Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160425010026/@comment-1916997-20160425161549

Farerb wrote: CoolDudeAl wrote: Farerb wrote: Eskaver wrote: Farerb wrote: Retcons were shameless this episode. Regina and Zelena meeting, Cora wasn't an abusive mother. That ruined the whole episode for me, but what did I expect at this stage? Are you going to be cheerful about the good things? Just asking. Regina and Zelena meeting wasn't what I liked but there;s nothing wrong with that. It's not a plot hole because it was filled back up and it explains somethings. Just because it wasn't the best secret they could have doesn't mean that it's a RETCON! worthy moment.

And Cora was clearly abusive or did you not see the end of the flashback? Cora is manipulative and pretty callous and it stayed that way at the end of the flashback. Cora is not to blame for what Zelena did to Regina in 3B-4 or whatever Zelena and Regina did to other people. This whole backstory is a contrived way to "redeem" Zelena and I'm tired of that tbh. Cora moving to the good place was a joke, all the horrible things she has done to Regina? to Snow? to Eva? are null and void because she revealed her secret?

I get that people like this episode because Mills women hype, but it doesn't change the fact that it is flawed, and yes they retconned three characters backstories because PLOT and ZELENA REDEEMED and ZELENA AND REGINA RELATIONSHIP THAT WON'T MAKE ANY SENSE and doing a forgetting ex machina doesn't change that it was a retcon. You really seem to have a problem with any and all retcons, even when they make sense, so all I can say is I don't know why you would watch or read anything in a serialized format. Retcons are going to happen in anything that is serialized, as it is just the nature of serialization. If it bothers you on the deep level it appears to, I'd suggest sticking to works where the entirety is covered at one time, like a stand alone novel or movie. I just don't understand the point of complaining about something that you know is going to happen in a serialized format. Retcons are not necessarily bad, but retconning every small thing just because what they previously established doesn't fit what they want to do is bad writing and poor planning.

You wouldn't know this because it seems like you're not familiar with great serialized works of fiction in book, film or TV forms. Just because there are other things that you like too much to hate on, doesn't mean they don't suffer from the exact same things Once does. Even the Harry Potter book series, which is probably the best work of fantasy fiction in the last 50 years, has some questionable retconning. Like I said, it is going to happen in the serialized format. And Once doesn't "retcon" every small thing. I thought the flashback had everyone very much in character. Cora went to whatever lenghts she had to, to make sure Regina could become queen. So to me, that fits perfectly. Furthermore, both Regina and Zelena have only been seen as babies, and then again around 18 years old (played by Lana and Bex), so we really had no idea what sort of things could have went on between 0 and 18.