12 Things About Once Upon A Time Season 6 – premieres September 25 on ABC

written by thatsit September 25, 2016

Watching Once Upon A Time has been a bonding experience for my daughter and I. We (conservatively) binged watched all 5 seasons and would have exciting, creative discussions about hope and family dynamics after each episode. We’ve been eagerly awaiting the start of season 6 especially after the crazy season 5 finale cliffhanger!

During the season 5 finale, we watched Regina separate from the Evil Queen after drinking Jekyll’s serum then destroys the Queen by ripping out her black heart. But, come on, no one can get rid of the Evil Queen that easily! And what was Hyde talking about when he said he’s brought friends from Untold Stories?

To my daughter’s disapproval, I recently screened the OUAT season 6 premiere episode, “The Savior” without her! She needn’t worry because…it was fantastic! Captain Swan fans will be happy with the opening scene as it seems the beautiful pair have found happiness. But wait … it’s Storybook, and happy endings are hard to come by!

In “The Savior”, Regina and Zelena work on their relationship and have become roommates. Emma has a mysterious side effect just as she learns about the arrival of the people from the Untold Stories. We meet a mysterious stranger when Rumple tries to wake up Belle. There was so much to take in and so many questions about season 6! After the screening I was part of a Q&A with co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. I participated in a panel with them in 2015 so I knew what to expect from the pair. They are extremely witty and passionate for the show. I could honestly talk to them about OAUT all day long.

This season the creators get into Emma’s head and explore her character and her responsibilities and is she really the only Savior? Here are 12 things shared from Edward and Adam about what’s to come this season plus a few teasers from the premiere episode, “The Savior”:

Untold Stories

Characters once finding refuge in the Land of Untold Stories, leave this safe haven from their problems and now find themselves in Storybrooke. Taking part in stories that may have been put on pause and now resumed.

New and Old

What new characters will be introduced this season? Expect to meet Captain Nemo, Count of Monte Cristo, Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar as well as The Evil Stepmom from Cinderella and the evil stepsisters. That’s right, Cinderella is back. We’re going to see a lot more of Archie (Jiminy Cricket), this year, as well as Elroy and the Dwarfs in addition to the regular cast.

ONCE UPON A TIME – “The Savior” – As “Once Upon a Time” returns to ABC for its sixth season, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network, so does its classic villain-the Evil Queen. (ABC/Jack Rowand)
JENNIFER MORRISON, RAPHAEL SBARGE

Storybrooke

The last few seasons OUAT characters have been going on journeys from Neverland to the Underworld and now they’re back in Storybrooke trying to make a life for themselves there. We will see more into what daily life is for the characters. In an early episode you’re going to see Snow White ask the question of “What is normal?” And how do we get back to it? And that’s something that she strives towards and in doing.

Rumbelle

Last we saw, Belle was sleeping off a curse and Rumple handed Storybrooke over to Hyde in exchange for a way to wake her up. Belle and Rumple have been through more than most couples can endure! What’s happened to them is terrible and has ripped them apart. Belle is in a place where she’s given up on Rumple, but they are having a child so that makes things messier as she has to put her baby first. Belle is really struggling now with how to move forward in life. Because Rumple has positioned himself where it appears to be an unbendable relationship. So Belle has to figure out, how do I give birth to this child? How do I raise it? What do I do about the child’s father and the fact that I love this man and have these feelings. She does love him and sees the good and the bad in him, but also sees the potential, and it’s frustration that continues to grow for her. Every year the creators remind Once Upon A Time fans that Rumple warned us in “Skin Deep” that he was a difficult man to love. And every year people fall for him. And then when he reminds you of that the fans get upset! So this year will be no different.

Lies

Emma isn’t being honest with Hook. The creators are trying to explore these gray areas of the lie. It’s coming from what is a good place in her mind, but Hook probably isn’t going to feel that way when he finds out.

When Emma has a problem she reverts back to herself in season one- walls go up, “I’ll figure it out on myself” and “I don’t need to tell anyone”. So she could sit there and have these great scenes of hugging Henry, and hugging her mom, and telling Regina that they’re buddies. And then all of a sudden when something comes up, she reverts back. This will be the kind of journey for her and Hook.

Exploring Savior Mythology

Last year there was an exploration of dark ones and that mythology so this season we’ll learn about savior mythology. Like what it means to be a savior, who they could have been before, and who they could be next.

Mr Hyde

His backstory is going to be much more then the origin of Jekyll and Hyde. What he knows as the warden of the Land of Untold Stories will be explained and how he knows what he knows plus how he became who he is.

Regina

A lot of this year is about Regina dealing with loss and moving on, because Regina has the most unfair luck of anybody. But that’s part of her story. We won’t see her falling in love with someone right away. That’s not realistic. But we will see her dealing with her grief and that aftermath in a real way. AND Robin is NOT coming back. Sorry!

Also, Regina is embracing the idea that she is somehow different after separating from the Evil Queen which will also be delved into this season. How different is she? And what has changed really? Is it as simple as just the bad parts are taken out? This season we’ll see how she changes and grows as she faces new challenges.

Zelena

Zelena is pretty wicked but she has a complicated relationship with Storybrooke and now she has a child. There’s plenty of people she’s hurt and now carry grudges towards her. And then there’s Regina. The Evil Queen coming in is a wildcard in how Zelena is going to react. Their relationship will be explored more in upcoming episodes.

Henry

Henry is becoming quite a hero. The Henry we see in this premiere episode has gone through growth and isn’t that 10 year old at the playground that we saw in the pilot. Henry is growing up, he is going to be tested, and we will see him grow into a little hero.

Reaction to Social Media

Edward & Adam love the community of fans and their positivity. But they are disappointed to see people fighting over a show that was created about hope. Eddie explains, “To see two people fighting because they don’t like someone’s boyfriend and the cruelty, I sometimes see that on social media that is not what the show is about! But the, ‘let’s all get together on a Sunday night and talk about it and debate it and have fun with it’- That’s really inspiring to us!”

The End?

They don’t have an end date, but they do have an end plan. They know how they would want to end the show when the time comes. Once Upon a Time is a show where every season is different from the last and they’ve reinvented the show every year. Eventually some of the characters are going to have to have their endings and move on. But they are not ready to end it because the writers are in the middle of telling stories about these characters and they are excited to have the opportunity to tell it.

once upon a time season 6, once upon a time, Captain Swan,

Photo courtesy of All Mommy Wants

This year is going to be full of surprises as Adam and Edward change patterns and mix things up! Make sure to tune in tonight (Sept 25 8/7c) for the premiere episode on ABC! What are you most excited for this season?

ABC has other awesome shows to watch including: