Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25896389-20160225032648/@comment-25926288-20160806104331

I wouldn't say that such a deed is always used for shock value. There's no reason to attack the writers and Adam and Eddy by essentially name calling since none of us know them personally or enough to judge.

The brought it up a number of times in Zelena's case. They didn't outright call it that, but I can let that slide as it's a "family" show. However, they responded to it poorly. First, they shouldn't just claim "It's fantasy and magic, no big deal" which they sort of did at first. The major problem is not "using it for shock value" as I don't think they did: the pregnancy was the shocking part and anyway they did it would have been would have been the same violation.

The issue is how in-show the response was and the writing around it. From an in-show perspective, Robin is violated, honor-bound as that's who he is, joyful to have a daughter, afraid of Regina knowing, antagonized by the criminal, honor-bound to separate himself from his children, experiences the criminal not-apologize to him (but instead sort of to Regina), Regina side with the criminal, separating him from his daughter and essentially leading to his death leaving two children fatherless while the focus of the sadness isn't the victim or his kids but on the criminal and the girlfriend that influenced/ affected those poor decisions.

But besides, Robin, it's still the case that the show I would agree wants to go for showing how terrible the viallins can be and thus their crimes look a bit whitewashed as it's not that easy to come back in redemption when you're a mass murderer, sexual violator, and so much more.