Untold stories and split personalities may have defined Once Upon A Time Season 6A, but the midseason finale is upon us. Unfortunately, that means that the show is taking a short break. When does Once Upon A Time Season 6 return? The Black Fairy's arrival has set the tone, if not the setting, for the upcoming arc.
ABC has not announced their midseason premiere dates for 2017 at this time. However, Seasons 3, 4, and 5 have returned after December hiatus the following March. So, look for new episodes in a few months.
What's going to happen on OUAT in 2017? Will we finally journey to Agrabah? According to an official ABC press release for the midseason finale, "When she learns that our heroes possess a weapon capable of defeating her, the Evil Queen steals Aladdin’s magic lamp from Jasmine and makes a wish that could sideline the Savior forever. Unwilling to wake Snow while Emma is missing, David works with Hook and Henry to hold the Evil Queen at bay in Storybrooke, as Regina goes on a rogue rescue mission. Meanwhile, Gold and Belle face a surprising danger to their newborn son." While some promotional photos indicate a return to the Enchanted Forest and two aged Charmings, that doesn't set up anything as definitively as previous finales have.
When Once Upon A Time returns, the upcoming titles as teased by executive producer Adam Horowitz's Twitter, don't lead towards any particular theme for Season 6B. First, there's "Tougher Than The Rest," which is the title of a Bruce Springsteen song. Emma flashback, anyone? Then, "Murder Most Foul," a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet and also the title of an Agatha Christie novel. After that is "Ill-Boding Patterns," which is a reference to a legendary sword in Beowulf . Is this the sword that Emma keeps seeing in visions? Finally, and most mysterious of all, is "Page 23" — which could be referring to anything, though that number sparks conspiracy theories, and not just because of Lost.
I like that OUAT is slowly moving away from half-season long treks to a particular land, undoing a particular curse, or facing off against a particular foe. The way that Season 6 has integrated multiple lands, storylines, and threats makes it more fun and unexpected. That should continue in 2017 when the show returns.
Images: ABC/Jack Rowand; Giphy
