i am historically season four’s greatest defender so it was exciting to rewatch with a more critical eye. this is definitely the most nostalgic and important season for me and i think a lot of that holds up! i stand by that season 4a is very solid and very emotional for emma lovers such as myself. i love the anna and elsa stuff, i love the snow queen stuff, i love hook and emma, i love regina angst (that’s mother!), i love belle finally turning on her abusive ex husband - i rest my case! my issue (along with everyone’s) is season 4b which i think maintains the emotional core of the show well but retcons so many old plots, universe rules, etc. that it kinda screws with the show’s integrity. i like the author stuff a lot, from the way it plays with ambiguity of divinity in the universe to the character of isaac, but moments like august’s random knowledge of his whereabouts and everyone coming to this conclusion of changing their stories at the same time make it absurd at times. i also think the heroes and villains plot intertwined with the author is crucial to the core of the show, but somehow overdoes this language of happy ending to the point of cheapening it. lastly, the lily and emma storyline is a lot better than i remember (i used to hate it because it just made me super sad), a lot less of a disservice to snow and charming than i thought it was and crucial to 4b! it is just sad knowing that nothing really happens with it from here. most of these issues i think were done in service of this perfect season finale and perfect set up for the next season and who can blame them! overall, i stand by my defending of season 4 but understand that it definitely gets messy as the season progresses. that being said, there are so many good moments in 4a and 4b and it’s all so emotional to rewatch :,)