Television’s Once Upon a Time

This article is written for people who are trying to watch ABC’s television series, Once Upon a Time, which premiered October 23, 2011. It is hard to explain the storyline without giving away some potential spoilers if you have not watched the show at all and wish to watch it from the start. With that in mind this article should help fill new viewers into what is going on, and has already gone on, in Once Upon a Time.

Fans of LOST will understand how the show works, with multiple time lines and flash backs. Once Upon a Time tells a story in modern time, but with roots in fairytale kingdom from the past; and flashes between these time lines, telling us what happened, and what is happening.

Once Upon a Time does take artistic license in changing the fairy tales as we know them but things are basically the same.

The Evil Queen is jealous of Snow White, and full of hate towards her, blaming Snow for taking that which she loved the most. Snow White eventually meets, and marries, Prince Charming where upon the Evil Queen interrupts the wedding and promises to destroy their happiness. This eventually occurs on the day Snow White gives birth to their first child, and the curse (in the form of a black smoke) sweeps into the kingdom, but not before Prince Charming is able to put the baby, Emma, into a wardrobe where she vanishes into the future. The Evil Queen tells them that the curse will deny them their memories of happiness or of even knowing each other. But alas, Rumplestiltskin has already noted that the baby will return to cause a war that can break the curse.

In modern times it appears that all the fairy tale people have adopted to modern life with no memories of the past. They all live in Strorybrooke, Maine, and cannot leave, except one; Henry. Henry was not in the fairy tale kingdoms, he was a boy adopted by Storybrooke’s Major, who just happens to the the Evil Queen, and see does seem to have memories of the past.

Henry is the biological son of Emma (daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, now all grown up), who “came out” of the wardrobe in modern times as an abandoned baby. Emma got pregnant and gave birth to Henry while in prison, and placed him for adoption. At which time the Mayor adopted him, but Henry left Storybrooke to find his mother, because Henry is the one person who sees through it all and realizes that Emma Swan is not only his mother, but the baby of Snow White and Prince Charming, who have not aged, and only have a faint memory of each other.

Henry has come to understand most of the story but convincing others is difficult, even Emma is not yet convinced.

Characters from both worlds

The Evil Queen = the Mayor, Regina Mills

Snow White = school teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard

Prince Charming, James = David Nolan, he is in a coma for several episodes

Jiminy Cricket = therapist, Archibald Hopper

Red Riding Hood = Ruby

The Huntsman = the Sherriff, Graham

Rumplestiltskin = antique dealer, Mr Gold

If you were a fan of LOST, I highly encourage you to watch Once Upon a Time, ideally from the start.

Would you like to write for sites like this, and get Paid, please join me on Triond by clicking here.