Only ETonline chatted with the 'OUAT' creators about what's coming up next for each of Storybrooke's most beloved couples.
By a show of hands, who else is having fairytale withdrawals? (You should all be frantically wiggling your fingers to the sky right now.)
Unfortunately our Once Upon a Time cravings will not be fully satiated until the enchanted drama returns on March 1, but we have something that will definitely help satisfy your Storybrooke separations.
ETonline had an exclusive chat with executive producers Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis and we gathered enough spell-binding scoop to fill a book! We'll be trickling out our spoilers for the second half of season four over the next two months, but today it's all about the romance so be prepared to swoon.
We asked Kitsis and Horowitz to spill what's coming up next for each of the couples on the show — Rumbelle, Outlaw Queen, Captain Swan and Snowing — and the creators graciously teased plenty of positive moments ahead for your favorite pairings.
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Rumbelle: After December's heartbreaking Winter finale, many Rumbelle fans are fearing that the end is near for this beauty and the beast duo — but we're pleased to announce that's not the case. Horowtiz revealed, "What I'll say about this, in all seriousness for the Rumbelle fans, is that definitely Rumple (Robert Carlyle) and Belle (Emilie de Ravin) are not over." (And we're pretty sure the entire Rumbelle fandom is now doing a happy dance.)
Kitsis continued, "It's a complicated [relationship] and I know that we're in the middle of the book, and for us we are telling a bigger story. What we loved [in the winter finale] was seeing Belle's strength. And we set up Rumple's weakness."
Although Rumple and Belle will be spending some time apart, Horowitz stressed that fans should focus on the bigger picture. "We exited the show at the mid-season finale on what you might characterize, based on my Twitter feed, as a dark chapter for the Rumbelle fans — but it's just one chapter," he said. "We’re telling a larger story and there are more chapters to come."
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Outlaw Queen: Much like the Rumbelle fans, Outlaw Queen lovers were crushed in the winter finale when Regina (Lana Parilla) was forced to give up her happy ending with Robin Hood (Sean Maguire). However, the creators were quick to assure that this was not their final goodbye. "Again I'd say the same [chapter] analogy applies," Horowitz explained.
"We haven't seen the end of it," Kitsis furthered. "The story is just at a middle point and although it seemed final [in the mid-season finale], I would definitely keep watching because there's much more to come." (And it was at this point of the interview that our reporter let out a cheerful and involuntary "Woohoo!" into the phone.)
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Captain Swan: Despite the fact that Killian (Colin O'Donoghue) had his heart ripped from his chest and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) turned into a magic-crazed recluse for a brief minute, this couple had a surprisingly smooth run in the first half of season four. So what's next for this twosome? "Oh they're done," Horowitz teased before bursting laughter. "Scratch that from the record please."
All joking aside, it looks like Captain Swan fans are in for a happy string of episodes. Horowitz said, "As far as Captain Swan shippers are concerned I would say that the relationship between Emma and Hook is something we've been developing for a while and we’re going to continue to develop it."
That's not to say that this couple won't be facing any tribulations. (This still is Storybrooke, after all…) "You're going to see more challenges between the two of them as the season progresses," Horowitz teased. "There's going to be some very unique, not necessarily obstacles in their relationship, but personal obstacles that will make things interesting for the two of them."
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Snowing: If you felt like you were missing out on scenes from this classic fairytale couple in the first half of season four, then you had better get ready because it is definitely going to be Snowing in 2015. "Oh we're going to get much more Snowing in the second half and we're very excited," Kitsis promised. "We are going to get some really fun flashbacks with them and realize they have a really interesting connection to the Queens of Darkness." Dun dun duuuuun!
Bonus Scoop! Swan Queen: We love this friendship so very much — and apparently so do the creators: "We're excited to explore and continue the friendship between Emma and Regina," Horowitz declared. "I think we'll continue to see them working together, probably even more then we have in the first half of the season, as they're dealing with this new threat in Stroybrooke."
Once Upon a Time returns Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
What are you most excited to see when Once Upon a Time returns? Which Storybrooke duo is your favorite couple? Chat with our fellow fairy tale lover @LeanneAguilera on Twitter and be sure to use the hashtag #ETNow.
