Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-25926288-20151209141253

Think that's a song lyric somewhere....

In Once Upon a Time, there are many, many ships. Relationships, that is. Parental, friend,  and romantic and all are shown to be valuable assets in qualifying as true love.

But there's this nagging feeling that the show is turning more towards romantic love subtlely. (Who knew the show could be subtle?)

Yeah, yeah, the curses 1 and 2 were broken via the love between a parent and a child (even though those relationships were slightly sketch). We even had self-love. But the end all be all seems to be romance.

Zelena (not so subtlely) told us that Regina was defining her happiness in the arms of a man. Regina told us that it's only a part of her happiness, even though it was shown that right after Robin left, she was downright miserable and even ignored her son. Yay, that parental love, right guys?

Even there are times where Emma or Regina are spending more time with their partners than with their child. That goes for the others as well. Where is Roland? Just let Little John be his dad because he's almsot always with him. Where are the Henry and Robin moments? Why aren't there (although, there were a few) more Hook and Henry moments?

Time and time again we see broken families and not so great parents. The focus isn't on the love between them, but how brotherly (or sisterly love) can help, how friends can help, but definitely how romantic love helps.

I say this as because of some of the slightly less traveled paths I see. Let's take Nimue for example. Nimue lost her family and friends in the destruction of her villiage. Given the chance to avenge the loss of that love, I'm not surprised that Mr. "Handsome that can do magic" wasn't enough. It's the same with Rumple. His loss of his son's love greatly outweighs the trivial thing he has with Belle. Yet, it's not brought up again for the viewers' sake. The perspective is always darkness versus the one you love, rather than the loss of love versus this newfound love.

The biggest counter-example is Alice and her father. Alice choose his new family over Alice because of a previous altercation and loss of love. However, those wounds were mended and it was wonderful.

But on the main show, it's always presented that way. Romantic love seems to be the newfound way to definite happiness.

Even worse than the countless parent abandonment scenes is the funniest unintential thing in "Swan Song". Here we have parents, not even once, flinching at the thought of leaving their children forever. Why? Because they go to Hades in the name of True Love! Who can deny their cause?! But that's just stupid. A man just threatened to kill them and separate them from their kids and possibly threaten their kids. They are quick to ignore that fact to then abandon them anyway to save that man.

Even if they are the most forgiving people on the planet, they never stopped once to think about it.

Ever the worse if there is such a thing, in a show about how children are often abandoned and that the main character was and still felt like an orphan, the relationship with the parents is left on the wayside to make room for more romantic love. The show was forged on parents finding redemption towards their children and their love that they formed. But no, it's countless lovers die and now more romantic love will help; boohoo your son is dead, but let's cover that up with some sexy love; parents abused you, you lost love and was filled with a void, then the love of a child came, but that wasn't enough. That's the seasons in terms of love in a nutshell.

What are your thoughts, comments, and more? Shippers beware, there's some Anti-love in the air! 