Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24892318-20140530013558/@comment-24898439-20140609015135

I'm still thinking that Marian will turn out to be an evil villain. It amps the drama and gives them a villain for the 4B arc. Not too mention it will allow the consequences of Emma and Hook's messing with the timeline to be something other than the personal heartbreak of Regina. Bringing Elsa to SB I think is unlikely to have long term consequences, for I doubt any character of major importance is going to die because of it. Rather, I think that there will be the threat of harm, and no doubt discomfort, and some people will turn into icicles, though everything will be ultimately turned back to normal.

However, much as people love Elsa, if they are to keep her from being a true villain (and I doubt she will be killed), I can't see that extending beyond the 4A arc. They will need some sort of villain for 4B. Marian as evil being, i.e. Maleficent of the Black Fairy or some other, would fill that role handily, not to mention that it would make a nice parallel arc for Regina. As the villain of the first season she spent her time trying to ruin the Charming's happy ending/trule love. Would it not make sense to have a villian who spent her/its time trying to ruin hers by being the fly in the OQ ship ointment? Moreover, they've already said that Regina will not go full-on evil again, and while Rumple could become a villain again (assuming he loses Belle for misleading her in regards to the dagger), too many fans ship Rumbelle, so I can't really see that happening either. Thus, I would think that they would need a villain for the second half that was truly evil.