While I was sorting through my Emma & Henry feelings from this episode, before I even had them fully sorted out, I fell on a Trope/Theme (/whatever you want to call it) that riles me. If the news is allowed to question the whole pervasive notion of True Love being used too often and for too many people (which you can't in fairytales) then I can have massive issues with Helpless Child/Children Syndrome.
Whether through the fault of their parents/guardians or actions around their parents/guardians that the parents/guardians can't control or put the children in, lets just start listing how much more pervasive this trope is even than True Love:
Rumpelstiltskin → Baelfire
Cora → Regina Regina → Snow Regina/Snow/Charming/Blue Fairy/Geppetto/August/Foster System → Emma Regina & Emma → Henry
Parents → Jiminy Jiminy → Gepetto Gepetto → Peter
Granny → Red & Peter Mother & Father → James & Not!James Father → Hansel & Gretal
Which is just the ones off the top of my head tonight. I have a feeling this is going to get to me, though it's also another part of the whole idea of every fairytale character needing adversity to come into their own. But it's a whole lot of Helpless Children of varying ages from like six to early twenties.
Trope / Theme Talk
which you can't in fairytales) then I can have massive issues with Helpless Child/Children Syndrome.Whether through the fault of their parents/guardians or actions around their parents/guardians that the parents/guardians can't control or put the children in, lets just start listing how much more pervasive this trope is even than True Love:
Which is just the ones off the top of my head tonight. I have a feeling this is going to get to me, though it's also another part of the whole idea of every fairytale character needing adversity to come into their own. But it's a whole lot of Helpless Children of varying ages from like six to early twenties.