1st scene, me: “Finally! See? Regina loves Henry! She IS a good mom! FU haters, I was right!”
2nd scene, me: “Of course they had to have Emma out-mom Regina. Of course. FU show!”
So many things wrong with these scenes…
1st: Henry, how about a little gratitude and compassion for the mother who is trying to make you smile… with a video game that as it turns out, you absolutely love! Who clearly feels terrible about your book being lost? Who you still don’t believe she didn’t destroy it on purpose or even got it from the super-secret hiding place?
2nd: What should’ve happened when Henry got his book back: “I guess mom was telling the truth after all, about not having the book…”
What we got instead: “Great! Operation Cobra [in which we destroy my mother, who has just given me a video game that I love and has been completely exonerated of all blame regarding the lost book] can resume!!”
Seriously show? Seriously?
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.
Heroism is not simply being nice to people it’s easy to be nice to. It’s also about making hard choices — taking real risks and making real sacrifices — because it’s the right thing to do.
The only time Emma makes a real decision that reveals heroism is in episode 1x08 (“Desperate Souls”), where she risked herself to save her nemesis because it’s the right thing to do. It would have been easy for her to walk away, but she didn’t. Wait, I forgot episode 1x05 (“That Still, Small Voice”) where she volunteers to be lowered into the mine to get Henry, not the least because she empathizes with Regina of all people and truly responded to her plea for help.
Funny how in both cases where Emma shows what she’s made of, it’s when she does something for Regina.
I want to see Emma making real choices between Dumbledore says “what is right and what is easy.”
I’m not asking for Emma to be perfect or without flaws. Hello, my favorite character is Regina! But I need to see more complexity and more awareness when it comes to the choices she makes.
For me, the biggest problem I have with this show is the inherent judgments it makes on parenting. I remember listening to a commentary on one of the LOST dvds and the showrunners said that one of their biggest themes was “parents”. Small wonder, then, that OUaT features that largely in its outlook.
I keep going back to one of the first episodes when Regina tells Emma that she “changed every diaper, tended to every scraped knee”. Regina’s done all the work in making Henry a little person, you know? She’s done the parenting thus far.
We’re supposed to believe that she’s a terrible parent, but I just don’t see this. We’re supposed to believe that blood bonds are greater than the adoptive bonds between Regina and Henry. But he’s a little person now, with his own thoughts and feelings and views and personality. And who engendered that? Not Emma, that’s for sure.
I think I’m preternaturally disposed to dislike Emma because she’s taking the word of a ten year old child over Regina. And yes, I’m aware that Regina’s the Evil Queen, but in this world, she’s also a mother. And she’s trying. I feel like Emma hasn’t really done that much thus far to be a parent. It makes me a little resentful, not to mention the harmful and pernicious ideas about adoption that it raises.
I want Emma to make good choices. I want her to be a hero. But not like this, with secretive meetings and outdoing Regina as a mother.
Being a parent is really difficult. The reason I’m not one is because I just don’t feel I have much to offer a child. Yet. And perhaps I’ll adopt one day or even have my own children. I don’t know. But I want to be that child’s hero. I want to make good choices and “do the right thing”.
I want Emma to do that too.
You guys give me all kinds of feelings. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
^^
(Source: docbrucebanner)
