By Trodayne Northern October 25, 2011
If the pilot episode is anything by which to judge, it seems that Once Upon a Time is in the business of wish fulfillment. The show opens in familiar terrain as Grimm’s Fairytale’s Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) races to save Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). However, their happily ever after is short-lived, as the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) crashes their nuptials and puts the whole kingdom on notice. The kingdom’s days are numbered for soon a curse will imprison all who reside within and obliterate all their happy endings. Distraught over the curse, Snow White visits the delectably dark and disturbing Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) who prophesizes that nothing can be done about the curse; that it’s success is assured but also that there is still one prospect. The sinister soothsayer reveals their world’s only hope resides with Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), Snow White’s unborn child.
As Snow White gives birth to Emma, the evil Queen returns to realize her vengeance. At Snow White’s request, Prince Charming places their daughter in the wardrobe before sustaining a mortal wound. It seems the Queen has all but won, and they are all doomed to “someplace horrible.” Their doom is indeed horrible. It is banishment to our world, ignorant of any knowledge of their former glory.
This series, created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz of Lost, lived up to every billboard, press release and teaser. These creators used a deft hand to give flesh and blood to these enduring characters, and in this pilot alone have already efficiently begun shaping interesting new twists to the fables we all know and love.
Disney has never been one to shy away from strong female protagonists when reprising fairy tales of old and the same holds true in ABC’s Once Upon a Time. The show’s momentum is carried forward on the shoulders of three strong, well-crafted female characters. And though in the pilot episode their introduction was archetypal, in no way did they seem limited to their archetype. Snow White traditionally in need of rescue was first to draw a sword. The Evil Queen’s anger seemed a bit more complex as if its root resided somewhere beyond mere vanity. The show’s protagonist, Emma Swan, was just that right combination of strong and bad ass, vulnerable and bitter without being cliché due in part to House star, Morrison’s proficient portrayal.
The pilot episode maintained a carefully measured tone throughout that paid homage to what most think of as appropriate for fairy tales, while never forgetting the grimness of such fable’s original accounts. What will be intriguing to watch this season is how the show handles the multiple fairy tales and their interaction with one another. This element, coupled with the show alternating between modern times and the former realm of fantasy, makes for great potential and interesting drama. Coming from the legacy of Lost, Kitsis and Horowitz showed their trust in the intelligence of the audience to digest the story without over explanation, and reaffirmed that a show that the whole family could watch can indeed be judicious and clever.
Historically, writers have often endeavored to use fairy tales as a vehicle by which to tell new or continuing stories. Such practices done well make for some of the most satisfying storytelling of all, and this pilot was quite satisfying, from its special effects and costume design to its acting and direction. While I watched Once Upon a Time, a miniseries from a few years ago came to mind, SyFy’s Tin Man. Yes, they are both remixes using the classic fairytale, of a sort, but what I was struck by is how much anticipation I had for each before they aired. Once Upon a Time has the potential to be so much more than its counterpart Tin Man, because its creators, Kitsis and Horowitz, are working within a format in which they can tell a more developed story. They have the gift of time. I hope they get to use it.
After enjoying my first chapter of Once Upon a Time, I was left with as much anticipation as I had before the show aired. At the end of a pilot for a new show, it doesn’t get much happier than that.
Trodayne Northern is a former educator and academic counselor. He currently freelances as a writer/editor and resides in his Harlem laboratory nurturing his varied creative experiments. Presently, Trodayne works for a well established literary agency based in New York City. A graduate from Ithaca College, Trodayne is working on a series of short stories, and his second book in the proposed CRIMSON duology.
