{"id":23580,"date":"2013-12-18T06:30:11","date_gmt":"2013-12-17T17:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/?p=23580"},"modified":"2013-12-17T20:35:08","modified_gmt":"2013-12-17T07:35:08","slug":"big-worlds-on-small-screens-rebecca-fisher-discusses-once-upon-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2013\/12\/18\/big-worlds-on-small-screens-rebecca-fisher-discusses-once-upon-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Once Upon A Time”"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Rebecca Fisher<\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fairytales are popular fodder for entertainment these days. When I say that, I\u2019m not talking about the fantasy genre in general, but fairytales specifically<\/em>. Hollywood has recently drawn upon them for big-budget films such as Snow White and the Huntsman<\/strong>, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters<\/strong> and Jack and the Beanstalk<\/strong>, whilst shows like Grimm <\/strong>and Once Upon a Time<\/strong> also use the old tales as a basis for their storylines. Why the sudden resurgence in popularity? I\u2019m not sure exactly, I only know that I like the results.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Premiering on television in 2011, Once Upon a Time is an elaborate mash-up of fairytales strewn throughout a serialized drama, detailing the strange events that take place in the modest township of Storybrooke, Maine and how they\u2019re linked with the fantasy kingdom in the Enchanted Forest, populated by figures such as Snow White, Red Riding Hood, the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin and more. <\/span><\/p>\n

Currently in its third season, the show was popular enough to warrant its own spin-off: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland<\/strong>, which (obviously) is based on Lewis Carroll\u2019s Alice in Wonderland<\/strong> stories. In both shows, the themes and narratives are deeply concerned with the individual search for a happy ending \u2013 and what exactly \u201chappiness\u201d actually entails. <\/span><\/p>\n

Premise:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming\u2019s wedding was gate-crashed by the Evil Queen, eager to take revenge against the happy couple. In front of the entire kingdom, she promises them that a curse is coming, one that will strip them all of they hold dear and transport them to a world where there are no happy endings. <\/span><\/p>\n

Months later, Snow White\u2019s child is born on the exact same day that the curse arrives, but thanks to some forward planning (and a deal with the devil), Snow and Charming ensure that she\u2019s transported out of the palace and into another world before the curse takes hold. All they\u2019re left to cling to is the hope that one day their daughter will fulfil the prophecy made before her birth: that she will return one day to save them from the Queen\u2019s evil. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Our heroine Emma Swan (in the red jacket) and her son Henry<\/em><\/p>\n

Years later, Emma Swan makes her living as a bondswoman and bounty hunter, celebrating her 28th<\/sup> birthday alone when she hears a knock at her apartment door. It\u2019s a little boy called Henry who claims to be the son she gave up for adoption when she was just a teenager. Driving him back to the township of Storybrooke, she hears an extraordinary tale from him on the way: that the town is populated by storybook characters under an evil curse. According to him, his adopted mother is the Evil Queen, his school teacher is Snow White, and the antique store owner is Rumplestiltskin, just to name a few. Naturally Emma doesn\u2019t believe a word, but she does notice something odd about the place, especially after meeting Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke and Henry\u2019s mother. Following her instincts, Emma decides to stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

What soon becomes apparent (at least to the audience if not Emma) is that Henry is telling the truth. His mother is the Evil Queen and Storybrooke is her \u201cholding cell\u201d for the citizens of the Enchanted Forest, each one separated from their loved ones and robbed of their memories, living out a monotonous existence as mere shadows of their former selves. Yet Emma\u2019s presence begins to break the curse\u2019s hold, and day by day the entire town begins to rouse itself from its twenty-eight year inertia…<\/span><\/p>\n

Story:<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a compelling set-up, one that gives the writers room to play around with the narratives of our most famous fairytales. The show\u2019s format closely resembles that of Lost<\/strong> in its use of its dual storylines, a shared trait that isn\u2019t that surprising considering many of the show-runners and writers (and even a few actors) worked on the latter show. Each episode has two parallel storylines that centre on a specific character, exploring their lives under the curse in contemporary Storybrooke, and in flashbacks that provide insight into who they were in the Enchanted Forest. Half the initial fun is in trying to guess which Storybrooke resident is what fairytale character, and most of their stories have a clever twist in regards to their backstories, personality, or how the curse effects each one personally. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Mayor Regina Mills, presiding over her kingdom<\/em><\/p>\n

As Emma gets to know them all, the residents of Storybrooke begins to grapple with the curse and reclaim some of their own identities. But naturally, Queen Regina isn\u2019t about to let her little playground of trapped souls go without a fight, and soon she and Emma are at odds, particularly over Henry\u2019s wellbeing. This is a love triangle with a difference, for over the course of the series Regina and Emma are in what could easily be called competition over their son\u2019s affections and loyalty, though at the same time their shared interest in his happiness forms a bond between them. The trio of Emma, Regina and Snow White make up the crux of the show\u2019s emotional centre, and the history that emerges between the three of them (particularly in regards to the Regina\/Snow White vendetta) provides some of the show\u2019s most compelling scenes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Evil Queen offers Snow White the poisoned apple<\/em><\/p>\n

Characters:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Perhaps the most appealing part of the show is watching how it spins our assumptions of well-known characters on their heads. It would spoil the fun if I gave too much away, but suffice to say that everyone manages to subvert expectations in some way. Little Red Riding Hood has an interesting relationship to the Big Bad Wolf, and Prince Charming wasn\u2019t always a prince. Rumplestiltskin is a Machiavellian plotter and the Evil Queen \u2013 well, let\u2019s just say she thinks she has a good reason to hate Snow White. Their identities in the real world all have meaningful pseudonyms (for example, Cinderella is called Ashley<\/em> Boyd, whilst Snow White is Mary Margaret Blanchard<\/em>) and oftentimes more than one fairytale persona can be conflated into a single character.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it gets a bit strange, for alongside the fairytale characters who are part of the oral tradition of storytelling are those that actually belong in books, such as the cast of Pinocchio<\/strong> and Peter Pan<\/strong>. The writers play fast and loose with the source material, and often draw upon the more modern Disney versions of the characters rather than their folklore origins. As such, the seven dwarfs are referred to as Grumpy, Sleepy, Happy, and so on \u2013 names that were popularized in the Walt Disney film. Be sure to watch out for a slew of other Disney-related in-jokes over the course of the show.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>That\u2019s Belle, and that\u2019s a chipped cup. Think about it.<\/em><\/p>\n

But the massive cast means that some characters fall through the cracks, and at least three interesting and popular characters were kept on the back-burner for so long that their actors quit for greener pastures, leading to their disappointing absence from later episodes. After a certain point you wish the writers would stop introducing new<\/em> characters and simply concentrate on the ones they\u2019ve got, though at least we can say that the revolving cast keeps things interesting.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Along with providing plenty of twists on the old storybook tales, the show\u2019s most appealing feature is its girl-power slant. As most of the main characters are women, each one with the capacity to be complex, damaged, heroic, flawed, and interesting, it passes the Bechdel Test with flying colours, and seldom utilizes the old \u201cdamsel in distress\u201d clich\u00e9. It doesn\u2019t do such a great job with its diversity, as most black characters are either dead or evil (or both), but the latest casting news promises a significant step forward in this respect.<\/p>\n

With every new episode the show delves deeper into its own mythology, and the themes of family and happiness are more fully explored when the time comes for heroes and villains to work together in achieving a common goal. Once Upon a Time<\/strong> isn\u2019t always perfect, but the show\u2019s initial premise has already carried it into three seasons, and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Next Time:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Ned has a special gift, though some would call it a curse. With a simple touch, he can bring the dead back to life \u2013 though only for a minute, or else someone else will die in order to maintain cosmic balance. In a whimsical Fifties-inspired world, where everything is awash in bright colours and people spontaneously break into song just because they can, Pushing Daisies<\/strong> was a short-lived but unforgettable cult classic that fell victim to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike. Still, it lives on in DVD collections, and we\u2019ll take a closer look at it next time.<\/span><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rebecca Fisher<\/p><\/div>\n

About The Reviewer:<\/h3>\n

Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com<\/a>, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com<\/a> and her own LiveJournal<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n

To read Rebecca\u2019s detailed introduction of both herself and the series, as well as preceding Big Worlds On Small Screens<\/strong> reviews, click on:<\/p>\n

Big Worlds On Small Screens<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rebecca Fisher Introduction: Fairytales are popular fodder for entertainment these days. When I say that, I\u2019m not talking about the fantasy genre in general, but fairytales specifically. Hollywood has recently drawn upon them for big-budget films such as Snow White and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Jack and the Beanstalk, whilst […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-big-worlds-on-small-screens-with-rebecca-fisher"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23580"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23607,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23580\/revisions\/23607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}