Season 2 qualms...

[marieyotz]

Starting this in the general thread because, much as I ship Swan Queen, my issues with this season are almost wholly unrelated.

First of all, the ambiguity surrounding the curse is starting to grate a little for me -- like Regina sort of took the Enchanted Forest, but not really, since Snow's castle is still there? And she kind of took everyone, but it was actually only the people that she wanted to take?

Second, the CGI is killing me. When I think about Emma in the giant's hand, I die a little inside. Or Ruby the wolf, who looked like she was an extra from Alpha and Omega


Third, all the new people. I just don't care. Don't care about Mulan, or Aurora, or Hook. To be fair, I'm always like this with new people, and I often come around after a few seasons. But for now, I'm like GET OFF MY SCREEN YOU'RE EATING UP MY REGINA TIME! The entire fairy tale land plot is just in general making me grouchy, and not least because I really don't care about anyone there. I just want Snow and Emma to get HOOOME!

Fourth, this thing with Neal. I know that this sounds like a swan queen based objection, but I assure you it is not. It feels like they're going to make Neal Emma's 'true love' and that just grates on my nerves -- because I thought it was pretty cool the way they were playing around with fairy tale conventions regarding Henry's conception and Emma's past -- and now it feels like they're playing straight into them. Nope, she definitely met her TRUE LOVE at age 17, and Henry is the child of TRUE LOVE! \o/ If that's the direction they go, I'm going to be really disappointed, cause I thought they were going to be building a world more complicated than a fairy tale.

I honestly like the show, and I feel bad grousing about it, I've just been struggling with this season. I get so geared up for sunday nights, and then I feel disappointed at 9pm. Like I ate too much cotton candy. I'm afraid the show creators and I have very different ideas about what it could be, and the future holds only more of the same for OUAT and I.

But it is a reason to be thankful for all the brilliant minds out there in the fandom who create these fantastic, clever, dark, intelligent stories that I can revel in! That are what I wish we saw on the show.

[virginsuicid3s]

This show has been going downhill since 2x02, imo. I hope Emma and Snow get back to Storybrooke soon... we barely ever see Emma or Regina anymore and they used to be the main characters.
I like Aurora and Mulan, but I just don't care about them. Aurora's relationship with Snow is sweet, though, which makes the FTL scenes less boring to me.
If OUAT gets a 3rd or 4th season - which I doubt - I hope they make Emma evil for a while. That'd be an interesting twist. Regina turning good and Emma turning evil. Or maybe this is a silly ideia but hey, I just woke up.

I don't like Neal. I mean, I liked some Emma x Neal scenes but they're definitely not my cup of tea. I want Emma to end up with Regina or no one. I'm tired of seeing strong women losing it for a man.

[giftofamber]

My biggest issues with Season Two (other than the sausagefest and poor introduction of new characters which other people have already brought up) is the timeline inconsistencies because it's really hard to build off of "canon" when the timeline keeps changing. "The Doctor" seemed to invalidate earlier episodes such as "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" because of the timeline of *when* Regina turned into the Evil Queen.

[kniggi]

I can usually put up with a lot when it comes to Tv shows I like (hell, I managed to struggle through the second season of Glee), but OUAT somehow stopped being the show I love after 2x02. Too many new characters I don't care about running around. Mulan could be interesting if she'd actually get any screen time or they told us some things about her past, but noo. Instead we get Hook shoved down our throats like they didn't just introduce him because he's hot and 'Captain Swan' is apparently a thing now.
Which is another thing that bothers me. Why is it so important to throw suitors at Emma? And why can't they at least have her stay in character while doing it? That 'deep and emotional talk' they had while climbing the beanstalk? The Emma we know and love would have shoved him straight off the thing for what he said.

*cough* Anyway. I agree with giftofamber. The writers constantly altering the timeline really screws with my head. I had about five pages of a Red Queen fic written out and then 2x07 happened and told us "Hey, Ruby learned how to control the wolf back in FTL!" and that bit of writing went straight into the trash bin. I just don't like ignoring such a large part of established canon.

[marieyotz]

Nov 25, 2012 8:41:23 GMT -6 giftofamber said:

My biggest issues with Season Two (other than the sausagefest and poor introduction of new characters which other people have already brought up) is the timeline inconsistencies because it's really hard to build off of "canon" when the timeline keeps changing. "The Doctor" seemed to invalidate earlier episodes such as "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" because of the timeline of *when* Regina turned into the Evil Queen.

Yes, Regina's whole descent into evil timeline is becoming very difficult to follow... Not to mention, the more they try to explain it, the less compelling they seem to make it! I was left going "WHAAAA?" after she just instantly turned bad upon not being able to resurrect Daniel. I'm glad they're at least trying to show us how she became who she is, but it's so klunky that it strains my Regina-loving heart to buy into it -- and that's saying something!

virginsuicid3s, I've wanted Emma to be a little more of a bad girl since the beginning -- I thought Tallahassee really whitewashed her, but I sure wouldn't be opposed to seeing her take a walk on the dark side!

[killerelephants]

Nov 25, 2012 8:21:42 GMT -6 marieyotz said:

Third, all the new people. I just don't care. Don't care about Mulan, or Aurora, or Hook. To be fair, I'm always like this with new people, and I often come around after a few seasons. But for now, I'm like GET OFF MY SCREEN YOU'RE EATING UP MY REGINA TIME! The entire fairy tale land plot is just in general making me grouchy, and not least because I really don't care about anyone there. I just want Snow and Emma to get HOOOME!

Ugh, all of this. In fact, pretty much everything that's already been brought up in this thread, but THIS. It might be because I only really watched Once because of Lana (saw the Evil Queen on my tumblr dash and knew I'd have to get in on this show when it started in the UK), but I just don't really care for other characters' progression. Perhaps Emma's, because I feel like the writers can do so much more with her, especially back-story-wise.

Introducing new characters in the second season, while exciting to see what other stories they're covering, was just...eh. Disappointing. It didn't do it for me. I'm invested in THESE characters that they already have, I don't care for new ones. Everytime the show cuts to the FTL, I'm just like, 'ugh, hope this scene doesn't last too long, I want back to Storybrooke...' The only thing keeping me interested in the fairytale land is B Hersh. And, even then, I need to see her in Storybrooke.

[Deleted]

The FTL storyline has been weak this season. In both the present FTL and the past FTL. And the Storybrooke arcs have been very short-shrifted as a result. And that's really the location/storyline that counts, for me. There will be IMHO no going back to FTL for everyone, so how they adjust, what they do, and how they grow *in Storybrooke* is much more important to me, as a viewer.

All IMHO.

[captainswanqueen]

The main issue I have with the second season, aside from the Swan Queen separation, is the fact that they, the writers and creators, have blatantly disregarded the core cast. I understand that there are new characters and it is an ensemble cast after all, but that doesn't mean that they should completely ignore some of the main characters.

There is the issue that they had built up this wonderful story arc for Regina, her redemption, and yet she's barely had any screen time since then. How are we, the viewers, suppose to see the slow change and shift within the former Evil Queen if the writers don't add her into the scripts? I have a feeling that they've lost this arc within the rest of the show and it's plot lines, though it will most likely be picked up in later episodes, but this is a BIG issue, at least for me, and I want to see Regina's struggles and success with this process.

Then, there is also the issue that the show has become very hectic and chaotic, what with all of the separate stories, new characters and lack of progression on themes and ideas that were suppose to follow through from the first season. There was a lot of different elements and stories trailing through season one, yet it never seemed like they were cramming random things in, for the most part, but I feel like that's what most of season two has been: filler.

In my opinion the first two episodes were brilliant, it had the same "Once" feel that I loved throughout the first season, yet, with a couple exceptions, as the season progressed I've noticed myself losing interest. It's such a shame because it has so much potential, it always has, but it seems the writers and creators are going in a strange direction. A direction that, if continued, will more than likely make me stop watching the show entirely. It's lost it's appeal by constantly shoving it's heteronormativity and lackluster plot lines down my throat. And don't even get me started on how they've seemed to mangle the "feminist" angle by constantly forcing men in every scene as if none of the strong, female characters can do anything, physically or mentally, without a man's aid.

Hopefully, once Emma and Mary Margaret are returned to Storybrooke the dynamic will shift back to what "Once" use to be because if not I'm not sure if I would be willing to watch, not to mention the ratings have been dropping and it could be headed towards a cancellation.

[Exquisiteliltart]

The way I view this season that is different from last season is that the show feels broad. Like the writer's are in rush to get nowhere.

1) Too many new characters that have not been utilized to their potential.

2) New character screen time taking away from established character screen time

3) Too much Charming and shaky characterization- he has a pretty violent temper.

4) I miss the little unique direction touches. For instance, the way they would focus on Emma's eye in the pilot- there were many creative camera zooms and edits in the first season- this season it feels watered down and lost it's edge.

5) Regina's unstable characterization and plot holes that force the viewer out of the story and/or to draw their own forced conclusions from all that we haven't seen in the show. ie: Regina's marriage to Leo, what was that like?

6) Swan Queen separation, grr. As someone said, the reunion better pay off for all the time spent apart. The first episodes of the show featured the relationship between Emma and Regina so heavily- and in the finale they had R/E work together to save Henry because they knew that's what viewers wanted- the chemistry, the snark- all of that lovely tension they have that is so satisfying to watch in interactions. Why would they take that away? They should give us more!

[betaoffread]

Interesting reading everyone's comments. It seems the new characters are the biggest problem because they've been brought in at the expense of the core cast.

I would much rather be seeing more of Granny, Leroy, Archie and Ruby! Perhaps some new people from SB and get to know them the same gradual way we did the core cast.

I think Adam and Eddy were so determined to not repeat themselves that they've gone in a complete opposite direction, thinking it would be fresh and cool and clever.

There is an in between repeating yourself and going complete off-res. Hopefully the second half of the season things will settle down.

We cared about the other characters because they were all in the same metaphoric boat- Hook et al, don't feel connected to the core cast, which is why we don't care.

[helebette]

Yeeeah...what everyone already said. I was determined to be patient and I suppose my patience has just about run out right in time for Regina/Emma to share screen time again. Part of me thinks 'wow, they got time apart, and nothing makes the heart grow fonder!' Also, another part of me thinks 'bring on the dudes, they're both such a mess they'll screw up all their new 'romances' and get back to eye-sexin'. That's just the fic writer within. The viewer looking for entertainment is thinking that this whole mess is just crap to sell advertising. They put some attractive person in leather and leave it to their hired tumblr trolls to do gifs and the rest of the fandom follows and squeeees over Hook and *yaaawn* if you're looking for a good, well written story. Who do I blame? Is it the industry? Do I blame bad writing or do I blame capitalism? I blame both:)

[Exquisiteliltart]

Tell it, Hele! Sing that shit from the mountain top- I will make your crankmuffin rant forum asap!

[bubblegum0wolf]

1) Regina's backstory is kind of grating on me (like others here). I just kind of get the feeling that her 'becoming' the Evil Queen happens really inconsistently. Like that moment in season one with 'I should have let her die on that horse' doesn't seem to fit AT ALL with how sweet and innocent she still seemed to be in 2x02. I know she was thinking about hurting Snow, but she seemed so disturbed by the idea. It's like they're suddenly trying to flesh her out and they're being kinda clumsy about it. Oh, now Daniel's dead again, yeah definitely NOW she's the Evil Queen. Yeah. Now. Meh.

2) Emma's almost kind of boring me...? She just seems a bit 2D suddenly. Didn't she used to seem more human and complex and flawed???

3) Regina and Henry's relationship is so bloody unrealistic! No mother and child ever just communicate in the occasional big speech whilst apparently ignoring each other the other 99% of the time. They keep going on about how much Regina loves him, but I swear he sometimes forgets she exists. And where is ANY trace of a parent/child dynamic??? Like, what the hell? She raised him for ten years. There should such a deep connection there. You even get that with the most terrible parents. That talking without words thing.

4) It also creeps me out that almost all the men in this show look like clones of each other.

[yessikg]

Ok, so I didn't season 1 was perfect (I got into the show in episode 12 and I really don't like some episodes) and season 2 is not perfect either.

I have two main qualms:

1) Including not fairy-tales on the show such as Alice in Wonderland, Frankenstein, and Peter Pan. I just think that for a show to be good it has to have boundaries and this could get out of control really fast

2) Random straight men whose only purpose is to try (and fail) to stop people from shipping Swan Queen. The worst case of this is, of course, Hook; I cringe every single time that Emma and Hook have scenes together and at the in-your-face hints about these two This season is almost as bad as Rizzoli & Isles season 2, which was really really bad

[yessikg]

Nov 25, 2012 8:21:42 GMT -6 marieyotz said:

Second, the CGI is killing me. When I think about Emma in the giant's hand, I die a little inside. Or Ruby the wolf, who looked like she was an extra from Alpha and Omega
content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/6977/29305802_.jpg

It's funny because I find the CGI better this season Last season the pilot and Hat Trick really bothered me