Throwback Thursday Fantasy Relay: Once Upon a Time!

What will you find in the “Throwback Thursday Fantasy Relay”
series? I’ll feature either a Fantasy book TV show, or movie, share some lesser
known information on it and if I’m familiar with it, I’ll share a brief review
as well. The fantasy genre is vast, encompassing epic fantasy, contemporary
fantasy, and more, so this series is full of variety. There are so many fantasy
films and books that are making a lasting impression on society and are worth
discussing, so here I go… Perhaps you’ll stumble on a fantasy gem you’d never
heard of in this series.

What do you get when everyone’s favorite beloved fairytales come together in one seres? You get
awesomeness (that’s my opinion).

I remember the first time I saw a preview for Once Upon a Time. I was in the theatre for some movie.
Excitement for a new fairytale themed TV show battled against lack of enthusiasm for what could be a very cheesy series. The excitement won out so I gave Once Upon a Time a chance. The first season was enjoyable, but I wasn’t hooked. However, the second season really gripped me, and every season since then seems to get better.

For Emma Swan, life has been anything but a happy ending. But
when she’s reunited with Henry – the son she gave up for adoption ten years ago
– on the night of her 28th birthday, everything changes. The now 10-year-old
Henry is in desperate need of Emma’s help because he believes from reading a
book of fairytales that she’s the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming –
who sent her away from the Enchanted Forest to be protected from a curse that
was enacted by the Evil Queen. Emma initially refuses to believe a word of
Henry’s story but soon finds that his hometown of Storybrooke, Maine is more
than it seems. Because it’s in Storybrooke that all of the classic characters we
know are frozen in time with no memories of their former selves – except for
the Evil Queen, who is Storybrooke’s mayor and Henry’s adoptive mother Regina
Mills. Now, as the epic “Final Battle” for the future of both worlds
approaches, Emma will have to accept her destiny and uncover the mystery behind
a place.
Written by: Anonymous Author

My Rating on a
Five Star Scale: 4.5/5As I’ve mentioned before in my reviews, I like
to touch on certain elements of books or movies that really enhance the
experience for me. I’ll follow the format I’ve used in most of my previous
reviews.

Characters:
This show has some great characters. I have to
say I struggle to care as deeply for the “heroes” in the series as I do the
villains. However, that is almost a strength of Once Upon a Time, because the
growth and evolution of villains is so well developed. And don’t get me wrong,
I do love a lot of the “heroes” too. Of course, another fun element of the
characters on Once Upon a Time is that they are loved characters from popular
fairytales, but they’re often painted in a different light or with a twist,
which is fun.

Suspense:
Suspense is done well in Once Upon a Time, but I
wouldn’t characterize it as a strength or highlight of the show. I feel that elements
of mystery are present in healthy doses, but not a driving factor of the
storyline.

Pacing:
Once Upon a Time is an upbeat show and I can’t
remember an episode that felt slow. The writing is pretty strong in the areas
of ongoing creativity and action.

Awesomeness:
Overall, the show is pretty awesome in my
opinion. At times, it can feel a little cheesy (as I suspected it would be the
first time I saw a preview for it). However, the “cheese” is pretty minimal and
the creativity of writing and character development wins out.

So what do you think? Is this one you like or do you think
you’ll check it out? Do you have any other book or movie recommendations for
this series? And what else is going on in your worlds? I love to hear about
your days. J

Keep Imagining,

Emilyann