To the Winter Finale and Beyond!

This Sunday is Once Upon a Time's fourth Winter Finale. There are several things that are foreshadowed and hinted at in the previews for this week. If everything they are showing really happens, this episode should be one crazy emotional roller coaster.

In the preview, they show Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff going through a door and disappearing. Presumably, this door is a portal back to Arendelle, their home. This could wrap up the Frozen story and make way for a new adventure for the people of Storybrooke. However, I hope that the characters get at least one episode of rest before starting to battle another evil villain trying to curse them all!

Another thing from the preview is the introduction of three more villains, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and Ursula. They seem to be pretty awesome from the short clips we have gotten so far. I've yet to see Maleficent, so I don't know what to expect from her. However, I was hoping they would do more with Ursula than just a modified version of Regina in one of the episodes, and I've finally gotten my wish. As far as Cruella de Vil goes, I'm curious what they will do with a villain who traditionally has no magic. Also, I'm slightly terrified of the fate of Archie's dalmatian.

One of the scariest sneak peeks for me was when Hook and Rumpel were conversing. It seems that Rumpel needs Hook one last time. After that, however, he promises to end the pirate's life. Rumpel

has promised to kill Hook since season two, and it is starting to get extremely annoying. Even though I will be heart broken if Hook dies, I just want to know the truth. Whether or not Rumpel kills Hook, I've already developed a hatred for him that I don't believe can be reversed. He literally has Hook's life in his hands, and I despise him for it.

As a whole, the Winter Finale seems that it will wrap up the Frozen storyline and introduce the new villains for the second half of the season. I do have a list of necessities for this episode. If they are not addressed, I might have to write a very angry letter to Eddy and Adam (the writers).

1. Is Hook going to live or die?! Seriously, just tell me already. I cannot live with this suspense!
2. What's the deal with Marian? Is she still a popsicle, ooor...
3. Robin and Regina ('nuf said)
4. At least one more Captain Swan moment! I mean come on...just because he doesn't have a heart doesn't mean he can't love her, right?
5. Some interaction between Belle and Rumpel. Recently, it seems like that woman fell off the face of the Earth.  

There are several things we can forecast for the future of the show. First of all, there has been no official announcement whether or not Once has been picked up for a season five. Usually by this point in a season, we would at least know something, but everyone is keeping very tight-lipped about the situation. However, it seems improbable that they would introduce new villains and characters into the show if it was just going to end in half a season.

We can expect to see less of certain characters next season due to scheduling conflicts. Ginny and Josh Dallas are trying to raise a baby at the moment and have their hands pretty full. Therefore, we can expect less of Snow and Charming for the rest of the season. The biggest disappointment, however, is that Sean Maguire is currently working on another project that will limit his role on OUaT. This means that there will be a lot less of Robin during a time that is really important for his relationship with Regina. It will be interesting to see how the show will handle that.

The only way to really know the future of Once Upon a Time is to watch the show every week! Tune in to ABC this Sunday at 8:00 PM to catch the Winter Finale.