Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24593235-20171125231045

TVLine just put out an article where they discuss Season 7 thus far and what they think does and does not work, and it made me want to go back and evaluate all their points, what I agreed and disagreed with. So, here's what I think:

Works
 * Regina - I've not loved Regina this much since maybe the third season. Putting aside her journey for love and her inner battle between good and evil to focus on Henry and his mission this year is honestly the best thing they could've done. She's a lot more wise and mature now, and I'm actually seeing the chemistry between her and Andrew J West, something that I honestly did not expect. I'm also a huge fan of her dynamic with Drizella/Ivy and, to a lesser extent, Cinderella/Jacinda. Looking forward to more!
 * Rumbelle's Happy Ending - I was extremely skeptical about it and Emilie de Ravin's demotion, but 7x04 was one of the most emotional episodes of the show and Bobby and Emilie both put on one hell of a performance. Belle getting to see the world(s) and live a long, healthy and happy life with the man she loves and having gotten to raise her son couldn't have been anymore perfect. It also kicks off what one can only assume to be Rumple's final arc of giving up the darkness to finally reunite with Belle in the afterlife.
 * Henry - I like Henry. There, I said it. It took a little while, but the more this season goes on the more I realize I actually like Andrew J. West's portrayal of him. He's no where near as gripping as Season 1 Emma Swan was, but I'm fond enough of him and I think that, with the help of some of the other cast members (ahem, Lana Parrilla), he could potentially carry the show.
 * Drizella/Ivy - Adore everything about her. Best villain since, I don't know, Zelena? I was fond of her cameos in the premiere, and I rooted for her in 7x04 (for her happiness and winning Henry, lol). Then we learned she was awake, and 7x06 gave us her villain origin story and honestly I was sold. I'm really disappointed she's not a series regular as that makes me fear she might be shortlived, but I'm really eating up everything involving her character and story arc so far.
 * Alice/Tilly - Another major highlight of Season 7. I hated the idea of them doing another Alice because I was in love with Sophie Lowe's portrayal and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland in general, but I've absolutely adored everything about Rose Reynolds. She gives off such a positive vibe, and she plays Alice/Tilly as being so damn crazy that it's hard to not fall in love with her. I love her dynamics with both Rumple/Weaver and Hook/Rogers and am very excited to see more of her in the future. Like Drizella/Ivy, I'm disappointed she's not a series regular.
 * Lack of Male Characters - I've always found female characters more enthralling. That's just me. I don't mind the fact that all of the new characters have been women.
 * The Setting - I like Storybrooke, but I also kinda get tired of it when we're there for too long. Hyperion Heights isn't great, but it works well enough as a fresh change of scenery.

Incomplete
 * Roni - In all honesty, I found Roni very overrated and she just wasn't all that I was expecting. She didn't play that big of a role while she was around, and was maybe done away with too soon. That said, I had nothing against Roni, and her being gone meant that we were getting Regina back which was a benefit. I guess Roni just could've used a bit more fleshing out.
 * Rumplestiltskin - 7x04 is hands down one of the best episodes of Once Upon a Time, and I'm very happy that he finally wants to get rid of the dagger. That said, we've not really seen any of Rumple since then besides his scene with Regina in 7x06, and a little bit of awake Rumple in 7x06-7x08. I think his storyline needs a bit more focus before I can categorize it as "working", but I have nothing against him right now.
 * Weaver - I was intrigued by his first scene in the premiere, drowning some rando, but I honestly didn't care much for his partnership with Rogers and working for Victoria. Still don't exactly know what that was all about. He also woke up in the fourth episode and thus was very short-lived (I categorize anything after 7x04 as Rumple, if that wasn't clear). I did, however, like his dynamic with Tilly, and I still do now that he's Rumple again.
 * Wish Hook - Ignoring the fact that the Wish Realm shouldn't even exist and that there being two Hooks is a massive cop-out, I don't actually hate Wish Hook and I think the arc with him looking for his daughter actually works. We had years of the writers shoving Captain Swan down our throats, so to have Hook focusing on something else is refreshing. I look forward to more of him and Alice. That said, actually accepting Wish Hook as being part of the show in such a large way is hard to swallow, and I'm still annoyed with how Alice was conceived.
 * Rogers - I really did not care at all about the Eloise Gardener mystery, and nothing about his partnership with Weaver has really done anything for me. That said, I do quite like him and Tilly growing bond and look forward to him regaining his memories and them being reunited. I also hope that this season will finally, one and for all, bury the hatchet between him and Rumple. I'd have preferred it stay buried after Season 2, but hey, we don't get what we want with this show.
 * Cinderella - I've loved Dania Ramirez since her Devious Maids days, so I was saddened to tune into the premiere and be put off by her portrayal of Cinderella. It has since approved (side note: her warrior outfit is way better than her ball gown), and I'm slowly being won over by the character and storyline. I don't blame Dania as I know she's a good actress (Devious Maids, seriously, watch it), but the writing could be better.
 * Jacinda - And then there's her real world counterpart... Jacinda was the best part of 7x01 for me, but after that she pretty much went down hill. She was always angry, kinda whiny, and just overall not that rootable. I think that's slowly starting to change, especially with last week's two-parter. I really felt for her when she and Lucy were separated. Again, I think this all comes down to the writing and not Dania Ramirez. Jacinda and her storyline just needs some more positiveness.
 * Tiana/Sabine - I'm sorry, but why is she a regular? Unlike Drizella/Ivy who's contributed more to Season 7 as a guest star than half the main cast, and I'm having trouble figuring out why Tiana's here. Don't get me wrong, Mekia Cox is wonderful and gives off a very warm presence, and I like her dynamic with Jacinda. However, so far we've gotten very little of the actual character. She hardly did anything the first three episodes, missed the episode before her centric and the two after her centric. I liked 7x05 enough, and she's certainly got potential, but so far she's not done enough to fully win me over.
 * Henry's Love Story - I've really gone back and forth on this one over whether or not I like Henry and Ella (or Henry and Jacinda). I want to like it since this is the main love story they're pushing, and there has been moments where I've been on board (any time there's a sword fight), but I still think it could be more believable. We need more scenes of the two of them, being happy and getting along. So far there's been a lot of angst between Henry and Jacinda, and I think that's something that needs working on. Perhaps Jack's introduction will help with that.

Doesn't Work
 * Captain Swan's Happy Ending - I'm sorry, but no. I don't buy Emma leaving Henry to go spend a life with Hook and her new replacement child. Jennifer Morrison also appeared far too little in her final episode ever, and bringing Wish Hook in was a complete cop-out. If they wanted Captain Swan to have their happy ending then I don't think Hook should be on the show. Period. Colin O'Donoghue is a good actor and a fan favorite, but it's wrong to keep him around solely for that.
 * Lady Tremaine/Victoria Belfrey - The Evil Queen was a villain you just loved to hate. Lana Parrilla played her so tremendously and managed to show many different sides of a traditionally irredeemable character. You hated Regina, but at the same time you wanted her to get her happy ending. I do not want that for Victoria Belfrey. It's been eight episodes and I've not found a single likable trait about this character. She's just... bad. That's it. All there is to it. And that doesn't have to be a bad thing - take Cruella - but at least Victoria Smurfit played her in a way that was so deliciously evil. I don't care for Gabrielle Anwar's performance as Victoria. There's still over half a season to change my mind, but she just pales in comparison to villainesses like Regina, Zelena, and even Drizella.
 * Gothel - She pretty much embodies everything wrong about this season and the show in general. Once Upon a Time can be pretty hit or miss, but for the most part they nail their costumes pretty well. I... can't even with Gothel's. I really cannot tell how old Emma Booth is playing her as, and quite frankly I don't care. Her reveal in 7x03 was nothing special, and I'm pretty sure I zoned out. Her being "Eloise Gardener" wasn't really exciting because that was the storyline I cared the least about (seriously, I'm pretty sure I zoned out for all of those scenes). And then let's top it off with the fact that she repeated the Robin/Zelena baby arc of Season 4, which has got to be one of the most hated storylines of the show. I'm sorry, but she's really got nothing going for her.
 * Lucy - Not much to say here because she doesn't really do much of anything. Henry was such a focal part of Season 1, really tying everything together, but Lucy honestly feels very irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. It feels like she's there just because Season 1 had a kid, but she's not really that important to the plot. Also, she's less likable that Henry Season 1. And I didn't even like Henry Season 1.
 * Timeline - And it hasn't for seasons now, so why bother discussing it?

Anyways, what do you all think? What does and does not work for Season 7? Check out the original article here. 