Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-11464223-20150724034444/@comment-25926288-20150725212310

I tend to always state my opinion as facts simply because I would think there is a way to discern the difference. (Truthfully, I type the way I think and when I think, I don't start with "I think". XD)

I can understand being frustrated with Neverland being pretty much unexplored and likely not to be brought up again, but they used it correctly in  a sense.

Plot, Characters, and Setting are joined together by Conflict. When you get a secondary character and the setting (like Bae living in NL), that is called filler because not being connected with the plot, it is removed from the main conflict. By this definition of not being all three elements (Plot, Char, Set) and not being related to the main conflict, most things would appear to be filler. However, lets take Hook's backstory. He was a Character, in the saame setting with a similar plot of Saving from Dreamshade. That parallels the episode, even still being kinda filler-ish.

You also have to understand that NL was pretty much 2x17-3x11 with the mystery Home Office starting earlier and Hook's appearance even earlier. It had some sort of narrative flow, likewise with the Author and Sorcerer/Apprentics arcs (even if they were iffy). The Author plot was for all of season 4 and has one that flowed a bit more naturally (just a bit forgotten at times).

The backstory of The QOD was standard as they come, you're probably forgetting that some get more than one. I mean Jiminy's was "Oh, I have bad parents." went to Rumple and then wish to be a cricket after seeing what happened. Jiminy is also in other flashbacks which makes him more well rouded and exposed.

4b was the mess it was is simple. Rushed and illogical. The way they could ahve improved was to have done Ursula's a long time ago. (she doesn't need to be involved with Ariel at all because that wouldn't make since) Cruella's was good and could be kept and they should have done Mal's in season 1 or season 2 when it actually mattered.

If it was like that then the arc would have had more air to breathe. The other part is that the QOD (when only one is an actual Queen) are distractions to the real plot and the Writing Did not Help. Writing an immortal Dragon witch, a Demi-goddess, and a Sociopath like teenage girls was incredibly stupid. I could have been okay with a little of it just for laughs, but it went oveboard. Mal even said how Ursula and Cruella were pointless in the whole schme of things.....which meant that even though I loved them, they could have just disappeared after the second episode of 4b and came back when Hook needed help and Cruella to die. All the rest could be focused on the only QoD, Maleficent.

As I said they lack proper foreshadowing and Zelena returned. Weirdly, I like her more now then in her own arc. She could have been foreshadowed in season 4a and they should have sent Robin away a bit earlier and shortened down that idiotic two hour-OMG Emma is like Elsa lulz, contrived crap. Then, you could have villainesses of darkness being mentioned in 4b and not have it look overcrowded and stuff.

In short, they had too much going on. In other words, they only had poorly exectuted storylines existing (yes, even Lily).