#killian had so much potential and chemistry with so many characters

[pirateswhore]

Gods, I'm going feral over the friendships on OUAT. the ones we could've had. especially for killian

belle and killian. ESPECIALLY after after the frozen arc. bonding over their hate for Rumple, Belle realising killian was right, forgiving him, killian forgiving himself, bonding over books. killian telling her about his travels.

robin & killian. learning about the modern world together. going through relationship woes together. double dates with CS & OQ. both being outlaws and anti-monarchists while dating royals. the honour and good form that keeps them both in line.

regina and killian. both villains, both trying their best to redeem themselves for the sake of loved ones. fearing that their happy endings will never come (or that they'll lose them). fearing that their misdeeds were so awful they can never atone for them. supporting and keeping each other from relapsing. they both understand the pull of the darkness, ESPECIALLY when darkness plays on your grief and loss of loved one. they both had to put on personnas of power (Queen, Captain) in order to hide the broken mess underneath.

bigger emphasis on Killians' relationship and parallels with David. especially the whole brotherhood notion. Killian's relationship with Henry and how they both helped each other grieve Neal/Bae's death.

Gods. it would've been so good. we were robbed

[fandomkru]

Thanks for the tag @travllingbunny! 😘

1. First Ship:

Ok i know I'll probably get hate for this but my first ever ship was Dramione (Draco & Hermione from Harry Potter). I know what you'll all say "mari that's toxic. He bullied her." so just to be clear.. i don’t ship the book!dramione or the movies!dramione bc well it's non existent. I ship the fanfic!dramione and more specifically the fics were there is an actual character growth for Malfoy, where he owns up to his mistakes, understands what he did and what he believed was wrong, let go of any prejudice and changed.

2. First OTP:

That would probably be Captain Swan (Emma Swan & Killian Jones from OUAT). I remember being obsessed with it when i first watched it. I think Thuke (Thalia and Luke from Percy Jackson) are really close too.

3. Current favourite Ship:

Easy. Kanej (Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa from Shadow and Bone) all the way baby!! Love them. Nothing else to say lol

4. Your Ship since the first minute:

Jeresa (James Valdez and Teresa Mendoza from Queen of the South). I decided to watch this show due to the UTTER disappointment that the final season of the 100 was. Never intended to ship anything or become obsessed. But the BOOM. Ep 1x02 happens and I'm obsessed with the ship bc they just looked at each other. Sold then and there lol

5. Ships you wish had been Endgame:

BELLARKE (Bellamy Blake & Clarke Griffin from the 100). Do i need to say more? But you know what? In my mind they are. Season 7 WHO?

6. Ship you wish was Canon:

Probably Quakerider (Daisy and Robbie from Agents of Shield). The chemistry was up there as well as the dynamic. Power couple to the core. Could have had a lot of potential if they went with it

Also Tandy and Turone from Cloak and Dagger. The show was cancelled before we got a chance to see where their relationship was going😒

7. Ship that Most of the Fandom hates but you love:

Book!Malina (Malyen Oretsev & Alina Starkov from Shadow and Bone). Ok guys i just finished the sab trilogy and someone please explain to me why the fandom hated Mal so much in the books.. i don’t get it. He was there for alina every step of the way, their relationship was really well written. Am i missing sth here? Someone please explain it to me..

8. You don't even watch the show but you ship it:

JJ & Kie from Outer Banks. I am thinking of watching it bc of them lol

9. Ship that you wish had a different storyline:

Hmmm.. probably Tiva (Tony & Ziva from NCIS). I know the actress wanted to leave after the 10th season and that kind of killed the storyline they were planning but they should have handed it better.. both hers and Tony's departure

Also Skyward (Daisy & Ward from Agents of Shield). They made ward hydra at the last minute just to tie in with the Winter Soldier movie when there was no clues throughout the season indicating that he was indeed hydra. I don't like ward anymore but i wish the character and ship was handled better

10. Favourite Ship(s) that are Endgame:

Ok let's see.. Darcy and Lizzie from Pride and Prejudice, Captain Swan from OUAT, Deckerstar from Lucifer, Jeresa from QOTS, Daisy and Daniel from Agents of Shield, Thorton and Margaret from North and South, Kat and Justin from Spinning Out and I'm probably forgetting some

Tagging for anyone who wants to do it @marvelousfandoms @la-ermitana @sometimesrosy @stan-of-many @countrysong-x and anyone else who wants to do it!

[firelxdykatara]

hello!! i just wanted to ask- i wanna do an ouat rewatch bc CAPTAIN SWANN but its pretty long and i honestly dont care for the other characters/how badly the overall writing was handled.. which are your favourite captain swan eps? anything them centered and i think ill just skip around to rewatch their romance as they did invent romance 😭😭 ty in advance <3

they absolutely did invent romance, you are right about that and i love them so much

UHMMMM as far as my favorite CS eps, here’s a roadmap of what I personally consider key eps in their journey (some of this is from memory but I haven’t done a full rewatch in a while so i’m going through the episode list as a refresher)

2x06: Tallahassee--this is a must-watch ep for any CS fan, and I really think this is the episode that sparked the fire that CS would become as a fandom. It has everything--flirtatious banter, all kinds of tension, deliberate parallels drawn between Emma and Killian’s pasts, as well as their first meeting being intercut with her relationship with Neal (which serves, especially in hindsight, to highlight just how sketchy that relationship was, and why she couldn’t bring herself to trust Killian--because the last time she felt this way about anyone, it ended horribly)

2x08 and 2x09: Into the Deep and Queen of Hearts--these episodes cover the race to the portal between Emma&co and Hook/Cora and while they don’t do a ton for CS as a relationship since they’re still enemies at this point, it lays great foundation for their future relationship development. Plus, sexy swordfight, Hook going out of his way to save Aurora’s heart--he may be a pirate, but he has standards ok--and Emma realizing Cora can’t remove her heart without her permission? Poetic Cinema

2x11: The Outsider--more of a Killian-centric episode, it shows a lot of Killian at his worst but it’s necessary for his overall character arc and I genuinely love looking back and seeing just how far he managed to come, to the point of eventually even letting go of his (very understandable) grudge against Rumplestiltskin.

2x12: In the Name of the Brother--am I including this purely for Emma&Hook banter in the hospital, and Killian saying ‘hey beautiful’ when he’s lying on the road because he just got hit by a fucking car? You bet I am. Also, go to youtube and look up ‘ouat season two deleted scene jello’, because it’s beautiful and there was a tremendous outcry in the fandom when we realized it had been cut from the episode lmao (It’s also the episode that made me start shipping Frankenwolf, which I’m still sad never went anywhere, but they had a lot of potential and great chemistry.)

2x22: And Straight On Till Morning--A few of the episodes in between have some fun minor interactions and flashbacks (and I always approve of episodes where Killian gets one up on Rumple, so 2x15 is fun for me if i ignore all the Neal bits) but the finale is where we finally get a glimpse of who Killian could be beyond his need for revenge. He didn’t have to come back, he didn’t have to bring back the bean and help the town--but he did.

Season 3a: there’s a lot of really good stuff here for Hook and Emma that is interwoven between the A plots of other episodes. I think, as far as half-season arcs go, it’s one of the best (and everything after 4a bombed hard, but I digress) But there are a few episodes that stand out if you don’t want to watch the whole season. (I recommend starting with the premier though, it was a really solid season starter overall.)

3x05: Good Form--this is the culmination of David’s poisoned-by-dreamshade arc, and is also Peak Captain Charming Bromance. Hook not only keeping David’s secret, but doing everything he can to help save him??? Poetic cinema. It also provides some crucial Killian backstory, showing how he lost his brother to the very same dreamshade. Plus, the character development--Pan offers Killian a chance to escape the island with Emma if he kills David, and instead, he saves him, refusing the deal and damn the consequences. Also also? The first CS kiss which drove the fandom WILD.

3X06: Ariel--not only to I love OUaT’s take on Ariel, but this episode has the infamous Echo Cave scene, which involves a lot of feelsy confessions and Killian being the one to tell everyone that Neal is alive and helping Emma save him despite his own growing feelings for her.....IT’S JUST A LOT AND I LOVE IT.

3x07: Dark Hallow--oh man, I’d forgotten about this episode, but it has Killian and Neal fighting over Emma, which may sound eye-roll worthy, but Emma is allowed to tear them a new one about it and it’s one of the few times she’s allowed to actually???? put her own feelings first so I have to include it here on spec

3x11 and 3x12: Going Home and New York City Serenade--these mark the end of 3a and start of 3b respectively, and it has some amazing shit like Killian vowing never to forget Emma and Emma smiling as she replies, “Good.” And then she and Henry are in New York with their memories completely altered, but Killian shows up because Storybrooke is back and in jeopardy, and he helps Emma get back to her family and her home and, much later, Emma finds out he sold the Jolly Roger to be able to do it and it’s just. It’s beautiful ok.

3x17: The Jolly Roger--there’s honestly not a whole lot in the back half of season 3 (until the CS movie) but of course anything named for Hook is a must-watch, and this is where we get the iconic line I swear on Emma Swan--which is Killian saying he’s in love with her before he even realizes it. We also find out just what he did to Ariel, and his attempts to make amends are what lead to Zelena being able to curse him, so it’s great from a character perspective as well.

The next four episodes round out the end of the season, and there’s a lot of great stuff in them--Hook refusing to get Emma to kiss him, but Emma feeling like she can’t trust him because he didn’t tell her about the curse to begin with, and then kissing him anyway to save his life regardless of the consequences.... but the only ones that are absolutely necessary are the final two episodes.

They are colloquially termed ‘The Captain Swan Movie’ for a reason, after all.

Killian and Emma essentially have an entire Time Travel adventure all to themselves, where they accidentally ruin her parents first meeting and have to fix it so that she’ll even be born, Emma finally getting into the storybook, the pair of them dancing at a ball, Killian rushing to save Emma only for her to get out of the cell herself, because “The only one who saves me is me.” Killian saying “I would go to the ends of the world for her... or time.” Finally fixing the timeline and making it back to Storybrooke and Killian feeling like he doesn’t deserve a place at the table so he doesn’t go inside, but Emma comes out to him anyway and finds out he gave up the Jolly Roger for her, the true start to their relationship...... IM CRYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT I’M SORRY.

I personally really enjoyed 4a, the Frozen arc was one of the last good half-season arcs of the show, but a lot of people disliked it so it’s really up to interpretation. I don’t have as many Intense Opinions on this season (except hating almost everything about 4b and the queens of darkness arc), but I will say the episodes with good Killian/CS moments are 4x02 (Emma nearly freezes to death, Killian is desperate to save her, Captain Charming teamwork, my heart hurts), 4x04 (Emma asks Killian out on a real date, he tries to get his real hand back from Gold, things go massively awry and he winds up back under Gold’s thumb), 4x08 (Killian tries to save Emma from Gold’s plans), 4x11 (the 4a finale is just great in general), and then..... it cannot be overstated how much I hate season 4b, but 4x15 is the Killian-centric ep where his past with Ursula is revealed and he makes amends to her in order to get her to leave the QoD alliance and it’s great character stuff for him, and then there’s the season 4 finale.

Both parts are worth watching, if only because Deckhand Coward Hook still being a braver, more heroic man than ‘Hero Rumplestiltskin’ warms the very cockles of my heart, and of course the second part of the finale has him helping Henry to save Emma and it’s beautiful and also Emma watches him die for her and it is angsty as FUCK but gods I love it. Here’s where it gets tricky, though--my recommendation is, turn the episode off right after Emma finds Killian back in the present day of Storybrooke and they reunite.

Just turn off the episode there and skip right ahead to the s6 musical episode (Emma and Killian’s wedding ep) and pretend they got married and none of seasons 5 or 6 ever happened. >.> (Although I will say certain parts of the Underworld arc were incredibly feelsy despite how much I overall hated the season: 5x11 (the 5a finale, Killian as the dark one STILL being a better man than rumple, we love to see it), 5x15 (I am not immune to Brothers Jones feelings ok), 5x20 (emma literally takes a True Love Test trying to find a way to save killian, you don’t get more romantic than that--also Killian telling Emma to promise she won’t put her armor back up just because she lost him again??? my HEART), 5x21 (Hook does what he can from the Underworld anyway and zeus sends him back to Emma, they really just said ‘today I will invent romance’ and then Did That)

And then, yeah, just skip to the wedding. It’s beautiful, I enjoyed the music, personally, though I know musical episodes are hit or miss with most people. And if you turn it off when the last musical number starts (after the wedding ceremony, I believe) you can pretend it was the end of the show! =DDD

.....Oh my god I just rambled for years. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS USEFUL, ANON. I 100% support a CS-centered rewatch, their episodes were consistently some of the best across the entire series, and they are truly one of my favorite romances of all time.

[thecharmingknightemma]

rules

Hello everyone! I'm sorry if this is long but it's necessary so that you can jump straight into writing with me even if Emma is nearly an oc or a stranger to your muses - and because I'm not English and want to be sure it's all clear. I've been writing for eight years and I'm known to be chill and accommodating but I am also extremely aware of what my preferences and comfort zones are so please read the rules.

My name is Ele, I'm 31, cis woman, super friendly, slow because chronically ill especially when it comes to ooc chat which require too much energy and focus from me, so while I love plotting and commenting threads don't expect ooc chats to be a priority if they aren't fully about the threads. This blog has sideblogs: 'monsterinamusicbox', sosadandyetsoamazing, musesonawhim, and more might come. 

This is an AU Blog so you don't really need to have seen OUAT because this is NOT canon Emma Swan, there is no Storybrooke, and the princess Emma who remembers what was meant to happen in OUAT will let you know everything that you missed; so you'll need to read Emma's bio, either her AU enchanted forest backstory OR the backstory from our world which can fit Marvel, DC and other shows, depending on which character you play (it's awkward to realize the other person has no idea of what I'm writing, like I said, this won't be Emma Swan even in our world, she's been raised by her parents).

There is another backstory for non Enchanted Forest crossovers that doesn't have an abusive ex in it, check it out if the original one is triggering for you. You can request it, no explanation needed.

update of July 26: due to my health and lack of time I can't try to plot with every single mutual even if I follow first, so I ask you to please give me a sign you read my pages and would like to rp. Either by liking my many plotting calls, sending me a meme, liking starter calls, anything will do. Often when I try to plot people haven't read my pages yet or don't reply, and it's a lost occasion to plot with people who are ready. Thank you for your understanding.

WHO I RP WITH

I’m mutuals only and selective. If I don't follow you and you try to rp I'll ignore you, because I get anxious about saying no. If curious you can find reasons why I didn't follow you back here. Memes and opens have no expiration date. Untagged nsfw = I unfollow. Some shows I prefer not to interact with because I don't know them or aren't into some of their themes: vampire diaries, teen wolf, riverdale, gossip girls and any zombie/demons show outside of IZombie, Lucifer and Buffy/Angel.

Between asterisks it's what only people who write ouat characters need to read, the rest is for everyone:

**If your character is involved in her backstory, you have every right to discuss details with me so you won't feel godmodded/forced to adapt to it! I will also change things connected to your ch, for example if I write with a Jefferson, Emma's bff will be Ariel and not Grace. I'd rather not interact with ocs that are supposed to be her siblings or children etc. Henry was never born so if you play Henry we should plot it out because my Emma can’t be pregnant as a kid or she will be a completely different character.**

In this blog due to backstory issues she would want Regina dead so I prefer NOT to interact nor come up with new aus in which she’s fine with it (I have 2 plotted exceptions and that’s enough for me), and same goes for people who are currently villains from any fandom, though in that case we can plot out exceptions in which they aren’t being villains; if they are a grey-area, aren't people who hurt her family, and if you are pro-redemption it's fine, if not Emma wouldn't submit to anyone or bother to chat, she will try to kill them or die, so no threads are really doable. She's also not the type to hang out/bother with characters who are rude to her or to insist if they want her to leave, or to support who keeps manipulating her, hurting people or doesn't seem to be helped by her presence at all but keeps coming to her with pain to share (the latter would get a therapist card). Basically: Killian Jones the way he was written in the show, or even a Rumplestiltskin who found Belle and chose to do better and so on are fine. Villains who will mistreat Emma, have hurt her family, or are currently hunting children for sport? Not good for Emma.

TRIGGERS AND WHAT I WON’T WRITE

Triggers will be tagged ‘name of the trigger tw’, you can always ask me to tag more AND tell me if something in her backstory makes you uncomfortable, so that I can find a solution (that issue is resolved/doesn't need to be mentioned) or tell you if it can't be skipped and you can choose not to write with me. I don’t write about miscarriage, toxic/abusive relationships and rape between my character and yours (temporarily evil due to magic/Dark One Emma being manipulative is fine, but rape is still a no). It’s not exactly a trigger but please tag your gore and body horror? The topic of hell is also complicate, I need you not to focus too much on torture and eternal damnation. And please, PLEASE, tag your daddy kink/mommy kink references ic and ooc. 

MEMES

I’d rather get asks when you want to start a thread, reblog all the memes you want from me. I will reblog from the source or send you one if you prefer it that way but I don’t care if you reblog them from me.

ACTIVITY

Sometimes I'm fast, some I'm slow, but you can have as many threads with me as you want, take your time, reply as much as you want as long as you give me enough to write, drop threads, send memes or not. I like icons but I don't need them to write, you can stop using them whenever. 

NSFW and relationships

NSFW of the smut kind will be tagged as such and usually put under read more. I don’t write smut with everyone, only with people I know ooc/feel comfortable writing it with. I love shipping but I DON'T FORCESHIP, FRIENDSHIPS ARE WELCOMED. My Emma is straight. I do not romantically ship her with Neal/Baelfire even in aus, in her dark witch verse he's a past love Emma Swan had. Happy to find out if a relationship works between my Emma and Killian (my nearly automatic otp if you don't write him darker than in canon), the Huntsman, AU Pinocchio, Jefferson, and more if there is chemistry, but friendship is open to any of them too. Here for crossover ships as well. I’d really appreciate if you could tag your Swan Queen and Swan Thief, thank you.

OTHER FANDOMS I LIKE

Due to potential aus or crossovers, as in princess Emma showing up through a portal or me writing aus to adapt to your fandom, I want to bring up that some of the shows and movies I know are/what she can be in them with small changes to her regular backstory:

AOS (she can easily be inhuman or an alien),

Avengers movies (and at least Thor, Cap, Iron Man and Hulk’s movies), Ant-Man, Captain Marvel (same as above),

the 100 (she’s too happy to be anything but someone who comes from an unknown village or comes from one of the unknown worlds),

Chuck (she can be an ordinary human being, enhanced person/semi-alien depending on who rps the Chuck characters),

Elementary (she can be a regular human or whatever you want)

Flash (she can be a metahuman),

Guardians of the Galaxy (Same as for Marvel),

Legends of Tomorrow (human, alien, metahuman),

Doctor Who (she can be anything),

Firefly: she can be anything (I can also shake things up with her being an alien/having powers OR by coming from the planet where fairy tales are real).

Galavant (same universe as the Enchanted Forest),

Supergirl (she can be an ordinary human or alien),

IZombie (human or zombie),

Lost (she can be anything anything)

Buffy and Angel but only the tvshows (human, witch, one of the many new slayers),

Timeless (human unless the other rper prefers a crossover),

Lord of the Rings (probably just princess Emma portal jumping?)

pretty much any famous sitcom like Friends, the Office, Parks and Rec, b99 (likely she can only be human unless asked otherwise).

Also Lucifer and Good Omens (she could be an ordinary human or it’s more of a crossover in which she comes from her own universe and has magic), and more I can’t think of right now.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 4X03 - Rocky Road

Will Ingrid succeed in ICE-olating Elsa from our heroes?

Shut up! That was funny!

Hit up my review below the cut to find out what we think of her cold con (And to see if I make any more bad puns)!

Main Takeaways

Past

Kristoph and Elsa’s friendship runs the show here and it does so very well. It was a really smart idea tackling the unconventional ways that the both of them grew up as a means of having them bond. And as I’ll go over later, I like the use of trust as a theme in this segment.

Beyond that, apart from a just really solid story, there’s not a lot to talk about here. So onwards!

Present

I remember when I was just a lurker in this fandom, people for some reason were up in arms about why Ingrid froze Marian’s heart and for me, it always made sense. Elsa was getting to be buddy-buddy with the heroes and would soon be welcomed into the town. Because of that, while there was still time for people to be suspicious and doubtful of Elsa, Ingrid froze Marian’s heart so that the ensuing fear of the townspeople could combat the trust that the heroes had in her and give Elsa that sense of rejection. Like, while I don’t like this arc in the sense that it quite literally fridges Marian, it does make sense in terms of Ingrid’s motivations. It’s actually a genius plan on her part and really sets up the type of villain she is. She’s complicated in that she wants her sisters to come to her willingly, but has no problem using her control over memories to manipulate exactly what “willingly” entails.

Snow’s story is really good. I know a lot of people feel like Baby Neal should have more focus, but I feel the opposite. He’s a baby. He’s gonna poop and cry and most of the interesting content regarding him is the reaction of his parents and sibling to his presence. I feel like all we really need are to see glimpses of Snow and David parenting every now and then and this was probably the best of them. That’s because it got right to the heart of the matter: Snow is afraid for Baby Neal because of what happened with Emma. She lives in Storybrooke, Maine, the land where danger goes to have a fucking bar mitzvah! That fear is something clear and understandable and I’m happy that it got the attention it deserves.

Operation Mongoose is born! ...Well, officially now! I like how Operation Mongoose is portrayed as an operation that is in some ways extremely flawed in the places that it’s coming from, but also that involving Henry allows for it to refocus it into something good! It adds a nice layer of complexity to this operation and serves as a reflection of the Regal Believer dynamic!

There are so many good dynamics here, and besides my front runner for favorite dynamic, I really have to give credit to Emma and Regina’s here. While I don’t like the upcoming resolution to their conflict, what I do like is the buildup here. Regina, still angry with Emma, is back to making cutting and snippy remarks and Emma, while not taking them sitting down, does let those words get to her in a way. Those feelings of inadequacy, while the basis of which is wrong, are valid feelings for her to have and how they’re brought up and affect Emma throughout the episode is brutal.

...It should say a lot about how little of an impression Will Scarlet left on me that I kept forgetting that this was his first episode in the main series. I just...I just don’t get it. Well, I get that apparently, Will’s actor was still under contract and thus needed to be part of the main series, but to trap him in Storybrooke in such a tragic way, one that went presumably unsolved until the end of the series (Which was one hell of a jump) was just awful. I loved Will in the Wonderland spinoff and his friendship with Alice so to know that he loses that connection as well as his relationship with Ana really hurts! And to do what? Something that maybe another one of the more sidelined side characters could’ve done in his place? They just did him dirty. That all having been said, within the context of this episode and the arc, he’s...serviceable. He’s himself and Will Scarlet is an enjoyable character. He has good chemistry with Emma and David.

BUT let’s move aside from that to touch upon Ingrid and Emma’s dynamic! I love how just Emma’s appearance is enough to distract Ingrid from her plans. Like, she’s honestly about to freakin’ win and Emma pulls her from victory!

All Encompassing

Trust is the big theme of today’s episode and it gets a nice deep exploration. Elsa puts it best: “When you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, it can be hard to let people in, to trust them. Even when they want what’s best for you.” And this applies to several characters in this episode, namely Elsa in the flashback, Emma, Snow, and Rumple (A weird example, I know, but I’ll explain).

The thing that these four have in common in the context of this episode is that they think they know best, when that’s not necessarily true, if at all. I think in the first three examples, they’re rather self explanatory in the episode. Snow doesn’t want to trust anyone with Baby Neal because of the weight of raising a child again is something that scares her. Elsa doesn’t want to trust anyone else with her mission to get the urn because she feels that as the queen, she should be able to take care of this herself and later that she -- as a magic user -- should be able to use the urn herself to find out more about other magic users. Emma doesn’t want anyone coming along on her current mission so that she can save the day and regain her sense of purpose.

As for Rumple, I think this sentiment applies to him in the sense that the weight of the world for him now is his power and Belle. With Bae (And by extension, so much of his purpose in life) gone, Belle and his power is all he really has left. With the weight of his unhindered power now on his shoulder as it’s a possibility thanks to the hat, he doesn’t want to trust Belle with that information because he knows that if she knows the cost of it, she’ll try to deter him from pursuing his goal (And rightfully so, both with how Belle would act and how just that is). But especially after having his powers manhandled for a year, he doesn’t want to lose his chance of being free of the dagger.

Stream of Consciousness

-”And ice cream.” You know, a lot of people have all sorts of HC’s about Roland after he and the others go back to the EF and I love them, but if I may contribute my own, I want Roland to bring ice cream, the sweetest magic of all, back to his home!

-”Please mom? Regina let me.” Roland, you adorable and conniving little boy! You are going to run the world through three scoops of ice cream and a smile that can melt them!

-I also just realized that with the context of Marian being Zelena, I’m sure she’s just THRILLED with someone else comparing her to Regina! XD

-Marilena, order the carrot ice cream! It will surely leave you STONED! XD

-”There is no problem that can’t be solved with a little ice cream.” This may be my favorite opening scene in the show! XD

-”Any Given Sundae” is one of my favorite puns in this series, and given how much I love puns, that’s saying something!

-”Well, an all too common affliction around these parts.” ...It really is!

-Gotta say, Rumple’s counter to the super power was fucking great! Like, he had that down to a science! I actually HC that he may have given that to her. On some level, he knew she’d be on her own, so he decided to give her some aid in the form of her super power so that she could have a little help.

-”But I wish you the best of luck finding her.” Yeah...I refuse to believe that no one outside of Killian found that one specific line fishier than Ariel in her grotto.

-I’m very glad to know that Storybrooke is anti-wall! :D

-”I’m not worried about the wall. I’m worried about who made it.” I just love this line! XD

-I LOVE Regina’s outfit in Granny’s! Look, I’m a sucker for short sleeves and the vest part of it just seals the deal for me. This is a comfy cozy Regina! Also, Lana is ROCKING that ponytail!

-Regina, you have great taste in comics! Also, you’re kind of as subtle as a brick with your goals, but it works out really well! :D

-I love the slam down of the painting! Regina is 100% right. As someone who just gushed about that office, that painting completely messes with the colors and has got to go.

-”People like me?” “With magic.” I like how Kristoph wastes not even a second before ensuring Elsa that he doesn’t mean “people like me” in a bad way. He really gets his sister-in-law and knows that such talk has the potential to upset her deeply and as soon as he sees an inkling of that, he springs to action.

-Elsa and Killian also have a great dynamic here! XD

-”What are you going to do?” “Something drastic.” I think he was looking for something a TWINGE more specific, Regina! XD

-Okay, so I don’t often like to pick apart plot holes, but why wouldn’t Killian have Elsa secretly listen in on their convo and then tell Belle herself? Like, he promised Rumple “his” silence. He said fuck all about Elsa! XD

-You know, if magic can never be destroyed as Rumple claims, than when his own curse broke, did the darkness equilibrium that I’ve hoped for for so long just sweep the land?! Because I hope so.

-Any Given Sundae has really strange hours of operation! XD

-David, you may be “fine,” but your shirt needs an iron STAT!

Favorite Dynamic

Golden Hook! I’ve waited FAR too long to gush about this rivalry again and now I can!!! This episode is I think one of the bests for their rivalry and I mean that usually, Rumple has far more of a pull over Killian than vice versa because of his magic, but here, it really feels equal because Killian’s win comes from a sensible place. Killian’s been tracking down Rumple and his weaknesses for a century and thus, has an understanding of the man. And so, he’s able to have a real and tangible advantage in this moment, one well prepared. It’s a stupid, dangerous, and even kind of selfish, but it does work out this first time around and it’s fitting of Killian’s character. There’s an actual clash and seeing that confrontation is so engaging.

Writer

We’ve got one veteran writer and one newbie today, David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz, as they enter into Season 4. And damn, what a start! What we have here are several really solid narratives that are well paced and balanced. Nothing here felt like a character was being given too much or little focus. Additionally, the conflicts and dialogue make sense for the unique positions of our characters, making this episode feel quite organic.

Rating

Golden Apple. This is a fairly layered episode! Its main draw for me are the fantastic dynamics that we get to see fleshed out as well a theme that is powerful but not too overbearing. All in all, it comes together nicely to deliver a really satisfying episode!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - I really do like the exploration as to some of Emma’s distance in starting up hers and Killian’s relationship. By this point, romance has on three occasion spelled doom for whoever she’s been with and she’s nervous about Killian too. She had little control over the fates of Graham, Neal, and Walsh due to her lack of knowledge about the truth of her fairytale background and the danger that comes with it, but Killian’s different. She can make that choice and with all the facts, she’s nervous to make that step. But Killian gets to have a say in this as well. He’s survived so much of the fairytale dangers and his existence is proof of that. And that bit of information, alongside Killian’s just straight-up dedication to her and her growing feelings for him (Anyone else hear the hesitation in Emma’s voice when she pushes aside that she wants a man?), is what finally allows for her to be willing to give them a real chance. It’s no wonder that the ensuing kiss is one that enraptured the fandom and why the line beforehand stuck with us so hard. It’s an optimistic that follows this couple until the end of the series and really feels so equalizing for them. Emma and Killian are trying to help each other, but in different ways and this kiss doesn’t signal the end of that by any means, but that they’re going to change tactics so that they can help each other and be together. And that swell of music makes the moment so triumphant and beautiful.

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Thank you all for reading (If you do...honestly, I’m never sure, but if you do, I’m really grateful for you for doing so)!!! Shoutouts as always to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales and to my super amazing buddy @daensarah! Happy New Year!!!

Season 3 Total (29/230)

Writer Scores: Adam and Eddy: (9/60) Jane Espenson: (10/40) David Goodman and Jerome Schwartz: (10/50)

*Links to the rest of my rewatch will no longer be provided. They take posts with links outside of searches and I spend way too much time on these reviews to not give them that kind of exposure. Sorry for the inconvenience, but they still can be found on my page under Operation Rewatch.

[tragicbeauty1991]

In Defense of Disney's Captain Hook: A Not Wholly Unheroic Figure

With the recent popularity of ABC's hit show Once Upon a Time, the classic view of fairytale villains as irredeemable bad guys has been turned on its head, and while some of our favorite baddies like Cruella and Dr. Facilier remain fairly true to their original Disney counterparts in appearance and personality on the show, others have gotten such a complete makeover that they are hardly recognizable as the same character they are supposed to portray. Among those given the latter treatment is fan favorite Killian Jones, a.k.a. Captain Hook. In a day and age when Jack Sparrow is the first fictional pirate who comes to mind, it's no surprise that the show's creators decided to embrace the guy-liner and black leather-wearing sexy bad boy approach to the character, but while this creative choice has had the effect of garnering fans' attention, it has also had the unfortunate effect of turning the original character into something of a joke. While Killian is viewed as a well-developed sympathetic character with the potential for redemption, Disney's original version of the character tends to be seen as little more than a straightforward comical villain with little or no real depth. As a fan of the original Disney version of the character, however, I'd like to argue that from the very beginning, Disney's Hook was always intended to be a complex, likable villain and continues to be portrayed as such in modern Disney media. My argument is as follows:

Hook's original creators, including author J.M. Barrie, producer Walt Disney, and voice actor Hans Conried loved the character.

The original author of Peter Pan, James Matthew Barrie—who significantly gave his own first name to the pirate captain—is quick to remind the audience that despite his flaws, Hook “was not wholly evil; he loved flowers...and sweet music (he was himself no mean performer on the harpsichord)....” When Walt Disney decided to approach the character, he quickly realized that a villain with such a soft side would appeal to the viewers and instructed the animators to alter the original ending of the story, having Hook chased off by the crocodile but still clearly alive because “the audience will get to liking Hook and they won't want to see him killed.” Hans Conried, who served as both the voice-actor and the live-action reference model for Hook's character design, also had a fondness for him, stating that “He's a much maligned character. If you read the lines with any sensibility at all, you must have an animus against Peter Pan who could fly, and took outrageous advantage of this one-armed man. Hook was a gentleman. Pan was not. His behavior was very bad form.”

His motivation as a villain departs from the standard and immediately sets him up as a sympathetic character.

Whereas many of the traditional Disney villains are motivated by greed, envy, the desire for power, or revenge for a petty slight, Hook departs significantly from the norm in that his motivation stems from severe physical (and arguably psychological) trauma suffered at the hands of the supposed hero. While we are never told the exact circumstances under which the hand loss occurred, Hook has a legitimate reason to hate Peter Pan that runs much deeper than mere jealousy or megalomania. In fact, in his opening scene with Mr. Smee, Hook concedes that even such a crippling injury alone would not have warranted his hatred; rather, it is the fact that Peter gave the hand to the crocodile, causing him to live in a constant state of fear (and the boy's tendency to exploit that fear), that pushed him over the edge.

He has a multifaceted, well-developed personality which humanizes him for the audience.

In various interviews animator Frank Thomas has discussed the disparity between the personality storyman Ed Penner and director Gerry Geronimi envisioned for the character and the resulting difficulty he had in designing the version of Captain Hook that we see in the finished film. One viewed him as a foppish dandy of a fellow while the other envisioned a much darker, more frightening man who readily used the hook as a weapon against his enemies. This difficulty was further complicated by the fact that action-scene animator Woolie Reitherman—who was responsible for drawing Hook's interactions with the crocodile—wanted to bring a level of comedy to the character which somewhat clashed with his depiction in more serious scenes. The final result was a villain unlike any other Disney had created at the time—a villain who was by turns both fearsome and fragile, dangerous and debonair. Many of Disney's earliest films focused more on the new art of animation than the art of developing well-rounded characters, resulting in very black and white idealized heroes and villains. With Hook, Disney crossed a line into the morally gray territory, resulting in a sympathetic yet sinister character whose moments of weakness would endear him to audiences while his wickedness simultaneously appalled them.

His physical and emotional issues are highly relatable.

Ironically, despite the obvious mention of the prosthetic in his name, we tend to forget that Hook is technically disabled (by our “hero” no less!)...and that physical disability comes with a host of other issues, some of which are trauma-related. In addition to the crippling anxiety we see displayed on-screen, other Disney media indicate that he also suffers from high blood pressure (Kingdom Hearts manga), depression (365 Bedtime Stories), and low self-esteem (Jake and the Neverland Pirates). These are very real everyday issues that we can all relate to on some level either through personal experience or through someone we know.

The dynamic he has with Mr. Smee is unique among Disney villains and sidekicks.

Disney sidekicks—while often providing exceptional comic relief for the audience—are not always necessary for the hero/villain to stand on their own. Many early villain sidekicks, in particular, are given very little personality and some (Diablo in Sleeping Beauty and Gideon in Pinocchio, for example) don't even have any lines. While the sidekick to the primary villain often relies on his/her master as the brains of the operation, the primary villain usually has little need for their companionship. They are expendable resources whom the villain could easily replace or do away with altogether. Hook and Smee's relationship is different in that neither character could properly function alone; Smee relies on Hook for leadership and direction while Hook heavily depends on Smee for emotional support. Further, Smee—unlike many villain sidekicks—seems to genuinely care about his captain's well-being, and Hook recognizes and appreciates this, if only subconsciously. Despite being frequently irritated by his sidekick's apparent incompetence, Hook—a man who doesn't hesitate to shoot his own crewman for singing badly—never legitimately threatens Smee, resorting to raising a fist or giving a smack with the blunt side of his hook to show his frustration rather than taking a swipe at him with the more dangerous side of the claw. The crew, too, recognize Smee's privileged ability to speak his mind plainly to the captain without fear of serious repercussions, showing obvious disdain for him. One character is rarely ever seen without the other, and for good reason—neither one is capable of standing alone, their on-screen chemistry likely a result of the fact that animators Frank Thomas (Hook) and Ollie Johnston (Smee) were real-life best friends.

In the more lighthearted Jake and the Neverland Pirates series for Disney Junior, the characters' relationship is further expanded into actual camaraderie, and the two pirates play off each other extremely well in what voice-actor Corey Burton (current Hook) has described fondly as a “vaudeville comedy routine,” crediting the success of their dynamic in the show to his own friendship with fellow voice-actor Jeff Bennett, who performs as Smee, the relationship of the men behind the characters once again bleeding over into their fictional personas with the best possible results.

He occasionally displays qualities typical of a Disney hero.

While Barrie notes in his book that Hook is a “not wholly unheroic figure,” Disney's original film did little to show this side of the character. However, subsequent portrayals of the captain in various media indicate that this villain has the potential for moral growth. For example, in a deleted song from Return to Neverland, one of the pirates mentions Hook taking him in when he was a child. Another example of such benevolent behavior occurs in Epic Mickey: Castle of Illusion; at the end of the game when the illusion is broken and characters are saying their farewells to Mickey, Hook actually apologizes for his behavior while he was out of sorts, suggesting that although he is quite willing to fight anyone actively siding with Peter, he generally has no qualms with other Disney heroes and is capable of being civil and even polite to them. Additionally, in the Kingdom Hearts manga, Hook actually saves Peter (admittedly because he wants to have the pleasure of taking out Peter himself, but it's something, at least). Furthermore, in the preschool series Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Hook occasionally partners up with the main characters and in most instances, though he's a bit of a bully, ends up doing the right thing when hard-pressed to make a serious decision so long as Peter isn't around. In the episode The Legion of Pirate Villains, he even proudly proclaims to the main cast's common foe, “I am no mere villain. I am a villainous hero!” This concept of Hook as a sort of anti-hero was even hinted at in a line-up of character products known as the Disney Adventurers franchise sold at the Disney Store between 1999 and 2004. This franchise, originally intended to be the more masculine counterpart of the Disney Princess line, featured Hook as the ONLY villain apparently fighting alongside heroes including Tarzan, Aladdin, Hercules, and—astonishingly—Peter Pan.

TL; DR – Captain Hook is a highly complex, relatable character who deserves his place among the most iconic Disney villains. Walt and others who were critical to the development of his character loved him, and you should too.

[pepperony3000-archive]

Ayyy, Once Upon a Time. Let's do a throwback, lol.

Oh wow! That’s such a throwback! xD

You’re trying to make me nostalgic and annoyed all at once, aren’t you? ;)

my favorite female character: Regina Mills. Literally the only reason I didn’t unfollow every single OUAT blog I used to follow. Lana Parrilla is a goddess among women, and she plays Regina so beautifully. Plus, Regina in season 1 was the second best written character (which is saying a lot because they were all actually written quite well in season 1), and the only one with semi-consistent writing in the following six years of bullshit.

my favorite male character: Nealfire. Fuck the show for killing him off just to appease the rape-culture-apologist CS shippers. Nealfire was literally the most important character, and had so many potential stories and dynamics with him being Henry’s father and Rumple’s son. But ya know... Emma couldn’t date Captain Rape Culture when her obvious true love was still around, so he had to be killed off because whiny idiotic teenagers thought he was ugly. I’m still bitter.

my favorite book/season/etc: Season 1: the only good season. I also quite liked Regina’s arc in season 2.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): Skin Deep will go down as my favorite OUAT episode I think. It’s the episode that actually made me truly fall in love with the show (as opposed to just being a casual watcher). 

my favorite cast member: Lana Parrilla. She’s so beautiful and such an incredible actress and such a sweet and funny person and I love her.

my favorite ship: Swanfire. They really were perfect together. They were two lost souls who found each other, and they kept on finding each other even when tragedy (and fucking awful writing) kept on pulling them apart. Honestly? Swanfire mirrored Snowing’s “I will always find you” more than the rape-culture ship ever did.

a character I’d die defending: Nealfire. He was done so dirty by the writing and the fandom, just because people decided that MRJ was ugly! And I really absolutely hate everybody for that.

a character I just can’t sympathize with: Captain Rape Culture. Oh sorry... wasn’t his name something like Jonesin’ for a Kill? Oh wait, Killian Jones. Sorry... easy mistake to make.Now this is NOTHING against Colin O’Donaghue, who I really love as an actor. This is 100% about that awfully written (albeit well performed) overhyped overloved and overly awful character. I could write pages about how much I hate him and how badly written he is and how he ruined the show, but I mean... I’ve already salted these fields quite a lot.

a character I grew to love: Charming. Honestly I did love him in the pilot episode because who DOESN’T love a man who will swordfight a dozen men whilst holding a baby? But then I just found him... a bit boring during most of season 1. But he’s genuinely such a sweet and wonderful person, and I really love him.

my anti otp: Captain Rape Culture and Stepford Swan. The literal worst ship in anything ever. Nothing brings about such intense hatred in me than this ship. They literally were only a couple because both actors are hot, even though they have literally ZERO chemistry, he made a horrible rape joke while pinning her to the ground and trying to stab her, called her useless, constantly lied to her... I could go on.And honestly? It’s IMPRESSIVE that this is the ship they went with, since Colin O’Donaghue managed to have AMAZING chemistry with literally everything and everybody he interacted with EXCEPT for JMo, and while I don’t think JMo is a very good actress in the first place... she had better chemistry with a BUNCH of other people. Hell... she had better chemistry with CHARMING than with Captain Rape Culture!I literally hate this ship so much.

No, I’m not at all salty about this show. What on earth made you think that.

Send me a show/movie/fandom

[theonceoverthinker]

Wish Hook Week: Day 4 - Favorite Relationship

Damn, this season has left us with plenty of characters to choose from for this entry!

...But dammit, I’m a sucker for my FoeTP!

Get over here, you glorious bastards!

Something that I don’t think we got in the six seasons was Rumple and Killian honest to God working together. I mean, we saw it...but not really. They worked together tangentially, which - don’t get me wrong - was fine.

The thing is, there was so much potential seeing these two bitter rivals working together. Killian and Rumple complement each other in a very unique ways, and that’s what I adore about them and their dynamic as a whole. Killian’s charming and likable. He’s the kind of guy who makes someone want to open up by choice and he’s strong enough to be a threat without magic. Rumple, on the other hand, while not popular in the public eye by any means, is willing to do what he needs to to get things done, and has the abilities (Read: magic) required to fulfill his own needs. He’ll push someone to the brink and manipulate them and forge all kinds of crazy and sleazy alliances to ensure that he gets what he wants. What happens when these two are on the same side and more over, have to rely on one another?

Well, we got that this season, and it’s been glorious!!!!

Killian and Rumple’s cursed personalities, Rogers and Weaver, working together, more than any other spoiler that we got for Season 7, had me squeeing like a fangirl whose OTP just got made canon. And not only were they going to be coworker, but they were going to be cops - a job that requires the qualities that make Rumple and Killian so interesting to begin with? Fuck...I was ready.

Look, I’m a Golden Hook shipper above most others. This season was always going to be my fucking Christmas, and wow boy - it’s delivered in spades.

“A Pirate’s Life” was a dream come true episode for me, and not just for the CS stuff (Though that did help). The Rogers and Weaver content was through the roof. Nearly every scene the two had were with each other in the forefront and were all character-driven, and the scenes they didn’t share had each other present through their stunning characterizations.

Weaver presented Rogers with his first real conflict of the season: Whether or not to betray Henry. Now, while I’m pretty sure we all knew that Rogers wasn’t about to lose his job because of spoilers for upcoming episodes, what it meant for his partnership with Weaver was uncertain and thus, put on the line. It certainly wasn’t helped knowing that Wish Killian was only just starting his redemption in the flashback.

Things had already ended badly during Henry’s test in the premiere…

How would it go for Rogers?

Well, Rogers was indeed successful morally, choosing to maintain his integrity over cowering to Belfrey’s whims for more opportunities concerning his missing girl case.

But what was to happen between him and Weaver?

This scene was a gem and really set the tone for their partnership. Rogers was left guessing just about everything about his new partner, but showed that he remained on equal footing to Weaver by its conclusion. And Weaver was left as mysterious, but not at all without nobility. You can see that inkling of Rogers sneaking into Weaver too, as directly presented in the next scene with Weaver and Belfrey. There’s trust between the two of them, as tenuous as it is. Rogers clearly does revere Weaver as a cop, and Weaver is impressed by Rogers’ code and persistence. There are definitely bumps too, as to be expected of two personalities such as theirs, regardless of the state of their memories.

Speaking of...

I really wish that we had gotten more of Weaver before he woke up. His character felt so distinct from Rumple’s and seeing a relationship between the two of them deprived of a good chunk of their animosity was intriguing. Not to mention, for as similar as Rumple and Weaver are, I wanted to know more about Weaver’s end goal. Why did he want Rogers’ moral code? How did Tilly fit in to all of this? How would Weaver have played into The Power Trio of Regina, Henry, and Killian and the resolution of the Eloise Gardener case?

But ah well. The past is the past, and our present with them is pretty sweet.

Robert Carlyle expertly communicates the shift in his feelings towards their partnership. You see that slight bit of venom when he first wakes up when he yells at Rogers.

But surprisingly, that’s not all.

There’s also compassion, as demonstrated by the scene in the evidence room, one I dissected on day one of Wish Hook Week, which I’ll put here if you want to read it.

We see it again, now in The Enchanted Forest, with The White Elephant in “The Eight Witch.” “All magic comes with a price.” That’s been Rumple’s motto since the fourth episode of the series! But do you notice something during that scene?

There is no price. Rumple just hands Killian the White Elephant, an item with literally no negative consequences apart from its scarcity.

At this point, it’s unclear whether or not this show of kindness is for Killian’s benefit or Alice’s. Now, I’m sure it’s for Alice. In fact, I think she’s the very reason he ended up scaly again. Alice - and later, Tilly - are undeniably their common ground.

But one can’t help but believe that there’s a modicum of concern for Killian too. For me, it’s the “protect you from your bloody self” line from a few episodes prior that sells it. Perhaps it comes from a respect for Killian as a fellow parent, or perhaps even a genuine, yet I emphasize low and unorthodox, camaraderie that formed over the eight-year time skip concerning Alice’s well being.

Whatever the case, something far from hatred has formed between the two of them, and it culminates in Rumple trusting Rogers with his motives in “One Little Tear.” I think that this is so important, especially for Rumple. Over the past six seasons, Rumple has never been one to ask for help if he could at all help it. But here, after being screwed over by Tremaine and bearing witness to Rogers - a good, yet in many way, naive cop - practically begging to be let in, Rumple decides to change his tune. He puts forth the effort to let someone help him, and, as well as he can given the circumstances, tells Rogers of his desire to be reunited with his wife.

And Rogers - as unbelievable as that story is to him - does indeed believe Weaver. That’s really saying something considering the bulk of Rogers time this episode was spent investigating Weaver and the findings were overall pretty rough on Weaver’s credibility. But Rogers can tell when Weaver’s being vulnerable and putting himself out there, and chooses to put his faith in his partner.

From there, the two now continue their investigations together - this time with a new level of respect and a stronger level of trust between the two of them. In addition, Rumple has regained at least some aspect of Tilly’s trust back through Rogers and Rogers, through Weaver, is finally getting some of the answers he’s spent the season looking for. This is what I mean about their qualities complementing each others and blending together, and I sincerely hope we get to see more of them.

For me, this relationship is the best mix of old and new. Rogers and Weaver are not friends, and that doesn’t change when Rumple comes back into the mix. There’s still harshness between them and snips and snaps galore. But there’s something new here too, and it’s something that keeps their dynamic fresh. And it all plays out with the chemistry between Robert Carlyle and Colin O’Donoghue. Their performances make you feel and see the meaning behind their every expression they convey and word they say, and when you mix them together, sparks fly like a firework show in Disney World.

I don’t know what these final episodes hold for the two of these characters - what role Rogers/Killian will play in Rumple’s death, how Alice brought them and continues to bring them together out of the ashes of their rivalry, or what their partnership will mean for the Coven of Eight. But whatever it is, as long as they’re together, it will be something that nobody - especially not me - will want to miss.