Join Hunter and Jacquelyn in their final podcast together as they share their initial reactions about the series finale, "Leaving Storybrooke", talking about one last magical mcguffin to solve the problem, some timeline confusion, and their favorite and least moments of the episode. Plus, some insights as they look back at the series as a whole!
These are our first thoughts about this Once Upon a Time episode. We’ll share more about “Leaving Storybrooke” in our upcoming full discussion (usually live on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., USA Eastern Time).
 
Initial Reactions
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being ‘Oh my God, best episode ever!', "Leaving Storybrooke" is probably a 6 or 7, but that doesn't mean we didn't like it. There are some things we liked and loved, but it's not the best episode of the series. That being said, it's definitely better than other episodes in the past. Plot-wise, it's all nonsense. It's the typical Once Upon a Time ‘let's throw spaghetti on the wall and see what sticks', which is not great but one we've gotten used to. The emotional stuff particularly the endings for two characters that we have watched since the very first moment of the show, however, just hit out of the park; we loved Regina and Rumplestiltskin's wedding! It was so sweet, especially Regina's line, "the darkness can always find the light."
The final episode definitely had a lot of nostalgia, and complicated feelings wrapped up in the series finale and as long as we don't get our heads around the plot, it was a solid 8.
Favorite and Least Favorite Moments
It was nice seeing the dwarfs in the beginning of the episode whistling as they go to work, but where are the other 4 dwarfs? Perhaps the other actors weren't available for filming during this time or there just aren't enough budget to bring them all in for the final episode? That said, it was great to see Storybrooke for one last time. The fact that the opening shot was the clock tower and that it was on [8:15], which is a number that's been around the show and was carried over from Lost was so great. Hyperion Heights never really felt like a real place and lived in; it didn't quite have the same nostalgia of Storybrooke. It was great to open inside Storybrooke, and that the final shots of the entire show were these beautiful camera pans down the streets of Storybrooke. As much as we loved the characters, and we've always loved the characters, that small, quaint town has been as much of a character in Once Upon a Time as Emma or Regina. Opening up in this city that we all loved and seen familiar shots was a nice homecoming.
Another favorite moments from the series was seeing Granny with her crossbow; it was funny how she was just carrying it around. Plus, how very Once Upon a Time to have Leroy give some sort of big shout and causing panic and alarm. It was also hilarious seeing Robin and Alice running for the hills; very good pitch perfect opening scene.
On the other hand, as we moved to the Wish Realm where majority of the plot happens, we know in the previous episode "Homecoming" that Wish Henry wrote the Guardian out of the existence and everything that he did. How did everything he did made Rumplestiltskin mortal? We've watched Rumplestiltskin really struggle with the idea of being immortal, and for him to face the consequences of what that really mean...