#i thought regina said 'what is she doing here?' in 4x03 but i watched the scene and realized she said it under the curse

[fallenandrogyne]

Swan Queen vs. Xena/Gabrielle: Xena & Regina’s dislike of seeing their love with certain other women ↳ Xena: Warrior Princess 4x08 & 6x08 | Once Upon A Time 4x03 & 4x10 28/∞

[once-upon-a-ouat]

I'm super curious, OQ & Rumbelle?

Did you absolutely have to ask about Outlaw Queen? Okay, I will try not to bitch and just lay out my thoughts when it comes to just the writing.

OQ started out really cute and adorable and I was honestly rooting for them in 3B, although, in hindsight, it was all very rushed. They had to have them in a relationship in exactly 6 episodes (9 if you count the flashbacks) and I get it that they were pressed by time constraints if they wanted to do the whole Marian thing, but that’s the thing - they didn’t have to! The moment they brought her back, I knew the ship was absolutely fucked. Further proven in 4x03 with Robin’s behavior (that scene where he kisses Marian just annoys me so much but I promised not to bitch). Both Regina and Robin were in the wrong in 4x08 and I may give Regina a pass for that, considering everything she’s been through, but not Robin. Not to mention that he wasn’t even a little happy when Marian was woken up (nobody bring up Zelena into this because back at the time that episode was written even the writers hadn’t known it was Zelena (and that is very apparent but I need to stop)). The whole Zelena and her pregnancy thing was absolutely outrageous, it wasn’t handled at all and it basically didn’t go anywhere for Robin’s character or for his relationship with Regina (since we didn’t even see them discuss how to deal with it) and what was the fucking point of it, really? Don’t get me wrong, Robin Jr is a real delight, I love her so much and Zelena made a lot of progress since she became a mother, but just... what were they thinking when they wrote that? They clearly weren’t thinking at all.

Season 5 was supposed to have Robin as a major character, yet, he was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t do absolutely anything except for almost get killed and then get killed, so why did they even bring him back from New York? Should’ve left him there with real Marian and brought Zelena back some other way tbh. There was zero character development for him, he barely had any time, his relationships with ANYONE else weren’t further developed and then they just fucking murdered him to move along Regina’s storyline and because he was fucking useless. His character potential was absolutely and painfully wasted as he was used as a prop for Regina and Zelena and their relationship, and I am getting really angry over here. For what it’s worth, I did enjoy OQ in 3B, they were really cute and I had my hopes up, but their relationship was completely ruined by some of the worst writing I’ve seen on the show. This is probably in my top 3 major pet peeves with OUAT’s writing as a whole. They just wasted so much screen time and potential there and that left me kind of repulsed with the canon reality of OQ. I can only enjoy this ship in fics nowadays tbh. Fanfic writers seem to have a better grasp on what is the proper way to develop that particular relationship and how to handle the trials Robin and Regina had to face. (I tried to contain the angry but I don’t think I really succeeded there so sorry for that. I did my best but this just gets me every time.)

I already talked about Rumbelle a bit here, but I will throw in some more thoughts.

I feel like I need to finish my rewatch of the series in order to reach a final conclusion as to how I feel about Rumbelle. I did like them a lot as well as I had some major issues with them. Aside from the writing in seasons 5 and 6 which I was really not a fan of, I am still not sure how I feel about the relationship itself and what its very existence entails.

To elaborate on that, Belle has claimed many times that she accepts Rumple’s darkness but would like him to be a better man which is understandable. However, I am not completely convinced of this since she didn’t just want him to not be evil and murder people or ruin their lives. She pretty much wanted him to be a hero which was in Rumple’s abilities but at the same time it wasn’t really... See, this is what I mean when I say I need to rewatch all of the relationship development because little moments that represented the nuances I am looking at are most certainly escaping me and I can’t really make up my mind. What I’m getting at is that I don’t think Belle should’ve accepted the fact that he kills people and be okay with it. I’m very far from that thought. But she wanted him to change his ways completely which Rumple had the potential for but not really the desire and motivation tbh. Also, how much can you change before you’re a completely different person? And isn’t love falling for the person as they are? So basically what I want to say here is that Belle always saw the man behind the beast and she loved him, but what about the beast? She said in 5B that she accepted that part of Rumple as well but did she really? I am not completely convinced about that. And again, I don’t think she should’ve been okay with all the evil deeds he’d done and kept doing. And I’m not even sure what balance they could’ve reached there (not ruin everyone’s lives but still make deals that might be unfavorable to the other person? Only make deals that benefit both parties without strings attached? I don’t really know, that’s the thing!).

Not to mention Rumple’s million fuck ups, all about the same thing. You’d think that after centuries of making the same mistakes, he would’ve learned but nope, nope, he didn’t. Honestly, turning him back into a Dark One in the end of 5A was such a stupid ass decision on the writers’ part. They were finally past that, why did they have to bring it back? After all the hard work and heartbreak we went back to ground zero because the writers couldn’t figure out another conflict for the Rumbelle ship. They were just reusing the same problems that Rumbelle had faced a zillion times in the past and, honestly? I really wish I hadn’t been here for it. It was just painfully stupid and stupidly painful to watch when they had other options for conflict (Rumple was abandoned by both parents and ended up abandoning his son. With a new child on the way, why not make that the central conflict of his arc? And have Belle struggling with the fact that they are trapped in Storybrooke while she’s always wanted to see the world? And Rumple being unable to do anything about that since he’s not the Dark One anymore and them having to work through those thoughts? Just a few suggestions, you know?)

Anyway, this got more negative than I wanted it to be. I don’t hate Rumbelle, I actually like it a lot, but I would’ve cheered for different writing choices tbh. Let’s just leave this off here before I can add more negativity to this.

[themattress]

My Top 50 OUAT Episodes

And now, as a final goodbye to OUAT, I give you this list of my personal picks for the 50 best episodes in the series, listed in order of airing. Two-hour broadcasts are counted as one here.

1. Pilot - 1x01. One of the best TV pilots of recent years due to how quickly it grabs you and emotionally invests you in its magical atmosphere and the plight of its central characters. 

2. The Thing You Love Most - 1x02. Best watched immediately after the pilot, as it deals with the same story but from the dark and twisted perspective of its villain, the Evil Queen.

3. Snow Falls - 1x03. Snow and Charming are, well, charming in their first adventure together and the start of their romance, as is sweet Mary Margaret in the present day.

4. That Still Small Voice - 1x05. Jiminy Cricket of all characters gets a surprisingly dark and emotional backstory that resonates with him in the extremely intense present-day scenario.

5. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - 1x07. Jamie Dornan gives an incredible performance as the tormented Sheriff Graham / Huntsman, all the way to the episode’s tragic conclusion.

6. Desperate Souls - 1x08. We get our first true insight into the backstory of the enigmatic Rumpelstiltskin, and Emma becomes sheriff, making this a truly pivotal episode for the show.

7. Skin Deep - 1x12. A truly subversive, twisted take on the Beauty and the Beast story, with some unexpected layers added to Rumple’s character and Robert Carlyle’s performance. 

8. Red-Handed - 1x15. Little Red Riding Hood IS the Big Bad Wolf. That is awesome.

9. Hat Trick - 1x17. One of the most terrifying, surreal episodes in the entire series, with the great Sebastian Stan knocking it out of the park as the deranged Mad Hatter, Jefferson.

10. The Return - 1x19. We learn why the curse was cast in a devastatingly emotional story that adds more to the characters of Rumple and August as the season enters its final stretch.

11. The Stranger - 1x20. August’s true identity is one of the best reveals in the whole series.

12. An Apple Red As Blood - 1x21. Part 1 of the season finale, as Regina in both the past and present gears up to finish off her nemesis, with the episode ending on a huge shocker.

13. A Land Without Magic - 1x22. Part 2 of the season finale, the best finale the show ever had, and quite possibly my all-time favorite episode. Almost everything about this episode is perfect and gives you the feeling of a story coming to its end as the threads come together.

14. Broken - 2x01. A solid season opener that sets the show on an exciting new course.

15. Lady of the Lake - 2x03. Things really pick up as Team Princess is formed, Cora is established as the new Big Bad, and we get some beautiful moments between Snow and Emma that make it all the more shameful that the show utterly ruins this dynamic later on.

16. The Doctor - 2x05. Dr. Whale is Victor Frankenstein. Did NOT see that coming!

17. Tallahassee - 2x06. The first adventure that “Captain Swan” (Emma and Hook) partake in together, while at the same time we finally learn about Emma’s sad past with her ex-lover.

18. Queen of Hearts - 2x09. A thrilling conclusion to the first arc of Season 2, where we finally learn Cora’s motivations and get an epic fight between the heroes and the villains.

19. Manhattan - 2x14. This episode is a real turning point, with Emma’s ex-lover being revealed as Rumple’s long-lost son, along with several new insights into Rumple’s past. 

20. The Queen Is Dead - 2x15. One of the show’s most emotional episodes, in no small part thanks to Bailee Madison’s truly amazing performance as young Snow in the flashback.

21. The Miller's Daughter - 2x16. We learn about Cora’s fascinating backstory and the true nature of her relationship with Rumple. But then she dies, and the season totally falls apart.

22. Second Star To The Right - 2x21. Finally it feels like shit is getting done, and the concept of a terrifying re-imagining of Peter Pan in the flashback is immediately captivating.

23. And Straight On 'Til Morning - 2x22. The mess Season 2 became gets cleaned up in this gripping finale, with a brilliant new story set-up laid out to be followed in Season 3.

24. The Heart Of The Truest Believer - 3x01. OUAT is truly back at the top of its game here, juggling four different plot threads perfectly and introducing its greatest villain, Peter Pan.

25. Lost Girl - 3x02. The flashback here is meh, but the present day stuff is nigh-perfect.

26. Quite a Common Fairy - 3x03. For the first time, Regina’s potential redemption feels good and genuine, and Rose McIver’s re-imagining of Tinker Bell is a delight from the start.

27. Good Form - 3x05. Hook’s backstory is amazing, and Captain Swan truly begins here.

28. Ariel - 3x06. JoAnna Garcia Swisher makes a truly perfect live-action rendition of Ariel, and the interactions between all the characters in Neverland take a truly engaging turn.

29. Dark Hollow - 3x07. Belle and Ariel, on a mission from Rumpelstiltskin, team up to fight John and Michael Darling who serve the villainous Peter Pan. Only on this show, people!

30. Think Lovely Thoughts - 3x08. The “Nevengers” truly show how far they’ve come working as a group here, and we get one of the show’s most shocking and twisted reveals.

31. Going Home - 3x11. The perfect series finale that isn’t a series finale, with the action increasingly slowing down so that you can fully appreciate the emotions. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if the show had ended right here, I’d have been completely satisfied. 

32. Witch Hunt - 3x13. Just plain fun and funny, with great dialogue and great character interactions that really get you re-adjusted to these characters and to life in Storybrooke.

33. The Jolly Roger - 3x17. Quite possibly the quintessential Hook episode, showing just what kind of a person he was and how he desperately wants to be a better man now.

34. Snow Drifts / There's No Place Like Home - 3x21 / 22. After the incredible letdown that was the climax of the Wicked arc, we get this two-part finale that really embodies the magic OUAT had and never quite will again, with Emma’s character arc coming to a fitting end.

35. The Apprentice - 4x04. “The Dark One lies. The Dark One tricks”. This episode does a perfect job at re-establishing Rumple as a true villain and a schemer to be reckoned with.

36. The Snow Queen - 4x07. Quite possibly the most heartbreaking villain backstory the show has ever had, plus riveting scenes between Elizabeth Mitchell and Jennifer Morrison.

37. Smash the Mirror - 4x08. It’s overlong and the Regina and Robin subplot is complete bullshit, but everything else in both the past and present is golden. The 4A arc peaked here.

38. Shattered Sight - 4x10. The boffo comedy in this episode is cringe-inducing, but all of the serious, emotional stuff centered around the Snow Queen and her family gets me every time.

39. Poor Unfortunate Soul - 4x15. Ursula’s backstory is kind of iffy, but the effect it has on Hook and his development here is really good, as are the villains and August’s return.

40. Sympathy for the De Vil - 4x18. “Evil isn’t born, it’s made”...except in this case, where it is 100% born and takes us on a twisted tale that could pass for a good Twilight Zone episode.

41. The Broken Kingdom - 5x04. The twist of the glorious kingdom of Camelot being a kingdom literally built on sand, and its monarch a disturbed megalomaniac, is a great one. Plus, Snow and Charming actually get do something heroic after a long period of inactivity! 

42. Nimue - 5x07. The actors portraying Merlin and Nimue really sell the doomed epic romance between the two, as we get the most far-back flashback in the show’s entire run.

43. Labor of Love - 5x13. This episode can be summed up as “The Nevengers are back.” That alone counters the disappointment of how blandly Hercules and Megara are portrayed.

44. The Brothers Jones - 5x15. A touching tale of brotherhood, good intentions gone wrong, self-loathing and forgiveness, plus giving Hook closure with his big brother. I just love it.

45. Firebird - 5x20. The flashback is utter tripe, but the escalation in the present-day story, the performances, and Captain Swan’s True Love test makes this episode well worth it.

46. Last Rites - 5x21. Aside from that moment with Robin, this episode is awesome, especially the Underworld scenes with the duo I never knew I wanted: Hook and Arthur.

47. The Other Shoe - 6x03. This episode embodies what the show SHOULD have become: a more light-hearted series with adventures-of-the-day starring Emma, Hook and Henry. 

48. A Wondrous Place - 6x15. Hook sails on Captain Nemo’s sub, the Nautilus, alongside Aladdin and Jasmine, meeting up with Ariel and facing down Jafar. Only on this show, people!

49. The Song in Your Heart - 6x20. Because really, who doesn’t love a Musical Episode? This one centering around Emma and her marriage to Hook makes it all the more special.

50. The Final Battle - 6x21 / 22. It’s got a LOT of problems, but the ending it reaches is truly one that fits the show, and we would have been better off if ABC hadn’t renewed it afterward.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Price of Gold - 1x04. Rumpelstiltskin’s first showcase episode, and he’s terrifying in it.

Dreamy - 1x14. Screw the haters, I really liked this episode! It was hilarious and sweet.

The Crocodile - 2x04. Our introduction to Killian Jones / Captain Hook. It’s a good one, and I’d have liked it better had Rumple’s role in both the past and present not been so disturbing.

Save Henry - 3x09. A tad anti-climactic and the Regina focus was misaimed, but still good.

New York City Serenade - 3x12. A damn fine start to a new beginning for the show.

Rocky Road - 4x03. Elsa and the Snow Queen are both fantastic characters, both shown well here. It’s held back by the introduction of Will Scarlet, who ended up being a waste.

Darkness on the Edge of Town - 4x12. This episode gives us the visual of villains on a road trip stopping at a drive-thru. You just gotta love that! Also, the Chernabog was awesome.

Operation Mongoose - 4x21 / 22. Despite Isaac’s (and by extension, A&E’s) terrible writing, the weird situations and performances from the actors makes this an entertaining finale.

Siege Perilous - 5x03. A good old-fashioned Camelot adventure is just what I wanted. 

The Bear King - 5x09. Again, screw the haters. The show needed more episodes like this, a standalone where the plot takes a pause and the side characters are allowed to develop.

Broken Heart - 5x10. The present-day plot is absolute crap, but the flashback in Camelot is really well executed, and Colin O’Donoghue is clearly having a blast playing Dark Hook.

Souls of the Departed - 5x12. Not ideal for the 100th episode, but a good start to the Underworld arc, with a lot of familiar faces returning and a great new villain introduced. 

Devil's Due - 5x14. Despite her fate in this episode, it’s great to see the writers presenting Milah more sympathetically than she was before, and Hades continues to be a delight.

Our Decay - 5x16. The first episode where Zelena feels truly human instead of the cartoonish psychopath she was before, with her and Hades’ romance being legit touching.

Sisters - 5x19. While I don’t much care for the subplot with Prince James, the main plot featuring the reconciliation between Cora, Regina and Zelena is great and beautifully acted.

Strange Case - 6x04. Oh, Mr. Hyde, you left us way too soon. The episode is sadly weighed down by Rumple’s textbook abuse toward Belle, which we now know is never truly punished. 

Dark Waters - 6x06. A good bonding episode between Hook and Henry, plus a great new character from the Land of Untold Stories who is actually faithful to his source material!

Heartless - 6x07. For once, Lana Parilla actually gives us an old-school Evil Queen performance, where she’s scary and truly malevolent rather than campy and over-the-top.

Mother's Little Helper - 6x16. I really like the Dark Realm, and wish that more was done with it. The reunion between long-time rivals Hook and Blackbeard is also a lot of fun.

The Black Fairy - 6x19. The retcon that Rumple was born a Savior is ridiculous, but the titular Black Fairy’s backstory actually makes her an interesting character for the first time.

A Pirate's Life - 7x02. It was nice to see Emma again, and even better to see that the Hook in this arc is actually Wish!Hook rather than the original, who is still living happily with Emma.

The Girl in the Tower - 7x14. Robin and Alice are beyond precious as a couple in both the past and the present, finally washing away the bad taste left behind by “Ruby Slippers”.

The Guardian - 7x18. It may have been late in coming, but Rumple / Weaver actually becomes interesting here as we get to explore his relationship with his newfound friends.

Homecoming - 7x21. It’s good to see several old characters again, and even better to see all the loose threads from that abominable Season 6 Wish Realm two-parter finally addressed. 

Leaving Storybrooke - 7x22. Except for Rumple’s end, most of what happens following Snow and Charming’s appearance is utter shit. But.....at least the show is finally over!