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‘Once Upon a Time’s’ Final Battle is the slowest of slow burns
Think back to that pilot episode “Once Upon a Time” fans, when an imprisoned Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) first told Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) his prophecy about Emma (Jennifer Morrison). Anything sticking out to you?
Perhaps his tease about the “Final Battle” that would begin when Emma eventually returned 28 years later to save them all from the curse — sound familiar?
In Sunday’s (April 9) episode of “Once Upon a Time,” it finally became clear that this Final Battle wasn’t the one between Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Emma over Henry (Jared Gilmore) or Storybrooke, or even the Dark Curse. It was always destined to be between the Savior and The Black Fairy (Jaime Murray). Talk about burying the lede, Rumple!
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While this new revelation probably constitutes the slowest of slow burns, we’re also curious what it means for “Once Upon a Time” as a series.
Showrunners Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis hinted that this Final Battle may be the end of certain stories for a few characters. “At a certain point, people say, ‘When are they going to get their happy endings?’” Kitsis told Entertainment Weekly. “By the end of this year, some people’s stories are going to be completed — whether they’re good or bad, we’ll have to wait and see.”
As ominous as that sounds, it does seem fitting that this Final Battle would wrap up storylines that started in the pilot episode. Not only did Isaac (Patrick Fischler) share the daunting news that Henry is writing the last chapter of the fairytale book, the whole term “Final Battle” forces you to be aware the something big is certainly coming to an end here.
But which stories would close out that chapter? And would we ever see its subjects again? This battle would definitely take Snow and Charming’s story full circle, win or lose, and possibly even Emma’s too. Saving Storybrooke one last time might finally fulfill her duty as Savior, which means she’d get her happy ending, right?
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Whatever ending Season 6 gets, happy or sad, it sounds like Horowitz and Kitsis are still optimistic about telling more stories in a potential Season 7.
“For us, we feel like after six seasons, there’s a chapter of people’s lives that we’re ready to wrap up, but there’s a big future, like with anybody, and a transition,” Kitsis says. “We’re excited if we get an opportunity, and a Season 7, to show everyone that.”
It seems completely out of the realm of possibility that our favorite residents of Storybrooke would get anything other than a happy ending, but if we’ve learned one thing, it’s that an unhappy ending is always just the beginning of a new story. Here’s hoping “Once Upon a Time” gets to start a new chapter — or even a whole new book — in Season 7.
“Once Upon a Time” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.