Will the Once Upon a Time Series Continue
Once Upon a Time aired on ABC from 2011-2018 under the direction of executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. It stars Jennifer Morrison as 28-year-old bail bonds collector Emma Swan who is led to a small town called Storybrooke by the son she gave up for adoption years prior. While there, she starts to confront mysteries about the town's true nature and her origins.
Simultaneously, the narrative presents flashbacks of another world where all fairy tales come true and coexist. The show is an entertaining ride on its own, but rewatching offers some hard truths about the writing and production.
10/10 Viewers Know The Show's Twists And Reveals
The story's reveals are thrilling on a first watch. But these twists do not have the same effect on subsequent viewings. For example, surprises such as Cora being the Queen of Hearts, Ingrid's connection to Elsa and Anna, and Peter Pan's connection to Rumpelstiltskin are shocking due to the viewer not expecting them.
Though the narrative builds them up well, the surprise element is forever lost afterward. Unfortunately, this means that the rewatch experience does not elicit the same emotions or reactions that the first time will.
9/10 The Dark Mysterious Vibe Recedes After Season 1
Part of the show's original appeal was its darker fairy tale aesthetic. Season 1 is the best example since it combines the show's best components. The fairy tales include more non-Disney stories like Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel. Elements such as Rumpelstiltskin acting as Cinderella's fairy godmother and Red being the wolf weave the show's unique lore and are subversive and original without feeling artificial.
Emma's present-day excursions in Storybrooke add to the mystique since she is unaware of the fairy tale realm. Season 1 also masterfully balances realism with fantasy to cultivate enough doubt that the fairy tale flashbacks are even real. Sadly, this uncertainty is lost in future seasons, taking the ambiguity and unpredictability with it.
8/10 Interesting Side Characters Get Introduced And Ignored Season After Season
One of the show's biggest criticisms is its tendency to ignore intriguing side characters. Each new arc or season ushers in new fairy tale figures who stay in Storybrooke and join the cast. But when their introductory story completes, the character is often forgotten or given only the barest cameo.
Notable cases include Tinker Bell from season 3, Philip and Aurora, who first arrive in season 2, and Granny who logically could participate more but gets even less screen time than her granddaughter Red. Aurora is especially egregious since the show hints at an interesting backstory with her mother and Maleficent. But this is never expounded upon, even when Maleficent receives the spotlight as one of the Queens of Darkness in season 4.
7/10 Rumpelstiltskin's Character Development Jumps Around
Rumpelstiltskin always embodied moral ambiguity and a struggle to do the right thing. But after Baelfire's permanent death in season 3, Rumpelstiltskin's character progression becomes frustratingly tedious. The character actor Robert Carlyle purportedly stated that he believes Rumpelstiltskin's development was harmed by his son's death since it removes his main objective from the show's beginning: his eventual reunion with Baelfire.
Following this, there is no real linear arc for Rumpelstiltskin. Instead, he spends his time unreliably flopping back and forth between redemption and greedily being in search of power once again. It negatively impacts one of the show's best-loved and interesting characters and makes his relationship with Belle, one of the more popular ones with viewers at one time, look toxic.
6/10 The Fairytale Influence Gets Less Grimm And More Disney-esque
Toward the beginning, Once Upon a Time's fairy tale inspiration is eclectic and dark, more in the vein of the Brothers Grimm. However, some references and shout-outs exist to the Disney versions of certain characters, like Snow White humming "With a Smile and a Song" or Belle's iconic gold ballgown.
But these are relatively subtle and do not impede the show from creating their own interpretations of the characters and giving them unique costume designs. The Frozen arc in season 4 is where this changes. From this story onwards, characters in their original Disney appearances and characterizations seem painstakingly transplanted onto the screen. Rather than the show's earlier tone, the mood is brighter and more cartoony.
5/10 Season 7 Is A Transparent Reboot Of The Show
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Season 6 ends with the merging of all the worlds, Regina being crowned the "Good Queen," and the Storybrooke characters sharing a meal and rejoicing in their happy ending. Years later, a grown Henry's daughter arrives at his doorstep to get him back into action. This mirrors Henry's actions toward Emma at the show's outset and could theoretically serve as a bookend.
The problem is that Once Upon a Time continues into season 7 with this scenario, an attempt to reboot the show and bring it back to its roots and original popularity. Predictably, the lack of emotional investment led to this failing, and there was no eighth season.
4/10 The Flashback And Flash Forward Techniques Begin To Feel Forced
One of the show's unique devices is the usage of flash-forwards/flashbacks. The two stories are relevant to each other through cause-and-effect or thematic parallels. This could be expected of the producers who also made Lost. The device ups the narrative tension and artistry at critical points. But it feels forced when the narrative seems to contrive new events, especially to sustain the flashbacks.
For example, season 3 sends the fairy tale characters back to Storybrooke under a new Dark Curse for which Regina is not responsible. After 2.5 seasons of Regina's curse, the resulting memory loss and arrival of the season's new villain seems a convenient excuse to keep the device relevant.
3/10 Writing Cop-Outs Resolve Conflicts In A Contrived Manner
Sometimes, it seems the writers had no actual resolution planned for a storyline or, at least, had trouble finding one. Once the dramatic tension is wrung from the situation, it is often swept under the ring or given an easy solution so the story can move forward. A great example lies in Season 5. Zelena and Regina have been at each other's throats since Season 3 with no sign of stopping.
To end their feud, Cora shows up to unveil a forgotten memory she stole. It conveniently shows them playing together as children and miraculously begins their reconciliation since it proves Zelena and Regina are capable of getting along.
2/10 No Changes Permanently Alter The Show's Status Quo Or Premise
One factor that harms the show's rewatch quality is its unwillingness to shake up the story. The biggest and most permanent change with far-reaching consequences is the arrival of magic in season 1's finale. Every other finale, no matter how big the implications, never deals with permanent effects. Peter Pan's actions in the mid-season 3 finale leads to Storybrooke's disappearance, the fairytale characters returning to the Enchanted Forest, and Emma and Henry leaving for the real world with altered memories.
This is all reverted to how it was by the time the season's second half begins. Another example is Emma becoming the Dark One in season 5. By the mid-season finale, she returns to being just the Savior, while Rumpelstiltskin is again the Dark One, despite the ramifications this development could have had on the story and premise.
1/10 The Wardrobe Choices Can Be Hit Or Miss
Overall, the show's costuming tends to be beautiful and elaborately detailed. As proof of this fact, look no further than Regina's many dramatic and flattering outfits as the Evil Queen and her powerfully chic clothes as Storybrooke's mayor. But not every wardrobe decision is a success.
The fairies' outfits are one of viewers' most frequently criticized costumes since the skirts resemble jellyfish. The wigs are also inconsistent in quality, ranging from Regina's fabulously luxurious 'dos to Snow White's rather stringy and fake-looking long hair in the Enchanted Forest. Emma's get-up as the Dark One is also considered unflattering, with the bright white hair standing out oddly against her red lipstick.
Source: https://www.cbr.com/10-harsh-realities-of-rewatching-once-upon-a-tim/
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