Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-11190633-20160106091215/@comment-24674051-20160106210939

I think if we look at the end of 3B, minus the Elsa reveal, coupled with what we know, we might get a few hints.

1. Marian was brought back from the past, which was going to happen anyway. and that probably ties into the whole reveal that Zelena posed as Marian. That reveal may have been slotted for 4A. The fact that they quickly took Marian out of the picture until 4B tends to confirm this hypothesis.

2. 4A was going to introduce the whole concept of the Author, Apprentice, and Sorcerer. Those plot points had nothing to do with Frozen/Snow Queen initially, though they were incorporated into the story by the end of the arc.

3. Lily as Emma's Darkness Vessel/Childhood friend seems to be detached from Frozen, and was probably originally slated to be introduced with 4A as well. (and my opinion is that Lily was always intended to be Mal's daughter).

4. 4B, aside from more focus on the Author, was also intended to be Emma's descent into darkness.

So with all of the above, my guess is that:

4A was originally intended to be Apprentice & Author, and Midseason Finale would have been Heroes and Villians (minus the release of Darkness from Rumple). Lily would still have been introduced, and we might have seen the concept that Lily was Mal's daughter earlier and better set up.

4B would have been dealing with whether Emma could be lured to darkness, and would still have ended with Rumple breaking free of the darkness and Emma becoming tethered to it.

Just my guess, though.