Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-6175354-20141215234519/@comment-24674051-20141231150329

Chameleon-Guy wrote: Interesting that you did the list, I thought of one today as well, based on what's been confirmed:

412 - The Queens of Darkness and Rumple - how they teamed up in the past and how they meet again in the present.

413 - Snow and Charming, with their past with the QOD, they will also be tempted by darkness

414 - Regina, her flashbacks features the first meeting with Maleficent

415 - Ursula, the mithology, her family, what made her a villain

416 - Maleficent, the first part of her story

417 - Robin Hood, his life in the LWM with Marian in the present, his past as a thief, that includes Will

418 - Cruella, her EF version, her past with Rumple

419 - Hook, his past with Ursula centuries ago

420 - Will, his conflict with Maleficent, why he left Wonderland and what happened to Anastacia

421 - Maleficent and Aurora, the second part of the Sleeping Beauty storyline

422 - ???

I didn't include a proper Rumple episode or a Belle or Emma episode because they all got 2 in the Frozen arc. The final episode could be about Emma, or about the next arc, though it could also be about any characters we already know, don't forget the season 2 finale was about Hook. Nice list. However, based on what we have confirmed (both in terms of story up throuh 4x15, and in terms of "promised" backstories) there are a couple of modifications (My personal opinion, please feel free to disagree)

416 - In keeping with the apparent trend, and based on the info from Jane E., 4x16 is likely going to be some sort of back story for Cruella.

418 - Sleeping Beauty (aka Maleficent/Aurora/Stefan), this is primarily based on having Stefan cast already, though he may very well appear in Storybrooke as well earlier than the season.

419 - I agree with Hook, but I question whether he has a past with Ursula. (Even though she is the most logical of the 3 to have had a past with). This could be a flashback that sets up future arcs (maybe a pirates arc with Long John Silver and Blackbeard, We'll call that one Pirates of Storybrook Harbor).

420 - Rumple and The Sorcerer - I see this episode as a sort of wrap on the QOD arc (and hopefully with no villain deaths for a change), and an introduction to the sorcerer (a big player in season 5)

421 - Will - I think that, particularly with this half of the season, we will be getting morsels of the OuATiW, and specifically Will and Anastasia. This is the big reveal on that story line, and may very well also be a jumping off point for another future story arc.

422 - Arthur/Merlin/Camelot - Not detailed (since that would be for Season 5) but enough to introduce them and set up for the season 5 arc.

422 alternate idea - Zoso, or other previous Dark Ones. Definitely a Rumple-centric episode setting up for addressing his being the current Dark One.