Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-5899967-20180512123325

Before I start, I begin saying that generally I feel disappointed by Once's finales because I set expectations too high, but my favorites are 1, 3 and 4. I tend to revaluate them later when I see them again.

Reasons why the part one of season seven finale is already better than six, which I thought was okay:

1. Many happy returns: even just for short scenes, Cruella, Apprentice and Ariel were definitely used well in their short time. Plus I'm sure there is more to come.

2. Focus on old and new characters: Alice and Robin among the new ones, Henry, Regina, Hook and Rumple among the old. I'm glad there is a Rumple focus because he is my favorite character, and Henry because he his this season's protagonist. And little focus on Jacinda, yay!

3. A better villain: Rumple makes so much sense as a villain than Fiona, who was good but could have been better. I hope Rumple gives more of a fight though.

4. Actually a new storyline: even though Rumple's plan feels a bit convoluted, a corrupted Author is a great idea, I know they did it in season 4 but I like it if they manage to make it different, possibly with bad endings for each character.

Reasons why I thought the season six finale was too simple, predictable and boring:

1. Too much linearity: you can already tell where the story is gonna go from the beginning. There aren't many twists.

2. Recycled plots: Emma going back to non-belief, Evil Queen sacrifice, Snow and Charming's kiss to wake up, the beanstalk climb, the swordfight between Emma and Gideon, everything has already been done here.

3. Heroes win: at one point, you can tell everything is gonna be good again, just when everything was lost, the heroes start to win and win, it's predictable, I thought the happy ending montage was good enough but still, everything is sunshine and flowers. I prefer bittersweet endings. Even though that last supper scene was emotional.

4. Fiona eliminated: she gets defeated too easily. I mean, Gothel wasn't even a final villain and she gave more problems, more of a fight against Alice.

I hope my expectations really live up to the second part of the finale, because it feels like a set up for it for now, so yeah, fingers crossed. Even without Emma, it seems like a good finale, not the best one ever, but still superior to season six. 