Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4962906-20151023123622/@comment-25926288-20151024224043

I might have seemed a tad harsh, but it was no less true.

As for the 11 episode arcs, it is more complex than anyone is letting on. The 11-episode arcs are wonderful, but the problem isn't the length but the lack of spillover. Season 4 did a decent job doing the Author arc throughout the two parts, but they struggled in 4a to focus on it because stuff (They had Regina apologize sigifying the writers realized they neglected to focus on the Author plot).

It is also a case of persepctive. They did the Author arc, which was too submissive to the Frozen plot, but then was too dominant in 4b and it made the QoDs pretty lackluster. It's an issue of balance rather than just implementing different styles.

The Camelot Quest, while I like it, is doing the Frozen thing. I don't know much about Dark Swan, her true motivation, or what happened, because there isn't enough focus on her. YOu would think by the promos that Dark Swan is dominating and as vindictive as Madam Mayor, but she's coming off as Rumple (in the shadows), but not as subtle and much more ambigous and vague.

The Camelot Quest doesn't take away from it, but this is the only time I think there should be more Emma. This arc should be Emma focused, but it's not. 4b was a bit more Emma focused than this. How is Henry dealing with this and he should be talking to Violet, Regina, or Robin about it. Snow and David should keep chatting and debating ways to save and acting on it. Hook is alright. But instead we have Belle, Robin, Zelena doing nothing but existing for a scene that has them doing nothing. Henry is tossed a love interest but we never see them do any meaningful interaction. Regina is just spouting one-liners. Granny and the Dwarves are the walking one-liners. Snow and David have been ok, but then were dusted. Rumple just woke up from a coma. So, all we have so far is Emma's great development, Hook's angst, and a ton of stuff that equates to ), zip, nada, nothing.

Arthur and Camelot is intriguing, but for the overall ac they aren't really equating towards anything. "Love is a weapon" is the major theme and I see at most two instances of that and that's it.