Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-6252544-20160213233306/@comment-25926288-20160214000843

Always consider that they update things. It's common in other shows that you always build bigger.

Regina was never stated to be the strongest, she was simply a witch. She defeated Maleficent, but that was because they had to build her up as a threat. You can't have Regina looking weak and powerless in a season in which she's head honcho. Likewise, the Dark One changed as the show went on, but we clear see that as Rumple was just a wizard, but the DO and Rumple never did anything like Merlin who grew an entire Forest with a wave of his hand. Actually, Rumple only did a magical attack like five times and most are telekinesis or fireballs.

It is simple that the writers progressed as they mostly use it as a plot device (aka to do whatever they want it to do). WE've seen Emma and Zelena  and Regina and as well as Jafar vaporize people with a wave of their hand, yet they don't use it when fighting. Literally, Jafar froze a room full of people and then turned them into dust, yet when Cyrus took the staff, he legit ran away and nothing else.

So,

1. They ignore this part because the question "Why didn't Regina kill Snow along time ago?" I previously theorized that Regina had the ability to kill Snow, but could never actually do it because she loved Snow. But 3b says that Regina would have easily killed Snow with no remorse. So, Regina saw threw a mirror Snow cahorting with dwarves, yet she could have fireballed her form her chair. Plus, she'd never have to look for Snow, when the mirror would always find her.

2. Offscreen, Cora ripped an entire group of people into oblivion, yet somehow she had to toss fireballs at three people. So Cora vs 20 is doable, but Cora vs 3, can't win. Just how the story goes. Cora didn't want to kill Snow, though as Cora had a plan to ruin Snow and Eva's legacy. And yes, we saw Cora poof Neal and Emma out of the way, so she could have done that in the beginning, but writers wanted to have a good fight before ending it. The hilarious thing is we don't know what spells Cora knows, but Regina could have simply immobolized them and they both would be dead, easily.

3. Season 5 was totally fine. Regina couldn't open the portal because she wasn't strong enough. She didn't stop Percival because she was trying to stay undercover. She could have killed him, but she was surrounded by PErcival's friends and she didn't want to risk that. Regina never killed any of them because if she killed them then shed have to face the entire kingdom and that might put Snow and the others at risk.

But Regina has neveer frozen multiple people, only one. Same with Zelena as she foroze multiple people, but one by one. Only Rumple, Pan, and Jafar with his and Amara's magic froze multiple people.

Magic is a plot device and it's suppose to be, however, they sort of make it really obvious.

Merlin was told to kill SNow and he took his sweet time using a vine to choke her. That is totally legit, but Emma easily knocking out a fellow Dark One, erasing his memories, making him not notice he was a Dark One is contrived as you would think he realized he doesn't sleep, lol.