Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160414154159/@comment-27976931-20160429140303

Personally loving this arc, more so than anything since Season 3B. I've only disliked two episodes (5x15 and 5x18), while I've loved five (5x13, 5x14, 5x16, 5x17 and 5x19). Hades is a pretty cool villain, and I like that he's different from the rest. Unlike people like Pan, Zelena, Ingrid, etc., he doesn't just have some big evil plan he wishes to fulfill; he's just made that the heroes are barking up his turf. He had a pretty good thing going for himself in the Underworld, ruling over the dead, and Emma and company just show up and mess all that up.

With the exception of Robin Hood, I think all of the series' regulars have been used pretty well. Emma's led the mission, Snow has had some key focus and character development (I especially like her being an addition to visiting Daniel's grave; it was just making everything come full circle, really). I think David's been getting enough moments of helping out, Henry currently has a storyline with the author stuff, that I believe leads into the finale? I adore the Rumbelle baby story, and that Belle got three episodes of nice focus before Emilie de Ravin ultimately had to step down to have her baby IRL. Zelena just gets better each episode. I just can't not root for her. Every emotion and action Rebecca Mader portrays Zelena displaying, I just can't help but jump onboard.

I've enjoyed the simple flashback stories this arc, with them going back to some old, unresolved stories instead of coming up with contrived histories with arc recurrers. Hey remember when Snowing sacrificed Maleficent's baby and Belle chose a rock over Anna, who was falling off a cliff? Good times. But yeah, stuff like explaining how Henry Sr. got to Wonderland was great, and I'm glad they decided to explain that in the show's 100th. 5x13 explained the setup 2x20 story about learning to fight and stuff, as well as touching more on Snow's relationship when growing up with Regina. 5x14 showed Killian and Milah's first meeting, which, even though I personally never cared to see it, I now love that we did. Not to mention, Belle's engagement to Gaston and what next episode appears to be Emma's bail bondsman origins.

This arc, to me, does a lot of payoff for the show itself, which I'm pleased with. Bringing back all the dead characters for stories is cool and we can finally resolve some stuff that never did get the closure it deserved. 5x19 was just great in terms of stuff like that; Cora saying goodbye to both her daughters really makes me tear up and I praise Bex and Barbara for their performances.

Don't get me wrong though, I still have some reservations about his arc. I absolutely utterly despise 5x18's reveal of Ruby and Dorothy being the lesbian couple. I thought it was a huge slap in the face to those who have been waiting years for Mulan's story to finally be continued, and when it looked like it would be, it ended with her standing with Snow and 20 munchkins watching Meghan Ory and Teri Reeves having an intense makeout session. Meanwhile, the whole thing with Emma giving Hook half her heart is beyond retarded. THAT IS NOT HOOK THAT IS A SOUL. Snow ripped her heart in half and put it in Charming's actual corpse in the Enchanted Forest, she never went to the Underworld for him. If this even works, Emma should be putting her heart into Hook's corpse that was dragged off in 5x11.

But yeah, overall, really loving 5B. :)