The popular ABC show that puts a twist on the fairytales we know and love finished with its 6th season in May. When the show started, the unique concept of seeing our favorite fairytale creatures being brought into the real world kept audiences intrigued. But sadly, over time, the show has lost its way and left fans disappointed.
Whether it’s the sudden disappearance and reappearance of characters or the boring flashbacks, Once Upon a Time isn’t the great show it once was. Here’s why Once Upon a Time should’ve ended at season 6.
Overused Storylines
Whether it’s the flashbacks or the current predicament our heroes are in, the show’s writers are reusing storylines over and over again. And now, viewers are bored. You can only swipe the memory of the main heroes so many times.
In its heyday, Once Upon a Time was a show that explored story arcs and a unique kind of magic to keep you coming back every week to find out what happens next. By reusing stories they’ve done before, the show has lost the uniqueness and magic it once had.
Bland Heroes and Bland Villains to Match
Another one of the things Once had going for it was the heroes and the villains. The show started off with Snow White and Prince Charming versus The Evil Queen. Then they threw Rumplestiltskin and Cinderella into the mix. The show has brought to life all of your favorite characters that you’ve known from childhood in ways you would have never ever dreamed. They made Peter Pan a villain, and Captain Hook swoon-worthy and eventually brought him over to the good side.
Now, six seasons later, Once Upon a Time has run out of new characters to add. This became apparent in season 4 when they introduced Elsa and Anna from Frozen. Since then, they’ve introduced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Cruella De Vil, Ursula, Jasmine, and Aladdin. These new characters haven’t become fan favorites, either because of how they were played or they just haven’t had enough screen time. On top of that, the heroes have lost their cleverness and the villains have just become boring to watch and average.
Useless Flashbacks
One thing I used to love about Once Upon a Time was the flashbacks. These flashbacks would focus on one character and tell their story when they lived in the Enchanted Forest. Now that the show is re-using characters like Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, and Prince Charming, we’ve already seen their flashback backstory. There’s nothing new that the writers could possibly add to their already existing storyline that would make sense and bring something new to the. Thus, the flashbacks have become unnecessary.
Inconsistency
As far as inconsistent TV shows go, Once Upon a Time takes the cake. Characters go missing and then reappear – sometimes an entire season later – with stupid excuses. In one episode, it might seem like the villain has some brilliant plan but then they just end up kidnapping somebody and the heroes save the day. This happens over and over again.
Not only that, but the writers seem to have no idea what they want to do with some of these characters. The once strong, important characters fall to the background and stand around like dolls. They’ll only come to the forefront when the villains use them as toys.
Once Upon a Time used to be one of the best shows on TV. Unfortunately, with lackluster writing, overused plotlines, and bland characters, what was once a unique and captivating must-see show is now something that should just end.
For some reason, the show returns to ABC for season 7 on October 6. With few of the original cast returning and talks of the new season rebooting old characters, it seems unlikely this will get the show’s magic back.