I wish we had seen more Emma and David. Their relationship was so sweet, their scenes were always my favourite. She was clearly meant to be a daddys girl! David was also just way more accepting of who she was as an adult, opposed to Snow, who seemed to never truly get over her grief at missing emmas childhood. Whilst understandable caused a little distance between them.
I think the distance between them was because of Emma’s overwhelming change. Snow was all for gettinf back on track but Emma was hesitant. Like most people including Snow White, Emma didn’t open up to a lot of people emotionally until there was some type of big stress
I think Emma is one of the greatest television protagonists ever written and I will defend her until my dying breath. She is strong (physically and mentally), intelligent, and capable, but has very realistic and understandable flaws based on her history that she works on and grows over the course of the show. I love how they didn't shy away from showing her vulnerabilities and fears, and instead of instantly having those go away when she breaks the curse and gets the family she always wanted, those insecurities and fears still affect her and her decisions throughout the show, until they get less and less frequent as she embraces her family, true love, and herself. It's beautiful.
Have to disagree, love the show but Emma swan is not a good character let alone a great one, maybe I feel that way because she's not a proactive character like she doesn't drive the plot alot of the time the plot just happens to her. Henry should have been the main character, it'd be a much more interesting show if it was about Henry coming of age and trying to find his own story (like the last season) and going through everything with everyone else and realizing at the end that he didn't have to find his story THIS IS HIS STORY.
I hate how they have to girl boss or make the strong powerful woman. Emma is a perfect example how she can have flaws and be strong while also having this gentle side to her. It is ok for her to cry from time to time while being emotionally strong. I like how she learns how to trust even with the risk that she may be taken advantage of. She had resiliency and tenacity that you don’t always see today.
@@azurezuraun761 Personally, I think it would have been interesting to see Regina adopt a young Emma instead because in terms of personality Emma is seems to be more like Regina than Snow which makes sense since they were both pushed into positions neither of them asked for: Regina didn't want to become queen and Emma was too young to decide whether or not she wanted to be a Savior. Although, if you're concerned about the plot happening to her, I find that's fairly standard for a Disney princess story (Cinderella was too busy with chores to do anything about her dress, Snow White didn't start taking matters into her own hands until the Huntsman told her about the Queen's plan to kill her, Tiana lost her restaurant at the last minute and Rapunzel probably wouldn't have ever gone outside without a guide), so I'd say the format is appropriate.
Emma didn't want to tell Henry the truth about his dad because she didn't want to disappoint him as his father wasn't a good guy snd caused her a lot of pain and trauma that she hadn't healed from. She lied to give Henry hope by saying his father was a hero, a fire fighter.
The Frozen arc was probably my favorite part of the series. I liked that she had someone she could relate to in terms of having powers she didn't ask for, it's a shame the series couldn't just have an episode where Emma, Elsa and Anna could just relax and talk about that.
Yes, someone who doesn't hate the Frozen arc, I got into the show around that time and really appreciate that arc, I understand that the blatant product placement from the official Disney movie, but I think they incorporated it pretty well and Georgina Haig and Elizabeth Lail did a good job as Elsa and Anna, and they still incorporated the Snow Queen into it, and I really love Elsa and Emma's friendship.
@patax144 I wish the two could have had more moments with Anna. She's the one who actually came through in the end, and to be honest, the idea that three were a reflection of Ingrid's relationship with her own sisters was appealing to me.
Reading some of your comments, I had NO IDEA that Emma has touched so many people and that she was their favourite character in any tv show ever ☺ It's great to know that it wasn't just me who felt very affected by watching her overcome her fear of close relationships and allow people in
I think emma and hook can get easily conned is genius writing in a way. For example, i feel emma’s superpower being flawed was the whole point. When her guard is up, she can easily see the red flags and tells that people have when they lie. When she feels she can finally put her guard down, she denies things more or struggles following her intuition. I feel hook is the same way. And maybe the drinking does not help a lot of the time. But when his guard is up and not drunk, he tries to protect himself, but when people see his vulnerabilities, like Cora does with everyone, they can say what he wants to hear. In these cases, he feels this bond they have and lets his guard down. This is when he gets duped. Am I overanalyzing this? Maybe, but that is how I interpret it.
Emma is my favorite character. I relate to her, and things she'd been through..a lot. I truly feel for her and understand her because I've been there. I love her and Killian together. They understand each other because they have similar past as orphans who have been hurt and lost their first loves. The make each other happy and better. She's finally happy because of him. Now they're happily married and parents. It's the perfect ending for them, especially after everything she had been through, especially after Neal and what he did to her. It's beautiful. I even cosplay her.
I would LOVE to see a video on the back and forth that they constantly kept trying to pull with Regina. Any time that poor woman found happiness they were so willing to rip that away from her. And I understand that they wanted her to earn her happy ending, but at some point I think they just needed to give her a break 😭
Yes. I know she was evil the first couple of seasons. She constantly tried shedding that and constantly tried fighting that side of her so she doesn’t stay that way forever. When she actually earned happiness, she did not deserve to have it ripped out from her. I felt that way with Zelena too when she constantly tried to be good and find her path.
I dont think emma was wrong for saving marian, unfortunate it was actually zelena. That would've been one less innocent person on Regina's ledger. I always thought it was a weird lense to view the situation as poor regina can't have her man. Like did Robin even react to the news Regina killed his wife in the og timeline😵💫
Emma's journey to break down her emotional walls and trust people again is so relatable, as someone who's been hurt by others a few times I've put up a bit of an emotional wall myself, but I'm slowly breaking down those walls while also still staying slightly guarded
I adore Emma, she's such a unique and realistic character. She has flaws but she also has her strengths. I love how gritty and strong she is. She can fit the 'cool' and 'strong' girl archetype whilst also being three-dimensional
Yes, Neal hurt Emma in the worse way. Yes, he's a pedo. He was around 30 and she was 16. He had a warrant from the watches he stole and he let Emma take the fall because a known liar told him to. Then never saught to find her after knowing the curse was broken because of his daddy issues. The poor kid went to prison for his crimes, finding out she's pregnant, givibg birth at 17(doing the math) having to give the baby up because she had no home, job, no money, family, no means to care for a baby. Super traumatic. But when she held up her deal with Rumple to help find his son, finding out Neal was his son, he yelled at her. Then he yelled at her, again, when he found out they had a son. He treated her as if she was the one who did something wrong, when she didn't do anything but suffer because of him. People only ship them because he's Henry's father. Being a biological father doesn't make a man a being a father. He abandoned Emma and was not a father to Henry. Killian spent more time with Henry and was more of a father to him more than Neal ever was, before he ever became his step father. Killian is the better man here.
Say it louder!! Hell. Yes. I never liked Neal for all the crap he put her through and then had the AUDACITY to act hurt that they had a kid and she wanted to protect him from Neal. Only thing I disagree on is the pedo comment. I don't think it's explicitly stated how old he is when he meets Emma. The timeline is so wonky and unclear, and that's such a strong accusation. He was technically already hundreds of years old due to his time in Neverland but at the same time, no one ages there, even mentally.
I like Captain Swan for sure but felt I needed to point out the age difference there is way way more than her and neale. He's Neales stepfather after all lol! He's like a couple hundred years old.
@@heathermc1049 By that logic, we got to address the age difference of Belle and Rumple. Lol! The problem was that Emma was underage when she was with Neal (She was 16). When she met and fell in love with Killian, she was a fully grown adult.
I feel like most of Emma's lovers are technically older than her though, Hook brings up that he's over 100 years old, Graham was cursed in a town where time doesn't move and he was cursed at the same time as Emma's parents, I think the only one who didn't have a weird time constraint was the one who turned into a flying monkey.
@@ThePrincessCH if you think about it, even that guy was originally the 'wizard of oz' and was Zelena's minion for who knows how long as a flying monkey. So ALL of Emma's love interests have weird complicated ages
I'd love to see a video analysing the good vs bad conflict in the show. I feel like fairytales are supposed to be very black and white, the shows' characters are gray but are still relegated to the black or white role. I feel like the show plays with it a lot, so it would be an interesting analysis.
Emma is actually a good example of the Heroines Journey by Maureen Murdock witch is similar to the Hero's Journey but with more focus on the quest for wholeness and the integration of both feminine and masculine as well as healing internally. She really is such a great character and is one of the reasons why I love the show and kept watching even after the show went crazy.
Emma Swan is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I really enjoyed her arc, throughout the series, even with some misfires here and there. Say what you want about the season 6 finale, but I liked how it mirrored season 1 but with a twist. This time, when Emma started seeing the signs that magic was real and she was the Savior, she embraced it instead of running away, even without fully understanding what she was doing. The curse took her memories but it couldn't take her character development. I love the trope of the reluctant hero, like Emma and Miles from Into the Spiderverse. I find it relatable. 29:51 maybe someone has written this in the comments already, but the thing about that moment was that Emma's superpower was right about Hook. But then again, the superpower had also been right about Neal (she didn't know Neal had to be persuaded to betray Emma) and it had gotten her into prison and an unwanted pregnancy. She wasn't able to trust her own superpower. Believe it or not, I only realized this very recently. 😅
this is a great video. would love to see an analysis on regina, hook and rumple - rumple especially, hes by far my favourite character. btw, the apples and the lamp in the background are a nice touch ;)
Emma is very possibly my favorite female character, she's always meant so much to me when i first watched the series and especially now as an adult, I love how complex and compicated she is! She really is just someone who wants to be loved and have a community and a family and it makde me so glad yo see that she was able to get exactly that in the end. Loved the video!
I think a good analysis to delve into is the dichotomy and similarities between Emma and Regina. I do not ship them at all, but I do see them as enemies turned best friends and that is because their arcs and personas are so similar, despite seeming so different at first. They are both stoic and cold at the beginning, and both expressing their loneliness with drastic actions, one saves while the other destroys. In a sense, both of them were always lost from the very beginning, never being able to find their true selves because they had everybody around them manipulating them, taking advantage of them, and then abandoning them (Cora, Neal, August, etc...). Emma was supposed to be royalty, but ended up having nothing. Regina wasn't supposed to be royalty (Cora snaked her way from a farmer's daughter to royalty), and ended up having everything. Emma's journey is also another prime example of why the mid-season finale of season 3 was perfect. I mean she went from someone who was running away by trying to find everybody else, but herself. All she needed was to find herself and as soon as she started to do that, all the pieces of the puzzles were starting to fall in place. At the end of 3x11, she had essentially fulfilled her role as the Savior and saved everybody, even Regina (essentially making her the "savior" of the EF, because of her magic). It was time to go home, where everything started, back to being regular ol'Emma, but this time, not lonely, but with her son by her side and another chance at life. Same with Regina, she went back to EF, with everyone by her side, instead of everyone against her. Back to ol'Regina, but without the "Evil" moniker and another chance at the fantasy land where they were meant to be. But then Season 4 came.
the season 4 (i think) is the elsa season where i started to stop watching years ago, like you said, the storyline doesnt make sense. def enjoyed everything before that
Tbf I think saying Hook's apparent change in affection is abrupt is Odd when True Love exists and we're repeatedly shown that there Is a level of knowing when True Love couples meet and many of these relationships become intense immediately. Emma knew, she felt it, it's why she left him on the Beanstalk. Because she couldn't chance that what she felt was wrong. Killian also felt it. They're just two people who have been incredibly hurt by love in ways the other couples haven't been. Killian locking in early makes total sense within the context of the OUAT universe as we know it.
I think Killian is meant to be more bark than bite, he has his tricks but he's more passion than smarts. Plus it's not actually a fair game considering most of the time he's up against magic users who are literally throwing him around like a ragdoll. Killian puts on a tough persona but he's still deep down the betrayed child who has lost everyone he had and even as he's clinging on to pain and anger to survive, he wants the innocence and love he lost. Most of the villainous things he does is going along with someone else's plan because they offer him his own ends (and often his survival is at risk if he says no). In a way he gets the vengeful moment he was waiting for when he enacts his plan and poisons Rumple. He still wants his revenge once he realizes Rumple's still alive, but in a way he's lost his drive for it, he's second guessing what he's willing to give up for revenge. Then he has that moment with Emma and comes back for them, and I feel like that's the moment he gets the first hope of finding love again, and the kiss seals the deal. Once he has realized that love could be his purpose to live again, he pretty much lets go of any actual thirst for revenge.
Hook is so much better than Neil! A villain learning to be a hero will always be a more compelling character than a guy who's already had these traits (bravery and honnor, blablabla) since his childhood in my opinion
I think there are two moments in s01 that really highlight the depth of her denial, even though she doesn't actually view magic as something impossible. The first one you only notice on a rewatch bc it's reframed by the second one. It's very quick and very subtle - when she blows out the candle on her birthday cupcake and Henry knocks on the door, her eyes, ever so slightly, flick over to the still smoking candle as if in disbelief. Later in the season, she admits that she made a wish when she blew out the candle, and that wish was to not be alone on her birthday. And that's exactly when Henry shows up. It's such a cool little detail, and to me, it shows that even at the beginning of the show, she's willing and ready to believe in magic (to me, this candle moment, as well as some of the flashbacks, show that magic followed her from the fairytale realm and was always with her, even when she didn't know it), but she lets her fear and doubt overshadow that.
Forgot to mention season 7 even though Emma was almost not in it she was in season 7 episode 2 and the series finale with a child so it did not end with Emma and hook's wedding they had a child together. It was nice to be done with their characters by the end of season 6 but we did get a little bit in season 7 and even just a little bit in season 7 there's some character growth. We can see Emma and hook's character from the end of season 6 and how they involved over the years leading up to season 7 when Emma comes to visit Henry as an adult in the new enchanted forest and in the united realms in the series finale.
Maybe a bit off topic but my issue with OUAT is the same as with a lot of American shows…each season has too many episodes. It means there is a lot of filler and it can get boring 🥱 Season 3 for example was in 2 parts. Would have been perfect to be 2 different seasons.
Neal was also scared of Emma’s magic and wanted her to basically ignore that part of herself while Hook always loved and encouraged Emma to be herself and was never scared of her powers. In fact he encouraged her to use her magic and learn to control it.
I was wondering why you weren't covering how much of an impact Hook had on Emma; I thought you might even be anti Captain Swan! Imagine my delight to find the whole last part of this analysis was about them! I didn't feel strongly about them when I first watched the show, but I fell in love with them while rewatching it over the past year! It's funny, I kind of thought Graham's death had the opposite effect on Emma, giving her another reason to put walls up when she had just been starting to take them down. I'm a little surprised you didn't say more about how Emma changed due to her time-travel adventure, since that was what made her fully open her heart to her parents, accept her fairy-tale heritage, and realize that her home was in Storybrooke. That was kind of the dividing point in her arc: the first three seasons were about her learning to believe in magic and accept her parents; seasons 4-6 were about her learning to be vulnerable with Hook and accept her larger role as the Savior.
So I just searched it up, Emma was 17-18 (she was born in October, so depends in what month they met), and Neal (born in march, so most likely-) was physically 22 (Neverland is fun). According to the wiki, Emma was freshly emancipated and she also told Cindy (Ashley) that she was 18 when she had Henry (in prison)
@Serenaskybourne Hi, im new here and i thoroughly enjoyed your happily never after video as I only know one other person who likes this show your veiwpoints are quite refreshing please keep 'em coming lol. Also sidenote but you kinda got a little sophisticated Sidney Sweeney type look/vibe going on 😏
The reason I never got on board with Emma and Hook is that I felt that Emma and Regina had the perfect slowburn enemies to lovers story and I just couldn't let go of that, and all the other romantic interests for the two just made me really annoyed 😅
I love her but with one criticism, she should have turned into a real Villain, she wasnt a real villain during the dark swan saga, she should have gone true evil.
What she did to Hook that turned her into the Dark One was pretty awful, though! Turning him into the thing that had taken away his first love, ruined his life, and sent him on a soulless quest for revenge against his will. Completely understandable that she couldn't bare to lose another person, especially one she was happily planning a future with, but still awful. Though I do agree that I wanted to see her be truly villainous. The Dark Swan storyline had so much potential but was just a bit of a let down :/
Me again. Hope you don’t mind me clogging up your comments section. So, I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Emma much when I first watched the show. I was there for Rumple, Rumble, and the cuteness that is Henry Mills. It was only later rewatches, and certain fanfictions *cough*HeartstringsbyDragonBat*cough* that got me to the point of really liking her. That said, I totally respect someone liking her right away. I haven’t really listened to/read a lot of the interviews with Jennifer Morrison, but you’re making me want to. She has a lot of very interesting insights. Emma’s denial never seemed willful to me in S1, more just like, who would believe this sort of thing, but now, watching your video, I’m seeing it in a new context, and it will definitely change how I view (and in fanfiction, write) her going forward. Great insights. Question: Do you think Emma would be happier if she could stop being the Savior, like retire and not have to save people anymore, or do you think she eventually grows to like being the Savior in a healthy way? (I will get rid of this question if you answer it as the video goes on). The Marian thing … I’m sorry, but if the writers hadn’t later changed it and made it Zelena, it is totally wrong of Regina to be mad that Emma’s saved someone’s life that she killed because it screws up her happy ending. Emma was right to save Marian, and by bringing her to the present, she protects the timeline. It’s only “bad,” because Regina was dating Robin, which doesn’t make saving someone’s life not okay (and Robin taking the side of the woman who murdered his wife is screwed up on so many levels). I’ve always disliked that the writers gave Emma magic, because it felt like it took away from her skills before that. What say you? Your description of how they represented the Dark One Curse almost makes it sound better than it was. We have different views on CaptainSwan, but I don’t feel the need to get into that, because people can ship different things, and that’s okay. Though for the record, I do like Hook as a character, I just don’t like him with Emma. I’m really enjoying your videos, and I hope you respond to this comment and answer my questions. Also, since I know I’m plugging DragonBat’s fix a lot, I just want to clarify, that’s not me, I’m RedTailedHawkens, and I would love if you check out my stuff too, especially the Emma Swan Dates A Real Boy series, which I’m totally open to questions about. Stay safe and keep the videos coming.
Can you make a video about SwanQueen? Idk if you like the ship (even though it wasn’t canon unfortunately) but I love your OUAT videos and my favourite thing is the relationship between the women!
It's very very very difficult for me to see Neil.... when all I can think about is how he is Rene from True Blood... the person unaliving the "fang bangers"... with that THICK southern accent lol
It always grosses me out whenever people blame others for their own errors and to hear you parrot her gave me chills. Regina condemns an innocent woman to death on a whim. Her relationship with Robin is founded on her sins since she's the reason his marriage ended in the first place and his son grows without a mother - she had his wife killed. It's not as if she knew her sister killed Miriam and took her place, that all happened after Emma saved Miriam and was only discovered much later. So, Regina having killed a woman simply because she wants her dead, when faced with the consequences of her actions and still pretending to be the good she never possessed - or is capable of understanding - and deserving of redemption she never tried to earn, lays her responsibility on Emma's shoulders when all she did is save an innocent from Regina's evil. Regina never regrets her wrongs, never repents, never tries to correct them (when they are corrected by Emma, she berates her for it), never feels she deserves punishment for it and still thinks she's magically turned hero despite doing nothing to deserve the title and continuing to act evil. The entire time I watched this show, being still naive and young, I just kept waiting for justice to happen and the story to turn fair at some point or for the characters to at least acknowledge that unfairness. I was so disappointed to find there was no moral because the writers have no morals themselves. The moral should have been evil gets away with it but they pretended evil is good and good is evil instead. I still despise that the writers managed to gaslight the audience into believing Emma was wrong to save the innocent woman just because that meant Regina had to face her crimes. It actually worked on you. But I also remember how good it felt to be vindicated when Regina just kills dream Snow and David in cold blood because it was easier and 'they're not real' just to take dream Robin who apparently is real just because she wants to. So much for redemption, right? So much for changing. Turns out, it was all a facade. Regina is selfishly evil throughout the entire story and I'm so glad it was so obviously displayed so far into the story for all the apologists who claim she changed. She never tried to change, she just wanted Harry to love her so she lied. She continued to do whatever she pleased, no matter who got hurt (or died). As long as she got what she wanted. Goodness is to do what's right no matter the consequences to oneself. Regina did whatever got her what she changed, no matter the consequences to everyone else, and cried foul whenever faced with retribution. Emma did what she thought was right and suffered for it. Emma did the right thing.
I’m not parroting what Regina said/ just summarising why she was mad at Emma. I think in a moral sense Emma obviously did the right thing, but she also messed up because you’re not meant to change the past with time travel
Honestly they ruined everything when they decided to make the Dark Swan arc but not really, they could have done but with the motivation being tired of sacrificing herself for this people, and it's never enough cause there's always something, and she has to step up or feeling jealous/resentful/displaced by the new baby or still abandoned by her parents, but they went with a fake out that only managed to annoyed everyone. Also, I never got behind CaptainSwan because I felt it diminished both characters, Hook felt boring and needy while Emma clingy. At least in my opinion
Love season 1-6 flaws and all. 7 was just ok but we will leave it at that. Sure I had to watch season 4 again to get it and now that Im older I appreciate season 6 more but didn’t care for it at first
I thought Emma did bring Marion back but Zelena killed her and took her place later on. Emma was her best in season 1. I wish they had brought Graham back for her at the end. I hated Hook, the fact that he broke up her son's grandparent's (Rumple and Mila) marriage always grossed me out. Aside from that I always found Hook's arrogance infuriating. Rumple had every reason to hate his guts but no one ever acknowledges this.
The video is very long, so I will focus on just a few points😅. Emma was initially a strong and interesting character with an iconic red leather jacket. The female characters in the first season were generally strong-willed and independent. Emma’s relationship with Hook is problematic in my opinion, as he committed many evil acts that were never fully addressed and that you (the woman in this RUclips video) did not address either. However, the series gave the impression that a happy ending for women was mostly only possible with a man by their side, which I do not support. Although the chemistry between the actors was good, I believe Emma, as a strong, independent woman and mother, could have had a happy ending without a partner. Hook’s actions, including the murder of David’s father, were often downplayed. Additionally, Emma developed an unhealthy co-dependency on Hook in the later seasons, which was reflected in her wardrobe choices. The series should have focused more on Emma’s independence instead of pushing her into a toxic relationship.
I'm sorry but I disagree with the idea that because Neil abandoned Emma that, that some how makes him less suited for her. Because if Regina who for years attempted to make Henry think that he was crazy, Rumple who constantly lied and manipulated Bell, along with the Charmings who lied and abandoned Emma twice when she was a child could get and was giving redemption added with a second/third chance with the people they've wronged. Then the same could be done for Emma and Neil. Plus Hook is way older than Neil and thus greatly older than Emma. Hook turned on Emma after she did the unthinkable to save his life. Hook multiple times through out their relationshi/courting lied and or withheld information from Emma. So the idea that he was some how better than Neil in terms of a love interest. Seems far fetch to me.
I don't think Hook and Milah were ever married, and even if they did I don't think Hook could have been Emma's ex-father-in-law since Emma and Neal were never married either. But as the Frozen arc says everyone in this show is related somehow.
I always thought Emma was the swan princess but ugly duckling makes so much more sense.
Same
I remember when the series started and throughout the seasons Jennifer Morrison always called us her fans “Ugly Ducklings” 🐥 🦢 🩷
I wish we had seen more Emma and David. Their relationship was so sweet, their scenes were always my favourite. She was clearly meant to be a daddys girl! David was also just way more accepting of who she was as an adult, opposed to Snow, who seemed to never truly get over her grief at missing emmas childhood. Whilst understandable caused a little distance between them.
I think the distance between them was because of Emma’s overwhelming change. Snow was all for gettinf back on track but Emma was hesitant. Like most people including Snow White, Emma didn’t open up to a lot of people emotionally until there was some type of big stress
I think Emma is one of the greatest television protagonists ever written and I will defend her until my dying breath. She is strong (physically and mentally), intelligent, and capable, but has very realistic and understandable flaws based on her history that she works on and grows over the course of the show. I love how they didn't shy away from showing her vulnerabilities and fears, and instead of instantly having those go away when she breaks the curse and gets the family she always wanted, those insecurities and fears still affect her and her decisions throughout the show, until they get less and less frequent as she embraces her family, true love, and herself. It's beautiful.
Have to disagree, love the show but Emma swan is not a good character let alone a great one, maybe I feel that way because she's not a proactive character like she doesn't drive the plot alot of the time the plot just happens to her. Henry should have been the main character, it'd be a much more interesting show if it was about Henry coming of age and trying to find his own story (like the last season) and going through everything with everyone else and realizing at the end that he didn't have to find his story THIS IS HIS STORY.
Agreed!! Love Emma!
I hate how they have to girl boss or make the strong powerful woman.
Emma is a perfect example how she can have flaws and be strong while also having this gentle side to her. It is ok for her to cry from time to time while being emotionally strong.
I like how she learns how to trust even with the risk that she may be taken advantage of.
She had resiliency and tenacity that you don’t always see today.
@@gabrielleduplessis7388 exactly! And Jennifer Morrison portrays that balance of strength, vulnerability, and femininity so well!
@@azurezuraun761 Personally, I think it would have been interesting to see Regina adopt a young Emma instead because in terms of personality Emma is seems to be more like Regina than Snow which makes sense since they were both pushed into positions neither of them asked for: Regina didn't want to become queen and Emma was too young to decide whether or not she wanted to be a Savior. Although, if you're concerned about the plot happening to her, I find that's fairly standard for a Disney princess story (Cinderella was too busy with chores to do anything about her dress, Snow White didn't start taking matters into her own hands until the Huntsman told her about the Queen's plan to kill her, Tiana lost her restaurant at the last minute and Rapunzel probably wouldn't have ever gone outside without a guide), so I'd say the format is appropriate.
Emma didn't want to tell Henry the truth about his dad because she didn't want to disappoint him as his father wasn't a good guy snd caused her a lot of pain and trauma that she hadn't healed from. She lied to give Henry hope by saying his father was a hero, a fire fighter.
The Frozen arc was probably my favorite part of the series. I liked that she had someone she could relate to in terms of having powers she didn't ask for, it's a shame the series couldn't just have an episode where Emma, Elsa and Anna could just relax and talk about that.
Yes, someone who doesn't hate the Frozen arc, I got into the show around that time and really appreciate that arc, I understand that the blatant product placement from the official Disney movie, but I think they incorporated it pretty well and Georgina Haig and Elizabeth Lail did a good job as Elsa and Anna, and they still incorporated the Snow Queen into it, and I really love Elsa and Emma's friendship.
@patax144 I wish the two could have had more moments with Anna. She's the one who actually came through in the end, and to be honest, the idea that three were a reflection of Ingrid's relationship with her own sisters was appealing to me.
Reading some of your comments, I had NO IDEA that Emma has touched so many people and that she was their favourite character in any tv show ever ☺ It's great to know that it wasn't just me who felt very affected by watching her overcome her fear of close relationships and allow people in
I think emma and hook can get easily conned is genius writing in a way.
For example, i feel emma’s superpower being flawed was the whole point. When her guard is up, she can easily see the red flags and tells that people have when they lie. When she feels she can finally put her guard down, she denies things more or struggles following her intuition.
I feel hook is the same way. And maybe the drinking does not help a lot of the time. But when his guard is up and not drunk, he tries to protect himself, but when people see his vulnerabilities, like Cora does with everyone, they can say what he wants to hear. In these cases, he feels this bond they have and lets his guard down. This is when he gets duped.
Am I overanalyzing this? Maybe, but that is how I interpret it.
That would be genius if that’s why they planned it
Emma is my favorite character. I relate to her, and things she'd been through..a lot. I truly feel for her and understand her because I've been there. I love her and Killian together. They understand each other because they have similar past as orphans who have been hurt and lost their first loves. The make each other happy and better. She's finally happy because of him. Now they're happily married and parents. It's the perfect ending for them, especially after everything she had been through, especially after Neal and what he did to her. It's beautiful. I even cosplay her.
I would LOVE to see a video on the back and forth that they constantly kept trying to pull with Regina. Any time that poor woman found happiness they were so willing to rip that away from her. And I understand that they wanted her to earn her happy ending, but at some point I think they just needed to give her a break 😭
Such an interesting comment! Will do
@@SerenaSkybourne ahh looking forward to it!! Love your content bestie! Always love hearing your thoughts!
@@Nightwing-Gemini
Totally agree about regina
Yes I found myself getting frustrated with that. Especially the Robin arch.
Yes. I know she was evil the first couple of seasons. She constantly tried shedding that and constantly tried fighting that side of her so she doesn’t stay that way forever.
When she actually earned happiness, she did not deserve to have it ripped out from her.
I felt that way with Zelena too when she constantly tried to be good and find her path.
I dont think emma was wrong for saving marian, unfortunate it was actually zelena. That would've been one less innocent person on Regina's ledger. I always thought it was a weird lense to view the situation as poor regina can't have her man. Like did Robin even react to the news Regina killed his wife in the og timeline😵💫
Emma's journey to break down her emotional walls and trust people again is so relatable, as someone who's been hurt by others a few times I've put up a bit of an emotional wall myself, but I'm slowly breaking down those walls while also still staying slightly guarded
I adore Emma, she's such a unique and realistic character. She has flaws but she also has her strengths. I love how gritty and strong she is. She can fit the 'cool' and 'strong' girl archetype whilst also being three-dimensional
Yes, Neal hurt Emma in the worse way. Yes, he's a pedo. He was around 30 and she was 16. He had a warrant from the watches he stole and he let Emma take the fall because a known liar told him to. Then never saught to find her after knowing the curse was broken because of his daddy issues. The poor kid went to prison for his crimes, finding out she's pregnant, givibg birth at 17(doing the math) having to give the baby up because she had no home, job, no money, family, no means to care for a baby. Super traumatic. But when she held up her deal with Rumple to help find his son, finding out Neal was his son, he yelled at her. Then he yelled at her, again, when he found out they had a son. He treated her as if she was the one who did something wrong, when she didn't do anything but suffer because of him. People only ship them because he's Henry's father. Being a biological father doesn't make a man a being a father. He abandoned Emma and was not a father to Henry. Killian spent more time with Henry and was more of a father to him more than Neal ever was, before he ever became his step father. Killian is the better man here.
Say it louder!! Hell. Yes. I never liked Neal for all the crap he put her through and then had the AUDACITY to act hurt that they had a kid and she wanted to protect him from Neal.
Only thing I disagree on is the pedo comment. I don't think it's explicitly stated how old he is when he meets Emma. The timeline is so wonky and unclear, and that's such a strong accusation. He was technically already hundreds of years old due to his time in Neverland but at the same time, no one ages there, even mentally.
I like Captain Swan for sure but felt I needed to point out the age difference there is way way more than her and neale. He's Neales stepfather after all lol! He's like a couple hundred years old.
@@heathermc1049 By that logic, we got to address the age difference of Belle and Rumple. Lol! The problem was that Emma was underage when she was with Neal (She was 16). When she met and fell in love with Killian, she was a fully grown adult.
I feel like most of Emma's lovers are technically older than her though, Hook brings up that he's over 100 years old, Graham was cursed in a town where time doesn't move and he was cursed at the same time as Emma's parents, I think the only one who didn't have a weird time constraint was the one who turned into a flying monkey.
@@ThePrincessCH if you think about it, even that guy was originally the 'wizard of oz' and was Zelena's minion for who knows how long as a flying monkey. So ALL of Emma's love interests have weird complicated ages
I'd love to see a video analysing the good vs bad conflict in the show. I feel like fairytales are supposed to be very black and white, the shows' characters are gray but are still relegated to the black or white role. I feel like the show plays with it a lot, so it would be an interesting analysis.
You never miss Serena. I absolutely love your channel. I feel like you’re my friend! I wish we could all hangout and watch good tv together 😂❤
We need a movie night for real ❤️
I AM SO PUMPED!!! Emma swan is one of my favorite characters of all time so I’m very excited to see your take on her, I always enjoy your analyses 😊
She is the best!
As someone with “abandonment issues” I prefer “abandonment trauma” because I have the issues because others traumatized me
i like this more
Emma is actually a good example of the Heroines Journey by Maureen Murdock witch is similar to the Hero's Journey but with more focus on the quest for wholeness and the integration of both feminine and masculine as well as healing internally. She really is such a great character and is one of the reasons why I love the show and kept watching even after the show went crazy.
I love this resurgence of ouat videos lately
i'm living for it
Emma Swan is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I really enjoyed her arc, throughout the series, even with some misfires here and there. Say what you want about the season 6 finale, but I liked how it mirrored season 1 but with a twist. This time, when Emma started seeing the signs that magic was real and she was the Savior, she embraced it instead of running away, even without fully understanding what she was doing. The curse took her memories but it couldn't take her character development.
I love the trope of the reluctant hero, like Emma and Miles from Into the Spiderverse. I find it relatable.
29:51 maybe someone has written this in the comments already, but the thing about that moment was that Emma's superpower was right about Hook. But then again, the superpower had also been right about Neal (she didn't know Neal had to be persuaded to betray Emma) and it had gotten her into prison and an unwanted pregnancy. She wasn't able to trust her own superpower.
Believe it or not, I only realized this very recently. 😅
this is a great video. would love to see an analysis on regina, hook and rumple - rumple especially, hes by far my favourite character. btw, the apples and the lamp in the background are a nice touch ;)
Thankyouuu haha I put way too much planning into this background
I need a swan queen analysis video!!!
i need a whole video on Rumplestiltskin/mr gold
emma swan is my favorite character, she is beautiful, strong, courageous and she is not afraid of anything.
The video I didn't know I needed 😂 She kind of annoyed me, though, her and her parents lol.
P.S. love your dark academia vibes in this video 🔥
Thankyou 🥰
She’s such an excellent example of a strong female character I love her sm
I absolutely love emma swan she was one of my favorite characters in the series
💙💙💙💙
Emma is very possibly my favorite female character, she's always meant so much to me when i first watched the series and especially now as an adult, I love how complex and compicated she is! She really is just someone who wants to be loved and have a community and a family and it makde me so glad yo see that she was able to get exactly that in the end. Loved the video!
leave your once upon a time video requests in the comments! :)
Character analysis on Regina 🤔😏
@@ctq.jenY99if you insist 😘
i would DIE for a..... compassionate analysis on snow!!!!! she is my fav and maybe its the altruist in me but she is the loml
I think a good analysis to delve into is the dichotomy and similarities between Emma and Regina. I do not ship them at all, but I do see them as enemies turned best friends and that is because their arcs and personas are so similar, despite seeming so different at first. They are both stoic and cold at the beginning, and both expressing their loneliness with drastic actions, one saves while the other destroys. In a sense, both of them were always lost from the very beginning, never being able to find their true selves because they had everybody around them manipulating them, taking advantage of them, and then abandoning them (Cora, Neal, August, etc...). Emma was supposed to be royalty, but ended up having nothing. Regina wasn't supposed to be royalty (Cora snaked her way from a farmer's daughter to royalty), and ended up having everything.
Emma's journey is also another prime example of why the mid-season finale of season 3 was perfect. I mean she went from someone who was running away by trying to find everybody else, but herself. All she needed was to find herself and as soon as she started to do that, all the pieces of the puzzles were starting to fall in place. At the end of 3x11, she had essentially fulfilled her role as the Savior and saved everybody, even Regina (essentially making her the "savior" of the EF, because of her magic). It was time to go home, where everything started, back to being regular ol'Emma, but this time, not lonely, but with her son by her side and another chance at life. Same with Regina, she went back to EF, with everyone by her side, instead of everyone against her. Back to ol'Regina, but without the "Evil" moniker and another chance at the fantasy land where they were meant to be.
But then Season 4 came.
In place of abandonment issues might insuggest struggles to believe you will stay with her.
the season 4 (i think) is the elsa season where i started to stop watching years ago, like you said, the storyline doesnt make sense. def enjoyed everything before that
I would LOVE a full video on Lily (emma's childhood friend)... please?
Emma is the reason my dream car is a 1974 yellow beetle. Her whole look was just so iconic and I love it (yes I include the car as part of her style).
Eugh her car is even a slay ☺️
I love your reviews about Emma Swan and I love her very much she is great,wonderful.
I love her too; she needed some attention ❤️
Tbf I think saying Hook's apparent change in affection is abrupt is Odd when True Love exists and we're repeatedly shown that there Is a level of knowing when True Love couples meet and many of these relationships become intense immediately. Emma knew, she felt it, it's why she left him on the Beanstalk. Because she couldn't chance that what she felt was wrong. Killian also felt it. They're just two people who have been incredibly hurt by love in ways the other couples haven't been. Killian locking in early makes total sense within the context of the OUAT universe as we know it.
I think Killian is meant to be more bark than bite, he has his tricks but he's more passion than smarts. Plus it's not actually a fair game considering most of the time he's up against magic users who are literally throwing him around like a ragdoll. Killian puts on a tough persona but he's still deep down the betrayed child who has lost everyone he had and even as he's clinging on to pain and anger to survive, he wants the innocence and love he lost. Most of the villainous things he does is going along with someone else's plan because they offer him his own ends (and often his survival is at risk if he says no). In a way he gets the vengeful moment he was waiting for when he enacts his plan and poisons Rumple. He still wants his revenge once he realizes Rumple's still alive, but in a way he's lost his drive for it, he's second guessing what he's willing to give up for revenge. Then he has that moment with Emma and comes back for them, and I feel like that's the moment he gets the first hope of finding love again, and the kiss seals the deal. Once he has realized that love could be his purpose to live again, he pretty much lets go of any actual thirst for revenge.
Hook is so much better than Neil! A villain learning to be a hero will always be a more compelling character than a guy who's already had these traits (bravery and honnor, blablabla) since his childhood in my opinion
True, the only problem i have is they didn't know what to do with his character in season 4 but he found his footing
I think there are two moments in s01 that really highlight the depth of her denial, even though she doesn't actually view magic as something impossible.
The first one you only notice on a rewatch bc it's reframed by the second one.
It's very quick and very subtle - when she blows out the candle on her birthday cupcake and Henry knocks on the door, her eyes, ever so slightly, flick over to the still smoking candle as if in disbelief.
Later in the season, she admits that she made a wish when she blew out the candle, and that wish was to not be alone on her birthday. And that's exactly when Henry shows up.
It's such a cool little detail, and to me, it shows that even at the beginning of the show, she's willing and ready to believe in magic (to me, this candle moment, as well as some of the flashbacks, show that magic followed her from the fairytale realm and was always with her, even when she didn't know it), but she lets her fear and doubt overshadow that.
Awesome video again!
Forgot to mention season 7 even though Emma was almost not in it she was in season 7 episode 2 and the series finale with a child so it did not end with Emma and hook's wedding they had a child together. It was nice to be done with their characters by the end of season 6 but we did get a little bit in season 7 and even just a little bit in season 7 there's some character growth. We can see Emma and hook's character from the end of season 6 and how they involved over the years leading up to season 7 when Emma comes to visit Henry as an adult in the new enchanted forest and in the united realms in the series finale.
Loved this show
Maybe a bit off topic but my issue with OUAT is the same as with a lot of American shows…each season has too many episodes. It means there is a lot of filler and it can get boring 🥱
Season 3 for example was in 2 parts. Would have been perfect to be 2 different seasons.
I loved Emma. Very well written character. She's underrated.
I’m obsessed
Neal was also scared of Emma’s magic and wanted her to basically ignore that part of herself while Hook always loved and encouraged Emma to be herself and was never scared of her powers. In fact he encouraged her to use her magic and learn to control it.
I was wondering why you weren't covering how much of an impact Hook had on Emma; I thought you might even be anti Captain Swan! Imagine my delight to find the whole last part of this analysis was about them! I didn't feel strongly about them when I first watched the show, but I fell in love with them while rewatching it over the past year!
It's funny, I kind of thought Graham's death had the opposite effect on Emma, giving her another reason to put walls up when she had just been starting to take them down.
I'm a little surprised you didn't say more about how Emma changed due to her time-travel adventure, since that was what made her fully open her heart to her parents, accept her fairy-tale heritage, and realize that her home was in Storybrooke. That was kind of the dividing point in her arc: the first three seasons were about her learning to believe in magic and accept her parents; seasons 4-6 were about her learning to be vulnerable with Hook and accept her larger role as the Savior.
So I just searched it up, Emma was 17-18 (she was born in October, so depends in what month they met), and Neal (born in march, so most likely-) was physically 22 (Neverland is fun). According to the wiki, Emma was freshly emancipated and she also told Cindy (Ashley) that she was 18 when she had Henry (in prison)
@Serenaskybourne Hi, im new here and i thoroughly enjoyed your happily never after video as I only know one other person who likes this show your veiwpoints are quite refreshing please keep 'em coming lol. Also sidenote but you kinda got a little sophisticated Sidney Sweeney type look/vibe going on 😏
The reason I never got on board with Emma and Hook is that I felt that Emma and Regina had the perfect slowburn enemies to lovers story and I just couldn't let go of that, and all the other romantic interests for the two just made me really annoyed 😅
I love her but with one criticism, she should have turned into a real Villain, she wasnt a real villain during the dark swan saga, she should have gone true evil.
What she did to Hook that turned her into the Dark One was pretty awful, though! Turning him into the thing that had taken away his first love, ruined his life, and sent him on a soulless quest for revenge against his will. Completely understandable that she couldn't bare to lose another person, especially one she was happily planning a future with, but still awful. Though I do agree that I wanted to see her be truly villainous. The Dark Swan storyline had so much potential but was just a bit of a let down :/
Me again. Hope you don’t mind me clogging up your comments section.
So, I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Emma much when I first watched the show. I was there for Rumple, Rumble, and the cuteness that is Henry Mills. It was only later rewatches, and certain fanfictions *cough*HeartstringsbyDragonBat*cough* that got me to the point of really liking her. That said, I totally respect someone liking her right away.
I haven’t really listened to/read a lot of the interviews with Jennifer Morrison, but you’re making me want to. She has a lot of very interesting insights.
Emma’s denial never seemed willful to me in S1, more just like, who would believe this sort of thing, but now, watching your video, I’m seeing it in a new context, and it will definitely change how I view (and in fanfiction, write) her going forward. Great insights.
Question: Do you think Emma would be happier if she could stop being the Savior, like retire and not have to save people anymore, or do you think she eventually grows to like being the Savior in a healthy way? (I will get rid of this question if you answer it as the video goes on).
The Marian thing … I’m sorry, but if the writers hadn’t later changed it and made it Zelena, it is totally wrong of Regina to be mad that Emma’s saved someone’s life that she killed because it screws up her happy ending. Emma was right to save Marian, and by bringing her to the present, she protects the timeline. It’s only “bad,” because Regina was dating Robin, which doesn’t make saving someone’s life not okay (and Robin taking the side of the woman who murdered his wife is screwed up on so many levels).
I’ve always disliked that the writers gave Emma magic, because it felt like it took away from her skills before that. What say you?
Your description of how they represented the Dark One Curse almost makes it sound better than it was.
We have different views on CaptainSwan, but I don’t feel the need to get into that, because people can ship different things, and that’s okay. Though for the record, I do like Hook as a character, I just don’t like him with Emma.
I’m really enjoying your videos, and I hope you respond to this comment and answer my questions. Also, since I know I’m plugging DragonBat’s fix a lot, I just want to clarify, that’s not me, I’m RedTailedHawkens, and I would love if you check out my stuff too, especially the Emma Swan Dates A Real Boy series, which I’m totally open to questions about. Stay safe and keep the videos coming.
Can you make a video about SwanQueen? Idk if you like the ship (even though it wasn’t canon unfortunately) but I love your OUAT videos and my favourite thing is the relationship between the women!
Great video, as usual! I do like Emma Swan!
It's very very very difficult for me to see Neil.... when all I can think about is how he is Rene from True Blood... the person unaliving the "fang bangers"... with that THICK southern accent lol
Great video!
Please do Regina if you can :)
coming soon!
Emma was the best.
Thank you for reading my comment.
"The Ugly Duckling" 🤯
I stand by the fact, Graham should have been handled better and he should have stayed until season 4 with him and Emma being best friends
It always grosses me out whenever people blame others for their own errors and to hear you parrot her gave me chills.
Regina condemns an innocent woman to death on a whim. Her relationship with Robin is founded on her sins since she's the reason his marriage ended in the first place and his son grows without a mother - she had his wife killed. It's not as if she knew her sister killed Miriam and took her place, that all happened after Emma saved Miriam and was only discovered much later.
So, Regina having killed a woman simply because she wants her dead, when faced with the consequences of her actions and still pretending to be the good she never possessed - or is capable of understanding - and deserving of redemption she never tried to earn, lays her responsibility on Emma's shoulders when all she did is save an innocent from Regina's evil. Regina never regrets her wrongs, never repents, never tries to correct them (when they are corrected by Emma, she berates her for it), never feels she deserves punishment for it and still thinks she's magically turned hero despite doing nothing to deserve the title and continuing to act evil.
The entire time I watched this show, being still naive and young, I just kept waiting for justice to happen and the story to turn fair at some point or for the characters to at least acknowledge that unfairness.
I was so disappointed to find there was no moral because the writers have no morals themselves. The moral should have been evil gets away with it but they pretended evil is good and good is evil instead. I still despise that the writers managed to gaslight the audience into believing Emma was wrong to save the innocent woman just because that meant Regina had to face her crimes. It actually worked on you. But I also remember how good it felt to be vindicated when Regina just kills dream Snow and David in cold blood because it was easier and 'they're not real' just to take dream Robin who apparently is real just because she wants to. So much for redemption, right? So much for changing. Turns out, it was all a facade. Regina is selfishly evil throughout the entire story and I'm so glad it was so obviously displayed so far into the story for all the apologists who claim she changed. She never tried to change, she just wanted Harry to love her so she lied. She continued to do whatever she pleased, no matter who got hurt (or died). As long as she got what she wanted.
Goodness is to do what's right no matter the consequences to oneself. Regina did whatever got her what she changed, no matter the consequences to everyone else, and cried foul whenever faced with retribution. Emma did what she thought was right and suffered for it. Emma did the right thing.
I’m not parroting what Regina said/ just summarising why she was mad at Emma. I think in a moral sense Emma obviously did the right thing, but she also messed up because you’re not meant to change the past with time travel
But yes I agree Regina had no right to play victim when Emma was just trying to save someone innocent
Honestly they ruined everything when they decided to make the Dark Swan arc but not really, they could have done but with the motivation being tired of sacrificing herself for this people, and it's never enough cause there's always something, and she has to step up or feeling jealous/resentful/displaced by the new baby or still abandoned by her parents, but they went with a fake out that only managed to annoyed everyone.
Also, I never got behind CaptainSwan because I felt it diminished both characters, Hook felt boring and needy while Emma clingy. At least in my opinion
Who is your favorite character Serena mines Belle (just love her and her fashion and honestly thought she desvered better.
Regina is my problematic fav ☺️
Lmao same @@SerenaSkybourne
Love season 1-6 flaws and all. 7 was just ok but we will leave it at that. Sure I had to watch season 4 again to get it and now that Im older I appreciate season 6 more but didn’t care for it at first
I thought Emma did bring Marion back but Zelena killed her and took her place later on.
Emma was her best in season 1. I wish they had brought Graham back for her at the end. I hated Hook, the fact that he broke up her son's grandparent's (Rumple and Mila) marriage always grossed me out. Aside from that I always found Hook's arrogance infuriating. Rumple had every reason to hate his guts but no one ever acknowledges this.
I liked the previous title better.
The video is very long, so I will focus on just a few points😅. Emma was initially a strong and interesting character with an iconic red leather jacket. The female characters in the first season were generally strong-willed and independent. Emma’s relationship with Hook is problematic in my opinion, as he committed many evil acts that were never fully addressed and that you (the woman in this RUclips video) did not address either. However, the series gave the impression that a happy ending for women was mostly only possible with a man by their side, which I do not support. Although the chemistry between the actors was good, I believe Emma, as a strong, independent woman and mother, could have had a happy ending without a partner. Hook’s actions, including the murder of David’s father, were often downplayed. Additionally, Emma developed an unhealthy co-dependency on Hook in the later seasons, which was reflected in her wardrobe choices. The series should have focused more on Emma’s independence instead of pushing her into a toxic relationship.
We say mommy and/or daddy issues because that person has issues with their mommy and/or daddy. It's only insulting if it's untrue.
I'm sorry but I disagree with the idea that because Neil abandoned Emma that, that some how makes him less suited for her. Because if Regina who for years attempted to make Henry think that he was crazy, Rumple who constantly lied and manipulated Bell, along with the Charmings who lied and abandoned Emma twice when she was a child could get and was giving redemption added with a second/third chance with the people they've wronged. Then the same could be done for Emma and Neil. Plus Hook is way older than Neil and thus greatly older than Emma. Hook turned on Emma after she did the unthinkable to save his life. Hook multiple times through out their relationshi/courting lied and or withheld information from Emma. So the idea that he was some how better than Neil in terms of a love interest. Seems far fetch to me.
WHo is emma favourite child?henry or hope
Do one henry
I don't
Isn’t she getting married to her ex- father in law? Hook is the father of her ex- husband. It is good, but weird at the same time.
I mean Hook was like stepfather of Neal or Baelfire. so technically Hook is the ex step father in law so at least its not by blood tie.
I don't think Hook and Milah were ever married, and even if they did I don't think Hook could have been Emma's ex-father-in-law since Emma and Neal were never married either. But as the Frozen arc says everyone in this show is related somehow.