Monday, November 14, 2011

"Once Upon a Time" turns fairy tales into a modern day adventure

I wanted to be Cinderella-when I wasn’t imaging I was escaping the Death Star- as child. I watched the Disney movie and read books all the time. Meeting Cinderella at Disney World was my dream as a small child.

Years later, I found myself watching the new ABC show Once Upon a Time. Once Upon a Time is about a group of fairy tale characters that are stuck in the real world. A woman named Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is the only one who can save them, not that she completely believes that everyone around her is a fairy tale character. Her son, who she gave up for adoption, brought her to Storybrook, Maine. The first three episodes featured Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), The Queen (Lana Parrilla), Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle), Jiminey Cricket (Rapheal Sbarge) and others.

The fourth episode, The Price of Gold, featured Cinderella. You can imagine my excitement at this newest character.

Cinderella makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin to leave her horrible life. You’ll have to check out the show to find out what he wants. Her real life self is a pregnant teenager who ran away.
What makes Once Upon a Time such a fascinating, fun show is the blend of real world and fairy tales. The show jumps between the two, revealing the past of the various characters. Last week’s episode showed how Snow White and Prince “James” Charming met. It features a rich cast of characters that don’t fall into the stereotypical fairy tale roles. Snow White, for example, is strong, smart and can take care of herself. She and Prince Charming (or James, if you prefer), have an equal partnership.

Many of us look fondly upon fairy tales. Once Upon a Time winds those stories into a delightful modern-day setting. Each episode moves the story along while explaining the backstory. It’s one of those shows that viewers are sad to see the end.

Is it Sunday night yet?

Once Upon a Time airs at 8 p.m. on Sundays.

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