#They really liked going to Steveston in season one

[mnemonicpneumaticknife]

I only watched a few episodes of the X-Files until recently so I'm getting to enjoy recognizing all the filming locations from living in the general area but it's like:

Hey Squidward! I recognize the location where they filmed this!

[onceland]

Fairy tale ending: Inside the magical Once Upon a Time series finale

To read more scoop on this year’s season finales, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, or buy it here now. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

“Oh, man, I’m fired. Guys, I think this might be my last day!” Once Upon a Time is in its final days of production, and Ginnifer Goodwin is feeling particularly punchy after flubbing a line during a pivotal scene. Her Snow White stands before our beloved heroes at a massive war-room table, giving a rousing speech about hope as it seems all but lost. A great evil threatens to steal their happy endings once and for all — if it sounds like a moment from the pilot, there’s a reason for that. As actress Jennifer Morrison puts it, “The heartbeat of the show has always been hope.”

Despite being the brainchild of Lost writers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, Once’s premise — Snow White and Prince Charming’s (Josh Dallas) daughter Emma Swan (Morrison) returns after 28 years to rescue a variety of legendary literary characters, like Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge) and Little Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory), from the Evil Queen’s (Lana Parrilla) dark curse — seemed a lot to swallow when the series launched in 2011, and many critics expected the fairy-tale mash-up to fail.

Instead, OUAT went on to become one of ABC’s top performers, bewitching audiences with emotionally grounded and relatable stories that resonated with adults and children alike for seven seasons. “Even though it’s about fairy-tale characters, the writers have written [the show] in such a way that really goes to the heart of everybody,” says Colin O’Donoghue, who joined the show in season 2 as Captain Hook. “That’s hopefully where it will endure.”

Part of the show’s initial appeal was the OUAT bosses immediately bucking age-old expectations, setting a game-changing tone of female empowerment with a very simple, if not monumental moment in the pilot: sticking a sword in the hand of Disney princess Snow White. “When we wrote it, we didn’t realize,” Kitsis says. “We wanted her to pull a sword and not be a damsel in distress, and that is what people respect about Snow White — she’s a fearless warrior for good.”

“At the time that we made the pilot, no one was doing anything like this,” says Goodwin. “Honestly, these guys wrote a truly female-driven show. It was instrumental then in my choosing to take the part.” Goodwin notes OUAT’s female-forward approach was also used behind the scenes — she was No. 1 on the call sheet for years until Parrilla took the top spot in season 7. “I hope that Once is remembered as being groundbreaking, that it’s remembered as being representative of the strongest kinds of complex and beautiful women.”

That was never more apparent than with the character of Regina Mills. She started out as the show’s ultimate villain, unleashing a curse that trapped everyone in a land without magic, where Regina could live out her own personal happy ending. But it was one that turned out to be anything but happy, evolving into a Groundhog Day-like prison of her own making until she adopted Henry (Jared Gilrmore), eventually leading to the arrival of Emma Swan, who went on to wake the cursed characters.

Slowly, but surely, Regina conquered her own demons, becoming not just an ally to the Charmings, but family. “Regina is a very hopeful character because she’s so flawed and complex,” says Parrilla. “Following Regina’s journey over the years, we’ve seen that she’s made some mistakes, but she picks herself back up. I think she’s an inspiration to many, including myself; I’ve learned so much from her.”

Aside from its compelling leads, the show’s fortitude also stemmed from its ability to reinvent itself from season to season, sometimes multiple times within. The Onceuniverse expanded into a playground sandbox where characters like Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) and Belle (Emilie de Ravin) could cross paths with Tinker Bell (Rose McIver), the Wicked Witch (Rebecca Mader) or Dr. Frankenstein (David Anders). The show even birthed a short-lived Wonderland-set spin-off.

The biggest reboot came last year when — after the exits of six major cast members — Parilla, O’Donoghue, and Robert Carlyle (as Rumplestiltskin) were left to take center stage alongside Andrew J. West as an older version of Henry (Jared Gilmore), Dania Ramirez as a new iteration of Cinderella, and Rose Reynolds as Wish Realm Hook’s daughter Alice. But audiences waned without the original cast, seemingly losing hope at the worst possible time. “It makes me sad that something so positive on television is being taken off the air when we need it most,” says Parrilla. “It breaks my heart.”

Even the characters of Once may come to lose hope as the series heads into its final episodes. Despite developments in Hyperion Heights that could signal a brighter tomorrow, an unleashed villain intends to follow through with a dangerous plan, the painful effects of which would be felt by our cherished characters for eternity. “I would definitely say the last episode is as epic as probably any episode that Once Upon a Time has ever done,” O’Donoghue teases. “It’s like taking the best of all seasons and jamming it into one — literally.” West concurs: “The finale is maybe the single most massive episode that the show has ever done. And I mean that in all sincerity.”

Though their future may look bleak, Snow White would (and does) tell our heroes to keep hope alive, a notion Morrison attributes to why the show “had such a strong connection with the audience.” It didn’t hurt that the show launched in a time when social media allowed fans to share in the characters’ experience, cheer their triumphs, and criticize their missteps in real time, creating a community of fans who have cemented a strong bond over the years. “It’s brought a lot of people together that maybe never felt seen,” says Mader, who joined the show’s ranks in season 3. “These people will now be friends forever, because of a TV show that we made — that’s really special.”

For some, it’s much more than that; the mark that OUAT has left is indelible. “There’s been a couple of times where people have said that they were so desperately alone that they’ve considered taking their own lives,” O’Donoghue says. “Through the show, they’ve met other people who felt the same way and realized they’re not alone. That blows me away.”

Sometimes, even the OUAT actors can forget how much the show has affected fans, something season 7 addition Reynolds learned while filming the final episodes. “It didn’t really hit me, the impact of this show, until I went to Steveston,” says Reynolds of the real-life Storybrooke set that the show will return to before series end. “We had people coming out to see it, and even just being on the street I saw in the pilot, that is when it really hit home for me that this is a big deal and this show is epic. Working with [returning stars] Ginny and Josh as well has hammered that home even more.”

Though the Once bosses depicted their originally planned ending in the season 6 finale, they have cooked up a particularly magical final chapter that brings the show back to the beginning in a number of ways — keep your eyes peeled, as there are Easter eggs galore. “The pitch for the whole show was ‘What would a world look like in which the Evil Queen got her happy ending?’ I feel that we’ve finally figured out what that would look like,” says Goodwin, just one of the season 6 departures who returns for the finale. (Read who else is returning here.) “We saved Regina’s happy ending for the end,” says Kitsis. “Her journey has really been watching somebody confront the demons within and emerge on the other side a better person.”

“I know everyone’s been waiting for Regina’s happy ending and no one really could define what that is, and no one really knew what it was going to look like, and nor did I,” Parrilla says. “Once Robin died, it was really hard to foresee another love in her life. But I’m happy with where her happy ending is at.” Parrilla remains coy about the specifics of Regina’s happily-ever-after, only teasing that it takes place “in the same location” as the opening of the pilot.

O’Donoghue, meanwhile, offers that Hook’s fate is intrinsically tied to Rumple’s. “I remember thinking [the ending] was just such an amazing way for this relationship that Bobby and I have invested in over six seasons,” O’Donoghue says. “It’s been so integral to both of our characters, so I thought it was a really beautiful moment and very, very important to me for that to be the happy ending for Hook.”

The notion of happy endings has been vital to the success of the show, particularly Once’s central message that no matter who you are as a person, good or evil, everyone deserves a happy ending — all three of this year’s legacy characters initially entered the show as villains. “It’s so important to send that message,” says Dallas, “particularly in this day and age, when we have so much negative in the world, and to know that you do have a second chance, that you can have redemption, is super-powerful.”

But the question remains whether Once will get a second chance in the future, someday joining the pantheon of shows getting the reboot or revival treatment. “Look, you never say never, but for now this is our ending and the end of this show for us,” says Horowitz. “But if in the future something else happens with the show, we’ll be excited to see what that is.”

Once Upon a Time’s series finale will air over two weeks, starting Friday, May 11, and concluding Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

x

[efnewsservice]

May 4, 2018

“Oh, man, I’m fired. Guys, I think this might be my last day!” Once Upon a Time is in its final days of production, and Ginnifer Goodwin is feeling particularly punchy after flubbing a line during a pivotal scene. Her Snow White stands before our beloved heroes at a massive war-room table, giving a rousing speech about hope as it seems all but lost. A great evil threatens to steal their happy endings once and for all — if it sounds like a moment from the pilot, there’s a reason for that. As actress Jennifer Morrison puts it, “The heartbeat of the show has always been hope.”

Despite being the brainchild of Lost writers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, Once’s premise — Snow White and Prince Charming’s (Josh Dallas) daughter Emma Swan (Morrison) returns after 28 years to rescue a variety of legendary literary characters, like Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge) and Little Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory), from the Evil Queen’s (Lana Parrilla) dark curse — seemed a lot to swallow when the series launched in 2011, and many critics expected the fairy-tale mash-up to fail.

Instead, OUAT went on to become one of ABC’s top performers, bewitching audiences with emotionally grounded and relatable stories that resonated with adults and children alike for seven seasons. “Even though it’s about fairy-tale characters, the writers have written [the show] in such a way that really goes to the heart of everybody,” says Colin O’Donoghue, who joined the show in season 2 as Captain Hook. “That’s hopefully where it will endure.”

Part of the show’s initial appeal was the OUAT bosses immediately bucking age-old expectations, setting a game-changing tone of female empowerment with a very simple, if not monumental moment in the pilot: sticking a sword in the hand of Disney princess Snow White. “When we wrote it, we didn’t realize,” Kitsis says. “We wanted her to pull a sword and not be a damsel in distress, and that is what people respect about Snow White — she’s a fearless warrior for good.”

“At the time that we made the pilot, no one was doing anything like this,” says Goodwin. “Honestly, these guys wrote a truly female-driven show. It was instrumental then in my choosing to take the part.” Goodwin notes OUAT’s female-forward approach was also used behind the scenes — she was No. 1 on the call sheet for years until Parrilla took the top spot in season 7. “I hope that Once is remembered as being groundbreaking, that it’s remembered as being representative of the strongest kinds of complex and beautiful women.”

That was never more apparent than with the character of Regina Mills. She started out as the show’s ultimate villain, unleashing a curse that trapped everyone in a land without magic, where Regina could live out her own personal happy ending. But it was one that turned out to be anything but happy, evolving into a Groundhog Day-like prison of her own making until she adopted Henry (Jared Gilrmore), eventually leading to the arrival of Emma Swan, who went on to wake the cursed characters.

Slowly, but surely, Regina conquered her own demons, becoming not just an ally to the Charmings, but family. “Regina is a very hopeful character because she’s so flawed and complex,” says Parrilla. “Following Regina’s journey over the years, we’ve seen that she’s made some mistakes, but she picks herself back up. I think she’s an inspiration to many, including myself; I’ve learned so much from her.”

Aside from its compelling leads, the show’s fortitude also stemmed from its ability to reinvent itself from season to season, sometimes multiple times within. The Once universe expanded into a playground sandbox where characters like Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) and Belle (Emilie de Ravin) could cross paths with Tinker Bell (Rose McIver), the Wicked Witch (Rebecca Mader) or Dr. Frankenstein (David Anders). The show even birthed a short-lived Wonderland-set spin-off.

The biggest reboot came last year when — after the exits of six major cast members — Parilla, O’Donoghue, and Robert Carlyle (as Rumplestiltskin) were left to take center stage alongside Andrew J. West as an older version of Henry (Jared Gilmore), Dania Ramirez as a new iteration of Cinderella, and Rose Reynolds as Wish Realm Hook’s daughter Alice. But audiences waned without the original cast, seemingly losing hope at the worst possible time. “It makes me sad that something so positive on television is being taken off the air when we need it most,” says Parrilla. “It breaks my heart.”

Even the characters of Once may come to lose hope as the series heads into its final episodes. Despite developments in Hyperion Heights that could signal a brighter tomorrow, an unleashed villain intends to follow through with a dangerous plan, the painful effects of which would be felt by our cherished characters for eternity. “I would definitely say the last episode is as epic as probably any episode that Once Upon a Time has ever done,” O’Donoghue teases. “It’s like taking the best of all seasons and jamming it into one — literally.” West concurs: “The finale is maybe the single most massive episode that the show has ever done. And I mean that in all sincerity.”

Though their future may look bleak, Snow White would (and does) tell our heroes to keep hope alive, a notion Morrison attributes to why the show “had such a strong connection with the audience.” It didn’t hurt that the show launched in a time when social media allowed fans to share in the characters’ experience, cheer their triumphs, and criticize their missteps in real time, creating a community of fans who have cemented a strong bond over the years. “It’s brought a lot of people together that maybe never felt seen,” says Mader, who joined the show’s ranks in season 3. “These people will now be friends forever, because of a TV show that we made — that’s really special.”

For some, it’s much more than that; the mark that OUAT has left is indelible. “There’s been a couple of times where people have said that they were so desperately alone that they’ve considered taking their own lives,” O’Donoghue says. “Through the show, they’ve met other people who felt the same way and realized they’re not alone. That blows me away.”

Sometimes, even the OUAT actors can forget how much the show has affected fans, something season 7 addition Reynolds learned while filming the final episodes. “It didn’t really hit me, the impact of this show, until I went to Steveston,” says Reynolds of the real-life Storybrooke set that the show will return to before series end. “We had people coming out to see it, and even just being on the street I saw in the pilot, that is when it really hit home for me that this is a big deal and this show is epic. Working with [returning stars] Ginny and Josh as well has hammered that home even more.”

Though the Once bosses depicted their originally planned ending in the season 6 finale, they have cooked up a particularly magical final chapter that brings the show back to the beginning in a number of ways — keep your eyes peeled, as there are Easter eggs galore. “The pitch for the whole show was ‘What would a world look like in which the Evil Queen got her happy ending?’ I feel that we’ve finally figured out what that would look like,” says Goodwin, just one of the season 6 departures who returns for the finale. (Read who else is returning here.) “We saved Regina’s happy ending for the end,” says Kitsis. “Her journey has really been watching somebody confront the demons within and emerge on the other side a better person.”

“I know everyone’s been waiting for Regina’s happy ending and no one really could define what that is, and no one really knew what it was going to look like, and nor did I,” Parrilla says. “Once Robin died, it was really hard to foresee another love in her life. But I’m happy with where her happy ending is at.” Parrilla remains coy about the specifics of Regina’s happily-ever-after, only teasing that it takes place “in the same location” as the opening of the pilot.

O’Donoghue, meanwhile, offers that Hook’s fate is intrinsically tied to Rumple’s. “I remember thinking [the ending] was just such an amazing way for this relationship that Bobby and I have invested in over six seasons,” O’Donoghue says. “It’s been so integral to both of our characters, so I thought it was a really beautiful moment and very, very important to me for that to be the happy ending for Hook.”

The notion of happy endings has been vital to the success of the show, particularly Once’s central message that no matter who you are as a person, good or evil, everyone deserves a happy ending — all three of this year’s legacy characters initially entered the show as villains. “It’s so important to send that message,” says Dallas, “particularly in this day and age, when we have so much negative in the world, and to know that you do have a second chance, that you can have redemption, is super-powerful.”

But the question remains whether Once will get a second chance in the future, someday joining the pantheon of shows getting the reboot or revival treatment. “Look, you never say never, but for now this is our ending and the end of this show for us,” says Horowitz. “But if in the future something else happens with the show, we’ll be excited to see what that is.”

[stevestonbike]

Two days Straight.

Went out Saturday and did 54km. Then I met up with my old Droog RZ on Sunday and went out for 42 km. He had a really nice new bike but had not been out since October so "go easy on me" he said. His bike was $10k Italian, Carbon, Shimano Di2. Very nice indeed. Bike envy mode. So he takes off and is doing 30kph out of the blocks. Hey!

He did slow down as muscle memory only lasts so long. We had a nice ride and a good chat. Mostly Chatting actually. There was so much to catch up on. He spent last year with Lotus and had all but decided to quit. The people are great, but.... He had got to know one of my old Charlie group and had been discussing a change with her off season. Apparently she said she would drive into Steveston from Vancouver and join the new club if I were the group leader. Errr. Ummm. That is flattery of high quality. Makes me almost feel like an imposter syndrome.

Droog also said that my name is "he who shall not be named persona non-Grata" within the old Lotus club. I do not know if that is a good or a bad thing. Likely we will bump into them again. May be interesting.

He had been unsure of the jump until his wife told him to do it. To look at him you would not think he stresses out on things, but getting ready and driving into the city (again the obvious solution eluded him) got him wound up. It would be far better to go local as the club is based not even one block from his home. So jump he did. As did my old Charlie group person.

Not wanting to dwell on negative vibes I shifted discussion to looking forward to the new club. We both think it is going to be fun. RZ says it is a good group at the top, and he knows only a few "type As" are there. He really likes the social aspect of clubs and thinks that is going to work out.

Everyone was surprised that the full sign on was 113 people. They expected maybe 50. Lotus was about that big. That is a big club for around here. They expect a lot of newish riders. Hey bring it on.

One last thing I think the club should be called "Velo Steveston" but that is just me.

[stark-park]

Tag Game

I’ve actually done this before, so the bold will be my updated answers.

Rules: answer the 20 questions and tag 20 people you’d like to get to know better!

Got tagged by @ dani-ellie03   @theonceoverthinker

Name: StarkPark

Nickname: Stark (but some people also call me Starkle, Starkie & Starky)

Zodiac: Leo. Rawr.

Height: 5'2??? I think?? Yeah I’m still not sure

Orientation: 🎶THE ACE OF SPADES! THE ACE OF SPADES!🎶 I’m a spade… or I may well be Asexual, you choose 😂 I’m currently horizontal as well if that helps

Nationality: English (yes there’s a difference between English and British. Does anyone care? Probably not.)

Favorite Fruits: Raspberries! Om nom nom

Favorite Season: I do love a good season 1, its of course the origins of goodness. Season 3 of OUAT is brilliant though so it’s a joint fav. Season 4 of Doctor Who. I suppose I like Autumn if you’re talking weather seasons.

Favorite Books: Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series! Ohmagawd it’s the best! Kid spies 👌 I also love Jodi Taylor’s Chronichles of St Mary’s series. They are FRICKIN HILARIOUS! It has history, it has sarcasm and by golly does it have tons of TEA! YES BOI! AND I’M ACTUALLY GONNA OWN ALL OF THE CHERUB SERIES SOON! 

Favorite Flowers: Delicate. Don’t you just love those delicate flower friends 😁 Yeah still not a flower person but I guess I like lotus flowers because they look cool and daisies because they’re the easiest to draw

Favorite Scents: 50 cent? Nah I’m joking! I don’t know what he smells like. I guess, I love the smell of rain and damp grass in the summer (but only after it’s stopped raining, I don’t wanna get wet!). The smell of food is always lovely. Foooooood!!!!! Also new book smell can be quite pleasant. Aftershave as well because its just, so fatherly, like, you get a whiff of aftershave in the wind and you know what direction you’ll find ya dad. I hope that doesn’t seem weird.

Favorite Colors: Navy blue and burgundy red 👌

Favorite Animals: PUPPIES, PUPPAS & DOGGOS! 😍 can’t wait until I have a job and life and can actually provide a beautiful life for my pup. I also love wolves, red pandas and big cats!

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: I know I’m English, but can I just get a chocolate milkshake instead? Okay so my friend made hot chocolate and I don’t mind it now. But I’d still prefer a milkshake.

Average Hours of Sleep: 👀 depends on whether I have an early morning or not. I’m a terrible person to get to sleep but then I don’t want to wake up. So… 8-10 hours? More like 6-7 if I have a 9am lecture. This has not changed one bit. I’m still a mess.

Cat or Dog Person: I think I’ve cleared this one up. Refer to the favourite animals question. But I do love a good kitty cat too.

Favorite Fictional Characters: David Nolan/Prince Charming & Killian Jones/Captain Hook. Tony Stark/Ironman, Clint Barton/Hawkeye & Agent Phil Coulson. Logan/Wolverine. Harvey Specter. Qrow Branwen, Professor Ozpin & Sun Wukong. The Doctor (War-11th), Captain Jack Harkness & Donna Noble. Also: Alice Jones/TILLY!!! Lucifer Morningstar. Toph Beifong. Peter Parker/Spiderman. Princess Shuri of Wakanda. The main cast of Brooklyn Nine Nine. Sheriff Hopper, Dustin Henderson & Steve Harrington.

Number of Blankets You Sleep With: Um… a duvet. In the winter when it gets really cold I have a blanket, dressing gown and wear multiple layers of PJs. I’m stubborn, I suffer in the cold and the heat.

Dream Trip: No idea. I’d like to visit Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But as long as I go with people I love, I’ll go anywhere.  My dreams don’t really give much advice. Oh trip, not tip! Okay... I’d love to go to Steveston in Canada where they filmed OUAT but also I’d love to go to a big nerd convention, I’d love to go to one with Colin O’Donoghue and Rose Reynolds together but I’d also love to go to a Doctor Who and Marvel convention too. And yeah, as long as I go with good company, I’m good.

Blog Created: 24th May 2016 Yeah I’d be confused if this had changed

Followers: Please refer to follower, [3 hundred and] 94 I have 94 followers but couldn’t resist the HP reference. 159 now. Woot!

Tagging: @skrubdaddy @skoople @vano-j @puffin-socks@waaaaaayward-assbutt @lovelywaverlyavocado @jewsappho @hufflepufface24601 @findingtallahassee @tonystarkdefensesquadmember

[rollyjogerjones]

Thoughts on OUAT S7 regarding Killian and Captain Swan.

I’ve been meaning to write something up about this for a while, as the hate has become overwhelming and certain individuals are being rude towards those who are remaining positive on season 7. Frankly, I’ve lost any will to not get involved. Here are my thoughts for those who care.

I don’t believe on any account that the writers will pull CS apart through divorce, death, falling out of love, *insert dumb idea here*. Emma is A&E’s creation. They have spent six years developing her and creating an entirely reversed definition of strength to what we have seen in female characters before. Emma has grown through allowing herself to love again and pushing her walls low enough for those loved ones to come into her life and potentially hurt/let her down. She has grown strong in finding vulnerability through her maternal role as Henry’s mother, daughter to Snow and Charming, friend of Storybrooke and Killian’s wife. Her romantic development with Killian has been crucial to her growth, hence the stress of importance on the wedding in 6x20. They will not jeopardise Emma’s growth like that. They have too much respect for Jen’s performance, their character and us, the fans. CS’s love and Emma’s strength in Killian’s partnership is safe.

After yesterday’s panel at D23 and Eddy stating, “the Hook we know only has eyes for Emma,” admittedly, I am now hesitant to say I’m confident Hook will not get a new LI (I’m wording ‘love interest’ in such a way as trolls latch to that and I’m game for some amusement. Also, I’m talking about cursed Hook). In that response, Eddy has confirmed though that Killian will not stop loving Emma. Look, we’ve known the dude for (almost) six seasons now. Emma is his world. Should cursed Officer Rogers get a new LI, the minute he comes out of the curse, he’s thinking of Emma and set on getting her back. He’ll fight tooth and nail for his wife. And is that really a horrid thing? It shows despite the curse and other lady friend, no one will compare. They’re true loves, for god’s sake.

Look, I don’t want to see a new LI either. But it will be a direct consequence of the curse. It will be fake, just as Whale’s dabble with Mary Margaret was. The writers will be playing directly off of a curse under which that relationship was formulated. It won’t last. If anything, this strengthens CS’s love story, and I’m big on that. 

Next topic, CS kid, woo! Eddy says, “We can’t say whether or not they have a child, but we can tell you we will answer that question in the beginning of the season.” Sure, it’s Kitsowitz’s typical cryptic answer, but should it be true, I am here for this! It’s no secret that I am trash for Daddy!Killian (I’ve written enough fics on it) but can you imagine the angst? I’m imagining the newly cast Rose Reynolds as Emma and Killian’s daughter. Killian has their daughter with him and they are both wrapped up in the curse, away from Emma. Killian is a single father who knows his wife as dead. ANGST. The curse is broken and Killian realises Emma is alive and he has to find her! MORE ANGST BUT HURRAY, REALISATION! Killian knows he cannot go barking to his daughter about her mother being alive, so he has to sit by and allow her to continue to believe it until he, Henry and Lucy find Emma or restore the kid’s memories. AAAAAAAAAAAAANGST. I would be so here for this - a single father Killian, working as a police officer with the knowledge that he is a widow, until a nutty young man swoops into his life with his daughter and turns his life upside down. GIVE IT TO ME.

JMo. Let’s talk JMo. Jen has said that she is returning for one more episode. The majority initially assumed that this would be for the premiere. I never believed this would be the case. Similarly to how we have seen in the past week with Lana and Jared’s scenes they shot in Steveston, Jared is returning for flashbacks and small snippets. It is likely that Jen will do the same, and so I believe she said she was returning for one episode in order to prevent disappointment among fans by assuring more, just in case her schedule doesn’t permit later down the line. In fact, I find it much more likely that she will appear in snippets in the upcoming Hook centric episode, 7x02. It is my personal belief above anything though that she will also return for the finale, if she is to film any episode in full, like she confirmed. That would make the most sense, if the curse was broken and Emma is reunited with her husband and kids.

Now for the part that will be most likely to create anger, Killian/Colin. My social media accounts leave nothing a secret. Colin is my favourite actor and Killian is my favourite character. Should I have to choose between Killian and Emma, I’m choosing Killian. That’s just my opinion. I love Emma, but Hook is more entertaining to me. It sucks that we won’t have frequent CS anymore. I hate that. But I for one am thrilled and relieved that I’m not losing both of my favourite characters at once. If I were to choose between having no Colin/Hook on my screen or having the show end entirely, you better believe I’m pushing for more of Colin doing his thing. 

Killian has become one half of a ship in the past few years. Even Rumple has referred to him as “the Saviour’s lapdog” or “a puppy chasing after the object of his affections.” Sure, they’re lines intended as jokes, but really, I cannot remember a time in recent seasons where Killian has had his own plots, not directly tied to Emma. We got a glimpse of it in season 6 regarding David’s father, but even that was overridden with the angst of the first engagement, Emma’s feelings and Gideon being a little bitch. I miss Killian doing his own thing. I miss his plots not directly tied to Emma or written in order to develop Emma’s character. I miss his emotions being considered and not shoved aside because “everyone in Storybrooke cares for Emma and Killian is just the redeemed villain who is dating her.” Killian has become a plot device, and as much as I don’t like to think about it, I’m excited to see who Killian is and the plots he is given without Emma looming over him. Sure, you can argue, “But they’re married! They will always be tied!” But when you have a character whose emotions, personality and development is pushed aside in order to further another character, you’re going to have issues. Seeing a cursed Killian will allow for a few episodes of looking inwards on Hook, not just Emma’s Hook. 

I love Colin. What he puts into Hook and his work on this show astounds me. Every performance increases my admiration for him tenfold. I want more. I want to see another side to Hook in his cursed self and a paternal dynamic towards a possible child. I need it all. Now that he is one of three remaining regulars from the original cast, I’m excited for more of that screen time, development and plot. 

Finally, before I release this monstrous post into the world, I want to reiterate some things before I get an unjustified shit storm in my inbox. Just in case the first two points were lost on some people: 

1. I ship Captain Swan. If you look through my account, that is clear. I love Emma and Hook, both as a couple and their own characters. They are the healthiest example of a relationship I have seen in television and film and likely always will be to me. 2. I adore Emma. I am so proud of her growth and Jen’s performance as her speaks to me on a much more personal level than Killian does. The writers have written and Jen has breathed life into a character that will eternally inspire young girls to allow help and care from loved ones. They have given a new definition to what is considered strong.  3. I am not pleased that we are losing so many of our beloved characters. I will miss regular appearances from Jen and the others to no end, particularly Josh. Farewell, Captain Charming! The bromance to end all bromances.  4. I do not believe for a second that those who are choosing to stop watching the show now are not fans. I don’t believe that those who will not watch because their fave has left are lesser fans of Once Upon A Time than myself. We all have our reasons to continue watching shows, and if yours has gone, I understand that! Hell, if Colin left, I likely wouldn’t watch.

That addressed, I will allow you all to drink this in. 

[scribbles-by-kate]

On the RumBelle settled in another realm theory

The return of Giles coupled with speculation that Alice might be RumBelle’s adult daughter has prompted this idea that RumBelle might have left Storybrooke and settled in another realm, where time moves differently. This could explain adult Gideon and Alice possibly being their daughter.

I’ve been thinking, and I think there are some problems with this idea.

Firsty, where would they have gone?

The Enchanted Forest and all the realms associated with it move in the same cycle of time as Storybrooke. We know this because people have travelled between realms and travelled back to Storybrooke and not aged. RumBelle can’t have raised their family in the Dark Castle, then, because Gideon would still only be four years old when Rumple goes to help Henry, which means that neither adult Gideon nor adult daughter Alice are possible.

Oz, Wonderland, the Land Without Colour, the Land of Untold Stories, Arendelle, Agrabah, and any other land from the original book are out too because their time runs the same as Storybrooke. Again, no one who travels between these realms ages noticeably while they’re gone.

The second Enchanted Forest is out too, because not enough time would pass there for Gideon to be in his late 20s, and Alice would be, at best, in her mid teens. If RumBelle leave town three years before Henry, say they travel the world for a year and then go to the new Enchanted Forest. They would be there two years before Henry arrives, so Gideon would be four. Then 15-ish years pass, which would make Gideon 19. I don’t think we’d see Giles play 19, because he’s already played Gid at 28, and he looks too old to play 19, I think. Plus, Alice would probably only be about 14, maybe 15. Rose isn’t playing a 15-year-old, no way. Giles could maybe play 19, but Rose couldn’t play 15.

The Dark Realm is one place they could have gone for the ageing to work right, but I seriously doubt RumBelle want to raise their children in a prison, and then how would they leave it? Emma had to nearly die for the Black Fairy to leave.

Unless they introduce a completely new realm, in an episode where we’ve got Storybrooke, maybe scenes of RumBelle travelling, Hyperion Heights, AND EF2, and possibly Dark Castle stuff (unlikely, but possible), (and a new realm would be a lot on top of all that), RumBelle aren’t going to be raising their family anywhere but the real world, where adult Gideon and a grown up daughter won’t be possible, unless we go with the idea that Gideon is a dream or vision, or from the future. Even if that’s what happens, they still can’t have a grosn up daughter, so no Alice Gold.

Secondly, if they’re going to another realm, they don’t need luggage and they don’t need Rumple’s car, both of which were on set in Steveston the other day. Rumple would simply use the Apprentice’s wand to open a portal, and he’d magic them clothes when they got where they’re going. Plus, the photoshoot spoiler seems to be for a montage of RumBelle’s travels to be shown later. My guess is that that montage isn’t going to show up in a magical realm, because that would be too weird - we don’t really see real world stuff in magical realms. My guess is that we see like a shelf of photographs or an album that shows how time has passed before Rumple goes to help Henry, three years after they leave town. I’m thinking they travel, and then come back to Storybrooke, are there for a while, and then Rumple goes to Henry.

Thirdly, in a season where there’s already time shenanigans with Henry ageing at a different rate to the rest of his family, it would be too confusing to throw more weird time stuff into the mix.

All in all, I don’t think the ‘different realm’ theory works, which means Alice can’t be their daughter, unless she’s from the future, which is a possibility.

[freifraufischer]

I don't know what to think anymore and I don't like that this season will apparently focus on Henry. What about Regina? Why are we not hearing anything about her? Will it even be our Regina?

Okay... So let me try to do some forensic psychology.

Let’s start with sometime last fall A&E realized they were going to lose Ginny and Josh and likely JMo.  Rather than limp along in the story they decided to close out “this book” and make some radical changes in an attempt to launch a new story with new characters.  They came up with the idea of following adult Henry.  Literally Once the Next Generation.  That meant they ended up having to cut even more cast who either didn’t fit into the new story (Emilie and Bex) or whose absence was required (Jared) for the new direction.  Because so many of us were focused on the contract game we didn’t actually know what was going on.  

This was new for us and for them.  They’ve spent literally years having basically all their storylines spoiled months before they aired.  But a couple of things have happened now.  They moved away from Steveston so they don’t have a small town chamber of commerce announcing on the internet every time they go out to film so their location filming this season hasn’t had hundreds of people.  It’s had ... a dozen.  Also the longer time between when they finished production on season 6 and started season 7 meant that a lot of the lower level crew went on to other shows.  Including those that leaked major spoilers to set regulars.  While I’m sure the call sheets are still leaking I think it’s a drip not a flood.  I also suspect they may know the call sheets are leaking and so are putting less on them.  

Either way for the first time in probably five and a half years the production hasn’t had what they’re doing spoiled.  That’s... heady and addicting and so they’ve wanted to keep things secret and get people to judge the show they make not the show we see in set pictures.  

Cinderella 2.0 didn’t leak.  No one knew it.  No one.  Anyone who says they did is lying.  I think that was a high and they’ve been trying to keep that feeling for a long time.  So they don’t give us character names for the other new characters.  So they don’t give us a sense of what RRH are doing.  The only reason we know anything about Rumple and Hook is because we’ve seen them filming but other than “beat cop and detective” that’s it.  I think they want to keep that until at least SDCC.  God help us if they want to hold it longer than that.

Now let’s assume for a moment that they do want to drop their bomb at SDCC.  D23 is a big deal but it’s really not the media blast that SDCC is.  It’s also a very specific Disney focused audience.  I’d be willing to bet they’d have preferred to have SDCC first give their big blow out of information at not just a panel but table interviews and cast interviews... I mean we’re going to have something on the order of 5 hours or more of video out of SDCC versus 45 minutes of a panel at D23.  

Now it makes sense to keep your story to a tease in most kinds of shifts from season to season even big shifts because the audience has some idea what to expect.  But the break has been so radical that they need to start promoting this like a new series.  Like a pilot.  And that means that they need to have character break downs out just like they did in season 1.  They need to give a coherent pitch.  And none of these things work in the format of the teasing teasing teasing isn’t it great the fans aren’t spoiled.

They need to sell people on coming back.  And I’m not convinced they’re set up to do that.  If we don’t have names of the other cast members and know who they’re playing after SDCC we’re really in deep shit.

[kayleiss]

Okay.  Now that I’ve had a nap and a cup of coffee to keep me going, I can write about this trip :).

First of all, a friend and I went to both Vancouver and Seattle for a week.  Left on Monday and came back Saturday night into this morning (Sunday morning).  We did Vancouver the most and then drove down to Seattle for a day. It was an amazing trip. I’ll try to break it down by day as best I can.

(As I was writing this I realized this was going to be super long, so here I’ll give a brief summary and put the rest beneath the cut):

Vancouver we saw Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, some big streets like Granville street and Robson street and looked through shops and such. Went up the Vancouver Lookout for a great scenic view :). Got to go to Storybrooke (Steveston) :D and that was definitely a huge highlight, it was awesome.  Also checked out New Westminster, North Vancouver and Burnaby Park. In the day we went to Seattle, we rode The Great Wheel and got pics over the water, walked along the waterfront, ate at a great restaurant, took two trips up to the Space Needle (one at day and one at night) and went to the very first Starbucks! :).

I’ll try and post some photos over the next few days from the trip, because I want to share it with you all but I don’t want to pic spam your dashes.  I’ll come up with a tag just incase :).

Now for a more detailed account, under the cut:

So Monday was mainly just flying into Vancouver, checking into the hotel, buying some small groceries for the room and getting our bearings of how we wanted to do things.

Tuesday though was where the real fun began.  We visited Stanley Park and I have to say, it is a real beauty.  We walked along the seawall for quite a bit and it was a trek, as the park is huge.  The view of the water and the hills were amazing though.  A bit hazy because of some forest fires that had been burning, but still an incredible sight.  We also took a path through the middle of the park into the forest trails to get a look there, and the trees are absolutely gorgeous. Huge trees hundreds of years old,  I’ve never seen anything like it in person.  The beach along the seawall was also beautiful and we walked out by the ocean a bit too.  We had some great Fish n Chips at the park as well :).

After we got done with the park we took a walk towards town and it was a long ways off.  Went across the Burrard Bridge and made our way up to Queen Elizabeth park that way, just taking in the sights.

On Wednesday we looked up some busy streets to go up and down and look at shops.  If I’m remembering correctly, I think we went along a popular part of Granville street a little ways and made our way to the Vancouver Lookout.  We had to go up in it just to see what we could see and again, amazing scenic views of the city and backdrop :).  We also made our way to Robson street which is a big main street that has a lot of happening places on it and it was fun just to experience and go in and browse places.  Also tried checking out Commercial Drive as I heard that was another good street, but not much was there since supposedly many businesses were moving out of that area.  We did find a nice little restaurant though and ate there.  It was really good, so a good find :).

Thursday was the day we picked up the rental car and went to Steveston.  I can’t tell you how surreal feeling it was being there.  We checked out Garry Point Park first and that was where Henry’s castle was at in season 1.  They were setting up tents for filming there but it was for another show called The Crossing.  After that we went to the post office and picked up a Steveston/Storybrooke map and I got a couple of souvenirs from there.  Walking on Moncton street felt so neat.  There is something different about seeing it with your own eyes versus the TV screen.  I couldn’t believe we were there.  I got a ton of photos and I’ll post some of them later, most likely.  It was amazing.  We went down to the pawnshop (Actually called Posh) and went in, bought some souvenirs and had a look around.  Also got a drink from Granny’s (Cannery Cafe) and ate at Dave’s Fish n Chips!  It was great fun and an experience I won’t soon forget.  

After we left there we headed for New Westminster.  I’ve seen a couple of streets they’ve used on filming notices so we checked them out.  No one was there but I figured maybe I’ll be able to recognize things in the show from viewing the area :).

Friday was finally the day we went to Seattle.  It took us about... 3 hours?  I think maybe a little longer? There was some traffic.  Parked by the waterfront, immediately tried to check out the first Starbucks since I love Starbucks, but the line was a mile long and would have at least been a 30 minute wait, so we decided to come back later.  Instead we went down along the water and went to the ferris wheel, rode on that and then walked on up to the space needle.  The line was long so we were waiting a bit, but it was totally worth it for the incredible view of the city.  We then proceeded to head back toward the waterfront and ate outside at Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar which I thought was really good.  Headed back up to Starbucks after that, actually got in and got coffee, then back to Space Needle for night time viewing.  We left shortly after that to go back up to Vancouver :).

Saturday we didn’t have as much time before we needed to get to the airport to leave, but we checked out Burnaby Lake Regional Park and North Vancouver a little bit.  Again, some really stunning views at both of these places.  Vancouver is such a pretty place, I was in awe of it.  And then after that, we drove through Stanley Park and across the Lion’s Gate Bridge on the way to going back to the rental place to return the car.  Then headed to airport to go home :).

It was an incredible trip. Truly, I can say without a doubt, one of the best I’ve ever taken in my life.  I was amazed at how wonderful Vancouver was.  It is a huge city, but not nearly as much traffic jam as I thought there would be.  It moved pretty smoothly, actually, and to me that is a huge plus.  Seattle was amazing too,  we only got to do a small section of it but I’d definitely go back to explore around more.  We did hit every goal post  we set in both cities.  Everything we said we wanted to see, we saw it, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  I won’t ever forget this trip, it was loads of fun and I’ll definitely be back :).

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Michael Coleman Q&A OUAT Chicago, 6/9/17

Michael Coleman panel

--Michael did his panel dressed as Emma with a blonde wig, jeans, boots, a beanie and a red leather jacket.

--If you could be any other character, who would you be? Dressed like this, I’d want to be Happy.

--Who’s your favorite OUAT villain?   That’s a hard question.  All of them are really good friends of mine.  Maybe Lana because her journey’s been the most complicated.

--Yes, his Emma wig is itchy, but he likes being the savior.

--What was your favorite episode? The first time we met Hook?  Actually the end of season 1 when the curse broke.

--If you could write an episode, what would happen in it? Happy would be a stud and all the princesses would fight over him.

--Which dwarf does Happy have the best bond with? Grumpy, Sneazy, Sleepy

--Do you think any of the dwarfs will ever get a love interest? If so, who would it be?  Michael said it would be fun.  It would be a sitcom like Friends only shorter, where everyone’s coming and going in the dwarf hovel.  If he could choose a love interest for Happy it would be the Little Mermaid.  (Lol, Michael seemed a little obsessed with Ariel.)

--What’s your favorite Disney movie? The Little Mermaid.

--What would an episode be like if Happy was hanging out with the Evil Queen? Happy would show the Evil Queen how to be happy all the time.

--What couple do you ship the most? He ships the cast and fans

--What celebrity would you like to have on OUAT? Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

--Why was Dopey not at the wedding since he’s no longer a tree? He had exams that week.

--Do you have a costar crush?  All of them.  Maybe Whale. He sings original songs and sends questionable texts to Michael.

--What was your favorite song from the musical? He loves Zelena’s song.  He also likes the one where the Evil Queen kicks his chest.

--If you could be any other dwarf, who would you be? Grumpy, because he gets lots to do, but he honestly loves to be Happy.

--What would happen if Happy was the Dark One? It would be ridiculous because the other six dwarfs would get ahold of the dagger and make him do stupid stuff.

--Are the dwarf axes heavy? The mines are a constructed set with the rocks made of a styrofom type material.  On the first episode, one dwarf swung his axe, and broke the set, now they have fake ones.  But yes, the real dwarf axes were very heavy.

--What was your favorite episode to be in?  The musical.

--What is your favorite location to shoot?  Steveston, EF

--If you could add a dwarf, who would you want?  Smurfette

--What are your thoughts on your costumes this weekend (Michael did photos dressed as all kinds of characters)? He was wearing his wife’s jeans for the Emma costume.  He likes his Evil Queen costume because he can wear high heels.

--If Happy was in the Underworld, what would his unfinished business be? Dark Swan broke his axe.  He needs his axe back.

--Which cast member here is most like their character? Jaime is very definitely not like her character.  Probably Lee.  He’s definitely grumpy.  Also Lana, Rebecca and Colin.  

--What book or movie character would you want to play? He would want to be a Jedi or a sith, but really he’d rather play something brand new rather than an established character.

--He loves the passion of all the fans for their favorite ships. (He ships Happy/Ariel, lol).  Fans connect with different ships, and that’s good.

--He also likes Happy/Swan

--What dead character would you bring back if you could? He wants an alternate reality where everyone comes back and everyone’s happy, but that would be a boring show.

--There are lots of pranks played on set, but he can’t tell us about them.

--The food at Granny’s is real and it’s amazing.  Leftovers are donated to a local homeless shelter.

--If Happy was in the Wish Realm, what would his wish be? It would involve lots of water and a redheaded mermaid.

--Who would win in a fight, Darth Vader or the Evil Queen? Evil Queen hands down.

--What song would you sing to serenade the Little Mermaid? No Diggity

[katmtan]

I appreciate all you've done for the OUAT fandom and I know you care about us, but you're abandoning the show because your OTP left. CS is my OTP and Jen left but I'm still sticking with OUAT because I am a true fan and I have faith that it'll still be a wonderful show. I don't think the creators dislike Snowing, I think there were too many characters for EVERY episode to be a Snowing episode so they did what they could to please everyone. You lost hope in this show awfully fast.

I've always had HOPE for the show, I'm not leaving because my OTP left, that is one reason, but do you think I am that shallow?? The storyline alone can speak for itself! Look at how AWFUL it is now. For someone who watches with my whole family (take note: my parents don't have any faves, even they GAVE up). So I'm so sorry that I'm not going to be focused on OUAT, but to me Season 6 was really the end for me...But, like I told other people, I still want to meet certain cast like Andrew West but I'm not going to invest most of my time going to their set (which we don't even know where exactly, seeing as Steveston doesn't seem to be a main set anymore). I'll do my best to still post whatever I can get.

[onceland]

'It's a great club:' Once Upon a Time and Lost stars talk 'Caps, Vancouver, and more

Source

VANCOUVER, BC – While he was busy seeking revenge on Rumpelstiltskin and falling in love with Emma Swan, maybe Captain Hook found some time for footy, too.

OK, maybe not.  

But Colin O’Donoghue, who plays Captain Hook in the popular TV series Once Upon a Time, has been an avid soccer supporter his whole life. And on Saturday afternoon at BC Place, the Irishman will be trading in his hook for a pair of cleats as he takes to the pitch for Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Legends & Stars charity alumni match, in support of BC Children’s Hospital, alongside a number of 'Caps alumni and fellow actors.

“Well, I have season tickets to the Whitecaps,” O’Donoghue told whitecapsfc.com. “When Michael Coleman (who plays Happy in Once Upon a Time) told me he was thinking about arranging it, I was like ‘Yup, count me in.’ And I love football. I’m not very good, but I love it and it’ll be good fun.”

O’Donoghue said he’s been playing soccer for as long as he can remember. Never in a game like this, though, and he just broke his foot about five months ago.

Still, he didn’t have to think twice about this opportunity

“I’m not sure how well I’m going to do but it’s for a good cause,” O’Donoghue said. “I’ve got kids and they went to BC Women’s and Children’s so I think it’s the right thing to do.”

O’Donoghue, a supporter of Manchester United, moved to Vancouver about five years ago for the filming of Once Upon a Time – the show’s main set is based out of Steveston. That’s when he started to take an interest in Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

And he liked what he saw.

“I just missed football and when I heard that there was a professional team over here, I was like, ‘Yeah I’ll have to get tickets to it,’” said O’Donoghue, who referred to Alphonso Davies as a “real find” when asked if he has a favourite ‘Caps player. “The atmosphere is great, the way the players interact with the fans after the game and stuff like that is fantastic. I think it’s a great club.”

He’s quite fond of the city, too.

“I love Vancouver,” O’Donoghue said. “I think if I’m going to be anywhere except for Ireland, I’m happy to be here. It’s a beautiful city … I mean, I’m from Ireland so Ireland is always going to be home. But we’ve been here for five years so it’s as much home as anywhere now.”

O’Donoghue is one of a number of actors currently filming TV series in Vancouver who will be taking part in Saturday’s match. The whole event came together after a conversation between Michael Coleman (Happy/Once Upon a Time), Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi, and Whitecaps FC club ambassador Carl Valentine, who attended a mutual event on Father’s Day.

“When I was a kid, they came to my elementary school and I got to kick a ball around with the fellows,” Coleman said. “So I told them how much that meant to me.”

And it spurred on from there.

“Some of the actors that are going to be here actually had their kids born at [BC Children’s Hospital],” Coleman added. “I myself lived there as a small child. It was a really easy event to get everybody associated with. And the Whitecaps are sort of the cool event to do in town.”

There has been overwhelming interest in the event thus far.

In addition to O’Donoghue, some of the actors who will be taking part include Robert Carlyle (Rumpelstiltskin/Once Upon a Time, Begbie/Trainspotting, Gaz/The Full Monty), KJ Apa (Archie Andrews/Riverdale), Ray Winstone (Mr. French/The Departed, Gal/Sexy Beast, Mac/Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), and Henry Ian Cusick (Marcus/The 100, Desmond/Lost).

“It’s to support BC Children’s Hospital, which is a great cause,” said Cusick when asked why he wanted to be involved. “I’m a big soccer fan. I play soccer. This has always been something I’ve wanted to do, one of these charity matches. You give me a ball, I’ll chase it.”

Like O’Donoghue, Cusick has been a footy fan his whole life.

Growing up in Scotland, Cusick has always been a supporter of Dundee United FC, though he said he has a “soft spot” for Manchester United and his favourite player was Mark Hughes.

Cusick is best known for his role as Desmond in Lost, but most recently he’s been starring as Marcus Kane in The 100, which is also filmed in Vancouver. In fact, Cusick said he lives near BC Place and tries to follow Whitecaps FC on TV as best he can.

“I’ve never played in a stadium like that before,” said Cusick, who referred to himself as a “utility player” or a “safe” right back. “I’m very excited about that. Also, hopefully if I get playing time, with professional players, the speed is probably going to be fantastic.”

Cusick said he wasn’t quite sure who the best celebrity player will be on Saturday, though he gave his vote to O’Donoghue because he’s “young and Irish.” O’Donoghue, on the other hand, opted for his fellow Once Upon a Time cast member Robert Carlyle – also known as Rumpelstiltskin, his arch-nemesis in the show.

“I think he was pretty nifty back in the day so we’ll have to wait and see,” O’Donoghue said.

“I’m just looking forward to playing in BC Place and having a laugh. As long as we can raise some money for the BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, then that’s all that matters. We’ll just have a great day.”

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: LEGENDS & STARS CHARITY ALUMNI MATCH

The alumni match will take place on Saturday from 1:45 p.m. PT to 2:45 p.m. PT ahead of Vancouver’s Major League Soccer match against Columbus Crew SC, which kicks off at 4 p.m. PT. Fans can enter BC Place through Gate A beginning at 1:15 p.m. PT.

To purchase a ticket for the alumni match, fans must also have or purchase a ticket for the MLS match. No in-and-outs will be permitted between matches.

Tickets for the alumni match are on sale for $5, with all proceeds donated to BC Children’s Hospital.

TICKETS FOR ALUMNI MATCH ONLY: http://ow.ly/D4HP30eVOrV TICKETS FOR ALUMNI MATCH AND MLS MATCH (alumni match add-on will appear after you select your seats for the MLS match): http://ow.ly/hYzb30eVOxr

[efnewsservice]

April 13, 2018

Lana Parrilla interview pre 7.17

For this Friday’s episode of Once Upon a Time (ABC, 8/7c), original cast member Lana Parrilla found herself behind as well as in front of the camera.

Making her directorial debut, Parrilla helped bring to life a revamped tale of Hansel and Gretel, the former of which we now know to be Hyperion Heights’ Candy Killer. Her first foray into directing also of course came in the nick of time, with just six episodes left in the fantasy drama’s run.

Once Upon a Time: 10 Questions for the Series FinaleLaunch Gallery

Here, in TVLine’s last of so many Q&As over the years with Parrilla, she details how directing played right into her personal wheelhouse, before reflecting — Kleenex alert! — on the end of her reign as Regina fka the Evil Queen.

TVLINE | I have every faith that you went into this so incredibly prepared, but even so, was there anything that surprised you about your directing debut experience? I mean, I guess what surprised me was I had no idea how much actually goes into making a television show, or a movie, or any sort of production in our industry. I didn’t realize how many times we were going to read the script every single day, with every department, and go through every single detail of it. And I actually really enjoyed that part of it, because I am so detail oriented, and breaking stuff down on that level was a good percentage of the homework. I really, really appreciated how thorough every department was and how detailed everything was. I’d been wearing the actor’s hat for so long, I had no idea there was so much that went into it. Now having worn the director’s hat, I love it. It’s right up my alley. Prep is one of my favorite things to do, so it was really aligned with my process.

TVLINE | What’s a specific level of detail that the director gets involved in that we regular folk might not even consider? It varies because, as they say, film is the director’s medium, TV is a producer’s medium and stage is the actor’s medium. But what really surprised me was how open my producers were to my ideas — and I came with a lot of ’em. Especially with the gingerbread house and how I wanted the children to look, ideas for Rebecca [Mader]’s look and what happens at the midpoint in the script, and the energy and vibe I was looking for. And also visually what I wanted — color schemes, etcetera, the ambiance and the feel of a place, working with the art department…. I didn’t think that I was going to have as much input, but on Once Upon a Time they trusted me with the creative process more than I thought they would, and I was really taken by that. And very grateful.

TVLINE | Were there any specific directing challenges for this episode? Any stunt work or effects-driven scenes? Chilton Crane, who plays our Blind Witch, is an older woman, and there was a stunt that she had to perform. I was a bit concerned about her athleticism, whether this was something she had ever done before…. I envisioned the Blind Witch leaping into the air and landing in front of the Wicked Witch and holding a candy cane, threatening to stab her, and I wasn’t sure if Chilton could actually do that. I designed this whole stunt in my head and worked with the coordinator, and while there were a few little things we had to shift, at the end of the day it came together really, really well. I was very pleased, and very impressed with Chilton. She did an incredible job and really hung in there. A total trouper!

TVLINE | As we saw last week, “it’s personal” between Hansel and Zelena. Is that what these flashbacks are about? Yes, yes. There is a history there which you will see, while we also flash forward to Hansel seeking his revenge.

TVLINE | Henry of course has been abducted. Who all gets involved in that rescue operation? Well, there’s a few things happening there. The audience knows who the Candy Killer is, but a lot of us still don’t. Regina/Roni and Zelena/Kelly are working together to stop the Candy Killer, and then you also have the other side of it — our detectives are also on the hunt. Rebecca and I have teamed up like Lucy and Ethel. [Laughs] Or maybe we’re a little more Cagney and Lacey!

TVLINE | When I was on set, to hear Rose Reynolds say “Candy Killah” in her English accent, you almost want to meet the guy. She makes it sound adorable. She’s such a cutie! I love the girls.

TVLINE | I saw the video (embedded above) where you gave a speech to the fans gathered in Steveston watching filming [of Storybrooke scenes], and it was so wonderful. What specifically moved you to do that? It was my last scene in Steveston [British Columbia], and I was walking over to the green room when I saw this wall of fans. I just stood there for a minute to take it all in, and I felt so thankful and blessed that over the years we’ve had them follow us and be there to love and support us. Sometimes it can be an issue when we’re filming — sometimes we have to shift them around, etcetera — but to have a following like that is really special. I don’t know when that will happen again in my career, so I really wanted to take the time to acknowledge them and thank them. There are a lot of people who come from out of town, from all over the world, they’ve been saving all year to be there and get a glimpse of one of us…. I just thought it was really important to show my gratitude.

TVLINE | Regina has been such a hallmark role for you. Has there been a moment over the past couple of weeks where it really hit you that this was coming to an end? There have been several. Several, several. In fact, there was one just a few hours ago when I called [co-showrunner] Eddy [Kitsis] at the office on the lot, and on my phone it says “Once,” so I thought, “I’m going to have to delete this number at some point!” — and it hit me again. It has come in waves, and it has been very strange, because it’s so unknown. This has been such a huge part of my life for seven years — Vancouver, the show, the character – so it feels like a big, big loss, a big shift and change. It’s going to take some time to adjust.

I’ve had moments where I was really, really, really down, super-sad and emotional about it, and really felt like, “Oh my God, what’s next? What happens after this?” And I still have moments where I feel that way, but now I’m focused on the positive, which is: How lucky are we to have a show 22 episodes, sometimes 23, run for seven years? That doesn’t happen anymore, and I’m just really grateful.

[abovethemists]

Theory time

I think by the end of the season we’ll have had 2 Captain Swan weddings and I’m okay with that.

Here’s why:

It seems fairly obvious that the musical wedding is interrupted. The Black Fairy is swanning around Storybrooke angling for a final battle. We know she’s got a backstock of evil fairy dust from the Dark Realm that she’s had children mining for centuries apparently in order to craft a new/better Dark Curse. We know she wants her perfect family that she always should have had with Rumple and Gideon. We also know from filming spoilers that Snowing, Hook, Regina and Zelena are somehow in the Enchanted Forest while Black Fairy, Rumple, Belle, Emma, Henry and presumably Gideon are left in Storybrooke. Finally, we know from the final Steveston filming that Emma and Henry reunite with the group who was sent to the Enchanted Forest, who all appear to still be wearing their wedding attire (bowties on the men, formal dresses on the ladies).

Ex:

(X)

Here are my thoughts.

The Black Fairy interrupts the wedding during the musical causing general mayhem. She casts her new Dark Curse sending Snowing, Regina, Hook and Zelena to the Enchanted Forest (presumably to be out of the way and not there to support Emma in a final battle) while keeping her “family” and Emma in Storybrooke. 

I think the Black Fairy only cares about Gideon and Rumple. But I also think she’s trying to “make up” to Rumple in a weird way. She wants him to love her and accept her, but she’s batshit crazy. So in an effort to do that, she’ll keep the people Rumple cares about too, namely Belle and Henry. I don’t think that’s going to end up going over well with Rumple if the way he’s looking at his mother when they filmed in Steveston is anything to go by.

So we have this world with “Gold and Son” and the Black Fairy presumably as mayor and driving Regina’s car (since she cast it she’s in the Regina position. The curse was originally made for her after all). My assumption is that she’s got Emma stored away, probably in the hospital basement because that’s where inconvenient people end up during these curses, awaiting whatever the Black Fairy needs to do for the final battle. I think Henry gets himself hurt on purpose to be sent to the hospital where he finds and frees Emma (a callback to when he did the same in the Author’s AU in season 4). At that point we have an Emma/Henry team up. I think the wildcard in all this will be Rumple who seemingly will have everything he wants (his son, his wife, his family) in this new world. But it’s not real. We don’t have much info on Belle in the new curse except that she’s hanging out in this sketchy house:

(X)

That doesn’t exactly look like an ideal Rumple place to me, so I wonder if the Black Fairy kept Belle around, for Rumple, but didn’t exactly give her a good life. We know Belle is a sore spot for the Black Fairy. She’s Gideon’s real mother, the one he’s loyal to, the one he brought up throughout his childhood in defiance of the Black Fairy for not being his real mother. Rumple used that as a dig at the Black Fairy just recently in 6x17 telling her that Gideon disobeyed her because he has some of his mother in him, the real one who loves him. I think the Black Fairy is jealous of Belle. So just because Belle is still in Storybrooke, doesn’t mean anything good for her. 

Somehow the Enchanted Forest group gets back to Storybrooke and there’s the second sword fight between Emma and Gideon where it appears Emma is stabbed and falls to the ground, Gideon disappears, and Emma stands back up totally fine. I’m not really sure what’s going on there. If the Black Fairy is defeated by that point it doesn’t seem right that Gideon is still fighting Emma. If she isn’t defeated, where is she during all that (and where is Rumbelle, though my assumption is they finally make it to the Dark Realm as was teased forever ago). I’m not sure on specifics, but it seems safe to say that the Black Fairy will be defeated by the end of 22, Emma “dies” but comes back to life due to reasons unknown, and that Rumple most likely has some hand in defeating the Black Fairy since she’s his mother/his tragic backstory plot point. 

Bringing me to the second CS wedding. Adam tweeted this picture from set at the end of March:

You can clearly see Josh, Ginny, Emilie, Bobby and Lana’s chairs. I think he also confirmed Colin and Jen were there. It seemed like a full cast shoot. A couple days later a girl posted photos on twitter of her Make a Wish trip to set to meet the cast. She posted photos with Lana, Josh, Ginny, Bobby, Emilie, Jared, Colin and Bex. She also said that she met Jen but wasn’t able to get a photo with her. I assume this was the same day Adam tweeted about since we didn’t have any indication of other days where the entire cast was filming together in studio. In the pictures, the men seem to all be in their usual Storybrooke clothes. Colin is in black leather, Josh is in David’s brown leather jacket, Bobby is in Gold’s typical suit, and Jared is still wearing Henry’s signature scarf. You can’t really see what Lana or Bex are wearing, but you can see Emilie and Ginny’s costumes pretty well and they’re both in dresses. Regardless, the scene would have to take place after Snowing, Regina, Zelena and Hook got back from the EF since they’re seemingly there from the start of 522. They’ve also had a costume change since getting back so it would seem to be at least the next day.

(X)

(X)

That combined with the fact that JMo was the only one not photographed (potentially because she was wearing something white or particularly wedding-ish and it was too spoilery) makes me think they may have been filming a wedding re-do. Not only is the first wedding interrupted, I get the feeling it’s not exactly Emma’s vision for her big day. Ginnifer Goodwin just recently did an interview calling Snow “mother of bridezilla”. It seems like Snow takes over the wedding and gives her daughter the big white fairy tale wedding she never wanted. Something smaller, with just the main cast rather than tons of extras we’ve never seen before filling out the crowd, makes more sense for what we know of Emma (and A&E once joking that she’d get married in red leather, not a white dress). 

So, why is this exciting for me, someone who doesn’t ship CS and could not possibly care less about any wedding they have? Well, for one it would mean all the regulars survive the “final battle” and make it out the other side. In particular, it would mean Rumple is still alive by the end of the finale. Second of all, it would mean Rumple is on sufficiently decent enough terms with the others to be invited. The last time Rumple was included as part of the family was in season 3, after defeating Pan and coming back from Neverland. He was present at Prince Neal’s coronation after all. He was on good terms with everyone (except Hook) until the end of 4A. Since then he’s been in the villain camp except for 5A. But if he’s instrumental in defeating the Black Fairy, especially if it’s at personal cost to himself, it makes sense he’d be included. Third, this:

Belle’s wearing her ring. So, if this scene really is a CS wedding re-do at town hall, and not a dream sequence or something like that, it would mean both Rumple and Belle survive the finale and are together enough to warrant Belle wearing her wedding ring again. I have no clue if one or both of Bobby and Emilie are leaving the show, but if they are, we could potentially be looking at some sort of happy ending. Or Rumple could be hiding something and we go into season 7 with something horrible hanging over our heads. Or the group scene is everyone standing over Rumple’s dead body kicking it. But I’m not sure why Belle would wear her wedding ring and a party dress for that.

I’m afraid to hope, but I’m trying to be optimistic. 

[anothershadeofpurple]

Eduardo and Lana are leaving Vancouver, but he confirmed that there will be a S7 and he'll still be a part of it. It looks as if the show won't be set in Storybrooke anymore. What are your thoughts on this?

Hm... I think the amount of incoming spoilers is too high right now to do sensible speculation around them if that makes sense?

There’s always spoilers, but right now people are on high alert, noticing little things they usually might not. Sharing conclusions without sharing sources, ... So it makes most sense for me to just wait it out, unless you put a team together of people that track every rumor and then pick it apart to give multiple explanations for it... it’s a lot of effort to build a house of cards. I’d rather focus on picking apart the story at this point. Too much incoming information and no resources to check.

Some general thoughts... I thought shows shot in Canada for tax breaks. I know there was a riot in Vancouver when The X Files moved to LA, but they were huge. It’s been said it was David Duchovny who pushed for it. They really thought they needed him to keep the show going and The X Files was hugely popular and bringing in money. Can’t really think of any other shows that moved production, but it seems pretty rare still. They’d need a good reason, because it’s all about the money. The show’s visual identity is tied to BC, so it would be a bit of a shock to move. It’s not just Steveston, it’s the nature there. The look & feel. The quality of the natural light in LA is also very different, you can actually tell it’s a different place. It’s not impossible, but there are many logistical and artistic considerations. Eduardo Castro can also still be involved without being Vancouver based, involvement can take many forms and it’s not that long a flight either.

Lana removed Vancouver from her location on Twitter - doesn’t necessarily mean she’s leaving, just means she’s communicating to the world she’s less tied to that place? imagine this alternative interpretation: They renegotiated contracts and they now know when they’re free to go on another show. It takes time for Pilots to be picked up, to audition, find a new project. If she knows she’s free next year or only recurring next year or the one after, then it’s smart to get back in the game in LA this year and let the world know you’re available for new projects. Fly back more, spend more time there. Networking. Whatever it is happens in Hollywood. I don’t know, I am but a simple peasant.

This might be completely wrong too, it’s just speculation like everything else is, which is the point I’m trying to make. It could really mean anything, it’s just easier to focus on the show.

So what the show says about leaving Storybrooke... I think when we went to the Underworld... they showed us we would be going to an asylum... Emma’s been dealing with her issues this season... and then once you enter there are skyscrapers, pointing to going to a big city. There’s also Robin Hood and Zelena who mentioned New York this season.

I think ultimately Storybrooke is home, but I can see them taking things to the city. I also would love them to play around with a city dynamic, I think there’s great comic relief and drama to explore there that could be refreshing... So it’s not impossible we’ll move away from Storybrooke for a bit, but that’s still separate from moving production to a different place.

[lizacstuff]

Hi, I love your page and I was hoping you could give me a little encouragement. I watch Once mostly for Emma and Hook, and right now I feel like they never film together anymore. I know the writers said they'd have an adventure this year, but how if they never film? I'm really discouraged because it seems they are always apart. Any advice? Thanks.

Last week I made a post (and just updated) with a roundup of spoilers, you can click through and see that there have been opportunities for JMo and Colin to shoot for every episode. There are some eps where we don’t know if they did or didn’t, but the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Since you’re asking for advice, here goes:

You don’t know that they “never film,” stop convincing yourself that you do know. Seriously, I think it’s easy as this. 

Remember that we actually have very few spoilers for the second half of the season (because of no Steveston shooting since 6.12) and that reports of who and who is not filming in studio are not always reliable.

They only just finished shooting ep 15, there are still 7 to go, that is plenty of time for them to have lots of focus and to have that adventure even if they aren’t in primary focus for eps 13 and 14.

Adam said himself that at this time of year episodes get filmed out of order so many times we may be off when guessing which episode a spoiler is for. Just this week we know that 6.14, 6.15 and 6.16 were filming. And yesterday misinformation was reported about which episode the actors were shooting and wouldn’t have been corrected if a guest actor hadn’t posted a picture. No big deal, it happens, but this is why you don’t get upset when you don’t actually have a clue what is happening. 

If watching incomplete spoilers come in makes you discouraged, then stop. We’re never going to have a full picture, there will always be misinformation and bad assumptions and wild assumptions and crazy speculation that either gets our hopes too high or too low. Stop paying attention and just wait for it to air. 

Don’t get upset about other people's speculation, because no one knows a damn thing and it’s all just flights of fancy (including mine.) 

Ask yourself why wouldn’t they have scenes? You said it yourself, how can they have an adventure if they never have scenes together. Of course they have scenes together!  Realize that they wouldn't stop telling the story of Captain Swan and then remember the things we know.

Those are:

Hook and Emma are going on an epic adventure filled with romance, danger and passion. 

Hook and Emma are facing a daunting challenge that requires a big time Princess team up

Hook is going to talk to Charming about marrying Emma. 

There is a shot of an engagement ring in the promo

So... instead of getting discouraged about what you don’t know, why not get excited about you do know?  If you ask me, those are HUGE, positive, awesome, exciting, juicy spoilers for the second half and if you don’t get that you might need to reset your perspective in order to enjoy the show.