Premieres Sun 10/23
The first episode of ABC's new fantasy drama, ONCE UPON A TIME was released in full on IMDB yesterday. So here is my review, shortly in advance of its actual premiere tomorrow
What's it about?
Emma Swan's life has been anything but a fairytale. A 28-year-old bail bondsperson, she's been taking care of herself since she was abandoned as a baby. But when Henry -- the son she gave up 10 years ago -- finds her, everything changes. Henry is desperate for his mom's help and thinks that Emma is actually the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Yes, the actual Snow White and Prince Charming. Even stranger, Henry believes that Storybrooke, the sleepy New England town he calls home, is really part of a curse cast by the Evil Queen, freezing fairytale characters in the modern world with no memory of their former selves.
So, how was it?
"From the writers of LOST" should be a pretty big clue. Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, co-executive producers and writers of LOST take their turn at the helm as the creators of ONCE UPON A TIME. (The duo was responsible for some fan-favorite episodes such as "Greatest Hits," "The Variable" and "What They Died For.") Seeing as how LOST is my favorite show of all time, this was one of my most highly-anticipated shows of the season, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.
Let me get it right out there and say this: if you're not interested in fairytales or think they're trite or boring or whatever, then this show probably isn't for you (although you should still give it a shot -- it's very unique). But if you, like me, harbor a deep interest in the fantastical, weird and mysterious, then this show should be right up your alley. The pilot tells two stories: one story takes place in a world where all fairytale creatures can interact, and their battle with an Evil Queen who curses them all (herself included) to a world where there are no happy endings; the other story takes place in our world, which is now inhabited by the banished fairytale creatures, who no longer remember who they are. It is in these parallel worlds that the show's greatest creativity is shown: Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes a schoolteacher with an affinity for animals; the Evil Queen (Lara Parrilla) becomes Storybrooke's ruthless mayor; Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) owns the town; Jiminy Cricket is a therapist; and Grumpy the dwarf is a drunken hooligan.
In the midst of all this is thrown Emma Swan (HOUSE's Jennifer Morrison), drawn into the town's plight by her own biological son, Henry, who she gave up for adoption ten years ago and now lives with the "evil" Mayor. He tries to convince her that she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and that only she can free the town from the curse. She is, of course, skeptical, but by the end of the episode has booked a room in the town's bed and breakfast (owned by Granny and her harlot granddaughter who dresses in red, natch).
These many layers of mythology are easy to compare to the complex storylines of LOST. But the pilot of LOST, as unarguably compelling as it was, consisted mostly of mystery after mystery being thrown at the wall just to see which ones would stick. And six years later, some of those mysteries had been answered and some had not, to the fans' consternation. The pilot of ONCE UPON A TIME, on the other hand, while mysterious and engaging, very clearly lays out the ground rules of the show and is presented in a clear enough way that makes me optimistic that the writers know exactly where the show is going.
The pilot is full of fun little winks at fairytale lore in the real world, such as when the Mayor stops to stare at herself in a large, oval mirror. Here, some more heavy-handed writers might have inserted a line about "Mirror, mirror..." or how pretty she thinks she is or what have you, as though we didn't already get it. Here, however, she simply stares at herself for a few seconds, and it's a beautiful, subtle moment.
There are many questions left hanging by the end of the hour: does the Mayor remember her past as the Evil Queen, or did she get caught up in her own curse and forget like everyone else? How will Henry convince Emma that he's not psychotic? And, my most pressing question, what will the series look like from here on out? Now that we've seen the story of how the fairytale characters ended up in the real world, will we be revisiting the fairytale land at all? I can see the show proceeding down one of two paths: either the show stays entirely in the real world until the fairytale characters somehow find a way back; or every episode gives us flashbacks into one or more characters' past in the fairytale land, elucidating some mystery important to the main plot. Knowing that the show was created by the writers of LOST, I'm inclined to expect the latter. Either way, I can't wait to find out.
Rating:
**** Certifiably ADDICTive. A must-see.
For anyone who loves shows with complex mythology, fantastical characters, stories of parallel worlds, or just thinks Jennifer Morrison is hot, this show is a must-see. At least by the end of its first hour, ONCE UPON A TIME seems like the non-scary, family-friendly equivalent of AMERICAN HORROR STORY, in the way that both shows have many-layered plots, an ensemble cast, and clues to pick up on every week as the whole story is slowly pieced together. And for me, it ranks right up with AHS as one of my favorite new shows of the year.
What did you think, Fellow Addicts? Were you as captivated as I was? Or did you find the fairytale focus too childish? What path are you hoping the show takes? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!
(For a quick glance at the other pilots coming out, check out my Fall TV Preview.)
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