Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-25733960-20180430223643/@comment-25926288-20180430231045

First, I’ll start off with my “The old pillars of the show (minus Emma) are still the same” statement. Hasn’t changed and it was detrimental to the new characters’ chances if there was a season 8 and to struggle for dominance.

In a sort if pass the torch concept, Tilly gets boosted by Rumple and Nook consistently. Henry gets from all, but at varying times.

In terms of overall story, he’s stuck in the same position Emma was ala “post-season 1” in which the villains aren’t focused or targeted on her (barring Ingrid) in any meaningful way. The closest was Ivy/Drizella but in a largely secondary sort of way as it was more like anti-hero/anti-villain/frenemy.

He’s the Nick to everybody else’s Jay Gatsby. His story is more about their story than simply his.

Henry (and Jace) were better used early on and in 7B. It’s the curse conundrum that also plagued him as a main character as he isn’t our vehicle to see things (as a Nick in The Great Gatsby) but pretty nuch a background character while most of the main cast is awake and in the interesting plots.

It’s actually (to correct myself) wrong to say he’s background like a Robin or something. It’s just that he got lost in the shuffle and really needed to be more integral in every plot.

To reiterate great authors, the protagonist needs (two of the) three things:

Repeatability/Likability

Proactivity

Competence

As the example was presented, Tilly seems stronger and is in fact stronger because she’s always been likable/relatable, into various storylines (her romance, in the Candykilller story, in Coven story, in Missing Girl story) showing her great activity even with less showings, and that’s enough. (She’s not necessarily competent, but she does lean on being correct which is solid. Most great protags are two of the three).

Similarly with Ivy if was seen to be a protagonist then she’d accomplished all three (which as a villain is also great).