Why ‘Once Upon a Time’ is a ‘shipper’s paradise — and why all pairings are valuable

Odds are that if you follow “Once Upon a Time” and the show fandom on social media there are a few terms you are aware of: Snowing, Captain Swan, Swan Queen, Outlaw Queen, Sleeping Warrior, and Rumbelle. There are a few others that are a little more under-the-radar, but still out there like Dragon Swan or Captain Charming.

While we understand that “Once Upon a Time” is a show about a larger narrative with complex characters — and that romance is just a part of the overall picture — at the same time ‘ships have become a prominent part of its fabric. They’re inescapable, there’s a lot of passion behind them, and we’d argue that no matter who you want to see together on the show, believing in them is important to keeping the series going. The one thing that always makes us a little sad is seeing people from one ‘ship going after the other, mostly because as viewers, we see what we want to see in certain characters. If you want to imagine two characters together romantically, even if they aren’t on the show itself, what’s wrong with that? It fosters creativity! Nobody should be able to tell you that you’re wrong.

We’re not so much looking to do a deep-dive into each individual ‘ship in this article; instead, we want to point out some of the reasons why this show in particular produces so many different pairings in a way that few others do.

The characters – First and foremost, you have to give co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis credit for creating people who have the capacity for so much love in their hearts, and creating a universe that is accepting of every different sort of pairing under the sun. The same credit goes to casting for finding the right actors who can establish chemistry with so many other people. Without that, it’d be hard to even support the most predictable of pairings.

The message of the show – Maybe if this was not a show about happy endings and fairy tales, the presence of some of these ‘ships would be a little less omnipresent. Yet, the feeling of optimism that you often get from watching “Once Upon a Time” leads you to believe that your own romantic dream can become reality. A relationship like Belle and Rumpelstiltskin’s, for example, shows that love can come from the most unlikely of places. Others, such as Hook and Emma’s, shows that not even death can separate two characters from coming back together. It’s a message of hope and perseverance that is incredibly important no matter who you are.

Encouraging the passion – Horowitz and many other people associated with the show often post a wide array of fan art, talk about the pairings, and even at times attend conventions to interact directly with the fans. There is an openness that you get from everyone involved that all ‘ships are loved and welcomed. If the overall attitude was different, maybe we wouldn’t see an audience that was anywhere near as vocal.

Hey, it’s 2016 – Let’s face it: Now more than ever, we all need an escape from the real world. There’s no denying that believing in fairy-tale couples is important at a time when much of America is divided and it’s becoming harder to find true happiness without cynicism. Believing in true love, even with fictional characters, is a welcome escape from the world. You can talk with other fans, discuss your own take on the story, and get away from some of the problems of the world.

No matter who you ‘ship on “Once Upon a Time,” we hope you take to heart this holiday season that your passion is valuable, and that all of us are one and the same: People trying to find love and comfort through our favorite characters. So embrace one another, and be happy that we have at least another half of a season still to go, if not more. Whenever we do get to the sad time when the show itself is over, these ‘ships and creations will live on for years to come. At that point, the ball will be in your court to further continue your take on the story.

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Want to get some further news on “Once Upon a Time” during the hiatus? Then be sure to head over to the link here. (Photo: ABC.)