I am a fan of Once Upon a Time, an abc TV show. It has five seasons that are still ongoing. I have been watching them on Netflix, so I have not seen anything of season five, but I did just binge watch season four. While watching it though, patterns are seen with everything. The entire show is getting predictable in a way that it is stuck in a loop. Sure, the characters are interesting—although they seem to be learning the same lessons over and over again, ‘trust yourself’, ‘don’t hold a grudge’, ‘magic always comes with a price.’ They can’t learn from their mistakes—The romances are cute and charming (get it!? Charming. They are Charming?) and there is something about it that draws you back in. Probably those major cliffhangers. And yet, it is at the point where I can tell where everything is going to end up, because of the loop I mentioned before. Here are some examples of things that just keep happening every season causing the same conclusions.
The bad guys are not really bad guys: There has
only been one case that I can recall where the bad guy was just an evil person
from the start. Someone always made them bad through scheming or by accident. In
either case, instead of killing the not-so-bad-bad-guy they are usually saved
from their evil ways. (In Rumpelstiltskin's case, it is a temporary save each
time) Even if they do kill the villain they always come back, even if it is
just through flash backs. They are causing chaos in the past, again.
A flashback in a flashback in a flashback: Not really a
prediction-scheme, but a regular occurrence none the less. Since the beginning, half
of the episodes are in flashbacks, showing everyone why they are all in such
deep water. (Honestly, if you think about it the longer the seasons get pretty
soon every second of the past in the characters lives are going to be mistakes
and decisions made that cause a big rupture in the future). It rarely happens
but there has been an episode or two where there the flashback is in a
flashback. You would think they had all learned from their past mistakes. Apparently
not.
The antagonists plan never works: Sure there
is the main plan to catch those nasty heroes, but there is also the backup
plan. The subtle plan we discover fairly quickly throughout the episodes,
along with the heroes. As soon as Emma and her team of heroes discover this
plan they thwart it so that the antagonist cannot not succeed, but by the end
of the season in a fluck accident or by another power we see the second plan
comes to pass, leaving the heroes and the audience staring bewildered at
something they have to deal with in the next season.
Two Stories: We have the
main big problem, that started the season before, that goes to the mid season
and is dealt with. The second half of the season is another problem or villain
they have to deal with. Sure it keeps the season fresh, but so predictable.
The Newbie doesn’t like you: Whenever
someone new is introduced one of the older characters has met them and has a
past with them. (Oh look, another flashback). And, every time that character
despises someone (usually a Charming) or someone despises that character until
they are either convinced or forced to alley themselves to the group. Everyone
has at some point. (except Zelena, yet).
Someone needs a pep talk: So whenever
someone is struggling with an inner conflict or mad at someone or is just
cranky they of course get their pep talk, even Regina (the Evil Queen) gives
her bit of advice when Emma is being stubbornly mad at her parents, it happens
every season about something. The pep talk every time, no matter your problem
is; trust yourself. Yes, there are
more words in the actual conversation, maybe a story (even another flashback)
but when you break it down it is always trust yourself, listen to your heart.
(Which, has its own foundation problems, but that is another discussion).
So, those are my observations
I am pretty sure I had more, but you get the gist of my knit-picking. I did not
write this for the purpose of making people hate the show, it was just
something I had been thinking about and maybe it will make you think. I will
probably continue watching the seasons until they come to an end, because if
anything, they are very good with the cliffhangers.
Careful, Sweety, magic always comes with a price.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
