Once Upon A Time...

Since I haven't posted in a while, I've had some time to watch a new show. Yes, another one. It's fast becoming one of my favorites. The fact that it's a little corny can be overlooked by the fact that it's about fairy tales. Yup. It's called "Once Upon A Time" and it's putting a twist on all the fairy tales that we know and love.

I wasn't going to start watching the show. Some shows are/seem too cheesy even for me to watch. What made me change my mind, you ask? Ginnifer Goodwin. My guilty pleasure movie is "He's Just Not That Into You" and a huge part of the reason is Miss. Goodwin. She's just a likeable person! I mean, have you seen her in "Ramona and Beezus"? But anyway, she's one of my favorite actresses and aside from "Something Borrowed," I've loved her in everything I've seen her in. I decided to take a chance on "Once Upon a Time." Ginnifer didn't let me down. Check out the trailer:

The show starts off at one of the happy endings we are familiar with and love. Prince Charming, played by a definitely charming Josh Dallas, awakens Snow White (Goodwin) from a deep sleep in her glass coffin with a simple "true love's kiss." Aw. Sigh. Etc. Cut to their wedding where the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) makes a comeback and promises them that they will be cursed and no one will have a happy ending. I'd call her a bad name right now, but I'll restrain myself.

A lot of things happen, but basically, Snow and Charming have a baby and in a desperate attempt to save their daughter, Charming puts her in a magical wardrobe...to Narnia! No, just kidding. I wish. But the wardrobe does protect baby Emma until her 28th birthday when she is prophesied  to return and save everyone else from the curse.

Speaking of the curse, it was created by Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) and cast by the queen. The gist of it is, it transports all of the fairytale characters to our world, where we all know: fairytale endings don't exist. Sorry, that's my cynical side coming out. Anyway, all of these characters live in Storybrook, Maine where they're trapped, time is frozen, and no one remembers their past or that they are fairytales.

Meanwhile, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), on her 28th birthday (!!) is accosted by a ten year old boy, Henry (Jared Gilmore), who is claiming to be the son she gave up for adoption. He is able to convince her to return with him to Storybrook and attempts to explain to her the situation going on in his town. How does he know this? He has a book of fairytales that tells the whole story and he put two and two together. Good job, kid.

Well, that's the general idea of the goings-on in the show. There is a lot more to the storyline, but it's filled with so many unanswered questions, clues, details, etc. that I don't know where to begin. Here's a quick list of some of the fairytales mentioned and the roles they play in our world:

Snow White - Mary Margaret Blanchard - Henry's school teacher/grandmother, nun-like but not a nun, beautiful, kind, searching for and failing to find true love.
Prince Charming - John Doe - Coma patient in the hospital due to being stabbed in fairytale land when trying to protect his daughter right before the curse was cast.
Evil Queen - Regina/Madam Mayor - mayor of Storybrook, Henry's adopted mother, still evil and conniving. She hates Emma. We hate her.
Jiminy Cricket - Archie Hopper (Raphael Sbarge) - Henry's therapist, "conscience" if you will. Has a dalmatian named Pongo. Ha.

Other notable characters mentioned and their counterparts: the huntsman (I believe he is Sheriff Graham), Little Red Riding Hood (Ruby) and her grandmother, Gepetto, Cinderella and her Prince Charming, and more.

Maybe this sounds corny. Maybe way too unrealistic for you to be interested enough to start watching. But start! My two best friends make fun of me all the time for the shows I watch and the fact that I seem to live in my own fairytale world. Well, they're hooked on this show now too, so if that doesn't say something, I'm not sure what does.