Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26715865-20151102073210/@comment-25926288-20151102203636

The Split or not all boils down to Plot and Core Characters. The two things that drive the story (besides Settting, then combined into Conflict)

If Plot* (Action, random Quest, guest characters) is greater than the Core Characters, then the story is plot driven and most people don't like plot driven stories.

Plot, Core Characters, Setting all combine into conflict which is the classic story equation:

(---STORY)

[Plot* (Action, macguffins, quests, and guest characters) + Core Characters + Setting = Conflict]


 * Plot was modified into being more of a TV plot rather than Book Plot

In season 1, There was ample plot, great focus on the core cast, great setting = great conflict. So, the Story was great.

In season 4b, there was a lot of decent at best, mostly struggling plot, decent core characters, decent setting = vaguely decent conflict, which is at best a barely  decent story.

So, the split only effects the time frame they have, but the problem is that they rush it in a half season instead of stretching it over a season. A character arc, like Emma dealing with magic and accepting it it could happen over a season, but instead they squish it down to half a season and immensely in one two hour episode of intense focus.