‘Once Upon a Time’ season 5: The Dark Swan (and familiarity) in latest poster

We are really starting to feel like the marketing department at “Once Upon a Time” is really just following a template every time that they create a new official poster: They just try to figure out who they can put around the apple. Last year, it was Elsa. This time around, it’s none other than Emma Swan a.k.a. the Dark Swan.

We’ve even seen both parts of the poster (via TVLine) before, just not at the same time. We also do not hate it in the way that some others out there do. Is it a little bit repetitive, and do you wish that the show would come up with something new? Sure, but it is somewhat-iconic to have the apple in there, and it does continue to represent the same thing: Temptation and darkness. It makes more sense here with Emma than it ever did last year with Elsa. She has the capacity to do terrible things within here, especially now that she has inherited the Dark One. It all comes down to whether or not she can resist, and who is controlling her.

This storyline should pick up right away in season 5, especially as we see Snow and Charming try desperately to figure out if there is a way that they can save her from this pretty-terrible fate. They will be seeking out Merlin, and in the process run into King Arthur and Guinevere.

Regardless of whether or not you love the poster, there is still the potential for some great stuff tonight. That is really what you should grasp onto more so than anything else.

To see more promotional material for the new “Once Upon a Time” season, be sure to head over to this link! Also, you can sign up to gather some further TV scoop on all we cover, sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)