Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-25491743-20180209181244/@comment-25926288-20180401141230

Aine1989 wrote: I wish we could all get along like we used to in season 1. I wish that I could bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles and we'd all eat and be happy. I was about to say something along those lines.

We had "ships" like Rumbelle, Snowing, Gremma and SwanQueen and even random ones here and there, but theory and excitement came first.

I think all that changed when the fire nation atta--I mean around 3B and then 4. I think 3B was a good, solid arc, but killing off Neal in a wonky way set up ships to be in a foul mood. Them, 4A did bring in viewers, but I feel that the old guard and the newbies were travelling in different directions.

Some were ready to see how they adapt a familiar tale/movie with such twists and creativity. Others were waiting to see their Disney loves realized.

Oddly, it felt as though the earlier seasons were down to earth in a sense. I love the wacky, magicalness that Once has, but it is part of a weird balance of extremes. More Camp, but also deeper topics and darker scenes, but there was really very little middle left.

Take Murder Most Foul by Jane Espenson. That feels Season 1 to 3 (aka great) to me. Feels likek it goes together. You have a good number of those "This is Once" episodes. But more spread out and let's not get on to character cycles.