Once Upon a Time 1.20: "The Stranger"

After teasing August's relationship with Mr. Gold in the previous episode, this installment of Once Upon a Time reveals his true Fairy Tale Land identity -- I think I was perhaps the last fan in the world in denial about the signs pointing towards Pinocchio. *wink* What I love about this episode, though, is how it encapsulates the show at its finest -- where it makes us really care about these characters, reminding us of their hopes, pains, losses, and fears, speaking to the universality and timelessness of the source material -- these fairy tales resonate through the centuries because at their essence they speak to the human experience. I love how this show took a character and a story I'd never particularly liked and throughout the hour bring me to the point of tears as the script traces August's journey and speaks to the love of a parent for their child, and vice-versa.

The episode opens with August (Eion Bailey) installing a new deadbolt in Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Mary Margaret's (Ginnifer Goodwin) apartment, one that should keep their home safe from Regina's (Lana Parrilla) all-access skeleton keys. While he's finishing the job, Emma receives an emergency call from Henry (Jared Gilmore) to meet him at Granny's Diner -- he has a major "Operation Cobra" update. With the clock ticking on August's health, he attempts to take Mr. Gold's "advice" and convince Emma that the curse is real, as she is his best shot at breaking the curse and loosing the magic he needs to survive. But Emma has no time for handsome, enigmatic writers -- since her declaration of war against Regina for custody of Henry, she's consumed with the need to get her son away from the mayor and her machinations to destroy anyone who threatens her power. Foiled in his desire for one-on-one time with Emma, August calls Mr. Gold for an appointment to discuss the issue of Emma's recalcitrance. As soon as he hangs up the phone he doubles over in pain, grabbing one leg -- and when he rolls up his pants leg, there's no doubt as to his Fairy Tale identity -- the limb is solid wood, and we have our Pinocchio (far from a little wooden boy now, hmm?? *wink*).

Meanwhile Emma arrives at the diner and is a bit non-plussed when she realizes Henry just wants to discuss his book of fairy tales -- he's discovered that someone has added a story to it, a story that's been left strangely unfinished. The story is Pinocchio's tale, and now August's actions from way back in episode thirteen are finally brought full circle -- when he was seen rebinding Henry's book, he was including his own story, the ending yet to be written. The story flashes to Fairy Tale Land, where Geppetto (Tony Amendola) and the young wooden Pinocchio (Jakob Davies) are clinging desperately to their raft on storm-ravaged seas, while Monstro the Whale is attempting to swallow them (WHALES CREEP ME OUT!!). Since they only have one life vest, Geppetto attempts to give it to his wooden son, but the boy sacrifices himself by claiming he'll float and jumps overboard. When Geppetto later awakens on the beach, the vest over his arm, he realizes Pinocchio saved him -- and his pride and relief are quickly dashed when he discovers the lifeless wooden body farther down the beach. Cue the entrance of the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy), who REALLY needs a better name, who transforms the puppet into an ADORABLE LITTLE KID, admonishing him that as long as he remains "brave, true, and unselfish" he won't revert to wooden lifelessness.

Back in Storybrooke, August arrives at Mr. Gold's (Robert Carlyle) shop for their meeting, and his shocked to discover Marco, a.k.a. Geppetto, at the counter accepting a commission to fix a clock. Leave it to the wily Gold to arrange the chance meeting between father and son...such a passive-aggressive way of signalling to August that he always has the upper hand. After Marco's departure, August regroups and asks Gold to "steer" Emma his direction, since he knows she plans to ask Gold for legal advice against Regina. Gold agrees, and when Emma comes to see him later that day she's shocked to hear him actually turn DOWN the chance to beat Regina at something -- so she storms off to find August.

Since Mary Margaret's release from prison, Regina's carefully-crafted facade of control and power have started to crack. Case in point: her first encounter with her would-be victim when she goes school to drop off Henry's forgotten lunchbox. The whole wrongfully-accused thing has put some of Snow's steel in Mary Margaret's spine, and she refuses to cow before Regina, actually going so far as to tell her that she forgives and pities her -- you have to think the pity comment stung, to say the least! Henry follows suit by openly defying Regina's desire to see him transferred from Mary Margaret's classroom -- correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time Henry really lets loose on his adoptive mother, and you can see that it stings. Thus far I've had little sympathy for Regina, but this scene suggests that she really wants to love Henry -- but being who she is, she doesn't know how, and of course there's the question of if she's even capable of true, selfless, sacrificial love.

Regina's day just goes from bad to worse when her car dies -- conveniently in front of David's workplace and full of groceries in danger of spoiling. David (Josh Dallas), ever the gallant, offers her a ride home, and when they arrive she finds a note stating Henry won't be home for dinner -- so of course would David like to stay? This exchange is interesting, because clearly Regina staged the whole encounter in a desperate bid to supplant Mary Margaret in David's affections (the camera reveals Henry's "note" to be blank). She plays the lonely single mom card TO THE HILT, reliving the moment she found the him comatose on the side of the road -- THEY SEEM TO BE BONDING!! But just when she goes for a kiss David pulls back and plays the "we should just be friends line." There's a small part of Regina that I think really hoped to make a connection with David, but with her once iron grip weakening over the citizens of Storybrooke, she's finally reaping what she's sown -- the curse blocks her ability to love, to make actual, meaningful connections with people because she traded love for power.

Back in Fairy Tale Land, the Blue Fairy brings news of Regina's impending curse to Geppetto and Pinocchio (I have got to say, rewatching this episode I was struck afresh by the hilarity that people had so much time to "prepare" for Regina to cast her spell...). She wants Geppetto to carve a protective vessel from the last magic tree that will keep Snow's as-yet-unborn child, the Savior, safe -- the only hope for those who stand against Regina's machinations. Blue tells Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Jiminy (Raphael Sbarge) that the enchanted tree possesses enough magic to keep two people safe -- she's of course thinking of Charming and the pregnant Snow (I haven't rewatched the pilot -- doesn't she state the tree can only hold one in the premiere? whatevs...). But Geppetto is playing hardball, and refuses to craft the vessel unless his son is one of the two individuals transported to safety.

But this plan goes all to heck when Snow goes into labor early, right as the smoke monster curse is covering the land. And here is where Geppetto makes a call that changes everything for Emma and his son -- defying the Blue Fairy's orders that Snow and her baby enter the wardrobe, he withholds his knowledge of the tree's magical limitations and hides his son inside, leaving Charming and Snow with the assumption that the tree will only hold their baby. While I TOTALLY GET Geppetto's passion to save his son, the fact remains that he is trusting a SMALL CHILD who STARTED LIFE AS A FRIGGIN' BLOCK OF WOOD with the care of an infant. Even if Pinocchio hadn't started life as a TREE, that responsibility would be a heavy burden for one so young to carry -- especially one rather famous for fibbing. (Jumping ahead to season two for a second -- I have to wonder if there is going to be any repercussions against Geppetto when/if it is revealed that he is responsible for sending Emma to Maine, alone and defenseless?)

Cut to Emma and August, where they pull up outside a little diner -- a seemingly innocuous scene that enrages Emma. It turns out she was found by the side of the road at this very location, and she thinks August is messing with her when he reveals that he was the child in the news report who found her. Now this is something Emma can perhaps believe, even though it leaves her rattled -- but August goes all in, explaining how they were both sent to main through a tree (the scene showing their arrival, and August's Pinocchio clothes, really left me wondering what people made of him when he was found!), and how he was tasked with protecting her because the whole town is depending on her to break the curse. Of course Emma thinks the whole tree transport thing is rubbish, but August's story finally gets her to admit the thing she is most afraid of -- having people depend on her. BROKE MY HEART.

A final flashback to the young Pinocchio and Emma reveals how they were separated as children -- Pinocchio makes the choice to leave the orphanage with several other children, leaving Emma to fend for herself. Bailey really plays the adult August's guilt over failing his commission to "protect the Savior" extraordinarily well -- if Pinocchio is a character whose Achilles' heel was never taking responsibility for his actions, this storyline has the adult version paying for that shortcoming tenfold. Once August shares their collective history, he then pulls up his pant leg to show Emma the proof he's sure she can't deny -- his wooden leg. But he's completely disheartened when Emma just thinks he's even nuttier since her denial is so strongly rooted in her fears of connection and abandonment issues that she can't see his physical proof.

The final scenes, where August returns to Storybrooke, resigned to his imminent death, are heart-breaking. He goes to visit his father, and without admitting to their connection for fear of being rejected, he volunteers to help around the shop because he just wants to "fix things." The short talk between father and son brought tears to my eyes, especially when Marco assuages August's guilt over failing to protect Emma and raise her with the knowledge of her destiny, by stating something along the lines of that no matter what his son had or hadn't done, he would still love him -- and then Eion Bailey RIPPED MY HEART OUT with his SOULFUL EYES. I may or may not have screamed at the television JUST HUG YOUR DADDY ALREADY, DANGIT!!

But while August reaching the end of his proverbial rope has prompted him to reach out to his father, Emma swings in the other direction and takes more drastic action. Calling an emergency meeting with Henry in the middle of the night, she meets him outside in her car and asks if he wants to be with her -- and when he says yes, she hits the gas pedal and heads for the city limits. Oh Emma, kidnapping is not the way to go!

Thoughts on this episode? I think it was one of the most emotionally powerful, well-crafted hours of the first season.

Once Upon a Time 1.19: "The Return"

I can hardly believe that I haven't done a Once Upon a Time episode review since April. APRIL! I am such a bad little television blogger. :-P Without further ado let's dive into episode 19, a nicely Mr. Gold-centric story featuring the tantalizing title "The Return."

For much of August W. Booth's (Eion Bailey) tenure on Once, I was pulling for his fairy tale identity to be that of Rumple's long-lost son, Baelfire (first introduced in "Desperate Souls"). With season two under way, I think it's probably alright if I go ahead and acknowledge that August's fairy tale identity is Pinocchio  a long-held season one rumor that I denied to the end (since that film has never been a favorite of mine, and I thought August was too handsome and deliciously enigmatic to be A Wooden Boy (*wink* oh, those subtle clues with initials!). But now that  the mystery has been resolved, here I'll try to touch on how the writers kept the suspense going throughout this fantastic episode.

Right at the opening we see August laying in his room at Granny's, writhing in apparent severe pain. He barely manages to make it to the phone where he places a call, cryptically urging the person on the other end of the line to "accelerate the plan." Clearly, the clock is ticking for my favorite motorcycle, leather-wearing mystery of a writer. In short order it is revealed that August called a meeting with Henry (Jared Gilmore), who really rather idolizes him since he's the only adult who believes the curse exists. While Henry enters Mr. Gold's shop, ostensibly to purchase a gift for Mary Margaret, August sneaks in through the back door and begins scouring the shelves of Gold's office, clearly looking for something specific. His search is interrupted by Mr. Gold, who orders him out, but not before there is a tense moment that reads like possible recognition between the two men -- is there a connection? what could it be? Well played, writers, well played.

Meanwhile Emma (Jennifer Morrison) heads to the hospital to interview the not dead yet Kathryn (Anastasia Griffith). Poor woman has no idea who took her or where she's been, only that she was chained in a dark basement, fed, and then inexplicably freed. I was rather relieved that she thought it was ridiculous that Mary Margaret would want to kill her (I was afraid the show might go down that road, relieved when they chose instead to move on), especially since she had come to the realization that her marriage was over and left David her "blessing" (which Regina conveniently BURNED). Dr. Whale (David Anders) is attending during this exchange, and interestingly enough at one point they share a look seeming to suggest that they both share an idea of who would want Mary Margaret framed for murder. I am DYING to know Whale's fairy tale identity, especially since earlier in the season his appearances seemed to suggest he might be Regina's ally, while the season two opener is a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction. (Side note: Wasn't David's visit with Kathryn kinda sweet? I liked that it showed his compassionate side, without suggesting that he YET AGAIN wants to maintain the farce of a marriage that he doesn't know is a CURSE.)

Things get REALLY interesting when Regina (Lana Parrilla) visits Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) and angrily accuses him of reneging on their deal to frame Mary Margaret for murder. Seeing Regina lose it like this, admitting she's such an evil witch, that was a sweet moment. And nevermind that Mr. Gold is not exactly a hero, because I LOVE HIM, and watching him rattle Regina's cage, is indescribably satisfying. She's made what could be a fatal error in assuming that Gold was on her side, since he created the curse at her behest -- but as we've seen thus far in the season, Gold never has less than six possible reasons for doing anything (ha!). Gold's almost off-hand comment that he only broke one deal in his life and that it wasn't Regina's is the segway into Fairy Tale Land where we see Baelfire (Dylan Schmid) playing with a ball. When the boy is nearly hit by a donkey cart, he hurts his leg (which immediately made me think that HERE was the confirmation I'd been wanting that August was Bael! sneaky writers...) -- and when Rumple sees the wound, he uses his dark magic to transform the driver of the cart into a snail which he then squashes, to the horror of his son and the townspeople.

It's fascinating to watch the relatively newly-minted "dark one" interact with his beloved son. At this point Rumple is pretty far gone, but not so far that he isn't wounded, or at the very least peeved when his son repeatedly rebuffs his powers. Rumple has latched onto the idea that his magic can make him a better father, when all Bael wants is the gentle man Rumple once was, one who doesn't drive away all his friends because they're afraid he'll kill them if they beat Bael in a game of tag. Bael manages to extract a promise from his father -- if he can find a way for Rumple to lose his powers without endangering either of them, will he give up power and magic for a peaceful, average life with his son? Rumple agrees, the type of yes that might be extracted from a harried parent who is just humoring their offspring. But apparently Bael isn't Rumple's son for nothing, because he takes this challenge and runs with it.

A young girl who isn't as put off by Rumple's fearsome magic as most children Bael's age suggests that Bael seek out "Ruel ghorm," a magic more ancient than that of the Dark One that transformed Rumple. One evening Bael sneaks into the woods, determined to call this ancient power to him -- and who shows up but the Blue Fairy (Keegan Connor Tracy). WHERE the writers came up with "Ruel gorm" as code for fairy magic is beyond me, but whatevs. :-P She tells Bael that the only way to save his father is to send him someplace without magic, a world that would neutralize his powers. Similar to how we saw Belle awaken a spark of warmth and humanity in the wily trickster, at this point Bael is the only person keeping Rumple's humanity alive, keeping the dark magic from utterly consuming him. She gives him a magic bean (this lends credence to the idea that Bael is the show's "Jack and the Beanstalk" character) and wishes him luck.

At this point, let's catch up on the Storybrooke action. The townspeople have thrown an impromptu getting out of jail party for Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), who is a bit peeved that she suddenly has TONS of friends. :-P During the party, August drops the cryptic remark to Henry that he thinks what he's looking for will find him. Shortly after that Jennifer sends Henry home with a bereft David (Josh Dallas) to avoid an awkward conversation with Mary Margaret, she confronts Gold with her suspicion that he's responsible for Kathryn's reappearance. I love how he's all "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D ASK ME THAT." :-P He's more interested in her opinion of August (I love how she describes him as "a typewriter wrapped in an enigma wrapped in stubble"!). Later a pensive Mr. Gold picks the lock to August's room and searches through his things -- and under a carved donkey figure, he finds a piece of paper with a drawing of a knife identical to the Fairy Tale Land relic that denotes his status as the Dark One. It was only after it was confirmed that August wasn't Bael that I remembered the donkey figure, and how those animals featured in the Pinocchio film. Well played once again, writers. I love how you keep messing with my mind, seeming to hint by Gold's visit to the "fairy" convent, and August's questions about his father, that you're taking the story one direction when in fact you've quite a different path in store for a character.

The thing (okay, one of MANY things) that makes Gold such a fantastic character are the many possibilities the show keeps meting out, possibilities suggesting that Gold isn't beyond redemption, that he hasn't fallen so far that he can't find his own happy ending one day. And given Carlyle's acting in this episode (he KILLED it) I so desperately want to see that play out. Seeing the feared Mr. Gold humble himself enough to go to Archie's office for counseling was a stroke of genius. Archie (Raphael Sbarge) played the delicate balance between fear and professionalism really well, and I loved seeing him recognize, however briefly, that for all his notoriety Mr. Gold is a man burdened by heartache.

Back in Fairy Tale Land, Baelfire takes his skeptical father into the woods, thrilled with the idea of imminent restoration for his little family. Planting the magic bean in the ground, a magical whirlpool opens, slowly dragging Bael and Rumple into its vortex -- and its at this point that Rumple starts to FREAK OUT and makes the decision to break his deal with the one closest to him -- his own son. Using his knife he clings to the side of the whirling earth-vortex and lets Bael go. Once the earth closes, he's immediately overcome with grief and remorse -- but seeing as he is the Dark One, his heart may (sorta) be in the right place but his methods are *ahem* questionable. 

In Storybrooke, Gold has followed August into the woods where he's gone to Gold's cabin, searching for something. Gold broaches the elephant in the room topic, and August doesn't deny it, calling Gold "Papa." And at that point, Gold melts. In rewatching this episode, I can't help but imagine where the show might've gone if Gold's son had been restored to him this early in the game. I realize for dramatic purposes that probably wouldn't be a great idea, but it just killed me seeing all of the hope and raw emotion Carlyle poured into the next few scenes. Gold pours out his heart, telling "Bae" he'd never given up searching for him -- and then the other shoe drops, as August asks for the knife as proof that Gold is truly reformed. And once he gets it, he attempts to call on the Dark One -- the one thing Gold knows his son would never do. 

That pivot, where Gold's all-too-brief joy was replaced by rage is just heart-wrenching. The Storybrooke scenes, where he urges the dying and desperately in need of magic August to push Emma harder to believe -- a task that up to this point has proved distinctly unrewarding, but interestingly enough Gold comments that if August can get Emma to believe him, he may "get" something out of August's death that he wouldn't if he'd simply killed him outright. In Fairy Tale Land, following Bael's disappearance, Rumple calls on the Blue Fairy to reappear. Rumple is ENRAGED, determined to do anything to regain his son, even if that means sacrificing the entire world. While the Blue Fairy seems to believe that type of magic is beyond even the Dark One, Rumple keeps yelling "I will find him" -- and I only realized after rewatching that episode for this post how that declaration eerily echoes Charming's promise to always find Snow. Two lost loves, one pure, one bent on destruction -- both hearts bruised by loss, determined to find the missing pieces.

While August and Mr. Gold OWNED this episode, there are a few other scenes that bear mentioning. First of all, there's David and Mary Margaret's first meeting following her release from jail. Mary Margaret's palpable heartache at David's betrayal, his refusal to believe in her innocence when all the evidence pointed otherwise is crushing. And David's grief, his palpable desire to make it up to her (his TEARS! Dallas can cry really, really well) BROKE MY HEART. Also, Emma's meeting with Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito), where she confronts him with the bug as proof of his complicity with Regina's schemes -- that was a lot of fun. And the concluding scene, where Regina's convinced him to take the rap for Kathryn's kidnapping was pretty contrived -- but worked as well as anything to write the Glass character off the show (since he'd been cast in Revolution - he was my least favorite character, so it isn't a great loss IMO). But the icing on the proverbial cake was Emma's declaration of war on Regina, her promise that she would get her son back, no matter what it took -- that moment made me cheer. Long time coming Emma, long time coming.

Once Upon a Time 1.16: "Heart of Darkness"

This episode of Once Upon a Time took us back to the aftermath of Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) failed attempt to stop Charming's (Josh Dallas) wedding to Abigail, leaving her so crushed and desperate she drinks Rumplestiltskin's potion, wiping out all memories of her lost love. Of course Snow COULDN'T WAIT FIVE MINUTES for Grumpy's (Lee Arenberg) news that Charming bolted from the altar...and OF COURSE making a deal with the wily Rumple doesn't come without some unexpected side effects -- namely, losing the true sense of one's very self.

But we'll get back to Snow's shenanigans in a moment. First we must discuss what is quite possibly the best opening of an episode of all time -- I speak of the impossible, amazingly deflected arrow. Now the impossible shot is a favorite cinematic device of mine, because who doesn't love a carefully orchestrated moment of computer generated awesomeness like that? But Once isn't content with the impossible shot, they have Charming DEFLECT IT WITH HIS SWORD. I could watch Charming be that amazing ALL DAY, I kid you not. :) Anyways, the shot in question is from Charming's evil faux father's lackeys (King George just will NOT SAY DIE!). Apparently Charming has still been hanging out with Red (Meghan Ory) -- good thing I like you, Red, just sayin'! -- so this is also after Red gets the little bomb dropped on her that she turns into a wolf and EATS PEOPLE. She seems to have come to terms with her dual nature, though, as she sends Charming on his way after Snow, buying him some time by transforming into a wolf and attacking the soldiers (which raises the question, is she somehow self-aware in her wolf state now? just wondering...). Like I said, AWESOME opening, right?! :)

Cut to Storybrooke, and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is taking Mary Margaret's MUG SHOT!! Mary is such a prim schoolteacher type the idea of murder is, of course, patently ridiculous -- but Emma has to follow the evidence or else she'll face ousting on charges of favoritism, and of course that wouldn't be helpful. So the mug shot is setting up the idea of Mary Margaret's guilt as a ridiculous concept -- or IS IT?? Because back in Fairy Tale Land we're treated to a glimpse of Snow, looking every inch the fairest of them all, humming a classic song and appearing to bond with a bird. All is sweetness and light until she tries to whack the bird with her broom -- and people that is yet another reason why I love this show. Turn some of the traditional fairy tale tropes on their heads! :)

Enter Grumpy, who leads Snow right into a dwarf-initiated INTERVENTION headed by none other than Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge)! It has been way too long since we've seen much of Jiminy or his Storybrooke counterpart, so this is a nice development, even if Snow is having none of her friends' concern. The formerly kind-hearted princess is hell-bent on alienating everyone who would call themselves her friend -- and what's supposed to be an intervention helping her recognize that Rumple's potion fundamentally changed her turns into something else entirely as Snow decides that all of her problems will be solved if she kills the Evil Queen. Yikes!

Back at the Sheriff's office, Emma prepares to interview Mary Margaret officially and all, and this raises a couple of questions -- like what in her bounty-hunting background qualifies her to be Sheriff? (I miss Graham.) And two, I have not seen a tape recorder like that since the early '90s. Really that is the best technology that Storybrooke law enforcement has to work with?! *sadness* Regina (Lana Parrilla) helpfully decides to sit in on the interrogation (ha!). When Emma brings out the box that held the heart Ruby discovered, there's a nice little shock because it is really Mary Margaret's jewellery box! *GASP* Okay I can buy this, but how can she not have realized that her jewellery box has been missing since before or shortly after Kathryn's disappearance (of course we know why there's no signs of a break-in -- Regina's creepy skull keys!)?! Regina tries to act all empathetic and nice (gag), because after all a broken heart can make a person do "unspeakable things" (methinks she speaks from experience).

In FTL Snow is all gung-ho about her plot to ambush the Queen en route to her summer palace, and this chick means business since she hijacks a lost knight and threatens to lay into him with a PICK AXE if he doesn't answer her questions. After she knocks him unconscious, Grumpy shows up (so he's a tracker too?) and insists that they revisit the Rumple issue -- perhaps he has a potion that can reverse damage losing the memories of her love for Charming did to her personality. For the convenience of the plot, Snow agrees --

Meanwhile, Emma and Henry (Jared Gilmore) are searching the apartment for signs of a break-in that will back up Mary Margaret's story that her jewellery box was stolen. Instead they find a GIGANTIC KNIFE in a floor vent! Henry is bummed because it looks like is grandmother is going to take a murder rap, which sends him moping to the diner where August (Eion Bailey) attempts to cheer him up. HAVE I MENTIONED LATELY THAT I LOVE THE NAME AUGUST? He suggests the answers Henry seeks may be in his precious storybook, which shocks Henry because here is an ADULT PERSON APPEARING TO VALIDATE OPERATION COBRA! This show is getting really good at slowly parsing out information about the erstwhile Stranger, because while it is a huge deal that he would actually affirm the storybook-as-history concept, we still have no idea why or how he came by the knowledge (the suspense is killing me!). Anyways this cheers Henry right up so he dives into the storybook (I want to read this book cover-to-cover so badly). 

David gets a momentary flash of Charming's awesomeness when he storms into Regina's office, insistent that Mary Margaret couldn't have had anything to do with Kathryn's likely murder. I nearly gag as Regina attempts to be all comforting and reasonable, launching into the age-old debate on the origins of evil -- it "isn't born, it's made" (well I have news for you, Regina, I STILL DON'T CARE if you used to be nice because you are the SHREW THAT GROUND GRAHAM'S HEART TO DUST!). She then blathers on about how "evil doesn't always look evil," and because David's biggest Storybrooke downfall is being RIDDLED WITH SELF-DOUBT her carefully placed words hit home. David decides to go see Archie, hoping that some hypnosis sessions will help him remember what he's done during his blackout periods (more on that in a sec).

At the jail, Emma is saddled with the unenviable task of advising Mary Margaret to get a lawyer when *BOOM* Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) walks in and offers his services -- OF COURSE HE'S A LAWYER TOO! Gah! I love this! Mary is getting pretty desperate so she agrees over Emma's objections. When she tells Gold she can't afford to pay him he surprisingly demurs, saying he'll take on the case for free because he's "invested in her future" (I AM DYING TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!).

In FTL, Grumpy and Snow have finally made it to Rumple's digs, where he drops the unfortunate news that there's no potion available that can restore Snow's niceness (so he helpfully provides her with a magic bow so she can kill the Queen). This hearkens back to earlier talk in the season about the soul-crushing price of magic, something we've seen over and over, particularly in Regina's desperate attempts to hold onto Henry's affection. The only cure is of course true love (which hasn't been bottled -- yet). After Rumple insists that the bow represents his "investment" in Snow's future, she takes off to kill the Queen and Grumpy presumably overtaxed with all of this patience and forbearance that he's had to practice in her presence heads home.

Now this, people, this is where this episode becomes pure awesome. There's been more of a focus on Storybrooke David, and with that comes a whole lot of wishy-washyness so a person could be tempted to forget just how fantastic Charming is in FTL -- and he's on fire here. :) First he braves Rumple's wiles, consequences be damned of making a deal with the green one because HE HAS TO SAVE SNOW FROM HERSELF. In an interesting twist, all Rumple demands as payment for a map to Snow's sniper location is Charming's cloak, from which he later removes a stray hair -- and combining that with the earlier hair he extracted from Snow as payment for the forgetful potion, the man has bottled true love. The question of course remains what the heck will he do with it?!

Fast forward a few hours (?) and Charming sneaks up on Snow and kisses her, sure that true love's kiss will magically restore her memories. Sadly that idea tanks and it appears Snow might succeed with her assassination attempt, but Jiminy (who really gets around) has freed the Prince and given him a valuable piece of advice -- Snow didn't only lose her memories of their love, she lost all memory of who she is at a very fundamental level. So just when we think Snow's arrow may hit its mark, Charming jumps in its path and at this point I'm ready to scream YES!!! Because if he's not fighting with a sword or horse, taking an arrow in the shoulder for his one true love is the next best thing. :) When Charming tells Snow he'd rather die for her than see her heart filled with darkness (shout-out to Joseph Conrad!), I absolutely melted into a puddle of goo. As Charming, Dallas is in the running for best film prince portrayal of all time. ALL TIME!

Charming's faith, his willingness to sacrifice his life for Snow's, that is the true love magic that brings Snow back. And just when I think (hope) that this adorable couple may have bought themselves five minutes of happiness in FTL, evil King George's men ride up and throw Charming in a paddywagon (boo!! hiss!!!), leaving Snow to co-opt Charming's declaration that she will always find him. GOSH I LOVE THESE CRAZY KIDS! So while Snow may be without Charming in FTL, now that she's nice again the dwarves vow to help her get him back. But in Storybrooke, things are not going so well for the ill-fated pair. David's hypnosis session with Archie has unearthed memories of evil Snow vowing to kill "her," memories hazy enough that David "assumes" they occurred in the present, not in an alternate reality (guess I should cut him some slack on that score). Riddled with doubts he once again CRUSHES Mary Margaret's faith the fact that there is any hope for their future (STUPID BOY), leaving her just desperate enough to use the skeleton key she found conveniently hidden in her jail mattress to break out (question -- key planted there by Regina or Mr. Gold?).

Henry's research has somehow led to him discovering Regina's ring of skull keys, which provides the concrete proof Emma needs to realize that Regina is somehow, for some reason, setting Mary Margaret up. THIS IS PROGRESS! She's so ticked she goes to Mr. Gold for help (YAY), because desperate times call for desperate measures. I may be delusional but I rather think Mr. Gold likes Emma -- and knowing he's no where near as heartless as he'd have us believe, I'm hopeful for a lot of Mr. Gold-related awesomeness in the near future. :) A pretty solid episode, great for picture opportunities, no? :)

Once Upon a Time 1.8: "Desperate Souls"

Following Graham's shocking death, Once Upon a Time returned this past Sunday proving that yes, indeed, there is life after that CRUSHING HEARTBREAK (maybe I'm still a little bitter, hmm? *wink*). Emma (Jennifer Morrison) appears to be this great mixture of heartbroken and determined after Graham's death, the grief over what could have been spurring her to carry on his work as sheriff. This desire is solidified by a conversation with the enigmatic Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle), who urges her to accept a keepsake from Graham's possessions and tells her that as deputy after two weeks she is free to assume the role of sheriff. Regina (Lana Parrilla) is of course having none of that, determined to remove the thorn that is Emma from her side once and for all by using her power as mayor to appoint her lackey Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito) as the new sheriff and firing Emma. Surprising us once again it's Mr. Gold who informs Emma that Regina is not as powerful as she might think, and offers to back Emma in an open election for Graham's empty office.

Unlike Emma, we all know that since Mr. Gold's Fairy Tale Land alter-ego is Rumplestiltskin that he can't and shouldn't be trusted, but the questions of what drives him and how he became a manipulative, power-hungry dealmaker have remained unanswered thus far. This episode begins to address that by lifting the curtain on Rumple's backstory. Not surprisingly, Rumple was a poor weaver (a nice nod to the character's traditional story), but more surprisingly he was a devoted father. At this point in Rumple's corner of Fairy Tale Land, children are being forcibly conscripted in the army to fight in the ogre wars, a sure death that Rumple is determined to protect his son from, especially since he lives in disgrace having fled from another battle in fear (where he earned his limp, apparently).

This episode plays with an idea that's been mentioned multiple times since the start of the series -- the idea of magic having a price, of exacting a terrible toll on those who use it. Rumple's story is perhaps the show's starkest example yet of the price of magic, and how it can strip one of his or her humanity, their ability to love and feel. I can't remember the show mentioning the "Dark One" prior to this episode, so please let me know if I'm forgetting something. ANYWAYS...a beggar (played by Brad Dourif -- yay for Lord of the Rings alum!) manipulates Rumple into stealing a dagger that controls the Dark One's power, only said beggar turns out to be the Dark One, who'd rather die than live with the burden of magic and its power any longer. YIKES. This idea that there are forces that just shouldn't be trifled with, that no matter how well-intentioned a person is when approaching the use of magic the temptation to take things too far will always be there -- it is a powerful, intriguing concept and I look forward to seeing how the show develops that theme. Particularly in relation to Emma, as her lack of knowledge and understanding about the curse and everyone's fairy tale counterpart is potentially a handicap and a very real threat to her well-being.

Besides providing us with Rumplestiltskin's backstory, this episode once again gave Morrison a chance to really shine and show us Emma's heart. I've liked the Emma/Henry (Jared Gilmore) dynamic from the beginning, but even more so now as Emma is really settling into life in Storybrooke and wrapping her head around the idea that she wants to be a part of her son's life. And seriously, who wouldn't? Henry is ADORABLE. When I saw how upset he was over Graham's death I just wanted to give him a hug -- that kind of guilt, over feeling responsible for Graham's death (and LIVING in the home of the woman you know is responsible) would be a heavy burden for anyone to bear, particularly a child. Graham's death was a wake-up call that "Operation Cobra" isn't just a game, this whole secret identities/curse thing is very real, with consequences to be weighed each step of the way.

Wonderful, messed-up Emma desperately wants to be a hero for her son. And for as much as love seeing Morrison open up her character, make Emma vulnerable, I can also see where this very well-intentioned desire has the potential to be Emma's greatest risk, her Achilles' Heel -- and Mr. Gold knows it. As far as the election results go, the jury's still out for me as to whether or not Mr. Gold engineered the whole thing -- the fire, Emma's response, the townspeople rallying around her, or if he just reacted to events and adjusted his response accordingly. I'm quite intrigued by the notion that people dislike Regina but fear Mr. Gold -- and I can't WAIT to see how that plays out in relation to the curse. I have a suspicion that in unleashing this curse, Regina (unintentionally?) put herself under Gold's power -- thoughts?

A few more quick notes -- first of all, how hilarious was it that Sidney Glass is a very literal mirror for Regina's thoughts and policies? Nicely done. :) It was great to see Archie (Raphael Sbarge) again during the pre-election debate, even though he was such a sorry moderator. And who else besides yours truly is ready for Granny (Beverley Elliott) and Ruby (Meghan Ory) to earn their status as series regulars? They regularly pop up in Storybrooke crowd scenes, but so for Ruby's most noticeable quality is looking pouty and wearing entirely inappropriate clothes. *sigh* It is past time for the show to delve into Little Red Riding Hood's story (apparently that is slated to occur in the January 22nd episode).

And finally, since I'm having to get used to a Graham-less Once, I have to draw special attention to Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David's (Josh Dallas) meeting while canvassing for opposing candidates in the sheriff election. COULD THEY BE ANY MORE ADORABLE?! I mean SERIOUSLY!!! The chemistry between them is just white-hot even when they're antagonizing each other. I love it. Note to the Once writers: After this whole Graham debacle, if you touch one HAIR, one SINGLE HAIR on Charming's head you all are DEAD to me. I don't think I could take THAT. :P

Once Upon a Time 1.5: "That Still Small Voice"

So, I've been trying to get a blog written about the fifth episode of Once Upon a Time all week, and good grief has it not cooperated with me. *sigh* Which is odd, since I really enjoyed this episode -- so let's try something novel and make this (relatively) short and sweet, shall we?

That Still Small Voice devoted itself primarily to revealing Jiminy Cricket's (Raphael Sbarge) backstory, before he became Henry's therapist and Dr. Hopper in Storybrooke. I was particularly curious about what makes the fairy tale world's most famous conscience tick, since I have been rather frustrated by his (seemingly) blind acquiesence to Regina's every whim concerning Henry's treatment. Jiminy as MAJOR parent issues. As a child he was trained to be a grifter and pickpocket, roles he reluctantly played for his controlling parents. Constantly beaten down, it is this unsavory aspect of Jiminy's past that the curse has brought forth in Storybrooke -- he knows what is right, but he lacks the courage and self-confidence to act on his conscience. So while Jiminy grows up with a completely weird fascination with crickets and understandable parent issues, I was still rather shocked that his attempt to "fix" his life involved making a deal with Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle). OF COURSE this is going to backfire, as Jiminy's scummy parents pawn off the potion on an kind and unsuspecting couple and it turns them into FREAKY WOODEN PUPPETS! Guilt-ridden, Jiminy wants nothing more than to make things right for the couple's now-orphaned son (a young Gepetto! parents = puppets -- explains a lot!), so he agrees (practically begs, really) to turn into a cricket and serve as Gepetto's friend and conscience through life. This is a friendship that has translated to Storybrooke, as a now adult Gepetto (Marco in Storybrooke, played by Tony Amendola) is Dr. Hopper's closest friend.

Having made the commitment to live right in Fairy Tale Land, Dr. Hopper has to find the courage to do the whole thing all over again in Storybrooke. After Emma (Jennifer Morrison) clips on the deputy's badge, making a literal commitment to the town, there's a collapse at an old mine. It seems Emma has the curse quaking, literally. Regina (Lana Parrilla) wants to bulldoze the area, but Henry (Jared Gilmore) rightly suspects that the land is hiding a fairy tale-related secret. In a rage Regina commits the cruelest act against Henry yet -- promising to ruin Dr. Hopper if he doesn't crush Henry's "delusions," she blackmails the therapist into altering treatment to meet her whims. People, that ticked me off probably more than anything Regina's done thus far -- Henry holds a special place in my heart and it just tears me up when he gets upset on-screen. This Gilmore kid is GOOD. *wink* Henry determines to prove Dr. Hopper wrong and enters the mine -- and horrified by the danger he's put Henry in, Dr. Hopper follows and the two are caught in a cave-in, where they can have some serious therapy time and talk out their issues.

Couple of things -- one, Dr. Hopper's dog is named PONGO. This just confirms what I've thought from the beginning, that Once is just a live-action Disney show. I fully expect to see Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King at some point (crazier things could happen, right?). Two, Regina's idea to dynamite the mine open was the DUMBEST IDEA EVER. Clearly no one in Fairy Tale Land had the necessary skills to translate into a decent real-world mining engineer/explosives expert. But it did drive home an aspect of her character that I'd forgotten about -- the cost casting this curse brought to her own life. Regina CAN'T love Henry -- she's incapable of loving anyone. So all of her grabbiness and worry about Henry are control issues, a show she puts on to mask the void in her life that she's incapable of making real, meaingful connections with those closest to her.

I think the thing I love most about Henry (besides the fact that Gilmore is one of the most adorable and talented child actors to grace the screen in I don't know HOW long) is his faith and never-say-die attitude. Even though he has yet to win someone over to his belief in the curse and everyone's secret identities, he refuses to give up on his belief in something more. He's that reminder of what it's like to be a child and to believe anything and everything is possible -- something that is lost to some degree or other en route to adulthood. Henry's belief in possibilities and his ability to forgive are not just endearing qualitites but an illustration, I think, of walking out a life of faith. By the end of this episode I had a lot of respect for Dr. Hopper, not only because he actually listens to Henry, but for how he stands up to Regina, daring to suggest that she might lose custody of her son someday. That, my friends, was an awesome moment.

While all of this was going on, Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David a.k.a. John Doe (Josh Dallas) are all flirty and adorable, completely oblivious to the fact that their flippin' GRANDSON is stuck in a cave-in. David is completely irrisistable, and to Mary Margaret's credit she does a better job than most withstanding his considerable charms ("you're the only thing here that feels real" -- yes, I did turn into a puddle, I confess). I love how even thought Mary and David don't know why they're drawn to each other, the curse was incapable of negating the connection between them -- true love conquers all indeed! But this brings up an interesting point -- do you think that David is actually married to Kathryn (Anastasia Griffith), the blonde snob from Fairy Tale Land? Or is the marriage a fiction of the curse? I also thought it was interesting that Emma counsels Mary against getting involved with a married man -- the way she said it made me wonder if Henry was the product of her own affair with a married man, and that's why his father wasn't in the picture when she gave birth -- thoughts?

A friend of mine sent me this link on Facebook that lists some important takeaway points from a recent Entertainment Weekly article on Once. Please check out the post when you get a chance -- the two points that probably intrigue me the most are that Henry's father is important & when we meet him we might not realize his identity, and that Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) is pivotal to the story. Yes,  my friends, my darling Sheriff is PIVOTAL TO THE STORY. This goes a long way towards restoring my faith in his possible redemption after last week's sleeping with the enemy revelation. *whew* Oh, and before I forget -- the episode recap on the show's website confirms what I suspected -- the piece of glass Regina tosses into the mine lands on Snow White's coffin!

Once Upon a Time 1.2: "The Thing You Love Most"

While I enjoyed this past Sunday night's Once Upon a Time episode, the show still has a long way to go if it is going to convince me that it can be viable and engaging television beyond ten episodes or so (because this still really, really "feels" like a miniseries). The second episode, aptly entitled "The Thing You Love Most," explored that concept in both real-world Storybrooke as Regina a.k.a. the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) attempts to permanently oust Emma (Jennifer Morrison) from her son Henry's (Jared Gilmore) life. In Fairy Tale Land, we're treated to a lengthy flashback detailing how the Evil Queen cast the curse, and in doing so what it cost her (though we're still in the dark as to how exactly Snow White earned her emnity).

Since I am a HUGE Sleeping Beauty fan, I was completely geeked out by the appearance of Maleficent (Kristin Bauer). I liked the idea that these "evil queens" traded curses in their attempts to wreak havoc on their enemies -- the Evil Queen's crack about Maleficent's sleeping curse being broken by a lousy kiss was pretty funny. I found myself somewhat surprised by what the Evil Queen had -- or perhaps I should say, was willing -- to sacrifice in order to cast this curse to end all curses and wreck Snow's happiness. (Note to ABC: the smoke monster thing is still unbearably stupid looking!) I'm eager to learn what exactly Snow did to cross the Queen, because murdering her father (Tony Perez) elevates the Queen's perceived wrong much higher than the traditional "who is the fairest in the land" story beat.

Interestingly enough, I am getting the impression that Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) isn't so much in league with the Queen, as I half suspected after the premiere, but merely out for his own personal gain. I am fascinated by the idea that Rumplestiltskin is somehow impervious to the Queen's curse -- and that she is apparently blind to the fact that he's playing her. She seems to savvy for that, but everyone has an Achilles' heel, hmm? Is Rumplestiltskin somehow calling the shots? Interesting possibilities...

The real-world action in Storybrooke was this episode's strongest aspect. I was rather surprised to learn that Regina apparently has no clear memory of her true identity as Fairy Tale Land's Evil Queen -- though I suspect her "true" personality is going to become more apparent week after week as Emma's arrival set time on the move again. Little details, like the fact that Regina is obsessed with apples -- even going so far as to offer a basket to Emma -- are nice ways of incorporating key aspects of the traditional stories in the modern day.

Morrison and Gilmore have a wonderful mother/son relational chemistry -- how Emma is drawn to her son, despite the fact that they just met, is a great indicator of warmth in her tough-as-nails bail bonds woman personality, and speaks to her hunger for a sense of belonging, of family and community. In the context of Storybrooke I haven't been able to buy for one moment that Regina has actual, genuine maternal feelings for her adopted son. I'm open to being convinced -- but her hunger to keep his attention on her smacks more of desperation and manipulation than it does familial feeling. The revelation that Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin) "brought" Emma's son to Storybrooke, and that Regina named the child Henry, after her murdered father, suggests that the dire prophecy Maleficent spoke in regards to the curse has come true. In order to exact her revenge on Snow White, by unleashing the dark curse the Evil Queen has ripped open a void inside her -- a void for affection and familial love, the latter of which she destroyed with her father's death -- that cannot be filled even in Storybrooke, where her real-world alter-ego isn't even fully aware of the reason for the gaping emptiness inside.

While Emma has a long way to go before she's able to accept Henry's fairy tale claims, I like the fact that right now, she's playing along, if you will, because she realizes its more important to validate Henry than give him a "reality check." I love how Morrison is showing us how Henry's suggestions are impacting Emma's view of the people she encounters -- particularly when it comes to Mary Margaret/Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). So far, the connection Mary and Emma feel, that sense of "knowing" each other but not knowing why is being played relatively well on-screen (I confess I did like the cinnamon on hot chocolate cue). I can sympathize with Emma's incredulity; after all, it would be hard to wrap your head around the idea that you were somehow the same age as your mother. *wink*

A few more quick notes -- loved meeting the Queen's Mirror (Giancarlo Esposito), and discovering that his real-world counterpart is the editor of a gossipy newspaper. I continue to be disturbed by the idea that Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge) is a psychiatrist, and for all his seeming concern about Henry is willing to compromise his patient files on Regina's word. And could Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) be any more adorable?? If he turns out to be in the Evil Queen's camp I will be crushed. His final conversation with Regina seems to suggest that he believes in Emma's innocence, and doubt's Regina's motives, so hopefully he'll stand up for that at some point.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how Once Upon a Time is progressing. I'm enjoying it thus far, but I'm not completely sold on the future of the show long-term. However, it is rather fun to see how familiar fairy tale characters appear in Storybrooke, and how Regina and Emma are awakening to the enmity between them that is apparently Emma's birthright. As long as future episodes feature a lot of Sheriff Graham and Prince Charming comes back, I'll be happy. *wink*

Once Upon a Time 1.1: "Pilot"

ABC's Once Upon a Time was one of the most hotly anticipated (or perhaps I should say well-advertised?) shows of the new fall season that finally debuted this past Sunday. I've mentioned many times here how much I adore fairy tales, traditional and reimagined, and Once seemed guaranteed to suit my tastes. Needless to say, despite some reservations -- or perhaps I should say questions? -- about how the high concept of this show will play out, I thoroughly enjoyed the premiere. So let's talk. :)

Fairy Tale Land is a place renowned for its happy endings, and as the show opens we get to witness one of the most famous play out -- Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) awakening Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) with true love's kiss. Their happily ever after is tarnished by the promise of the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), who threatens that she will destroy the happy endings of every person who stands in her way. Cut to the "real world" where Emma Swann (Jennifer Morrison), a tough-as-nails bail bondswoman catching a client on what just happens to be her birthday. She's a loner, and while later blowing out a birthday candle on her celebratory cupcake (NICELY staged scene!), a young boy shows up on her doorstep. The boy is Henry (Jared Gilmore), who turns out to be the baby she'd given up for adoption ten years ago. Henry begs Emma to return with him to his hometown of Storybrooke, Maine. Much to Emma's chagrin, Henry is convinced that every story in his precious book of fairy tales is true, and that only Emma can help the citizens of Storybrooke remember who they truly are -- denizens of of Fairy Tale Land who were robbed of their happy endings by his evil adoptive mother Regina, the town mayor.

This episode introduces several of the main fairy tale characters and their real-world counterparts, as the narrative cuts between Emma and Henry's present and "flashback" scenes revealing how the Evil Queen's curse came to be. For the most part I absolutely loved the look of this show, in particular the Fairy Tale Land scenes -- the colors, the "richness" of the fabrics and set pieces were a visual feast! There is some dicey CGI in the Fairy Tale Land exterior scenes that just screamed "fake," which was unfortunate, but for the most part everything worked beautifully setting up the difference between the real world and the fairy tale one. (I just have to say, though, the Queen's curse was a friggin' SMOKE MONSTER?? Really? That was INCREDIBLY lame and looked just terrible on-screen. Bah...)

I loved Goodwin and Dallas as Snow White and Prince Charming -- Goodwin's looks fit the character perfectly, and she's capable of expressing this wide-eyed sincerity that just seems to scream "Snow White" to me, while Dallas -- well I'd be hard-pressed to ask for a more dashing Prince. :) Their heartbreak over having to sacrifice twenty-eight years together, until their daughter can break the Queen's curse -- or so Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) promises -- is played out with a heart-rending, sense of the epic that lends the concept of this show a cinematic flair. And the Prince's dramatic swordfight while holding his baby daughter was EPIC. Absolutely loved it.

Likewise I was extremely impressed with Morrison's performance as Emma. Her past as a supposedly abandoned orphan, her upbringing grounded in the harsh reality of the foster care system, is going to make Henry's task to open her eyes to fairy tales-as-reality quite the tall order. Gilmore is absolutely ADORABLE as Henry. He has all the prepossession of a mini adult and all the hopefulness and simple faith of a child. It is an extraordinarily winsome combination, and its easy to see why Emma finds herself drawn  to him inspite of his outlandish claims. I really look forward to seeing how their relationship develops.

This episode also gives us brief introductions to fairy tale/real world Gepetto/Marco (Tony Amendola), dwarf Grumpy/Leroy (Lee Arenberg), "psychiatrist" Jiminy Cricket/Archie (Raphael Sbarge), and the delightfully cranky Granny (Beverly Elliott) and her granddaughter Ruby (Meghan Ory). Presumably the show plans to introduce more fairy tale characters from the legends -- perhaps specifically the Disney canon, given the dwarves' names? -- throughout the show's run. My concern, if that's the right word for it, is that the constant back-and-forth between real world Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land, where we'll get the classic characters' backstories, will get old really fast. It is not a formula that suggests it will lend itself to forward momentum narritive-wise. I am, however, open to being persuaded otherwise. :)

Some of Storybrooke's residents are not so clearly identifiable -- the adorable Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan), for instance. Do you think he's the Queen's Huntsman -- and therefore I can cling to the hope that he's one of the good guys? Or, given that Emma sees a wolf on the road before she wrecks her car trying to leave town, do you think there's a chance Graham is the the Big Bad Wolf? This leads to another question -- does Rumplestiltskin, a.k.a. Mr. Gold in Storybrooke, recognize Emma because he's in league with the Evil Queen? And did the Evil Queen somehow "know" that Henry was Snow White's grandson? Or was did that just end up being a coincidence? SO MANY QUESTIONS! *wink*

So, if you watched Once Upon a Time, I'd love to hear your thoughts on its premiere. Was it everything you'd hoped, and what do you hope from future episodes? I'd love to discuss theories for how this Storybrooke mess is going to play out. :)

Once Upon a Time preview

I was thrilled to see a trailer debut today for ABC's own fairy-tale themed show coming this fall, entitled Once Upon a Time. It'll be interesting to compare this show with NBC's Grimm - while I'm intrigued by both, at this point I've got to say I'm leaning towards Once being guaranteed must-see TV for me.

Here's the press release about the show (from Daemon's TV):

Synopsis: From the inventive minds of “Lost” executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis comes a bold new imagining of the world, where fairy tales and the modern-day are about to collide.

And they all lived happily ever after – or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She’s a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who’s been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years ago finds her, everything starts to change. Henry is now 10 years old and in desperate need of Emma’s help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world and is Snow White and Prince Charming’s missing daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen’s curse, which trapped the fairytale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world. Of course Emma doesn’t believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England town. Concerned for Henry, she decides to stay for a while, but she soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It’s a place where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close… where fairytale characters are alive, even though they don’t remember who they once were. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”) as Snow White/Sister Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison (“House MD”) as Emma Swan, Robert Carlyle (“The Full Monty,” “Trainspotting,” “SGU Stargate Universe”) as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham, Jared Gilmore (“Mad Men”) as Henry, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/John Doe and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie.

“Once Upon a Time” was written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who are also executive producers, along with Steve Pearlman (ABC’s “V”). The pilot is directed and executive-produced by Mark Mylod (“Entourage”). “Once Upon a Time” is from ABC Studios.

And here's a trailer:



And  brief show clip (I assume from the premiere):



Thoughts? :)