Meliana

Always sad to lose a show you like. I do think it had run its course though.

DigificWriter

Thread resurrection.

I started a rewatch of the series yesterday, and realized something that I hadn't before: the series almost perfectly mirrors the Little Bad/Big Bad formula/pattern of Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with Season 2, to the point that it had to be intentional.

The reason I'm putting this comment here is because coming to that realization helped me reconcile my biggest original disappointment with Season 5 since I was able to think critically and reclassify Emma Swan as a Little Bad for the season (along with pretty much every one of the season's villains other than Nimue and Hades), which will make it a lot easier for me to accept the shift in focus away from her and make it feel like less of a demotion once I finally get to the season in my rewatch.

Meliana

I'm not sure what your problem with season 5 is, but I see the season as being about Emma giving in to her own selfishness, and having to realise she can't operate like that. It's only when she (and Hook too) make unselfish choices, that they are rewarded.

DigificWriter

When Season 5 first aired, I was so hyped up after the cliffhanger of Season 4 of Emma becoming the Dark One and Adam and Eddy talking about how the big story was going to be the aftermath of that, and so when the story took the antagonist role away from her, it felt like a betrayal and like her importance had been diminished.