A few things about Storybrooke, the town in Maine where all the story book characters live in modern day, have been on my mind. I'd like to bring up some of these points because, honestly, I can't be the only one who's wondered wtf is going on with this town.
And yes, I'm taking into consideration that I should repeat to myself "it's just a show, I should really just relax"...but, ya know, free time and all that.
The first thing that strikes me is the obvious; the characters of Storybrooke can't leave their town or else horrible things happen. No one ever comes to Storybrooke. Okay fair (and ominous) enough. However,
where are the shops getting their supplies? The people their clothes?The episode with Hansel and Gretel clearly showed a modern day convenience store and not some little old timey general store. Do they have their own self sustaining community with power plants and water treatment facilities? I understand the town has been in some sort of stasis since the curse began, but how long ago was that? How are they keeping up on current trends? Who is supplying the town with gasoline? WHO IS DISTRIBUTING PRODUCT TO THIS PLACE? I know it's relatively minor given the plot, but honestly - if you're going to have the whole secrecy and captivity thing going on, at least be more subtle about modern globalization and distribution of goods. Or, ya know, magic. Whatever.
This led to a whole host of other questions. If Storybrooke is a town conceived from a curse (again, at an indeterminate time), then has Storybrooke always existed before Maine was even a thing, or was it just kinda dropped there? I feel like the State of Maine isn't even aware of it's existence (most likely due to all the vampires and aliens and whatnot Stephen King always writes about - I'm certain that takes up a good deal of attention with the state government). So if that's the case, because the whole nobody leaves and nobody comes, did the Curse take into account government records? If not, then Storybrooke isn't even legally recognized as a part of the United States of America. Think about it. Regina's empty threats at legal action against whatever is pissing her off that week are laughable when you realize that the attention on the town drawn from said action will cause an uproar warranting further investigation. Did the Curse plan to cover it's tracks with the whole no one enters, no one leaves thing? Good job, Rumpelstiltskin...didn't count on the power of bureaucracy, did you? When things get really heated and shit goes down that simply can't be ignored, I'd like a cutaway scene of some very confused government officials going "Holy shit...has that place always been there?"
Finally, and this has been increasingly annoying since I first noticed this, does Regina even KNOW what a mayor is supposed to do? She butts into everyone's business and then threatens with this and that - all under the principle "I'm the mayor hurr hurr". Her mayoral plot device (which no one questions, ever) has made her character not so much antagonistic as just plain obnoxious. I want to punch her in her stupid face every time I see her in a scene because she clearly disregards local government (seriously? Didn't think about getting that $40,000 playground budget approved?) but also common decency. She's that friend that every popular girl in jr. high had that would get into everyone else's business and defend her friend's honor by provoking confrontation...despite the fact she literally has nothing to do with it. Corruption charges alone (using local police for frivolous tasks while on duty) should have her resignation and arrest. Emma, if she was even a real sheriff and not one in the wild west cowboy sense, would have noticed this if she was actually trained at her job. Which she's not, because she's upholding questionable laws in a town not even legally recognized itself. Facepalms for everyone! Unless that was Regina's plan all along; kill off Graham not because he is turning loyalties but instead take the risk of putting someone grossly incompetent on the job.
Wait, jk on the finally, I just had a new thought. Clearly people can die in Storybrooke (Graham, possibly Kathyrine) but is it limited to intentional death or does life continue and end naturally? If Granny kicked the bucket, would it affect the Curse? Also, lol wut Lewis Carroll characters? Next they'll have Dorothy and Toto showing up. Throw in a few of Tolkien's hobbits while you're at it. That was just an observation to the fact that this town is small as hell - how do these people not know one another??
I know this seems like a lot of meaningless questions but honestly these all run through my mind every episode in about the span of a minute. Anyway, I'm not really criticizing the show but thought I'd get these important matters off my mind.
