Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160926013536/@comment-5106672-20160926191038

Eskaver wrote: In this current season everything is indeed in redux, but it's also a storytelling stylistic choice. Now, don't mistake my use of the word redux for eveything prior though. I'll elaborate:

Rumple on a quest to choose love over power; Be with his son.

-This is revisiting a previous story arc, but trying to end with a new outcome. First was the fall and sacrifice, this should be redemption and victory.

Belle leaving Rumple for the umpteenth time.

-This isn't some narrative style but a repeated plot point and borderline cyclical character.

Although 6x01 gets a lot of flack, it's actually moving character forward (except Emma). They would have been better off not giving Emma the "walls down" arc last season to just repeat it. Truth be told, this show easily could be a solid 5 seasons if you remove some filler (ahem, season 4) and change a few things.

Once can continue for years on end, but it's clear that the writers don't plan too. With the redux mode season 6 is in, it's pretty clear they are wrapping it up. Once can't continue without these characters. Characters are an investment and the only choice then would be a spin-off, which is honestly what BRave and Frozen could have been, but it was not to be.

The writers are doing the right thing right now. Is it too late? Well, our relationship with the show is essentially Rumbelle (Rumple being the writers, we being Belle). I like to believe that there's hope. Well, the fact that at least some of the redux is intentional and played as a "same situation, different outcome" is pretty clear from the Rumbelle segment: they deliberately tried to draw a parallel with Skin-Deep and have it play out differently. Which almost did, on Rumple's part, except Belle wasn't quite as keen. But they need to be very careful with that. Especially with Belle, who's getting very repetitive – and unfortunately I think we're going to get an awful lot of Rumbelle because, well, what's coming out next spring?

I think we might have a issue with Zelena, too: I love her character and her arc, but she's following on Regina's foosteps and, if they're going to play the get-better-relapse-over-again, she's really going to be S2 Regina 2.0, which was one of the lowest points of the character. Fortunately, she seemed pretty consistent with her new direction since her heel-face turn last season, so maybe we'll be spared that.

Interestinlgy, I think there was something off about JenMo and Robert's acting in the last episode. Actually, there might have been for a while, now. I don't know, I just get the impression they're just doing their job without any passion for their characters anymore – which, in Robert's case, is pretty much undestandable, considering Rumple's been on a downward spiral since mid-S2. I don't know, just compare it with what Lana and Rebecca did, or even with what Ginny did with whatever little material they gave her. If I'm right, that might really be a problem for the show's longevity.