Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20161128015930/@comment-25926288-20161129201053

Farerb wrote: That Black Fairy reveal was half assed. No forshadowing, no organic development (like with Pan), no nothing, as if they came up with it just 30 seconds before they wrote the script, certainly not planned since season 3. I thik they plan the season at the beginning with ideas. So, I think they planned having the Black Fairy be Rumple's mother and that's about it.

It's how I imagine. There's a white board with the list of things to introduce, then they bounce ideas off each other. Afterwards they divide it up into episodes and reflect on prior scripts. (except as we see how the good, redemptive Rumple pops up with Espenson and Goodman, but the others write him as an abusive jerk).

I think it's like the Medusa in season 3. They felt like using it, guaging the fan interest in Rumple's mom, mixed it with something and that's what we got. I think, like Medusa, they wanted her, and didn;t know where to put her. Something like "We love Greek myth. Let's have Medusa! But where would we put her? I know! Let Snow and David fight in their centric."

So, I wouldn't be hard on them not planning it from season 3 (aka before it was aired), but they should have had that idea and do what they usually do: hint at things very vaguely (like they did with Anastasia, who obviously wouldn't be Ella's stepsister, but there was a possibility).