#{ i got a couple of paragraphs in and felt actual rage. im just skjfksjfjdf??? }

[dissneyadult]

came across an article the other day about an "undeserved redemption arc" in o.uat and i didnt read it bc i didnt want it to be about regina. and then i felt like getting angry tonight so i looked it up again (rant under the cut)

so yes, spoiler alert, the article IS about regina "not deserving" her redemption. but here's the thing.

YES, regina committed atrocities. she's guilty of murder, ravaging villages, poisonings, etc. but the regina who earns a redemption arc is NOT that regina (also something something you can get away with a LOT in fairy tales without crossing the line, ouat is a soap opera, etc).

regina is such a nuanced and flawed character and that shows from the get-go. it takes her a LONG time to even consider that she can change and be a good person. she's selfish. she wants power. she wants love. but she also hasn't ALWAYS been that way.

seeing her in her younger years is honestly kind of heartbreaking bc it's such a stark contrast to evil queen/1st season regina. she's kind and genuine and loving. in fact, SHE'S the one who tells snow that "love is the most powerful magic of all." she doesn't want the life her mother has arranged for her (becoming royalty, all-powerful, etc). she just wants to live her life. ffs she falls for the stable boy and wants to elope with Him!!! and even when that's ripped away from her, she doesn't "turn evil" right away.

she's devastated and heartbroken but she still tries. she tries so hard to escape because she KNOWS she'll be miserable and angry every day for the rest of her life if this keeps up. she's even a good mom to snow at first and she freaks out when she realizes she's having homicidal fantasies!!! she doesn't WANT to hurt people. she doesn't even really want to use magic because it means she'll be just like her mom!

hers is a story of a vicious cycle of abuse (and a cycle she tries Desperately to stop once she recognizes it). she's also an abuser, yes, but like the old addage goes, villains are Made. if not for her mom regina would be so normal!!!

all of this said, there is no excuse for her actions! directing her rage at snow, who was a CHILD when she "betrayed regina's trust," is absolutely ridiculous and i will never stop making fun of it. committing atrocities because of her lust for power and revenge is obviously inexcusable. but again! storybrooke regina is NOT evil queen regina!

i genuinely think her turning point was when she adopted henry. before she was the evil queen, she absolutely had good maternal instincts and would have made a great mother. adopting henry was definitely a bit selfish, especially because the idea came to her after she tried to kidnap and forcibly adopt a kid akfjsk, but i do think she had good intentions in the end. she struggles as a parent at first (as she puts it, she doesn't know how to love) and even considers giving henry back when she convinces herself that he doesn't love her.

but just before she does, she finally has a bonding moment with him. she's able to soothe him for the first time ever and that changes her mind. she isn't unlovable; this kid is a blank slate and he is finally starting to warm up to her. she loves henry ok that is her son.

but like...if it weren't for henry (and how much she loves him), i genuinely do not think regina would ever see the error in her ways. it is only when her child expresses disgust for her actions and reflects the ideals SHE had as a kid/teen that she starts to rethink everything. there's a whole ass episode where storybrooke regina adopts the techniques cora (her mom) used back in the day, but when she sees the toll it is taking on henry, she STOPS. she lets him go because she understands that she cannot force him to love her.

her redemption arc is a VERY slow burn, but that is Necessary. it wouldn't be satisfying if she decided out of nowhere that she wanted to be good- but she wants to be better for HENRY. henry makes her want to change. she wants to be a mom that he won't reject. she wants to be a mom he will love.

i'm not saying that she hasn't done horrible things- rewatching ouat with my husband is a fucking Trip because the change in regina as a person is so dramatic and crazy (and still feels earned/justified!!!)- but she did deserve the redemption arc she got, 1000%. seeing her fight with herself and try everything she can to "defeat" her evil self is legitimately heartbreaking. and like...

the point of her redemption isn't that her crimes are forgivable; the point is that, no matter what you've done in the past, you have the potential to change and be better. even the most heinous villain can become good. and i think that's a fantastic message!!!

i don't understand how ANYONE can say regina didn't earn the ending she did. she fought hard to earn her place in season 6's finale. she put the work in to genuinely better herself. she tries so fucking hard and i'm actually furious that anyone can diminish that effort as "undeserved."

TL;DR: regina is best girl and her redemption arc is fantastic and earned thank you for coming to my ted talk.