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2 • May 14 - 20, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Mary Fournier TV Media T he finale is here, and the sea- son's biggest battle comes to a head in the two-part season 6 fi- nale of "Once Upon a Time," airing Sunday, May 14, on ABC. The show that brings beloved fairy-tale char- acters to life is set to wrap up the season in a big way. "O.U.A.T." has shown us the lives of some of our favorite fairy- tale characters, including Ariel, Mulan and Jasmine, in stories that differ greatly from the versions we know and love. This season has been a roller-coaster ride for the citizens of Storybrooke. From love to loss, happiness to sadness, ev- eryone is dealing with something, but nothing can prepare them for what's coming. At the start of the current sea- son, Emma (Jennifer Morrison, "House") began having visions and tremors — premonitions of her impending death. In a recur- ring vision, she fights with a cloaked figure who steals her sword and murders her. Central to the majority of the season is Em- ma's fear of her fate and, along with her friends and family, she tries to figure out who this myste- rious hooded person is, and why he or she wants to kill her. Emma didn't have to look far, as Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle, "Trainspotting," 1996) and Belle's (Emilie de Ravin, "Lost") son Gide- on (Giles Matthey, "The Duel," 2016), has now been revealed as the one who wants to kill her. A complex storyline sees the baby aducted by the nefarious Black Fairy (Jaime Murray, "Defiance"), who also happens to be Rumple's mother. When Gideon returns full- grown, thanks to some tricks of time, it's discovered that Emma factors into his plan to kill his ab- ductor, the Black Fairy. While Emma's battle with Gide- on takes some unexpected twists and turns, the sudden arrival of the Black Fairy signals the begin- ning of the real, climactic final bat- tle. And that's where we find our- selves as the much-anticipated two-part finale premieres. Season 6 is an end in more ways than one, as show creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz — who have both also written episodes of "Lost," among other successful series — said the season marks the end of the main storyline that has been the central focus of the entire series, regardless of wheth- er the show is renewed for a sev- enth season. As Henry (Jared S. Gilmore, "Mad Men") finishes the last chapter of the book, some of the show's major storylines wrap up, and some characters prepare to depart the series. Josh Dallas ("Thor," 2011), who plays Prince Charming and Em- ma's father, told Entertainment Weekly that the finale is "all about the final battle, the final battle that Emma is clearly involved with, and it's life or death." Morrison expressed the same sentiments, saying: "They're real- izing that they're at the end of the book. They're like, 'What does that mean, the end of the book? Does the end of the book mean a happy ending? Does the end of the book mean she dies?'" Whatever happens, Emma has her loved ones by her side, includ- ing Snow White (Ginnifer Good- win, "He's Just Not That Into You," 2009), her mother; Regina (Lana Parrilla, "Miami Medical"), her one-time enemy turned friend; Henry, her son; and Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue, "The Rite," 2011), her fiancé. Whether the show follows a typ- ical fairy-tale ending or not, a sev- enth season should point the series in a new direction. ABC entertain- ment president Channing Dungey told EW that season 7 could offer "a springboard to a new narrative standpoint. ... [That] doesn't nec- essarily mean that we're not bring- ing the cast back, it's just: How do you kind of hit the reset button?" Morrison, Parrilla, O'Donoghue and Carlyle are currently in negoti- ations for a new season, but noth- ing is confirmed. While on "The Drop-In With Will Malnati," Morri- son said: "We're just kind of wait- ing now to see if the network de- cides to continue with the show — and if they do continue with the show, if they are going to re- work it to be something else, or if they're going to invite people to stay. It's really complicated." Though the finale is so close, there are still multiple questions that need to be answered, and sto- ries that must be wrapped up — it could be tough to tie everything up if this does happen to be the fi- nal season. Rest assured though, Dungey says: "If and when we de- cide to end it, we want to do it the right way, and really give the fans the ending they deserve." "O.U.A.T" was a hit when it first aired in 2011, earning the best rat- ings out of any new show that pre- miered that season. Ratings for the show have been on a bit of a decline, however, with comments from fans and critics alike insisting the show should end due to repeti- tive storylines and character plots that already seem to be finished. Despite this, the show still main- tains a steady viewership. Don't miss the big, two-part season finale of "Once Upon a Time" when it airs Sun- day, May 14, on ABC. Season finale of 'Once Upon a Time' wraps up storylines Cover Story this week Jaime Murray as seen in "Once Upon a Time" 001574028r1 Kinship Partners Inc. Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, call (218) 829-4606 or visit www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by: Ken's Fifth Street Photos and Frames Why not start your own friendship journey? Kinship Partners is pleased to honor Rosie Blessing and Maykayla Lambert of Staples as its newest Match of the Month. Rosie has been mentoring children throughout her life. 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