It’s not surprising that a show like “Once Upon a Time,” which aired its season premiere this past Sunday, is popular; fairytales never really go out of style. The cast is impressive: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison and Eion Bailey, to name a few, (speaking of which, what did they do to Pinocchio???) and Goodwin’s real-life romance with co-star Josh Dallas is too perfect for words. How the writers weave together the different characters (example: Rumpelstiltskin is also Belle’s Beast) is intricate, clever and original.
However, keeping up with all of the storylines as a whole takes a lot of mental work. Personally, I like shows that make me think. For the show’s purpose, I think it also fits to run multiple stories beyond the core storyline. On the other hand, what classifies as a fairytale? In the season opener, Mulan was introduced with Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and I couldn’t help but think, “really?”
The problems from the first season have not been ironed out yet, even though in the current season, time in the fairytale world has caught up with Storybrooke. With so many characters in both worlds, it’s easy to get lost within all of the storylines. Even though it’s the stories that make the show, the writing airs on the melodramatic side. Then again, what can you expect from a fairytale story?
But really, I’m hooked. I’m a sucker for fairytales, and I’m a sucker for a happy ending. Even though some may call “Once Upon a Time” a guilty pleasure, it’s not in any way poor enough to have that label. I’ll still be following for the rest of the season to see how Emma and Mary-Margaret fair in the fairytale world, and how the Storybrooke drama unfolds.
-Kara Gordon
Why didn’t you review the first episode of Season 2? I thought this was the point of the article?