otherwise that black fairy body swap wand still feels like a clunky convenient deux ex machina moment complete with Blue’s revival.

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I thought of another reason the jump ahead is good for SF potentially.  A lot of people felt Neal wanting to have another chance with Emma was off-putting to them because it was “five minutes” ago he was engaged and thinking he’d marry Tamara.

Now we’ve said that Neal had conflicting feelings, a common trope, often even the premise of movies.  All the same a year is long enough to prove he is not inconstant–or for the writers to throw his character under the bus and randomly pair him with someone else, anyone else, just to make CS look more certain and justified since Neal would have blown his chance.  If the writers do that, it will be really hard for me to salvage what is left of my overall impression of the writing on this show.  It is why I am not on CaptainFairy–even though I liked Ariel’s potential it was always a scenarioI imagined as starting that both she and Hook had broken, unrequited love where the one they thought they loved but did not really know did not.    Plus  both wanted adventure.  The way they did Ariel in canon though did not fit with those ideas.

Neal does know Emma, but of course they have changed over the years.  Hook on the other hand–hard to say but feels like the common idea is he would redefine everything in terms of what she wants,  even though it is not clear with Milah if he did that.  It feels hollow to me in that, shouldn’t he have a personality outside the ship?  He was one note revenge in the past, but his Naval days suggested a man wanting to be honorable and important, looked up to in terms of making a mark on society–not longing for home and family.  His moment of delighted greed in Anton’s palace seemed like he relishes being a pirate for its own sake of selfish indulgence and the thrill of taking what he wants because he can.  It is probably why Cora never upset him on a moral level–fight for what you want or get what you deserve is similar to her no good or evil, just power.  How far does he take it? We saw hints he takes it pretty far, but he does have some lines he will not cross, but also many he did.

So it is tough to reconcile his character’s inherent ambiguity, especially if we do not see any scenes of how he acts if he thinks it won’t help him woo Emma or get revenge.

The flashback year might provide more insight as well on how he acts under the assumption that she’s out of the picture, even if he thinks it is temporary, her back is still turned so how does he treat everyone?

If the writers do the surprising thing I’d hoped for CF last season, that they were really friends, it puts both in a good light, and does make it less hopeful for either ship in the sense of “see, he’s horrible, of course she wont’ be with him”–but makes it better and more hopeful for me as someone wanting to see good and consistent character development, not ship-fan fics tossed up on screen without regard to moments that showed more depth before that’s erased with later scenes.

 

“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

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1) Overall grade for the season?

I think a B-.  I expected much more mythology reveal of the history of the Neverlanders.  I had to suspend disbelief and worry about continuity many times.  Plot coupons and devices galore, from the coconut candle shadow,mermaid express, chamber cave of secrets, convenient “not dead yet”, and inconsistent character moments that had people ping-ponging from sensitive and caring, to selfishly clueless (and that was not even just  the “villains” who you might expect it from!).  As I said somewhere, I expect bread crumbs, not entire loaves of backstory culled from nowhere, while things foreshadowed before are suddenly forgotten entirely.   On the other hand, I did enjoy seeing some iconic characters and the fun mashing of them in a way that sort of worked.  Despite how I divide up the episodes, some of my favorite scenes are in my least favorite episodes, some of my least favorites are in my favorites–and that’s part of the uneven feeling I had.

2) Top two favorite episodes: Ariel and Think Lovely Thoughts

3) Least two favorite episode Dark Hollow and Quite a Common Fairy

4) Favorite moment: Ariel dinglehoppering Regina’s neck.

5) Favorite new character: Tink

6) Biggest “OMG” moment: Pan bodyswapping with Henry.

7) Funniest/saddest/happiest moment: Funniest — Ursula putting Regina in her place, Saddest–tie, when Regina and Rumple sacrificed their happiness, Happiest: When they all left NL–up until the body swap reveal.

 

“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

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We had a thread similar to this before.  The relationships I want to see developed more are :

1) Ariel, Snow and Belle:  Ruby-Red is gone but I loved those friendships.

2) Neal & Hook:  Before this season I expected something different than what was shown. Hook’s help in saving Henry accounts for much of the casual rather than antagonistic tone with which Neal has tried to approach Hook (right after cave rescue, then again in Diner) despite present-day squabbles in other scenes,  but they really avoided explaining on screen their attitude and history together during their time in NL.

3)Tink and Regina:  Regina needs someone because she just gave up Henry and I do not want her to slide back to darkness.  A friend would help, plus Tink might be able to show Regina how to use light magic.

4)Neal & Robin:  Please do not forget they met!

5) Mo & Belle:  He did do something horrible but Rumple still loved Pan who was far worse, and Henry forgave Regina despite the things she did and tried to do.  Belle, who is the epitome of forgiveness ought to understand how Mo was beaten physically and thought that Belle was in danger (though he should have listened to her).  Was Mo always controlling and terrible to Belle, or was this a desperate attempt to save a daughter from a man he thought a beast? Act of revenge or act of a loving but at-the-end-0f-his-rope father?

6) Regina & The Charmings:  They treat her as family at times, others they are at war.  Where are they now?

 

“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

[kfchimera]

I wonder how much of the motifs of the first season, leaps of faith, “belief” and all that will transfer to the second half?

 

“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

[kfchimera]

Just a thought–but in the original Rapunzel (not Disney) version, there is often a common element that the father of Rapunzel is stealing the vegetable (Rampion a kind of lettuce) because his wife is pregnant and has cravings.

He doesn’t know she is pregnant, but is worried she will die.  The witch demands his child, and he agrees since they don’t have one.  Then he finds out she’s pregnant.

I’m not sure how that would fit in, but I do think a flashback to the last year in FTL makes sense.   Perhaps they really are doing a 2nd Snowing Child, and Snow has cravings, and that’s why Charming goes out to satisfy them–but from there Rapunzel is already in the tower because the same thing happened to her mother and she’ll warn them.

 

“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

[kfchimera]

Ariel & Eric are not the names in the original Little Mermaid story, and  in that the mermaid doesn’t get her man, so they definitely did a Disney version there.   Much as I loved “Tangled” and would like some nods (say a frying pan and an artist Rapunzel….) I wouldn’t mind if they cut stuff like Flynn or Gothel –that’s similar to how they truncated a lot of Mulan far as Disney and definitely the abbreviated Aurora and Phillip’s tales, and Belle fans could probably go on forever about all the things they wish they’d seen from BaTB.

I’m not stuck on sticking to Live Action Disney and never have been (anyone reading my wackier theories knows that…mash away, mash away!) but I also do like a few easter egg nods too (like I did enjoy the Dinglehopper…).

“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

[kfchimera]

I have no idea what they’re doing.  The outdoor scenes imply that only Hook came there,  and honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the writers keep Neal away from Emma until 3×14 as we were speculating and that way there can sort of be a dramatic reunion like Manhattan.

 

“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

[kfchimera]

I hadn’t seen that one on Schmacky’s site–but so often what I’m thinking Schmacky has already said somewhere.

I have to agree the idea of two people falling back in love is something we have not seen on the show.  That prompted a thought for me far as speculation here, but even thought it wouldn’t be what they would do, still fun to imagine a “What if”…. the spoilers  sort of indicate this won’t happen…..because of the potion thing

What if Neal had to go and actually get Emma to fall in love with him without her memories, without knowing he’s the father of her child.  It’s one of those things that get said about SF that is only “first love” and only about Henry–so a memory-less Emma Swan would actually sort of test that.

Of course there’s probably some contrived fairy-tale reason Neal’s stuck somewhere and only Hook could make the trip.

“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

[kfchimera]

I like how RG talked about the wake-up song.  I really hope we start getting more momentum on the back-half of the season because if the writers were wanting to undercut any perception of “cliche” and “predictable” for SF–I would say they’ve done it.

“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

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