Board Thread:Fanon: Season 8 & Beyond/@comment-25551215-20191204022821/@comment-25551215-20200124213347

'''What can you tease about the midseason finale? – Truest Believer'''

"The midseason finale is pretty rough for Regina," Lana Parrilla says. "Quite a few of her closest allies, including Snow, David, and Zelena – all of whom are in the episode – turn on her. The title of the episode, 'The Good Queen', really speaks volumes about what this episode is about. We're seeing her struggle with the scarlet brand and her impending death, and we're really going to see whether or not Regina will be able to fulfill the title of the Good Queen. The big question we're asking this season is, is the Evil Queen really gone? And that propels Regina's arc going into the midseason finale."

Bonus Scoop: Lana Parrilla will also be playing the Wish Realm and Serum Evil Queens in a fascinating scene that "puts Regina's journey into perspective".

'''Anything on Drizella? – Winged Pig'''

"Drizella's back in a really gripping flashback that really puts Regina's journey into perspective. It fits with the theme of good vs. evil," Parrilla muses. "The flashback is set during when Drizella learns how to cast the Dark Curse, and how Regina grapples with that and tries to stop her. It fills in a few blanks from Season Seven."

Bonus Scoop: Though Drizella and the New Enchanted Forest will be returning, we can confirm that the nefarious Gothel and her infamous Coven of the Eight will not be returning, nor will Henry Mills and Cinderella. However, Snow, Charming, and Zelena will be returning in flashbacks and present-day events.

'''What can you tell us about the Black Cauldron? – Nick Branson'''

"Ooh, the Black Cauldron," Rose Reynolds smiles. "It's very much tied in to the episode, both in the past and the present. It's basically a magical MacGuffin that lets people talk to the dead. Spoilers – but the episode is a Hester and Chillingworth centric, and we see in the past that Rumple wants to use it for... well, reasons. In the present, it's a source of conflict. It starts off with Margot and I trying to use it to contact some people we've lost, but the bad guy steals it from us and that sets off a big battle with some major repercussions. We also get some resolution with another character's arc. Someone else ends up with the Cauldron at the end of the episode and he uses it to talk to some people."

Bonus Scoop: Robert Carlyle will in fact be reprising his role in Enchanted Forest flashbacks and present-day United Realms events.