Jennifer Morrison to exit Once Upon A Time

ONCE UPON A TIME - "The Song in Your Heart" - In flashback, Snow and Charming make a special wish that Emma will be protected. The result of their wish has the whole kingdom bursting into song which infuriates the Evil Queen. Meanwhile in Storybrooke, the Black Fairy announces her plans to unleash another curse on the town while Emma and Hook prepare for their wedding, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, MAY 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jack Rowand) JENNIFER MORRISON, COLIN O'DONOGHUE

Jennifer Morrison, who stars as savior Emma Swan, is set to leave Once Upon a Time should the series be renewed for a seventh season.

The announcement was made through Morrison’s Instagram account.

As I reached the end of my 6 year contract on ONCE UPON A TIME, I was faced with a significant decision. ABC, Eddy Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz very generously invited me to continue as a series regular. After very careful consideration, I have decided that creatively and personally, it is time for me to move on. Emma Swan is one my favorite characters that I have ever played. My 6 years on ONCE UPON A TIME has changed my life in the most beautiful ways. I am absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of the Oncer fans. I am so honored to have been a central part of such a special show. I will be forever grateful to Adam, Eddy, and ABC for giving me the gift of playing Emma Swan. As I move on to other creative endeavors, I will continue to attend the fan conventions whenever my professional schedule allows. I always look forward meeting the fans. If ABC Network does in fact order a season 7, I have agreed to appear in one episode, and I will most certainly continue to watch ONCE UPON A TIME. The creativity of the show runners has always inspired me, and I cannot wait to see the ways that they continue to develop and reinvent the show. #Onceuponatime #EmmaSwan #UglyDucklings

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The network has yet to make a decision on renewing the series but it’s been said for a few weeks now that should the series see a seventh season, there would be a reboot of the series. The entire series has been leading up to the Final Battle, expected to take place during the two-hour finale.

What we do know are that Once Upon a Time is expected to reinvent itself for the fourth season. Four actors have been offered the opportunity to return should the series be renewed: Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Colin O’Donoghue, and Robert Carlyle. All of their contracts expire after this season. They would be joined by newcomers Andrew J. West and Alison Fernandez. Morrison has said she would appear in one episode but it’s hard to see the series go forward without her.

Many series are lucky to see beyond their first episode order. Once Upon a Time has made it six seasons and there have been times that the series was on the bubble and nobody knew if a renewal would be a sure thing.

Without Morrison, it may just be a good idea to end the series after next week’s finale. It definitely won’t be the same show without her, Snow White, and Prince Charming.

The sixth season finale of Once Upon a Time will air a two-hour finale on Sunday, May 14th at 8/7 PM EDT/CDT.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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