Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4962906-20151023123622/@comment-25926288-20151023165529

I think that each season of Once just gets progressively worse, or rather not to my liking.

I know some will fling hate at me, but I don't really care for the campy fun-fun Once has turn into.

I should even compare, but season 1 was dark, bleak, and had a fantasy versus reality clash with some fun here and there, mostly in flashback. Season 2 was a bit off, but it had was just as it was to be. Season three returned to the character focused, dark/bleak, creepy twist they did to fantasy while including fun now and again. Then there was season 4.

As the show progressed, the major plot points of old got downplayed more and more while the retcons, contrivances, and over-the-top increased. The deleted scene with Regina and Ingrid was great, but you could see the difference between that and season 1. If the Madam Mayor from season 1 was inserted into season 4a, I think she wouldn't match with the light, campiness. I mean the SoSS was a joke of a spell.

Season 5a, I would have said is improving upon that, but I think I retract that. It has an illusion of dark, seriousness, and stuff, but it's not fooling me. The plot retcons are growing, the plot devices are recycling themselves, and the off-putting stuff is becoming more off-putting. For some reason with season 4 and 5, the serious stuff is the flashbacks and the campy fun stuff is present day.

I'll give an example so far:

The Tower vs White Out vs Seige Perilous

I was more afraid (if I actually could feel) in the Tower, than impressed by the heriosm of Seige Perilous, and motivated by White Out. They all are relatively boring or typical David episodes, but they all have a different feel. Zelena felt like a seriouis threat, aware, and things felt bleak. White Out was terrible compared to the others. Arhtur was getting a cult leader vibe, but everything seems muddied or confused.

Character Development

I totally felt for David and his fears of losing and failing his daughter and family. David getting brave was out of a kid's cartoon and David wanting become a hero and independent seemed like a slight parody. 3x14 and 5x03 are closer in similarity, but you if you rewatch both, they feel different. David even fights a knight in both and is finding a magical macguffin. People seem to hate TT more than SP, when developmentwise TT is better, in original premise of reality ve fantasy TT is better, in ratings TT is better, in usage of macguffin, TT is better, in terms of intimidating villain, TT is better, the chreograpnhy, TT is better, the cinematography, I don't know, the guardians of the macguffin, TT is better, in terms of parther (Arthur vs Rapunzel), is the only place I see SP being better.