FLY*

There are a lot of thoughtful comments in the notes of this post. I really like this show and because I really like it the issues I have with it bother me that much more.

This is really starting to bother me about the show, especially considering how hard Regina works for her happy ending (especially with regards to her relationship with Henry) and how Emma seems to get good things literally because she asked for them (birthday wish, finding the book).

It comes down to the Show vs. Tell thing. We’re told that Regina is evil/bad/wrong/awful/horrible but shown a flawed person who is desperately trying to hold on what matters to her. We’re told that Emma is good/wholesome/awesome/right, but her choices rarely show that. (eshusplayground)

And as evilneverfeltsogood suggested, it comes down to Henry. Emma is the protagonist, the audience experiences the world of the show through her. And Henry is the one who introduces it to her, Henry is the one who knows about the “truth”, and Henry is her, and therefore the audience’s, personal connection to the story. So what Henry tells Emma/the audience is what Emma/the audience is meant to understand. And Henry tells us Regina is an Evil Queen (true) and also a bad mother (false). You may argue that being Evil inherently makes her a bad mother but I will disagree. I’ve been in love with Darth Vader since I was seven years old because he loves his son. And Regina is nothing like Vader in terms of parenting (he is a bad father, no argument). Regina has done plenty to prove Henry’s thesis that she is the Evil Queen. Regina has done nothing to prove Henry’s thesis that she is a bad mother. Henry and Emma should absolutely have a relationship. They should be friends. They should be family. But Henry does not need Emma to save him from his mother. If anything Emma should save his mother from herself. Or better yet, convince her to make the right choice for Henry. Break the curse for Henry. Emma’s the protagonist and Henry’s the guide but Regina is the tragic hero. This is her redemption story. At least, it should be.