There are no women in distress, and monsters are not so easy to see on this hot TV drama.
This show has taken viewers to some interesting places in four seasons. We have seen the humble town of Storybrooke, and the show has also taken us to Neverland, The Enchanted Forest, The Land of Oz and even Wonderland. But this season you get to see Arendelle, made famous from the world of Frozen. Each season there is a new villain wanting to create havoc on the people of this town, but the reasons are not always black and white. Whether it is for their own evil goals or to change the past, no matter what happens it is guaranteed to impress. You will be sure to not only learn new angles to these familiar characters, but see why the are the way that they are. It is definitely a one of a kind show.
In a fantasy and romance class that I attended in college that I was required to watch a few episodes as a homework assignment. I was intrigued by the way it jumps from the past to what is going on in the present, and found myself instantly loving this show. I really liked how you see familiar characters like Snow White, Prince Charming, the Seven Dwarfs, Rumpelstiltskin, Belle, Gepetto, Jimminy Cricket, The Evil Queen and others in an entirely new way.
Each of these characters were familiar, but not how you may have remembered them. Snow White was seen as a murderer and was tough, strong and was more than able to take care of herself. She needed no man to save her, and yet Prince Charming found her, and they do fall in love, but not in the way you read in storybooks. They meet in a strange way, and do not like each other, let alone love each other. To see how Prince Charming and Snow get together is not only different, but it makes more sense in reality. It is also great to see how although they do not need each other to live, they are stronger together than if they were apart.
The Seven Dwarfs have some similarities with their fairy tale origins. There is Grumpy, Sleepy, Doc, Dopey, Sneezy and the rest. But they don’t seem as small and they live simple lives. In the beginning they do not need Snow White, but once she enters their lives they find she makes them all better people. They become fast friends and her allies when times get rough.
Jennifer Morrison (Emma) and Jared S. Gilmore (Henry) are the perfect team on this show. It is an interesting relationship, with Henry many times acting like the adult while Emma is the curious, confused child. Everything Henry says is true, but Emma refuses to believe it. Out of love she plays along, but only through pain does she finally see the truth. The show flows perfectly because of this chemistry,and each season you will be eager to see what happens next.
Lana Parilla (Regina Mills/ Evil Queen) is the perfect villain for this show. She plays the black hearted, hungry for revenge role very well, it is quite convincing. Each week you will be shocked to see how cruel she is, and no matter what sympathy the show tries to pull, it is hard to feel sorry for her. She is one of the best villains I have seen in years on a TV show, a person who truly is revenge incarnate.
We cannot forget Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/ Rumpelstiltskin), a person who is truly a dark one (watch the show, you will understand why). Even though his beginnings were rough and he has had good intentions, it is hard to like this man. But the most interesting thing about this person is the layers that this character has. From the first season to now, you learn new things about his past. There never seems to be an end to his evil ambition, and even when he seems to have changed it is hard to tell if he really means it. I personally tune in each week to see him, one of my favorite characters on any TV show in a long time.
The first season is by far the most interesting, with no one in town remembering who they are or what their past lives were like, all because of a strong curse by the Evil Queen. Regina, the mayor of Storybrooke lives there with her adopted son, Henry. He has a book full of fairy tales that was given to him by Mary Margaret, his school teacher. The town has a sheriff, who happens to have a little love affair with the Mayor. There is Mr. Gold, a strange reclusive man, who runs an antique shop and right away you can tell there is more to him than meets the eye. The town gets turned upside down when Henry goes to the city to bring Emma to Storybrooke, the supposed daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and the person who is destined to lift the curse and help everyone remember again. Things get stranger when a new person named August shows up, a writer who again is not who he says he is. By the end, the curse is lifted and everyone finally remembers who they are, but not without some loss and pain along the way. Viewers learn a lot about all of the characters in this town and why they act the way they do.
Once the curse is lifted, things just get crazier from there. In early season two, Emma and Mary Margaret (Snow White) end up in the Enchanted Forest. There they meet Mulan and Princess Aurora, two very strong women. Mulan is a woman who has always been there with Aurora’s love Philip while she was asleep to not only make sure she is protected from harm, but that one day she will be awakened from her curse. In this season you really get to see Emma and Snow be strong female role models. Snow knows the land, and with her trusty bow will do all she can to protect her daughter and reunite her family. Emma is the outsider of this land, but she also is not weak. She has always been able to take care of herself, and with her street smarts and determination helps her make sure her goals become a reality.
The best thing about this show is to see the characters grow and develop. Regina goes from an evil queen to a woman who not only has a heart, but someone who begins to care about others. She no longer wants to cause people pain, but instead help them in whatever ways she can. Emma is very stubborn in the beginning, but Henry helps change that slowly. He is her rock in this new town, and never gives up on her, even when she doubts herself. Snow is also a great character on this show. The first few seasons she is the best role model any girl could ask for. To see Snow as a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man to fight her battles for her and save her is a great change. She is not only strong but wise, and knows when it is time to trust fate. When things get too hard or the cost to great to win, she makes sure to find another way and learn from the loss.
This is one of the most original shows I have seen in years, and one that I personally look forward to tuning into each week. Each season has not disappointED me, and it has been an honor and a privilege for me to watch all of these unique worlds come together. All of these characters would normally not mix, but in this small town they not only come together but they thrive. No matter what twists or turns that come their way, they always make sure to not only come out on top, but to become stronger and wiser for it. There has been times of pain and great loss, but these characters never let it bring them down. If you have not seen this show yet, you have to watch. There is truly nothing like it one TV, a welcome change indeed.
If you are a fan of Fairytale characters, you must watch this show. If you are looking for a new fantasy series to get into, look no further. With all of the shows out there, this show is a diamond in the rough. The characters are very multi-dimensional, and people of all ages can learn things from them. Check this show out each Sunday at 8pm on ABC. Trust me, you will be glad that you did.