Once Upon A Time took famous Brothers Grimm and Disney classic stories and merged them, creating a darker tale of infamous characters. Regina Mills, also known as the Evil Queen, lost the love of her life, which sent her towards a twisted path to revenge. Unable to see anything passed her rage, Regina stopped at nothing to avenge her true love, Daniel, by ruining Snow White’s life.
After various failed attempts, Regina finally succeeded using the Dark Curse. Unable to remember their real lives, everyone lives the same day for twenty-eight years until Henry brings Emma to Storybrooke. Years later, the series took a turn when they changed their storyline from staying in Storybrooke to moving to Hyperion Heights, recreating the series over again. Here we explore the reasons why the last season before the reboot, season 6, was superior and why season 7 had its own charms.
SEASON 7: HENRY’S HAPPY ENDING
For the first six seasons, Henry devoted his time to helping his family find their happy endings. The driving force in season one, Henry pursued Emma to believe him until the curse was broken. Afterward, he worked with Regina as she strove to redeem herself. Later on, Henry helped the people stuck in the Underworld to move on to what lies next.
Having spent so much time helping others achieve happiness, watching Henry find happiness for himself was sweet. Following his life as Henry became a husband and father allowed the series to feel complete.
SEASON 6: A RESOLUTION TO MAIN CHARACTERS’ STORIES
The sixth season wraps up Emma, Charming, and Snow’s storylines, showing them moving forward with their lives. After years of waiting, Charming and Snow finally have the opportunity to be with their daughter and raise their son, Neal.
Spending too many years believing that Emma would not have a happy ending, she and Hook start their married lives together, continuing to work at the police station.
Even though Regina and Rumple continue into the following season, Regina gets an episode specifically meant for her to embrace who she is and decide she loves herself. Rumple also finally chooses to be good rather than give in to the Dark One’s desires.
SEASON 7: GAVE CLOSURE TO RUMPLE
Rumple had been alive for centuries as the Dark One. Never able to find true happiness due to his dark urges, he and Belle were only able to enjoy their relationship in small doses. Eventually, Rumple would choose magic over those important to him, or Belle would want Rumple to change, leading to various breakups.
While season six shows Rumple choosing a family first, the seventh proves he sticks with it. Even more so, Rumple decides to be rid of the dagger for good. Although he does not succeed at destroying it at first, Rumple eventually does find peace. Giving up his heart for Hook, Rumple sacrifices himself to kill the Wish Realm Dark One and allows Hook to have his heart, rejoining Hook with Alice. In the end, Rumple’s death reunites him with Belle, who welcomes him into the afterlife.
SEASON 6: HAD BETTER VILLAINS
The problem with Once’s last season is that there were too many villains, and none of them remain relevant for long. With Drizella, Lady Tremaine, Mother Gothel, the Coven of the Eight, Hansel, Dr. Facilier, and the Dark One, all acting as season seven’s antagonists, it was nearly comical to try to keep up.
While the Dark One does become the series’ Big Bad, he only has two episodes to make his move, making his appearance feel rushed. On the other hand, season six includes Gideon, the Black Fairy, and the Evil Queen. Each of them is relevant to the original characters of the series, making their appearance feel more personal and tied into the show.
SEASON 7: RUMPLE AND HOOK’S DYNAMIC
From the moment Milah ran off with Hook, he and Rumple became enemies. Their rivalry killed Milah, and from then on, they had it out for each other. Hook spent centuries determined to kill Rumple to avenge Milah but could never manage it. Meanwhile, with all the opportunities Rumple had to kill Hook, he never took the fatal shot.
Instead, their relationship is an intricate game of cat and mouse as they go from being enemies to uncertain allies. Although the conversation is between Wish Hook and Rumple, most of their history is similar to what had happened between regular Hook and Rumple. Finally, Rumple enlightens Hook on why he had never killed him because after all the years they spent hating each other, they remained a constant in their lives, and Rumple considered Hook to be the closest thing he had to a friend.
SEASON 6: THE FINAL BATTLE
The series finale follows the Dark One and Wish Henry as they try to place the heroes in individual books, keeping them miserable forever. Learning the plan, everyone gears up to defeat them. Regina fights Henry and gets him to calm down while Rumple kills his double. However, season six makes the final battle a mental game.
Removing most of Emma’s family and friends from the board, the Black Fairy has erased Emma’s memory and left her in a mental institution. Henry desperately tries to get Emma to understand that the life she knows is fake, made up by the Black Fairy. It forces Emma to believe again, something that had been so hard for her the first time. It is a short version of the first season, asking Henry to step up once again up and get his mother to remember her real life.
SEASON 7: REGINA BEING VOTED LEADER
The aftermath of the Dark One’s demise inspires Regina to cast a large scale spell. By using the dark curse as a roadmap, Regina broadens it to bring everyone together instead of keeping them separated. At some undetermined point later, she has succeeded.
Storybrooke is shown to be much larger than it had been previously, made to have enough room for everyone of all realms. As a way to commemorate Regina’s work, everyone has a surprise for her. Regina arrives at the castle to accept the position of the first elected leader of all the realms becoming, “The Good Queen.”
SEASON 6: THE SETTING
While there is nothing wrong with Hyperion Heights per se, it never had the same familiar atmosphere that came from Storybrooke. Storybrooke felt like a home, a small town where everyone gathered and were comfortable. The design of Storybrooke remains the same when they return in season three and is the model for the Underworld during the second half of season five.
While Storybrooke was attacked multiple times during the shows’ run, you could not help but smile whenever Storybrooke appeared during flashbacks or its cameo appearances in the final season.
SEASON 7: ZELENA and BELLE’S ENDINGS
Although Zelena had done despicable things during her time on the show, she and Regina had been able to grow Zelena out of her vengeance as well, building a sisterly bond between the two. While many characters receive steady endings, Zelena and Belle were more attached to the bigger picture of everyone’s happiness rather than for themselves.
However, season seven rights that, having Zelena reconcile with her daughter, Robin, find love with someone, and rejoin a broadened Storybrooke with Regina. Belle also gets a goodbye of her own as she grows old beside Rumple in their home, away from darkness. Belle died having the life she wanted.
SEASON 6: FAMILY
To a degree, it was nearly hysterical, by the end of season six, as almost every main character and series villain turned out to somehow be related to Henry, or involved in his family tree somehow. The show’s last season does keep the elements of family involved, but not to the degree that it was a significant force during the sixth season.
Every villain was related to a member of the main cast, and nearly every choice everyone made stemmed from those relationships. Meanwhile, season seven shifts the focus to Cinderella’s family, and having spent less time with those characters, makes their bonds seem less significant.
