Swan Queen: The List, Pt. 1
Parallels | Evidence & Speculation | Quotes
Parallels
Emma/Regina parallels:
Both fell in love as teenagers.
Both planned to run away with the people they loved.
Neither plan worked out. Instead, they both ended up alone and imprisoned.
Both lost their loves and were imprisoned because someone else decided it was best for them, without caring what they would choose.
Both found their first loves again, but had to let them go.
The Neal/Daniel “first loves” parallel deepens — Regina had to let go of Daniel three times (when he was murdered [1x18], when Rumple conspired with Whale and Jefferson to make her think he could never be resurrected [2x05], and when he was resurrected in Storybrooke [2x05]). The final time, Daniel told her to “love again” and begged her to end his suffering, which she did using her magic. Emma had to let go of Neal three times (when he left her to take the fall for the watches [2x06], when he fell through the portal and she thought he was dead [2x21], when he reappeared in Storybrooke [3x15]). The final time, he told her to “find Tallahassee” even if it’s without him, and begged her to separate him from Rumple, both ending his suffering and causing his death, which she did using her magic.
Both found the strength to love again through the same child, their son.
Neither want Henry to be alone, just like they were.
Both had hope purposely taken from them at crucial points in their lives (Regina by Rumple/Jefferson/Whale, Emma by August/Neal/and a third as of yet unknown).
Both had destinies since before birth- opposite destinies that Rumplestiltskin made sure would happen- one to cast his curse, one to break it.
Both had a difficult, loveless childhood. We know Cora was abusive, and it’s been implied that Emma’s life in the foster system was certainly less than joyful.
Both lied to Henry- “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
Both have had the experience of feeling like they’re losing Henry to the new parent in his life.
Both felt that the new parent would ultimately disappoint him.
Both want love, family, and home.
Their first appearances in the pilots are strikingly similar. Both strut in, looking gorgeous, and display strength over men with very little effort.
Their first appearances are also bridged by Henry’s first appearance, and preceded only by Snow and Charming’s.
Both are very guarded, closed off, sarcastic people, and yet underneath that they’re actually capable of extraordinary amounts of love, despite everything they’ve been through, despite never having good examples of such love in their lives.
Both are children of a peasant (Cora, David) and a royal (Henry Sr., Snow).
Both of their mothers knew, long before giving birth, that they’d be having girls (despite not having any modern science).
Both responded, “Once" to the question if they’ve ever been in love- they’re the only two characters who have ever done this.
Repeated lines from the season one and season two finales- such as “You did it!” vs “We did it!” (from “you saved Henry” to “we saved the town”- way to step it up).
Both had romantic interests die from having their hearts crushed.
Queen of Hearts vs. The Evil Queen/Second Star to the Right/And Straight On ‘til Morning- Both Emma and Regina are tricked by a group of three, told they’re worthless, and saved by Snow. Afterwards, the villains open a portal between Storybrooke and another world.
"Not having someone? That’s the worst curse imaginable.”/”We would’ve been together. Which curse is worse?”
Both held onto keepsakes from their past loves, Daniel’s ring for Regina, and the Swan Keychain/Necklace for Emma. Both held onto those items for years, before letting them go. Shortly afterwards, they both literally let go of the men as well.
In the season one finale, Emma and Henry say, “I love you/I love you too.” In the season two finale, Regina and Henry say, “I love you/I love you too.”
Regina taking the memory potion to forget about Emma in 3x09, and the story she tells to Henry while she does it, works as a bit of foreshadowing to Emma forgetting everything but Henry in 3x11, and makes a heartbreaking sort of parallel. “…she won’t forget her child, she’ll only forget her worries, her troubles, her fears. And with those gone, she can her prince can indeed finally live happily ever after.”
Henry is truly the most important thing in the world to both of them: “All that matters is Henry.” // “None of that matters. All I care about is getting my son back.”
Both expressed desire for something “real.” In Welcome to Storybrooke Regina tells Gold she’s not happy with the town and the people doing exactly what she wants them to because “it’s not real.” In Going Home, when Regina tells Emma she can give her happy memories, Emma says, “but it won’t be real.”
Emma gave up Henry for adoption to give him his “best chance.” Now Regina has given him up to Emma, to do the same. (And yet, “I think you know our best chance is together.”)
In 3A while trying to save Henry, each have had a moment of handing over control to the other — In 3x02 Regina tells Emma, “Well, Emma, you said you wanted to be the leader. Lead.” and in 3x09 Emma tells Regina, “You wanna run the show? Run it.”
Emma and Regina’s relationship has progressed so far they’ve now gone from paralleling each other’s individual lives, to contrasting their past interactions. Scenes once laced with doubt or dislike have now become interactions full of ambivalence at worst, understanding and care at best. These are no simple parallels used for literary emphasis, this is the result of drawing all those similarities. This is the next step forward, evidence of how much they’ve grown and how much their relationship has developed:
“My son” has become “our son.”
They now regularly share family hugs, contrasting the post-mine scene in 1x05 (a great demonstration of how their relationship used to be and how it is now).
Emma’s hesitation to let Henry stay with Regina (2x10) changed to complete willingness (3x10)
In the beginning, Regina tried very hard to get Emma to leave Storybrooke. In Going Home, she regretfully gets that wish (as part of her sacrifice of giving up “the thing she loves most”), and she does her best to make it a happy ending for Emma.
Stable Queen parallels:
“I’m sorry I snapped at you” vs. “I’m sorry. Snapping at you, I shouldn’t have done that.”
Daniel’s physical stance in the “Stay strong Regina” moment vs. Emma’s physical stance in the hat scene in Broken (They’ve both got the same hand on her same arm in an encouraging manner, and Regina is rarely ever touched in non-threatening ways.)
Daniel’s ring started the hat in An Apple Red as Blood vs. Emma’s touch started the hat in Broken.
Although it might seem like she’s said it much more frequently, Cora has only ever said “Love is weakness” twice in the entire series thus far. First, after tearing out and crushing Daniel’s heart. Second, when she attempts to tear out Emma’s heart. (As seen in the bottom two gifs here.)
Regina looks at Emma the same way she looked at Daniel.
Daniel and Emma try to talk to Regina in front of Cora; Regina shuts them both down.
Daniel tells Regina to be strong (she was, but it wasn’t enough), Emma and Regina are strong enough.
Regina’s nightmare involving Emma is echoed later on by FrankenDaniel.
Snowing parallels:
Jumping through fire in Desperate Souls vs. Jumping through fire in Into The Deep (both happened in the eighth episode of their respective seasons)
Snow runs after David after he leaves Granny’s, Ruby watches her go. Emma runs after Regina after she leaves Granny’s, Archie watches her go. (Both happened in the tenth episode of their respective seasons.)
“I will always find you” vs. “You’re complaining about how I saved your life? Fine, next time I’ll just… You know what? Next time, I’ll do the same thing, and the time after that.” (And then she does, always save her, time and time again.)
The entire “framed for murder” plot. Basically the whole thing: MM was framed for Kathryn’s murder. Regina was framed for Archie’s murder. David believed in MM’s innocence, despite evidence. Emma believed in Regina’s innocence, despite evidence.
David says, “She didn’t do this." Emma says, “She didn’t do it.”
David says, “She’s a good person. I know her." Emma says, “I know that look. I know her.”
David searches for evidence to prove MM innocent, asking Archie to help him remember his blackouts. Emma searches for evidence, asking Gold for help. David “sees” MM say she’s going to “kill her” and doubts her innocence because he can find no other explanation for what he saw. Emma “sees” Regina “kill Archie” and doubts her innocence because she can find no other explanation for what she saw. David confronts MM with what he saw, they fight. Emma confronts Regina with what she saw, they fight. Kathryn shows up, alive. Archie shows up, alive.
The flashback scenes in “The Lady of the Lake” center on Snow meeting and interacting with Charming’s mother Ruth, while the present-day scenes revolve around Emma meeting and interacting with Regina’s mother Cora. And they both talk to them about their children.
Snow and Charming are shown waking in mirrored situations (from the Sleeping Curse), as are Belle and Rumple (from a nightmare). So are Emma and Regina, waking up their first mornings in Storybrooke.
“We’re gonna find her, Henry, I promise." an obvious allusion to "I will always find you." (However, perfectly modified to include Henry.)
Snowing’s “It seemed like the honorable thing to do”/”It was the honorable thing to do” after saving each other’s lives in Snow Falls vs Emma’s “That’s what good people do” after saving Regina’s life in Desperate Souls.
Regina’s ring is oddly similar to Charming’s mother’s ring (which was enchanted to find his True Love) that he gives to Snow. In the finale, after Emma and Regina save the town, Regina’s ring is almost glowing- it glimmers bright green. Also, the ring has switched hands, once in the beginning of season two, and back again in Regina’s first appearance after The Cricket Game- both changes coincided with significant changes in Regina’s relationship with Emma.
In Queen of Hearts, Regina saves Emma, and Snow saves Charming. The first thing Snow does upon returning from FTL is hug Ruby and run to give David true love’s kiss. The first thing Emma does is hug Henry, and have a moment with Regina.
Charming convinces Snow to help her find his ring while she’s trapped in the rope net. Emma convinces Regina to let her help find Henry while she’s locked up in jail.
Regina coaches Emma in magic (3x06), similar to Charming teaching Snow archery (3x02)
Charming says, “you did it” when Snow wakes him from the Sleeping Curse (3x09) // Regina says, “you did it” when Emma wakes Henry from the Sleeping Curse (1x22)
Charming’s mom tells him, “When are you going to learn you can’t have everything?” and Rumple tells Regina, “Still haven’t learned your lesson, you can’t have everything.” But they both do find happiness in their families…
"Well, Emma, you wanted to lead. So… lead.” Regina actively encouraging Emma to be their leader, the flashback in that same episode revolved around Charming encouraging Snow to lead her people (albeit in a much trickier way).
Regina “going dark” (“She didn’t [give in to darkness], I did. That’s what I’m here for.”) so Emma doesn’t have to, similar to Charming sacrificing himself to keep Snow from giving into darkness in The Heart of Darkness
Snow once took a potion to forget all her memories of Charming, in Save Henry we learned Regina also took a memory potion when Henry was a baby, to forget everything she learned about his birthmother, Emma.
“You had that look on your face, the look you have when you’re up to something.” (3x10) // “You’re hiding something.” (2x19) Charming and Regina know how to read Snow and Emma’s faces and can tell when they’re keeping something from them.
Snow tells Charming she doesn’t want to go in the wardrobe, he tells her she has to because it’s the only way. Emma doesn’t want to leave Storybrooke, Regina tells her she has to because it’s the only way. “I don’t want to do this” and “It has to be you, you’ll go in there and you’ll be safe from the curse.” // “I don’t want to.” and “We have no choice, you have to go. You were created to break the curse and, once again, you can escape it.”
“Help me get my ring back, or I turn you over to the Queen’s forces.” Charming to Snow (1x03) // “Help me get my son back, or get out of the way.” Emma to Regina (3x01)
In 3x02 Emma is upset about Pan’s map, when Charming moves to talk to her about it, Snow holds him back and talks to Emma herself instead. Similar to in 3x09 when Emma holds Regina back from tearing out a Lost Boy’s heart to get them to talk, and instead talks to them herself.
Two families embracing: in 2x22 Emma calls Snow and Charming “mom” and “dad” and they hug, in 3x11 Henry calls Emma and Regina “mom” and “momma” as they hug.
When Emma wakes Regina in 3x11, it’s very similar to just about every time someone was awoken from the Sleeping Curse with true love’s kiss and there are similarities in wardrobe (Red on Charming and Emma, White on Snow and Regina) as well as the number of on-lookers (the seven dwarves vs. Belle, Hook, Neal, Granny, Snow, Charming, and Henry).
Regina waking up and grabbing Emma’s arm is also reminiscent of David grabbing Mary Margaret while he was in a coma.
Rumbelle parallels (or Rumple/Regina parallels):
Rumbelle and Swan Queen are both ships consisting of a villain trying for redemption, and the one good person who ever believed in them. Rumbelle, as a beloved canon true love ship, seems to be setting the precedence for such a ship as Swan Queen (that ‘villains’ can and should find true love).
Rumplestiltskin never would have met Belle, his true love, if he hadn’t become the Dark One. It seems fate intervened so they could meet, just as Regina wouldn’t have known Emma or Henry had she not cast the curse. (You can read this post if you’re interested in seeing how this observation led me to believe more than ever that Swan Queen is endgame.)
Both Rumple and Regina have had tragic pasts.
Cora tore out her own heart because of her love for Rumple. Cora tore out Daniel’s heart because of Regina’s love for him.
Both Rumple and Regina have torn out the hearts of people they loved (Milah and Henry Sr., respectively).
They’ve both struggled with temptations of magic and power, and used them in order to fight against what FTL society imposed on them (Rumple’s title of a coward, and Regina’s complete lack of autonomy).
Both became the two most feared villains in FTL. The Dark One, and the Evil Queen.
Rumple created the Dark Curse, Regina cast it.
Both wished to be better people for the sake of their sons, Bae and Henry.
Rumple is guided on his path towards redemption by Belle, his true love. Regina is guided on her path towards redemption by Emma, the only one to ever believe in her and give her a chance and… perhaps her true love as well?
In the season two finale, Gold returns Belle’s memories, thinking he’s allowing her to die as Belle (Grumpy to Rumple, “I know Belle, don’t let her die as Lacey.”). In the previous scene, Regina pleaded with Emma, “let me die as Regina.”
Emma holds Regina back from tearing out the heart of the Lost Boy, similar to Belle holding Rumple back from killing Robin Hood
Belle tells Rumple, “you’re a coward and no matter how thick you make your skin, that’ll never change” (1x12). Emma tells Regina “we know how you are and who you’ll always be.” (2x10)
Other noteworthy parallels:
The Genie, who loved Regina, was the only one who noticed her absence and went after her, just as Emma did in The Cricket Game.
In Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, Regina manipulates the Genie into killing Leopold by pretending she would commit suicide. He tells her “there is another way.” In the season two finale, Regina is willing to die, genuinely this time, so that Henry doesn’t have to be alone. Emma tells her, “there has got to be another way.”
There are significant similarities between Regina and Hook, and Regina and Neal, making CS and SF like incomplete heterosexual versions of SQ (some speculation in the next section as to why this may be). Now many people are also noting the similarities between Robin Hood and Emma.
Seasons one and two began and ended with a parallel- Season one started with Snowing’s true love kiss breaking the sleeping curse, and ended with Emma and Henry doing the same. Season two started with Emma and Regina making magic together to start Jefferson’s hat, and ended with them making magic together to save the town. (Season 3A began with Regina questioning if she would every get a happy ending, and concluded with Regina giving Emma a happy ending. It also featured Snow telling Emma, “Happy endings aren’t always what we think they will be” right as the camera cut to Regina.
In guiding Emma to cast a protection spell in The Miller’s Daughter, Rumple tells her, “Conjuring magic is not intellectual endeavor. It’s emotion. You must ask yourself, ‘Why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?’ Feel it." In the finale, before returning to save Regina, Hook says, "Quite passionate, Swan. Why are you really doing this?”
In 3x01 Emma says, “He was always just Neal to me” just as in 2x10 she said, “I know in your kingdom she was the Evil Queen, but here she’s Regina.” She sees people as who they are, not who they were, and so far it’s only be explicitly demonstrated with these two. One was her past love, could it be the other is her future true love?
Regina to baby Henry: “Please, just give me a chance.” “Thank you.” // Emma to Snow and Charming about Regina: “She gets a chance too.” (Regina later says “Thank you”) // Regina to baby Henry: “You’re truly the only one in all the realms who believes in me.” // Emma to Snow and Charming about Regina: “I know her, I believe her.” (Just a demonstration that Henry may have been all Regina had for a long time, but that’s no longer the case now that Emma’s around.)
“My gift to you is this happy, happy day” // “My gift to you is good memories, a good life.” From threatening Snow and Charming on their wedding day (during what was meant to be their ‘happy ending’), to willingly giving Emma the gift of a happy ending.
In The Thing You Love Most, Regina first sacrifices Rocinante (perhaps the one friend who only knew her as Regina) and then her father, Henry Sr., the person she most loved and the only person she knew of that loved her. In Going Home, Regina again must sacrifice the thing she loves most. Of course that means giving up Henry in place of Henry Sr., but could Emma also be a part of the equation, taking on the same role as Rocinante?