"ONCE UPON A TIME": The Frustration of an Outlaw Queen Shipper
I first wrote the following article after the airing of the "ONCE UPON A TIME" Season Four episode, (4.19) "Lily".
"ONCE UPON A TIME": THE FRUSTRATION OF AN OUTLAW QUEEN SHIPPER
The latest plot development of ABC's "ONCE UPON A TIME" has left me in a state of frustration. This plot development . . . or twist has to do with the relationship between the characters Mayor Regina Mills aka the Evil Queen and Robin Hood aka Robin of Locksley. And the ironic thing is that my frustration is not centered on the actual plot twist, but has a good deal to do with the fan reaction to it.
I guess we all know what happened. In a previous episode called (4.17) "Heart of Gold", Regina learned from her former mentor, Mr. Gold aka Rumpelstiltskin that not only was her half-sister Zelena aka the Wicked Witch of the West was still alive, she had been impersonating Maid Marian since the second half of the Season Three episode, (3.22) "There's No Place Like Home". After being defeated by Regina in (3.20) "Kansas", Zelena was murdered by a vengeful Rumpelstiltskin, who wanted her dead in retaliation for his son's death. However, after stabbing Zelena, the latter transformed into essence and eventually opened the time portal she had planned to use to wipe Regina, Snow White, Emma and young Henry Mills from existence. Zelena reformed into human shape in the Enchanted Forest past and followed Emma and Killian Jones aka Captain Hook around. She saw that Emma had decided to change the timeline and save the real Maid Marian from execution on the Evil Queen's order. Zelena took the opportunity to kill Marian when Emma and Hook were distracted and allow them to drag her to Storybrooke and the 21st century.
In (4.11) "Heroes and Villains", "Marian" decided that she no longer wanted to be with Robin, since he seemed to be very much in love with Regina. However, the Snow Queen's freezing spell, which was cast on Zelena in (4.03) "Rocky Road", began affecting the latter . . . despite the former's death in the previous episode, (4.10) "Shattered Sight". Regina insisted that she and Robin end their romance for good and for him to accompany "Marian" out of Storybrooke to take care of her and Roland. In "Heart of Gold", both she and Rumpelstiltskin learned that "Marian" was Zelena. When Regina accompanied Emma on a road trip to find Maleficent's daughter in (4.19) "Lily", they end up in New York City. Regina managed to expose "Marian" as Zelena to a very surprised Robin. But she received her own surprise when Zelena revealed that she was pregnant with Robin's child.
Not only did this revelation send shock waves throughout the "ONCE UPON A TIME" fandom, it also exposed some very interesting reactions to this plot twist. Well . . . I did not find these fan reactions "interesting" per se, merely annoying. I was surprised by the number of hostile reactions directed at Robin by the show's fans. Especially the Outlaw Queen (Regina/Robin) fans. They accused show runners Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis of bad writing. They labeled Zelena as something of a cross between a psychotic monster and a slut. But most of their hostility seemed to be directed at Robin. They accused him of stupidity, claiming that he should have known that his wife was not the real Maid Marian. They accused him of being betraying Regina's love. Some idiots even accused Robin of being fickle in regard to his feelings about Regina. Some fans even wondered how Regina could ever forgive Robin for choosing to be with "Marian" over staying in Storybrooke with her. When I read these complaints and accusations, I could not help but shake my head in disbelief. Does anyone understand what a story is about? Anyone? Did anyone understand what kind of man Robin was . . . or the era that he came from?
I wonder how many of the "ONCE UPON A TIME" fans were aware that Robin was not a veteran of the 21st century like Regina, the Charming family and most of Storybrooke's citizens. Mind you, he had experienced the 21st century longer than "Marian" (let us assume for a brief moment that we are talking about the real Marian). That is why Regina had convinced him to leave Storybrooke with "Marian" and Roland in the first place. In her mind, "Marian" had no real experience with the 21st century - in Storybrooke and elsewhere. And Roland is a mere child. Regina believed and Robin realized that neither would have been able to survive the outside world on their own. It was either accompany "Marian" and Roland to New York or allow "Marian to die from Ingrid's curse.
Did anyone ever understood the era that Robin came from? He came from a period in time that believed in honoring obligations. You know . . . . doing the right thing in the eyes of society, instead of doing what you want to do with no regard to the consequences. Even Regina came from that period, despite her questionable moral compass and three decades in late 20th and early 21st centuries Maine. When Zelena revealed her true identity to Rumpelstiltskin, she informed the latter that she had hoped to ruin Regina's happiness by making Robin fall in love with her (as "Marian"). However, Zelena realized that she could not use Robin's past life with Marian and simply seduce him. His feelings for Regina kept getting in the way. In fact, he spent a good deal of their initial time in New York mourning over the end of his relationship with Regina and causing a good deal of tension between him and "Marian". In the end, it took conversations with both Zelena and Rumpelstiltskin to make Robin believe he had to put Regina behind him for good and try to rebuild his old family for the sake of peace. Zelena saw Regina's image on Robin's cell phone and went into a rant about how his feelings for Regina prevented them from trying to re-establish their lives together in New York (actually, I do wonder how long it took them to get to New York without a car). In other words, Zelena dumped a massive guilt trip on Robin. It did not help that Rumpelstiltskin's advice about finding happiness wherever he can find it led Robin to believe that he needed to make due with what his life had provided and try to form a stable family life with "Marian" and Roland.
And when Robin found out that "Marian" was Zelena, in his mind he still could not leave her. Especially since he believes that she is pregnant with his child. I doubt very much that Robin cares for Zelena. Chances are he is probably upset that she had deceived him . . . and probably killed the real Marian. But he is also thinking of his unborn child . . . that is if Zelena is actually pregnant. I simply do not believe that Robin is the type of many who would shirk his own responsibilities. He is simply not the deadbeat type. He obviously feels obligated to take care of his unborn child, whether he wants to or not. Robin is nothing like Zelena's own father, the gardener who had seduced and abandoned Cora after she became pregnant. And for this, along with his decision to take care of "Marian" and Roland in New York City, Robin is being criticized by many fans.
Personally, I find this anger toward Robin rather baffling. When the character was first introduced, no one had a problem with his "code of honor", along with his open-mindedness (especially toward Regina). But when it got in the way of a "happily ever after" with Regina - THEIR decision that he needed leave Storybrooke with "Marian" and his refusal to give up on the child he had conceived with "Marian"/Zelena - they dumped all sorts or ire on the man. These fans want him to be a good man . . . as long as his moral code does not get in the way of what they conceive as a perfect romance with Regina. Hypocritical much? Worse, they are now questioning Robin's true feelings for Regina. Why? Because he had moved past Regina . . . too fast. Robin never really moved past Regina. He simply adjusted to a new life and situation. He is still in love with her. Although it took him a while, Robin came to the conclusion that any kind of life with Regina will always be over as long as "Marian" remains affected by Ingrid's spell. And since "Marian" is still his wife, with whom he still shares a son . . . This is how Zelena was finally able to garner some kind of affection and intimacy with him, after her previously failed efforts to get him to fall in love with her. And she was only able to achieve this, disguised as Marian. Now, she has an unborn child as a weapon to keep Regina and Robin apart. How long this will last, I have no idea.
Personally, I believe this whole situation with Robin and Zelena is karmic payback for Regina. She is paying the price for using the curse (along with Princess Abigail/Kathryn Nolan) to disrupt Snow and Charming's relationship. Just as Snow and Charming are experiencing karmic payback for not only taking an unborn Lily, but for using it to manipulate Emma's own moral compass. In fact, I suspect their earlier loss of Emma through the curse might be payback for kidnapping Lily. Even Emma has experienced karmic payback for giving away Henry (even though her action is not a crime). After all, he will never be completely hers. Never. The same could be said for Regina, who was responsible for the Charmings being forced to give up Emma. And for a brief moment, I believe Emma experienced karmic payback for car theft, when Lily drove away with the yellow Volkswagen bug - the same car that she and Neal had stolen in Portland. It remains to be seen if Emma and the other characters will experience consequences for their other questionable actions.
Following the news of Zelena's pregnancy, cries that Outlaw Queen was through were posted on the Internet - despite the fact that the series' run was far from over. These naysayers still believe that Robin needs to dump his "code of honor" in order to have a trouble-free relationship with Regina. They also accused Horowitz and Kitsis of transforming "ONCE UPON A TIME" into a soap opera. HUH? Who are they kidding? The series has always been a combination of a fantasy-adventure and SOAP OPERA. I mean . . . really! The number of bat-shit crazy story arcs and plot twists that have popped up on this show, since its debut in the Fall of 2011 is mind boggling. The most obvious aspect of this series' soap operish trait is Henry Mills' crazy family tree. His mother is the first born of Snow White and Prince Charming. His father is Rumpelstiltskin's son. His step-grandmother is Belle (from "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST") His paternal grandfather is Peter Pan, who proved to be the most evil and selfish character on this show, so far. His adoptive mother and step-great-grandmother is the Evil Queen. Robin Hood almost became his adoptive father (and he still might by the series' end). There is a chance that Captain Hook, who had an affair with his paternal grandmother, might become his stepfather. The Queen of Hearts (Cora Mills) is his adoptive grandmother. And the Wicked Witch of the West (Zelena Mills) is his adoptive aunt. I mean . . . what the fuck? Is this bat-shit crazy or what? How can any complain about the latest plot development between Robin and Zelena, when the series has been full of these crazy and soap operish plot twists since it began? Quality writing has never been the hallmark of this series.
Part of me suspect that today's fans of movies, television and novels long for fictional romances that are trouble free? But why? What is it about today’s audiences that they cannot deal with any kind of emotional conflict or drama between a romantic couple? What is this stupid need for an established couple to be emotionally trouble free and only deal with external threats? It is just so fucking pathetic. It seems as if no one understand or appreciates real storytelling these days. I suspect this is what people really want:
"A couple or family are emotionally secure and lack any hints of moral ambiguity whatsoever. They never fight, make questionable judgments or endure emotional conflicts whatsoever. Instead, all of the conflicts they endure are from an external threat, which is quickly dealt with by the end of a television episode or a movie.
In other words, they want ideal relationships with not moral ambiguity whatsoever and quickly resolved story arcs. I cannot even count the number of times I have spotted comments by television, movie and literary fans on the Internet, who long for an idealized and trouble-free romance between two fictional characters. And I not only fear that storytellers - in all mediums - might give them what they want, but that today’s culture is really going down the drain.
It is rather ironic that when Regina and Robin finally became romantically involved in late Season Three, some fans had complained that their romance seemed a bit too rushed. I had suggested that their story might be far from over. Ever since Emma and Hook brought "Marian"/Zelena to Storybrooke, I proved to be right. But now, these same fans are complaining over the numerous ways that Horowitz and Kitsis seemed to be complicating Regina and Robin's romance. I swear . . . people can be incredibly fickle.