Oooooh what a fantastic question! Thank you so much! 🙂 

I’m of the opinion basically that it’s very early days. We know a tiny bit but just enough to tantalize, to tease, and there are still so many questions. If there’s a new curse, when was it enacted? What happened to *insert character name here*? Who’s Lucy’s mom? Where is this new curse taking place? Who cast it? Why did they cast it? Like I said so many questions.

I think this is a good point to insert the Moby song “I’m not worried at all” because I’m really not. We got our happy beginning and nothing thus far that we know threatens that. It’s all a big mystery and we know Belle loves mysteries 🙂 so I’m going to take my cue from her and just enjoy it.

Way back when the fate of season seven was still in the balance, there was so much talk about who might be leaving. I think there was rumors about every single cast member at one point or another. I kept quiet because I’m scared of conflict but I did think personally about what a ‘perfect season seven’ might look like. Basically, I knew that if either Regina or Rumple was in season seven, then I would be watching no matter what.

Now I’m not getting my perfect season seven because Belle isn’t a regular. She might still be a recurring guest star (as I said I’m not worried at all) but two out of three isn’t bad. My two favorite characters are in season seven, with what potentially could be a much smaller cast. That hopefully translates to more screentime, but even if it doesn’t I’m still happy because I get to watch my favorite characters for another twenty or so episodes.

Honestly a Regina and Rumple led season seven does sound pretty damn amazing to me. So I’m loving the direction for season seven. Focusing on Henry, hopefully means more Regina being an awesome mom (and grandmother now) even if it’s not playing opposite Jared anymore. So that ticks another big box on my ‘favorite parts of Once’ list.

I think season seven has the potential to the best season in a while. Yes I could be going mad with hope and then it’ll be a disappointment, but I prefer to be positive and think about the good. If nothing else I get to watch the show for another year. Once has it’s faults but it’s stunning visually, it has fantastic actors and so much potential. Even if that potential only gets fully explored through headcanon and fanfic – the show still gave us the seeds for that.

My hopes for season seven are pretty standard probably. I want:

– Regina and Rumple to be working together. I’ve always wanted this – think Neverland for frenemy snark.

– Family moments with Regina and Henry, Rumple and Henry, Regina and Lucy, Rumple and Lucy. Regina is Henry’s mom, and Rumple is Henry’s grandfather. I want those relationships to be the focus, along with Henry’s relationship with his daughter. This is a show about family.

– No Rumple being evil and everyone hating him. They are all reformed villains, they don’t have to be pure heroes, he can let Regina in on his sneaky plans.

– Regina and Rumple being protective of their family, doing magic, being badass and taking care of business. Henry will be the hero I’m sure but I want him to be flanked by two magic-users who aren’t taking any prisoners, and will do whatever is necessary to keep him (and Lucy) safe and to reunite with the rest of their family.

– For Belle, Gideon, Emma, Snow, David, Zelena, baby!Robyn, baby!Neal etc. to all be mentioned sometimes. They might not be physically there on screen (and that’s ok) but I don’t want them to be forgotten. They are important to Rumple, Regina and Henry. I would be so happy if they brought it up like this “how did you know what to do?” “oh Emma taught me.” or “what made you think of that?” “something similar once happened to Belle and I” you know just little asides like that.

– An explanation of what happened to the rest of the family, which is temporary and hopefully not too sad.

– A reunion with the family at the end of the season, with the happy beginnings (or middles as it might be then) restored.

– For the ratings to be decent enough that we get a season eight (I can dream) even though it’s on Friday night and statistically that’s bad. Maybe the synergy of Friday becoming a themed sci-fi/fantasy night will help Once and Agents of Shield get another season each. I mean Once has had a good run so if season seven is the last, then I’ll be thankful for what we had. I will never be ready for Agents of Shield to be over, I definitely want a season six (and ten) of that. Sorry that’s a bit off topic.

In conclusion…
I’m cautiously optimistic and I’m looking forward to seeing what season seven has in store. Once isn’t perfect but there’s nothing on TV quite like it. Despite what I just said about Once having had a good run, I will be sad when it’s over. I’m not very good at letting go of things, and as often as Once has upset and disappointed me, Once is still my second favorite TV show of all-time. I’m going to miss it whenever it ends.

I’m not going to say that I can’t wait for season seven because I know I’m going to enjoy the hiatus. I love this fandom and the hiatus never seems long enough because I have so many fics to write! Season seven will probably give me a ton more ideas (this show is the gift that keeps on giving) so I want to have some time to write what I already have.

Season seven will be here soon enough, and it might be an unpopular opinion, but I’m fairly certain I’m going to enjoy it 🙂