Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160820125814

Alternative name for the thread: Is the show dragging on?

The show, like any other, has some key points that resolves its story. For Once, they are quite simple. (1) Rumple overcoming his addiction and finding his son. (2) Snow and Regina, with their pursuit to happiness. (3) Emma, a walled-up orphan, has to be the Savior, the one that will break the Curse.

Now, the show has done a zig-zag of resolving some of these issues, while continuing others. Emma technically resolved a portion of hers just by breaking the curse. This is why many were shocked that the curse was broken in the first season. We've met the bittersweet ending of the show in 3A. Rumple commits the greatest selfless act after finding his son. Snow and Regina give up a portion of their happiness. The Curse is reversed. Great! The show ends once more (if you change Rumple's murder of Zelena and Elsa coming). Rumple pays for his sins, yet comes out stronger. Snow and Regina make amends and both achieve happiness. Emma lets down her walls to love again. The curse is broken.

But....the show goes on. The show ends again bittersweet in 5A (ignoring the last 5 minutes). Emma defeats Darkness, making the ultimate sacrifice. Rumple overcomes his addiction and finds true love and heroism. Regina finds happiness (bonding with Zelena instead of banishing her). With good reason, the show continues. 5B is yet another ending (ignoring Robin's death). The heroes overcome their past and love triumphs. (Rumple TLK's Belle instead) Regina and Snow put Daniel  and their feud to rest. (The finale doesn't occur as such.)

Don't get me wrong. I want the show to go on for a few more seasons and see the smart business move that it may be. However, the longer the show goes on, the less I feel that the writers truly know how to end the show. I believed them seasons ago, but the premise of the next season seems....aimless, I suppose. Actually the next season could have been a slight reboot, or start of a new major (like several seasons arc) storyline, like "What happens next?" It could be somewhat like that, but it still tries to connect with the "been there, done that" stuff. As much as I love the Evil Queen, it's honestly just feeling a retread. How many times is Rumple going to sell Storybrooke for his ambitions? Is Emma's wall bigger than the Great Wall of China? Or is it like a hydra where you destroy one wall and two more grow back? Can this show have less, better unoffical endings than a Lord Of the Rings movie?

What do you think? Do you see the show ending? How do you think it'll happen? Feel free to comment with your thoughts and even your theories [no spoilers please] below. 