True Love

[chloris.livejournal.com]

Is One True Love all you get?

Lana Parrilla did a nice interview for the Bell Media Upfronts recently (video embedded below) and in this good, but uncontroversial talk, had a particularly interesting thing to say. About half way through she mentioned that in Fairytale land you only get ONE love. And that is IT. This is not something which has been mentioned in the show as far as I can remember - True Love and its importance, yes; but One True Love, no.

I talked about it at length at my journal (and why it doesn't work for me) but I was wondering what other people thought of the concept. Do people in FTL only get one True Love? Or is this an actor's interpretation? If confirmed, why would anyone want to go back if they no longer have their True Love? Are most people then doomed to experience lesser forms of love? How does it even work?

Comments

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Considering that Emma gave her son the kiss of true love, that kind of sucks for her, if this is true! :-) I mean, it's great that they're together, but I'm pretty sure that neither she nor the viewing audience wants him to be her ONLY love.

[snarkysweetness.livejournal.com]

Same. I think there are different kinds of love: romantic, familiar, friendship, etc. And the idea that you can only have one true love is silly. That would imply that James & Snow's love for Emma as their daughter wouldn't be true love.

[chloris.livejournal.com]

I do think Lana was referring to romantic love in the interview. Considering that this show is just as much about the love of a parent and child as it is about romantic love I can't imagine they would then undercut the message by implying people have to choose as it were between loving their child and loving their husband/wife.

[josiefier.livejournal.com]

From the start I've believed that none of them have just ONE true love. Because, assuming Peter was Red's - where would that leave her? The answer's obvious. Same for Regina.

[chloris.livejournal.com]

I remember thinking that back when the episode aired and hoping they were not going for the ONE true love version because Red certainly deserves her chance at a happy ending. If she has lost her chance, the girl needs to move to Boston and stay here when everyone else goes back.

[sensitivinferno.livejournal.com]

I was going to mention Red, as well. If they only get one True Love, then that's sad because poor Red ate hers. And of course Regina would have no chance at love again. I want to think that all people have enough room in their hearts to love many times...and you never love anyone in the exact same way. That's why I like that True Love's Kiss worked on Henry, because that means parental love counts and can break curses just the same as romantic love. But magic aside, I think maybe this is Lana's interpretation. Or maybe she thinks there won't ne anyone else for Regina, thus proving the point for HER, but maybe it doesn't count for everyone else.

It's why I think the curse will only fully break once Rumple finds Bae, because the themes of parental love have been very strong throughout the series so far. On equal ground with romantic love, IMO.

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

"If they only get one True Love, then that's sad because poor Red ate hers."

ROFL! I'm sorry, that just struck me funny! Like telling a kid "You ate yours and now you don't get any more" at dinner.

[sparkythegeek.livejournal.com]

LOL! I thought the same thing. :p

[chloris.livejournal.com]

the themes of parental love have been very strong throughout the series so far. On equal ground with romantic love, IMO.

I completely agree with that. They have deliberately made parental love a huge theme and major motivation on the show right down to ending the season with it. Fairytales are often all about being saved by romantic love and I really like how they've expanded on that.

[sidhe-faerie.livejournal.com]

In "The Shepard" Charming's mom says that she has had true love twice: once as a wife and again as a mother. It's the scene where she gives him the ring.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

That's a very good point - proof that you do get more than one true love in the show.

[sidhe-faerie.livejournal.com]

So by Charming's mom that means that Henry is Emma's true love as a mother. I was re-watching the episodes before the finale and that was the biggest overlooked clue to breaking the curse I saw.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

Very good catch!

On a less serious note, this has led me to wonder what happens if you have more than one child... XD

[sidhe-faerie.livejournal.com]

Equal spread of the true love? I would think.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

Hopefully! OTOH, it could be another explanation for where villains come from.

[chloris.livejournal.com]

Yes. And I would hate to think you could only love one of your children. :)

[bittybye2000.livejournal.com]

I think One Tue Love is fine. You can love someone else but there is that ONE person that you will always love more.

[sweetkitten0417.livejournal.com]

just wanted to say I totally agree with you on this subject. I believe even if someone has only one true love, it's still possible later on in their life that they are able to love someone else.

[chloris.livejournal.com]

I'm going have to go with - it all depends. *g* I do think it's possible (at least in our world - FTL may be another story), but unlikely.

[wanderlustlover]

I think they make it really clear in the line "True love isn't easy but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced."

I think based on the canon itself you can love someone again, but its never in the same ways as (The One) True Love. In canon the only examples we'e been given are of the immediate lovers(/husbands/wives) each person has had or children. We've never yet had a good example of someone's second relationship working the same way.

[chloris.livejournal.com]

Good point. But it doesn't mean they won't go there in future seasons and give someone a second love which is also true. Any show with a mythology tends to get messier over the seasons and I doubt the show runners would want to box themselves in with one true love if they decide on a story line for second true love.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

Lana Parrilla makes a very interesting point. IMO the canonicity of her statement is sketchy; this is more like her personal interpretation. However, it makes sense for Regina to have the same view. Perhaps this is a common belief in FTL. Regina believed she would never love again. Her supposed One True Love was taken from her and she would never have another chance with him. This fueled her hatred for Snow and eventually led to her downfall.

I wonder what would happen if Regina were proven wrong?

[chloris.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do see this as Lana's interpretation of Regina's motivation. And in Regina's case it is likely to be true as well. Her anger and desire for revenge would make it pretty much impossible for her to be willing to fall in love again.

I wonder what would happen if Regina were proven wrong?

Seeing someone else fall in love again? Or falling in love again herself? Number one would likely increase her desire to destroy everyone else's happiness and number two is a possible redemption story line.

[spicandspan89.livejournal.com]

Either would be interesting; I guess it depends where TPTB want to go with her character. I'm a sucker for redemption stories, so I'm hoping for the latter.

OTOH, her love for Henry does partially redeem her. (I wonder if she would have been able to awaken Henry?) Honestly I find the idea that romantic love is ~purer~ and more powerful than parental love a bit problematic, so maybe I don't want to see her fall in love again? IDK, I guess it depends how well it's done.