Robert Carlyle believes that Once Upon a Time may have gone on for too long. Carlyle was a series regular throughout all seven seasons of the popular ABC series. He played the conniving Rumplestiltskin, also known as Mr. Gold or the Dark One. When Once Upon a Time underwent a soft reboot in season 7, Carlyle played a corrupt police detective named Weaver who did not initially remember that he was Rumplestiltskin. He also played Wish Realm Rumplestiltskin, who became the final villain in the series finale.

While promoting the revival of The Full Monty, Carlyle was asked by The A.V. Club about being part of Once Upon a Time. He shared how grateful he is to have been part of the series and praised the show's early seasons, while also admitting that it may have gone on longer than it should have. Read his comments below:

"It was great. Probably if I'm being a hundred percent honest, went on a bit too long. I think it slightly ran out of steam toward the end. But I think certainly the first four seasons of Once Upon A Time were as good anything I've been involved in."

When Once Upon A Time Could, Or Should Have Ended

Prior to the season 7 finale, there were several natural stopping points where Once Upon A Time's story could have concluded. The first natural conclusion would have been after season 3. It ended with all the main characters in Storybrooke with their loved ones, not being plagued by any kind of curse or Once Upon a Time villain. Emma realized Storybrooke was her true home, Regina found true love with Robin Hood, Snow White and Prince Charming just had a new child, Rumplestiltskin and Belle got married, and Hook chose Emma over himself and the Jolly Roger.

If Maid Marian – who was actually Zelena in disguise – hadn't returned from the past, and if Frozen's Elsa hadn't been introduced in the finale's last moments, season 3 could've been a satisfying ending for Once Upon a Time. The other natural stopping point prior to season 7 would have been the season 6 finale. That ended with Emma fulfilling her destiny as the Savior, and with all the main characters once again having achieved their happy endings. They gathered for a meal at Granny's Diner while the storybook that began in season 1 came to a close.

A time jump and a soft reboot were the only ways Once Upon a Time could continue after season 6’s ending. Season 7 was not as strong overall as many of the previous seasons, but veteran actors Carlyle, Lana Parrilla, and Colin O'Donoghue made it work by providing fascinating new dimensions or alternate versions of their beloved characters. The final season culminated Rumplestiltskin's arc by forcing him to confront the worst version of himself. Once Upon a Time could have ended sooner, but the series' lengthy run did provide plenty of time to do Rumplestiltskin's story justice.

Source: The A.V. Club