(ABC / Jack Rowand)
I’m going to break form to set up this poll, because it feels entirely personal to me, but I’m getting ahead of myself. As previously reported, after the season six finale, star Jennifer Morrison is leaving the Once Upon a Time TV show and her character, Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (aka David Nolan; Josh Dallas). While Once Upon a Time is renewed for a seventh season, Morrison has contracted to appear in just one future episode. For what it’s worth, Once Upon a Time was renewed for season seven on May 11th. Details here.
A fairy tale fantasy drama, Once Upon a Time also stars Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, Rebecca Mader, and Jared Gilmore. It’s long been known that the seventh season will be a reboot without Goodwin and Dallas. Still, ABC Studios had been negotiating for Morrison, Parrilla, and O’Donoghue to return (although it seems they’ve known for quite a while that Morrison was out). Reportedly, Andrew J. West, a veteran of Once creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz’s cancelled Freeform TV show, Dead of Summer is joining the cast, in season seven.
Even when networks cancel shows I dislike or don’t watch, I never revel in cancellations. I feel too sorry for the people who are going to lose their jobs, particularly the below-the-line crew members, and rookie actors who are trying to establish themselves, professionally. I mention this, because although I am quite happy OUAT snagged a season seven renewal, I still kind of feel like it has been cancelled.
I’ve lost a job I loved and needed. The heartbreak was horrible and the financial hardship was worse. That job happened to involve recapping the first few seasons of Once Upon a Time, for the now defunct website, Television Without Pity. (Pssst. All the TWoP recaps are archived at Brilliant But Cancelled.)
Once upon a time, after watching the season three premiere, in fact, I opened my recap of episode 3.01, “The Heart of the Truest Believer,” with the following:
Welcome to the third season of Once Upon A Time. While they beat pilots, I’m not particularly fond of season premieres. “The Heart of the Truest Believer” is an exception. From the cold open, it engaged me far more than I expected and made me see the show from a fresher perspective: this show tells Emma’s fairy tale.
I’m both sure I’m not the first person to have thought or said so, and this isn’t even the first time I’ve thought it, but throughout season 2 I forgot all about it, and that’s where I think last season suffered.
Emma, who grew up in the stark reality of Our World, is our gateway to this magical multiverse. When an episode or plot-line forgets about Emma, it forsakes us. No matter how deliciously devilish Regina, Rumpy, Cora, etc. can be, no matter how noble Snow and Charming, no matter how well done flashbacks are, Emma needs to be the heart of this show, because this is her story, every bit as much as Sleeping Beauty is the story of Princess Aurora, or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is Snow White’s.
Over the ensuing seasons, Emma’s story has not always been the one upon which Kitsis and Horowitz have chosen to focus. Now, please know, I am a great fan of this dynamic duo, and have been since they wrote for Lost (which I also recapped). In my opinion though, when storylines have shifted focus away from the fairy tale of Princess Emma Swan, the show has usually suffered as a result.
So, while I am grateful Once Upon a Time was not cancelled, I’m not sure I’ll watch, once she’s gone. I wanted the renewal for Kitsis, Horowitz, the remaining cast and crew, and most of all for the loyal Oncers — those fans who will keep watching through the end credits of the Once Upon a Time series finale, no matter how many seasons it runs.
Coincidentally, I also recapped The Vampire Diaries for TWoP, so this feels a bit like déjà vu all over again. When Nina Dobrev exited, also at the end of season six, I tried to keep watching. I made it through the first episode of season seven, before quitting, in disgust. My heart wasn’t in it, because I felt her character, Elena, was central to the story for which I had signed up. I only returned for the TVD series finale, earlier this year, because Dobrev did.
So while I might try to watch an Emma-free seventh season of Once Upon a Time, I’m already pretty sure I won’t get through it. Truthfully, I’ve had tears in my eyes the whole time I’ve been writing this article. I am just so sad — deeply sad. Should Kitsis, Horowitz, or Morrison happen upon this piece, I hope they understand my sorrow is a tribute to the beautiful character they created together, and I thank them for it — and for my Emma.
Right now, as I wipe away my tears, I’m nearly certain I’ll sit out season seven, read spoilers, and if it sounds worth watching, binge the whole installment once it’s through. I know that’s not what the creators, cast, crew, studio, or network want to hear, but it’s my truth.
Despite the season seven renewal, I feel Morrison’s departure has cancelled my show, if not the show. I know she feels worn out, and she so deserves to have a personal life. Honestly, I applaud her moving on to try new things. I wish her the best and will follow her career with interest and enthusiasm. I’m neither bitter, nor angry. It’s just that Once Upon a Time without Emma is not the story I chose to watch, back on October 23, 2011, and it never can be.
How about you? Will you watch a seventh season of Once Upon a Time, without Jennifer Morrison’s Emma Swan? Please vote in our poll, and sound off in the comments, below.
I agree with what Amy said. A show of this caliber is built on more than just one character, and in this case, more than just a single storyline. With a theme of fairytales and classic stories to draw from, they have a clean canvas and all kind of directions they can go in. They’ve brought on new characters every year to star in a storyline. Next fall will be no different.
Yes, I will. All stories evolve and characters come and go. Do I love the Charmings, Emma, and Hook? Of course. But this show is bigger then any one character and I think the end of the season 6 finale was brilliant. The writers of this show have shown time and time again that they excel at surprising us, taking the old and making it new, and challenging our ideas of the fairytale world! I myself can’t wait to see what they come up with in the new season and am anxiously awaiting it’s return!
Yah I will watch but it wont be the same
THIS JUST GIVES LOTS OF FLEXIBILITY TO THE WRITERS AND BRING IN MORE INTERESTING CHARACTERS. KINDA BORING SEEING SAME CHARACTERS SO GOOD THING THEY ARE LEAVING…NO OFFENSE.
Guess again Cat. It was already informed that people like Snowing will return soon (even though it will not be this year). So clearly they are not leaving for good.
With so many of the major characters leaving the show, the writers have their work cut out for them if they want this series to continue.
Ya I am going to watch, BUT it wont be the same. w/out some f the people. BUT i am no, stopper.
Yes I will Watch without Emma. I love the show.
We quit watching a long time ago. It got way too far fetched, hard to keep up with and then finally just plain silly.
bringing Frozen and Brave into it really put my friends and me off, tho some parts of the Frozen OUaT plot were nice. we did stop watching for a while bc of all the added nonsense, like an Aladin and Jasmine with European accents (rme). but waiting for Regina’s happiness, though dunno how it’ll be for her now that even Henry’s grown.
I will definitely watch without Emma as I was getting so bored with her ( sorry). I think it’s a start for fresh beginnings but am wondering since Hook will be there how they are going to address no Emma. I won’t miss The Charmings I believe they were underused characters. To New Beginnings!!!
Don’t bet on the Charming’s absense to last long Blair. You forget, Ginnifer (Snow) hasn’t already announced that she and her husband will return eventually (most likely in s8 as regulars if it renews). http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/14/once-upon-time-ginnifer-goodwin-exit-interview/?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter
And they might not be underused this time in the future.
I love this show and I will continue to watch despite the loss of Emma, Henry, Snow and Charming and Belle. I want to to see where they go with it, though if I don’t like it I will feel sad. I just hope there will be something left of our show that we will all be able to recognize.
Drop it….Been on long enought
I often got bored with Jennifer Morrisons pouty facial expressions. So no loss there. Regina and Rumple are what kept me watching, so I may continue to do so. Also, even though the story lines were very creative, they sometimes seemed to drag on and on.
I’ve been trying to cut back on my TV watching, so this change may be a reason to cut out Once- but it’s a nice Sunday night mindless show before the work week starts. I have a hard time seeing how Rumple without Belle and Hook without Emma will work, and one of the weakest parts of Once has always been the setup of new plot lines – a retcon here and there and a lot of “Don’t look behind the curtain” and suddenly a new family member shows up as a villain. So I don’t have high hopes for… Read more »
I really liked the character of Emma. Maybe this series could be saved without her. BUT losing Charming, Snow White, Emma and Henry??? I think the series, which I have enjoyed, will die. I don’t feel you can lose that many of the main characters and still go forward.
Morrison’s Emma Swan has never been my favorite character, although I like her well enough, and we’re getting more of Hook, Regina and Gold, plus a new actor playing an adult Henry, which should be very interesting jumping ahead in time. It’s such a fun and creative show which weaves characters from so many different books stories, not just fairy tales, it’s a blast to watch it.