Once Upon a Timeseason 5 saw the return of many former characters from the show’s history, including Cora, yet this particular comeback was ruined by an undeserved redemption arc. The storyline saw the heroes enter the Underworld to bring Hook back to life, but this left the door open for lots of other dead characters, such as Cruella De Vil, Peter Pan, Gaston, Prince James, and Milah to return. Cora’s return to the show lasted two full episodes and showedCora rebuilding her relationship with daughters Zelenaand Regina, as well as gaining the redemption she couldn’t get in life, allowing her to move on to a better place.
Although it was nice to see her onscreen again, asCora is one of the best villains of the show,I felt that her season 5 arc was underdeveloped and didn’t live up to its full potential.Despite her iconic status, Cora’s redemption story felt extremely rushed and undeserving. Even though she had killed hundreds of people in life, tormented a number of different realms, psychologically abused her daughter Regina growing up, and used dark magic for fun, she was still given her redemption and happy ending by the end of her season 5 arc. After everything that had gone before, this twist felt awkward and unearned.
Cora’s Return Was Teased For Months, Yet She Only Appeared In Two Episodes Of Season 5
Cora’s return toOnce Upon a Timehad been revealed months before she actually appeared on-screen, butthe character only ended up appearing in two episodes, despite having the potential to be a strong recurring character. These limited appearances left Cora’s return feeling very rushed. In one episode, she threatens to burn Regina’s father in pits of fire for all eternity, and in her next appearance, she reconnects with both of her daughters and moves on to a better place, having redeemed her evil acts. Not only was there no need to redeem her, but the way the show did it felt incredibly hurried.
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“Heart Of The Matter”(Once Upon a Time In Wonderland)
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By contrast, I would have loved to see Cora have more storylines in The Underworld. Whether it was remaining a villain by getting revenge on Snow White for killing her in season 2, orexpanding her redemption arc by allowing her to help the heroes defeat Hadesand save Hook’s soul. Either way, none of these were actually seen on the show. While her reconnection with Zelena and apology for giving her up brought some closure to herOnce Upon A Timefamily, the rest of her return arc felt completely inessential for the plot.
Once Upon A Time Season 5 Showed A Very Different Side To Cora
In Season 5 We Were Able To See What Cora Was Like With Her Heart In Her Chest
The main difference between Cora when she was alive and Cora in the afterlife is that, in the afterlife, she had her heart in her chest.This made her much more emotional– showcasing a side of her we were previously unfamiliar with. Throughout her two-episode run, we saw her fight and do anything in her power to make Regina leave The Underworld and get herself to safety. As well as this, we saw her threaten Hades to leave Regina alone. We had never seen Cora be that protective over anything other than herself before, so this made for an interesting twist.
We have never seen Cora this weak before and it almost makes us feel sorry for the character.
However, having her heart inside her chest wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Cora’s heightened emotional state also made her weaker. When Hades turned her back into a miller, we actually saw Cora cry and beg for a second chance. We have never seen Cora this weak before, and it almost makes us feel sorry for the character. As well as this, the fact that Cora had her heart meant that she didn’t go after Snow White for revenge for killing her, as heartless Cora would have killed Snow White at the first opportunity. While we saw a different side of her character, it didn’t always help the story.
Cora’s Redemption Arc In Once Upon A Time Was Undeserved
One Good Act Doesn’t Wipe Away Decades Of Villainy
There was no reason for the show to redeem Cora, especially when she had only been “good” for one episode. Cora’s redemption came after she apologized to Zelena for abandoning her as a baby, and made Regina and Zelena re-connect, acting like real sisters. This was enough to make Cora appear to be a good person and get her happy ending, fulfilling her unfinished business and moving on to a better place.This redemption arc felt completely rushed and came out of nowhere.After years of unrepentant villainy, I fully believe Cora was the last person on the show to deserve a redemption arc.
After 10 Years, I Still Can’t Believe Once Upon A Time’s Most Mistreated Character Never Got Justice
In Once Upon a Time, Maid Marian was the most mistreated character in the show and never got justice for all of the evil acts committed against her.
Once Upon a Timeliked to give characters redemption arcs all the way through the show, but they could have made Cora’s more realistic. Instead of rushing her story, they could have made her stick around for a few episodes and help fight against Hades, actually seeing her be heroic. This would have made me more inclined to believe her redemption story a bit more. However, the way the arc was handled meant that her story came across as contradictory to everything that had come before. In the end, her redemption felt at odds with the character with whom we had become familiar.
Once Upon A Time
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Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
