I tend to avoid modern TV shows. I feel that they are too depressing or too superficial. But occasionally I make an exception. And Once Upon a Time is one of those exceptions.
For those of you who don't know, Once Upon a Time is a show about fairy tale characters in a modern day world with a modern twist. They mix and connect almost every fairy tale known to man. Worlds and stories blend into one fantastic, mind blowing mix. Characters have unique personalities, complicated relationships and confusing pasts. Everyone is related in some way but everyone has their own journey.
Some of the best written characters in this show are the villains. The layers of complexity and depth they have is fascinating and illuminating. Each villain goes through constant battles between their good and bad nature. Sometimes the good wins and sometimes the bad wins. It is such an honest depiction of what we as human beings go through every day.
Each villain is different. They go through different journey's and choose different paths. The three who really stand out to me are Hook, Rumple, and Regina.
Hook completely changes colors. He starts the redemption process for his love, Emma Swan, and continues to change for the better. Though he never truly leaves his pirate identity, he becomes a hero nonetheless,
Rumpelstiltskin continually battles between his dark nature and his desire to be a good man for his love, Belle's, sake, He is the unpredictable villain who could go either direction. Depending on the circumstances, you could find him on either side of the morality line.
Regina also changes colors but still struggles with her dark ways. She battles with resentment and bitterness,and is always just on the edge. She has probably come the farthest of the three, but she is still bad ass and keeps a little of her darkness, even in the midst of her redemption.
Although very different in their paths and personalities, many of the villains have common threads. All three villains mentioned change mainly for the sake of someone they love: for Hook, Emma, for Rumple, Belle, and for Regina, Henry. They all continue to struggle with the darkness in them, Rumple and Regina more than Hook. Each realize that some of the darkness in them (each on different levels) will never leave and they're okay with that. They strive to be good but still accept that there is darkness in them.
The lessons each of these villains teach us are valuable. Hook teaches us that you can be a pirate but still be a hero. Rumple teaches us that we have good and bad in us and we choose which to act on. And Regina teaches us that sometimes doing the "bad" thing is what is needed to save someone.
We all have good and bad and it's up to us to choose which we act on. No one is pure good and no one is pure evil. Human's are more complicated than that. While we shouldn't choose to do the wrong thing, we all need to accept the fact that we are just as capable of evil as a murderer, a prostitute, or a thief. But we also need to know that God loves us completely: including the hellish parts.
And that leads me to my final point. What was it that brought out the best in each of these villains? Was it trying to be good for good's sake? Was it because they decided they should follow the rules so they could be thought well of. No. It was because of love! Each of these villains started doing good because they loved someone! And because someone loved them. Love is the key to all things good. Love is what motivates people to be better. Love is what makes people better. Not following all the rules. Not being a goody two shoes. Not being nice because you want to be thought well of. Goodness stems from love. Love is the only thing that can cause deep, root transformation in human beings. That is why the gospel is truth. Because it doesn't teach morals, it teaches love.
There are hundreds of things these characters can teach us, some darker than this one, but the one I walked away from this time is this: Love is what transforms. Love is what allows us to reach for the light while accepting the dark. Love is what allows a pirate to be a hero.
