Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-25375217-20150711180920/@comment-24674051-20150821175047

With all due respect, the show is NOT about the Disney stories. However, the writers acknowledge the part that Disney has played in popularizing some of the fairy tales. Names of the dwarfs as an example. Disney has had an impact on the stories that it has taken on.

But seriousely, is the Snow White story the Disney version? Not even close. It's not the Grimm Brothers version, either. It is Once's take on the fairy tale. Same with sleeping beauty, beauty and the beast, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, the Wizard of Oz, and all the other fairy tales. They take some of the apsects added by Disney (particularly the easily recognizable ones), some of the aspects of the original tale, and then provide their own spin. (Snow White as the Bandit, Peter Pan as a Villian, etc)

However, none of this has anything to do with Merida. In this case, Merida (and Brave) were not based on any existing fairy tale, but is instead a brand new fairy tale. So, all that you have to go on is the Pixar story. That does not make it any less of a fairy tale. It has all the qualities of the classic fairy tales, and I am willing to allow the story of Brave be included right next to the Snow Queen, Snow White, Cinderella, or Peter Pan.

I think the question is, how much leeway will A & E have to play with Merida and her family. And I am going to hope that they can have more fun with her than they had with Elsa and Anna. Making her Snow's mentor in archery would be a great start.