The tone of the show manages a nice (if not particularly original) melding of weird small town with weird fairy tale characters, and all in all the pilot makes for a tantalizing introduction to this new playground.
I’ve always liked Jennifer Morrison, and between her and Lana Parilla (who plays the Evil Queen) this show rests comfortably on talented actors – and watching those two ladies square off is a lot of fun. The creators also have promised that while the flashbacks will feature all the fairy tale heroes we know and love, they won’t just be retelling the same old stories we know so well – instead they’ll be telling the stories before, after, and around what happens in those famous tales. I’ll admit I was downright dubious about the flashbacks going in, but while they did come perilously close to schmaltzy a time or two, overall they actually really work – which is good, as this show will continue using flashbacks throughout the season (though how on earth they’ll afford them is anyone’s guess). The story switches back and forth between Emma in the present day and full on fairy tale flashbacks, telling the story of Sleeping Beauty, the Evil Queen and how the curse came about, in full on costumed and cgi-ed glory. It’s not perfect, nor shockingly original, but this pilot sets the stage for what could be a lot of fun.Īs you’d expect of a show created by two Lost veterans (Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis) flashbacks and a sense of mystery pervade this episode, as Emma (Jennifer Morrison) discovers a town populated with fairy tale folk (who don’t remember they belong in fairy tales), bound to our present day world by a curse – and somehow Emma is the key to freeing them of their entrapment, or so she’s told.
I approached this pilot with both hope and trepidation, as the trailers seemed to teeter towards the realm of kitschy, but happily I found myself rather enjoying Once Upon A Time. Overall, Once Upon A Time is a fun journey that will have you rooting for underdogs, cheering for true love, and embracing a world that is as clever as it is enchanting.I’m a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling – but good definitely is the operative word.
It does, however, promise a fun experience for older viewers craving something outside the repetitive realm of sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows. The constant plot twists and the characters' unpredictable motivations, can be worrisome, too.
It's dark, intense, occasionally sexy, and at times too violent for younger kids. This isn't your kids' fairy tale collection, however, nor is it a suitable bedtime story for the little ones. Purists might take issue with this aspect of the show, but it is this formula that creates some creative plot lines that drive the show through multiple seasons. It brings together far-flung favorite characters such as Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan, Rumplestiltskin, and more contemporary characters like Merida and Princess Elsa, taking generous liberties with the content of the original narratives to extrapolate new relationships and experiences among them. The entertaining and imaginative series is a sharply written modern spin on fairy tales that combines drama, romance, and suspense in a truly magical way.
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