8 things nobody wants to admit about Once Upon a Time

Rumbelle shouldn't have gotten a happy ending

I’m sorry Rumbelle shippers, please don’t come after me. But speaking of toxic themes, this relationship is unfortunately an example of that. Rumple and Belle had their good moments, but sadly the couple had more bad moments throughout the years. Honestly, someone as kind and sweet as Belle deserved someone else. Someone who treated her better. Rumple constantly lied to her, tricked her, and wasn’t willing to give up the darkness even when he had the chance to in season 5. But he took it back on when Dark Hook sacrificed himself. His “redemption” arc was honestly the worst one in the show, and I don’t think he deserved a happy ending. And the issue is that Belle kept forgiving him too. It was a bit of an emotionally abusive relationship.

Captain Swan is the best OUAT ship

On a positive note, let’s talk about the good couples on this show. The best actually is Captain Swan! There's no denying that Emma and Killian's relationship grew to be the greatest one on Once Upon a Time. This might be a hot take depending on which couple is your favorite. And don't get me wrong. Outlaw Queen? Amazing. Snowing? The OG true loves. But there's something special about Captain Swan that made them the best.

They both made mistakes, but also learned to love again through each other. Experiencing loss and hardship all their lives, it was wonderful to see them come together. Killian was an amazing example of a patient man who really loves his Swan. It took a long time for Emma to bring down those walls and armor, but Killian stood by her and waited. And when he needed saving, she didn't let him go so easily. The series was of course about multiple characters, but it was really Emma's story and journey that was at the center of it all. And it was great to see how she started vs where she ended up. With a loving family, husband, friends, and home.

Once Upon a Time wasn't as good after season 3

Now I’m not saying the series should have ended after season 3 or that I didn't enjoy it anymore, but I do think there was a shift in story after the third season. And to be quite frank, I think it all started with the writers and team trying to do too much, and that started with the introduction of Frozen. That was one of the unnecessary storylines. I mean, I loved the friendship between Emma and Elsa. But there was no real point to introducing the Frozen characters. The series wanted to get in on Frozen’s popularity at the time, but it hindered the show.

I think the idea of splitting story arcs into two parts in season 3 - Neverland and the Wicked Witch - really worked for that season. However later on, it wasn't the best choice. And I think that's where the creative team made a mistake. Too many new characters and villains were being introduced, and the focus on the main ensemble cast shifted because the episodes were too jam-packed. Some of these arcs weren't really interesting either. Like the Queens of Darkness or even Hades as a villain. The stakes didn't feel very high with these villains the way they were with Cora, Pan, or Zelena.

Some other storylines that weren’t executed well I think are the Dark Swan in season 5, Regina splitting herself in season 6, and basically all of season 7. Anything to do with the Wish Realm I just block out of my memory. I'm still salty we didn't get an actual episode of seeing how things would have played out if Emma grew up in the Enchanted Forest. But that's a different story.