Once Upon a Time

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 23, 2011
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 522 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 420 out of 522
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 522
  3. Negative: 57 out of 522
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  1. Lucas565
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Uma das melhores séries que eu já assisti eu recomendo ela é ótima mesmo muito bom
  2. manningn15
    Aug 11, 2019
    8
    I Love this show. This is one of my favorite shows ever. The visuals, acting, and writing are spectacular.
  3. Kilrymont
    Aug 3, 2019
    2
    This junk show depends on watchers having zero capacity to recognise trash writing when confronted with its lacklustre predictability, its regular use of "I don't understand" - (which in real life I have never ONCE heard anyone say) - and on characters routinely never doing what they've said they will, they always withhold some core piece of information, they invariably use key points ofThis junk show depends on watchers having zero capacity to recognise trash writing when confronted with its lacklustre predictability, its regular use of "I don't understand" - (which in real life I have never ONCE heard anyone say) - and on characters routinely never doing what they've said they will, they always withhold some core piece of information, they invariably use key points of vocabulary till watchers are sick to the back teeth of Family, Togetherness, You LIed To Me, and every single pivot point is timed to the last split second.
    The writing is cringe-inducing. The plot lines are infinitely predictable - you could without difficulty miss several episodes and take it up again (but why would you???) without great effort.
    Every scene is stretched out to the max screen time in order to get max running hours out of minimal story lines - and just like every other American trash TV show, the dialogue is pitched just above moron level - in order, presumably, to keep the core audience rapt in their fat-ass seats.
    This programme is dross. It's bloody awful.
    And it depends on idiots doing idiotic things, saying crassly moronic lines, lying at every turn. And time and time again, they do the most stupid, stupid things - so much so you feel exactly like heaving a Mills Grenade at the screen...    … Expand
  4. Felindie
    Jul 15, 2019
    6
    I mean, the idea it is not bad, but as the season progress the plot never gets interesting.
  5. Amkhazaei83
    Nov 19, 2018
    10
    این فصل بسیار بسیار زیباست . به خوبی بر روی شخصیت های سفید برفی و شاهزاده چارمینگ و اما کار شده است . شخصیت مورد علاقه ی من در کل هفت فصل این سریال پوست چروکین است. هورویتز و کیستیتس قطعا میراثی شگفت انگیز برای شبکه ی ( ای بی سی ) خلق کرده است . واقعا علی استاین فصل بسیار بسیار زیباست . به خوبی بر روی شخصیت های سفید برفی و شاهزاده چارمینگ و اما کار شده است . شخصیت مورد علاقه ی من در کل هفت فصل این سریال پوست چروکین است. هورویتز و کیستیتس قطعا میراثی شگفت انگیز برای شبکه ی ( ای بی سی ) خلق کرده است . واقعا علی است
  6. spizer511
    Oct 3, 2018
    7
    *spoiler warning*

    What was fun in the first season was ever so quickly lost in subsequent seasons. The reexamination of "known stories," was just, fantastic. However, as the series went on, it became so lost in its own effort to be clever- It lost the charm that drew me in the first place. It's not that isn't popcorn fodder. It's just... Overly-simple more often than not. The earth    *spoiler warning*

    What was fun in the first season was ever so quickly lost in subsequent seasons. The reexamination of "known stories," was just, fantastic. However, as the series went on, it became so lost in its own effort to be clever- It lost the charm that drew me in the first place.

    It's not that isn't popcorn fodder. It's just... Overly-simple more often than not. The earth we know is the land without magic! Or not... And magic used to exist, but now it doesn't-ish. And it turns out that humanity was wiped out, but it got better.

    It seems ridiculous to complain about it now... But I really wish that story choices would just "stick". The importance of death-permanence was a value in the beginning, but became very, very, VERY squishy by the third season. That and Rumpel's the villain 9/10 he apparently is really good at playing the long game even if he doesn't realize it. Why is that so hard for the heroes to learn?

    With regard to the season that saw the series canceled. There was some really... REALLY bad acting and downright slow storytelling (even for this show) in the beginning of season 7. It probably scared folks away from what ends up being a pretty decent ending. I'm glad that with the cancellation in mind they were able to wrap things up in such a way that didn't feel... Inappropriate for the series.

    I don't think the series should come back. Good and bad, the series is what it was.    … Expand
  7. Abzzski
    Aug 27, 2018
    8
    Personally one of my favourite American TV series that I have seen. I think this TV series has really good casting. Full of imagination and adventure. The first 4 seasons were really interesting to me. I ended up watching it till the very end.
  8. hhk2003
    May 31, 2018
    10
    THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING SHOW EVER its a life changing show, i disagree with the point that the acting is not good OH COME ON i guarantee u that the acting done by Robert Carlyle Jennifer Morrison Lana PARRILLA Robbie Kay Rebecca madder and etc is unbelievable MOST PEOPLE SAY THAT THE FIRST 3 OR 4 SEASONS WERE GOOD but i say each and every season is a an amazing one, the dialogues are soTHIS IS THE MOST AMAZING SHOW EVER its a life changing show, i disagree with the point that the acting is not good OH COME ON i guarantee u that the acting done by Robert Carlyle Jennifer Morrison Lana PARRILLA Robbie Kay Rebecca madder and etc is unbelievable MOST PEOPLE SAY THAT THE FIRST 3 OR 4 SEASONS WERE GOOD but i say each and every season is a an amazing one, the dialogues are so good and once upon a time is highly rated show, its a very addicting one and not only the creators have made this show about fairy tales they have created a whole new and a differnet story for each of the fairy tale character… Expand
  9. Broyax
    May 10, 2018
    0
    Une idée qui semble originale et audacieuse mais qui semble seulement... ça s'empêtre en effet très vite dans une niaiserie et une bêtise intolérables. Les épisodes s'enchaînent sans conviction alors qu'on s'emmerde à qui mieux-mieux au milieu de ce fatras d'improbables conneries écrites n'importe comment par des scénaristes drogués.

    On voit bien trop peu l'estimable Robert Carlyle qui    Une idée qui semble originale et audacieuse mais qui semble seulement... ça s'empêtre en effet très vite dans une niaiserie et une bêtise intolérables. Les épisodes s'enchaînent sans conviction alors qu'on s'emmerde à qui mieux-mieux au milieu de ce fatras d'improbables conneries écrites n'importe comment par des scénaristes drogués.

    On voit bien trop peu l'estimable Robert Carlyle qui a l'air de bien se faire chier là-dedans et on le comprend. Le pire est sans nul doute cette blondasse qui cumule l'antipathie, une sale gueule et une absence totale de talent : tout simplement atroce. Laissez donc les contes là où ils sont, ils n'ont pas mérité un tel traitement.    … Expand
  10. diegonelli
    Aug 18, 2017
    9
    Such an entertaining show, it just never bores you. I really enjoyed how OUAT has developed fairy tales in such a complex way, where everyone is connected to everyone. Definitely worth watching! EDIT: I've noticed many people are giving negative reviews from the last seasons.. I just finished 2, I hope it doesn't get bad :(
  11. JCat
    May 14, 2017
    1
    This is unwatchable. Every week they seem to rotate who is doomed, and the plot looks glued together with gum, It's incredibely tiresome to watch the same characters have newly acquired curses and magic. What? Do they forge this script an hour before each filming? It's like, just throw in a new fairy tale character or two each week, give them some goofy dialogue, then spin the bottle ofThis is unwatchable. Every week they seem to rotate who is doomed, and the plot looks glued together with gum, It's incredibely tiresome to watch the same characters have newly acquired curses and magic. What? Do they forge this script an hour before each filming? It's like, just throw in a new fairy tale character or two each week, give them some goofy dialogue, then spin the bottle of capabilities to see what magic power they have. OK let's see...this week we'll add Hansel and Gretel, and make them able fly on any broomstick because Gretel's aunt is the half sister to the Wicked Witch's mom. Then we'll have Rapunzel marry one of Snow White's dwarves, but later, we'll find out Rapunzel was really Peter Pan who had to marry a dwarf in order to remain young, even though he just could have hung out in Neverland and achieved the same thing.… Expand
  12. joshmitag
    Apr 25, 2017
    1
    I watched this show for the first few seasons and I thought it was pretty good, but once they started running out of new stuff to write they began to make crap up. They do all kinds of things to mix up the characters and the myths. There is nothing sacred. It is almost as if they have no idea where the season is going and they throw darts at a board to see what they will vomit up next. II watched this show for the first few seasons and I thought it was pretty good, but once they started running out of new stuff to write they began to make crap up. They do all kinds of things to mix up the characters and the myths. There is nothing sacred. It is almost as if they have no idea where the season is going and they throw darts at a board to see what they will vomit up next. I literally hate this show. I despise it.… Expand
  13. B2BigAl
    Apr 23, 2017
    0
    This is one of the worst shows I have ever watched. I mean, it is shockingly bad. The writing and dialog are absolutely some of the laziest, cringe inducing garbage I have ever had the displeasure of suffering through. This is the pinnacle of awful network television trash, and the fact it's rated so highly makes me seriously question my faith in human intelligence.

    5000 characters    This is one of the worst shows I have ever watched. I mean, it is shockingly bad. The writing and dialog are absolutely some of the laziest, cringe inducing garbage I have ever had the displeasure of suffering through. This is the pinnacle of awful network television trash, and the fact it's rated so highly makes me seriously question my faith in human intelligence.

    5000 characters isn't even close to enough text for me to outline all the idiocies in this series, so I won't even try (wouldn't want to give away any spoilers to the masochists who would subject themselves to this mental torture!). The writers have written themselves into a corner so many times and then bailed themselves out with the most comical and flimsy of plot devices, it's flat out embarrassing. I can't count how many times someone has "died", only to be resurrected in the very next episode by some ridiculous means that the writers just pulled out of their rears. The plot has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese and there seem to be no consequences or repurcussions for anything that transpires. The characters are some of the most unlikable group of vapid idiots you'll ever be subjected to, and the liberties they've taken with the canon of the storybook characters is simply disgraceful. I can't believe Disney didn't shut this crap down in pre-production to protect their IP's. Don't even get me started on the absolutely godawful CGI and special effects, they look like something out of a B-rated sci-fi channel original movie from the 90's.

    There is nothing redeeming about this pile of garbage, save for the fact that it has Robert Carlyle and Giancarlo Esposito, and I'm genuinely embarrassed for them to have to participated in this dumpster fire of a show. You may be asking yourself, why in the world would I have continued to watch this mind-numbingly horrible piece of entertainment if I hate it so much. That's simple, it's like a Trainwreck you can't look away from. I can't count how many times I've burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. I kept tuning in to see how the writers would manage to top their last act of utter laziness, stupidity and incompetence, and on that point, they have never ceased to amaze me. These are the only reason I give this show a 1 insead of a 0 rating. It is a primer on just how bad a show can be, and should be required viewing for all film students and script writers on what NOT to do.

    TL;DR: I hate this show and everything about it. The world is a worse place and my life is poored for having been subjected to this travesty of television. ABC should be should be embarrassed for having ever aired this pile of excrement. May God have mercy on their souls.    … Expand
  14. TheQuietGamer
    Apr 17, 2017
    7
    Fantasy meets reality as your favorite fairytale characters are cursed by an evil queen and brought to a world without magic. Our world. The result is a mix of small town drama and Disney style princess stories. A weird combination to say the least, but the show manages to charm thanks to it's great actors, cool twists, and unique takes of classic fairytales.

    There's also the dynamic    Fantasy meets reality as your favorite fairytale characters are cursed by an evil queen and brought to a world without magic. Our world. The result is a mix of small town drama and Disney style princess stories. A weird combination to say the least, but the show manages to charm thanks to it's great actors, cool twists, and unique takes of classic fairytales.

    There's also the dynamic between Jennifer Morrison and Jared S. Gilmore as the mother and son who meet for the first time after many years and what is ultimately what pulls Morrison into the town of Storybrooke, Maine. A place where everyone is a storybook character and none of them remember it. This is of course sweetened by Lana Parrilla's "Regina," the evil queen responsible for everyone's imprisonment.

    As Morrison's Emma Swan tries to reconnect with her long-lost son she put up for adoption, we get introduced to the real-world versions of classic fairytale characters. There are also flashbacks to everyone's time in the fairytale world that provides unique twists to each character's lore. There are plenty of surprises along the way that makes things a lot of fun to watch.

    Not all is well in the land however. About half-way through this first season the writing starts to rely on the old "true love conquers all" shtick over and over again. I get that's a reoccurring and prominent theme in the fairytales from which this show takes inspiration. It works in the stories, but here just feels like lazy writing. Like the writers couldn't come up with enough material to fill the entire 22-episodes so just started relying on the same theme to carry them through.

    Emma is also kind of a dense protagonist. Content to make clueless decisions time and time again. She's not the only one. A certain princess is content to chase a prince around and let him use her for the majority of the season as well. Stuff like this is frustrating, but doesn't do too much of getting in the way of the inherent fun of the concept.

    The first season is basically a light-hearted soap opera with some magic infused storytelling. Whether it's a simple distraction or your next binge-watch obsession I can't say. What I can say is that I found myself suitably entertained by the show and am curious to see where things go next. Even if it just do to the fantastic, scene-stealing Robert Carlyle who is easily the best character on the show and has the best writing. It's worth checking out for him alone.    … Expand
  15. brijay
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Have you ever thought ‘Is it possible that we live in a fairy tale?’ I have not myself, but Do you believe in fairy tales? Well I do! Once Upon A Time is a American television series about fairy tales. The catch to this show is the fairy tale characters think that they are real, but they do not know that they are just characters. These characters have been cursed, do not know that they areHave you ever thought ‘Is it possible that we live in a fairy tale?’ I have not myself, but Do you believe in fairy tales? Well I do! Once Upon A Time is a American television series about fairy tales. The catch to this show is the fairy tale characters think that they are real, but they do not know that they are just characters. These characters have been cursed, do not know that they are fairy tale characters, and live in our reality. This series shows you the past and present, so you can get a better understanding about what is going on. Some key characteristics would be, the fact that all the characters in this show are based from fairy tale stories that were commonly told to us as at a younger age.
    If the viewers watching this show did not know as much as I do, they would need to know the basic concept of the show. By basics I mean a back round of the basic fairy tale stories. For example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White, the Dwarfs, Prince Charming and the Evil Queen is the most common fairy tale that the viewers would need to know about. Every fairy tale that they put in this show has a twist to it. If you do not know the regular fairy tale story, you definitely would not understand the twist added to it. Another fairy tale story example is Hansel and Gretel. The regular story is basically their stepmother wanted to abandon them, their father was opposed to the plan, but ended up agreeing. Hansel and Gretel was lured in by a witch with candy, cakes and all types of sweets. The witch was going to eat them, but they ended up killing the witch. They made it back to their father safely, with a happy ending. The twist to the story is Hansel and Gretel was given up for adoption, but their father knew nothing about them. They ended up reunited with their father and he kept them.
    Personally, I love this show. It grabbed my attention from the moment I watched season one, episode one. This show is full of action, drama, suspense, and cannot forget the romantic vibes. Let me explain the reasons I feel this strongly about this show. In my opinion, there is not one moment in the show where you would second guess about wanting to stop watching. This show will always have you coming back for more, and I cannot get enough of it. Every time you think you understand what is going on, they change it up and hit you with something new. There is never a dull moment for me watching this show, you never know what expect. One minute you have a fairy tale story you understand with the directors added twists, and then the next minute you have other fairy tales/movie characters you are not familiar with. This show has so much going on that it makes you feel as if you constantly have this need to keep watching to see what is going to happen next. A great example would be the characters Emma and Henry. Emma in this show is Snow White’s daughter, and Henry is Emma’s biological child. Henry is also the Evil Queen’s son by adoption in ‘reality’. First of all in the regular stories of Snow White, she has never had a child, because her happy ending was true loves kiss and getting married. This was my ‘WOW’ moment because it threw me off when I figured out Emma was Snow White and Charming’s daughter, which makes Henry their grandchild. Aside from being Emma’s son, and Snow White and Charming’s grandson, it is a strong possibility that he is also the Evil Queen’s father.
    Once Upon A Time falls in the category of fantasy. At the same time, I think it also falls in the categories of drama, romantic, and action. This show has the its moments where the characters can be so dramatic, that it is so extra for the scene. Then again there are moments where there is so much action, that you would think you are watching an action based television show. Then there are moments you think you have figured the genre out, then here they come being romantic like if you were watching The Fault in Our Stars. Like I mentioned before, this show will keep you wanting more and more.    … Expand
  16. JurassicWookie
    Nov 7, 2016
    2
    Story line is BORING and Dumb...Special effects looks worse than 1997 Star Wars Special Editions....Honestly I don't know how it still airs...and the casting is meh...and don't tell me you don't notice the overuse of green screens...The Star Wars Prequels look better....
  17. ForestCat10
    Oct 19, 2016
    9
    Once upon a time, Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis had a magical idea to create a television series about all of the well-known fairy tales. Interweaving the paths of all of the characters, they bring us on a wild journey in which we discover the unknown pasts of our favorite characters. And thus, ABC’s show Once Upon a Time was born.
    Season One starts out with all of the fairy tale    Once upon a time, Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis had a magical idea to create a television series about all of the well-known fairy tales. Interweaving the paths of all of the characters, they bring us on a wild journey in which we discover the unknown pasts of our favorite characters. And thus, ABC’s show Once Upon a Time was born.
    Season One starts out with all of the fairy tale characters stuck in a small town in Maine called Storybrooke. Each character has dual identities, one in modern times and one in the Enchanted Forest, which they have no memories of it. The evil queen had cast a curse that brought them all to a land without magic, and she had placed herself as Mayor Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla). Her adoptive son, Henry (Jared Scott Gilmore), receives a storybook full of fairy tales from his teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, the counterpart of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin).
    Convinced the stories are true, that they tell the real identities of Storybrooke’s residents, Henry sets off to find the Savior, the only person able to break the curse and free all of the people of Storybrooke. The Savior is a woman named Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) who currently lives in Boston. Henry plans to bring Emma to Storybrooke, get her to believe in magic, and have her break the curse. After Henry travels to Boston alone and finds Emma, she brings him home to his mother with plans to return home. She ends up staying in Storybrooke, though she finds nothing out of the ordinary, and Henry discovers getting her to believe in magic may be more challenging than he anticipated.
    Apart from Mr. Gold, the counterpart of Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle), Regina is the only one who possesses memories of her past life. She knows Emma is a threat, even if the Savior doesn’t realize the full potential of her power yet, and knows that, if she wishes to keep her control over Storybrooke, she must eliminate this threat. As Henry tries to break the curse with help from Emma and Mary Margaret, Regina starts scheming an evil plot, hoping to remove the Savior from the chess board and win the game.
    The entire series switches back and forth between the present in Storybrooke and the past in the Enchanted Forest. Piece by piece, we start to learn the history of all of the characters and, slowly, all of our questions are answered. While some may say the constant switching makes the show hard to follow, I believe it builds the suspense and keeps the audience intrigued throughout every episode. As it keeps switching, the audience learns, little by little, the entire story, rather than figuring it out all at once. It keeps the audience guessing at the truth the entire season, and when the climax catches them off guard, everything they thought is suddenly not at all what they see.
    Horowitz and Kitsis do an incredible job of bringing all of the famous fairy tales into the show. It’s obvious which characters are brought in from which fairy tale, but each story is altered. Characters from different stories meet and bond in surprising ways, and all loose ends are tied up with the flashbacks. The show keeps everyone sitting at the edge of their seat throughout each episode. Some may say the show is unoriginal and all the connections between all of the characters get repetitive and boring, but I think the plot, while not completely original, has its own unique twist and the connections are imaginative and expertly woven into the script.
    Suspenseful, adventure-packed, comical, and romantic, Once Upon a Time is a great show for all ages.    … Expand
  18. idklolgtgjklol
    Oct 18, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Once Upon a Time, a fantasy T.V. show that leaves your heart pounding, remakes children’s stories and adds twists and turns to make them fun for an older audience. I like how it brings back memories of childhood without it being for little 5 year olds. You never know what will happen next because each of the stories are changed to fit the show and they leave you never knowing what to expect.
    A woman named Emma is dragged into a town called Storybrooke by her son Henry, who she gave up for adoption 10 years ago. When she gets to Storybrooke she finds out that Henry believes everyone there is a fairytale character. Henry thinks it’s his job to make Emma believe that, so she can break the curse the Evil Queen cast, a.k.a. his adoptive mother.
    To understand what I’m talking about there is a bit of background needed, like who is who. So now that I’ve said that, Henry’s teacher is Mary Margaret and he thinks she is Snow White, who is married to Prince Charming or David who you don’t meet until late in the first season because he was in a coma. Henry thinks they are Emma’s parents. But during all of this, none of the people know who they are because their memory was wiped and time is frozen in Storybrooke.
    I like this show for many reasons, one is I like the fantasy ideas pulled into the real world. The mix makes the show very entertaining. My favorite books are fantasy or science fiction, and Once Upon a Time is like the show version of some of those books. During each episode there are flashbacks to when the characters lived in the Enchanted Forest, the place where fairytales take place. So you, as the watcher, know who is who, and are waiting for them to find out who each of the people are.
    I dislike how the flashbacks continue all the way up through the fifth season. After a while you get kind of tired of wondering what random thing they will bring up from the dark path of so and so. I want them to just have it be in the present, and have more things going on. It’s like watching a 20 minute show for 40 minutes, because you don’t care what happens for half. Another awful thing about the show is it’s repetitiveness. They have had 3 or more curses where they are sent somewhere and their memories are taken. It gets very boring, my brother and Dad will hardly watch the show now.
    In my opinion, the 3rd season is the best season, and the one I go back to endlessly. The first two seasons I feel are background facts that are just filling you with the information, and while they are good seasons, you don’t feel the need to watch them again. When you get to the third, they are pulled to Neverland, where they meet Peter Pan and Captain Hook. The roles, however, are reversed so that Pan is the evil one. Hook then starts to like Emma, and like every good movie/show a romance begins. Neverland is full of twists and things you didn’t see coming, like Neal, Henry’s biological dad, is still alive in Neverland when they thought he had been shot. Then there is this tug of war game with Emma and a love triangle is formed.
    Something that I think is really interesting is that the actors who play Snow White and Prince Charming, Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, are married in real life, so when they have their love story in the show it’s cool to think about how it’s real.
    The disappointing part of this is that Charming is my least favorite person in the show. He’s always super dramatic and causing tons of issues. The other thing that bothers me is that no matter how many times he is “inevitably” going to die, somehow he get saved! It drives me crazy because every time I’m thinking this will finally be the time he dies. I know that sounds awful but I seriously don’t like him as a character and I think the show would be better off without him.
    In many shows, there is a lot of behavior that is inappropriate for younger audiences and this show keeps that to a minimum, so a family can sit down and watch it together. It is, however, a little confusing, which is why I would say this is a good watch for kids over 11 or so, as it may be too confusing for children much younger than that.
    Overall, the show is very entertaining and I enjoy watching it when I’m not sure what to watch. I think it’s a pretty good show for families with teens because I know that my whole family sits and watches it together. Aside from the few things I dislike I have to say it is one of my favorite shows I have ever watched, although I have recently been forcing myself to finish the fifth season, as it is very anticlimactic since you can guess what will happen next.    … Expand
  19. keanex
    Aug 9, 2016
    1
    Man this show is bad. The script is awful and the acting is even worse. I've caught only a few episodes, but the majority of the time I'm left wondering if this is supposed to be a parody show. I wouldn't watch another episode even if it meant I was going to get laid.
  20. Sparkle
    Jul 30, 2016
    0
    Basically, think of every bad thing about fairytales, every single thing you dislike, the things that make you hesitate to watch them, and this show is all of those things rolled up in a poorly dressed package.

    The only redeeming features this show has are Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin and Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills/Evil Queen. Otherwise, unless you like cheesy,    Basically, think of every bad thing about fairytales, every single thing you dislike, the things that make you hesitate to watch them, and this show is all of those things rolled up in a poorly dressed package.

    The only redeeming features this show has are Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin and Lana Parrilla as Regina Mills/Evil Queen.

    Otherwise, unless you like cheesy, poorly written, poorly acted, childish romances between unlikable characters in unlikable couples doing things for no apparent reason, stay far, far away from this show.    … Expand
  21. Tactical69
    Jun 1, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While it started well, this became one of the worst shows I've ever seen. Bad writing, editing, directing, sound production and CGI is joined by new characters played by bad actors in cringe-inducing stories. Captain Hook, played by a mediocre actor at best, is a Creator's Pet to whom no rule applies, and the writers obsession with him derails everything with the potential to be genuinely entertaining and interesting. The mass destruction of the lead, who wasn't the strongest character to start with, in Dark Swan was agonizing to witness. By the end of the first half of season five, I not only stopped watching, I wished I'd never watched it in the first place.

    I feel like I'm both dumber and more cynical for having seen this.    … Expand
  22. SGSJason
    May 9, 2016
    5
    Once Upon A Time is a fairy tale version of the show Heroes. Both shows started with a really cool concept that they were unable to sustain after the first season. Both ended up trapping their characters in narrative stasis by retreading the same character arcs every season. Both had a hard core following that continued to watch in the vain hope that the show could reclaim the magicOnce Upon A Time is a fairy tale version of the show Heroes. Both shows started with a really cool concept that they were unable to sustain after the first season. Both ended up trapping their characters in narrative stasis by retreading the same character arcs every season. Both had a hard core following that continued to watch in the vain hope that the show could reclaim the magic because they liked the characters/actors. The only difference is the soapy elements of Once has allowed it to run for more seasons than Heroes.… Expand
  23. FilmOnTape
    May 4, 2016
    6
    Confusing and Toothless
    The show is interesting, its a twist on classic fairy tail stories with new over arching plots thrown in. Seeing how stories get combined, different fairy-tale characters turn out to be the same person and how the drama becomes more moral grey then the original Disney story is really interesting to watch. But the main problem with the show is all drama and audience    Confusing and Toothless
    The show is interesting, its a twist on classic fairy tail stories with new over arching plots thrown in. Seeing how stories get combined, different fairy-tale characters turn out to be the same person and how the drama becomes more moral grey then the original Disney story is really interesting to watch. But the main problem with the show is all drama and audience relation is lost when too many big supernatural elements get thrown in. Every season ends with the heroes having to dig deep down and believe in themselves after finding some rare magical thing needed to stop some big supernatural plague that only been briefly explained is really bad. Because this is a retelling of a fairy tale and its already been explained in the show that good-guys always win. The audience can safely assume that the problem will be resolved adding to drama. then because the show is about magical stuff and our heroes digging down within themselves. The audience has no grasp of what they are going thru and the show makes no attempt to make us feel it.    … Expand
  24. sassielassie
    Mar 29, 2016
    1
    I thought this show started out great !! Mmm, maybe too great of an idea that was too difficult to keep up ??
    IMO, it's gone way down from where it started - I binge watched the first season on Netflix because I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next but, these last couple seasons, especially the last one are so lame. The whole Dark Emma sequence is hard to take seriously,    I thought this show started out great !! Mmm, maybe too great of an idea that was too difficult to keep up ??
    IMO, it's gone way down from where it started - I binge watched the first season on Netflix because I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next but, these last couple seasons, especially the last one are so lame. The whole Dark Emma sequence is hard to take seriously, especially when her family is behind her out of character Hook obsession.
    I think the writers are doing the actors and their fans a huge disservice. I came to admire Jennifer Morrison in her Emma character, but that has changed dramatically.    … Expand
  25. Jurassic14
    Dec 30, 2015
    10
    One of my favourite shows, as it incorporates all those childhood fairy-tales we loved as a kid but produces it in a more enjoyable way by combining each individual story into 1 fabulous one, that is enjoyable for the more older crowd.
  26. Moirraine
    Dec 6, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Incredible that anyone has anything negative to say about such a good series.

    The writers have done a decent job with the one glaring point I will leave out as I will not argue the point to anyone, my beliefs are mine and I will not accept anything outside of what I know to be true.

    Emma is the consummate flawed human.

    She believes she is alone and after a lifetime of feeling abandoned, gave up what she didn't comprehend at a very young age only to find out that the fate of the child she had hoped would have an idyllic existence that was nothing like her's , was consumed by the fact that he knows the world he lives in is totally fake.

    Expressed in terms and analogies that even children can comprehend, this series shows the consequences of decisions made with love, greed, hate, lust and envy.

    Without hope we can do nothing.

    Hope is what this series promised and so far it has delivered on a very personal level to many who know that "is this all there ever is?" has an answer that makes this world look like a faded dream one awakens from.

    Not many stories have hope.

    Not many TV shows are safe for kids older than 8 to watch at all.

    My tastes are for the happy ending, in movies, in song and in real life.

    I've watched it about as much as I have the many series that keep me going through drought after drought of good things to watch on Netflix and at theaters. I don't watch nor own a TV/Cable/Satellite.    … Expand
  27. justsumnerd
    Nov 11, 2015
    6
    Slightly better than the average tv shows on throughout the week. Although they could have been more similar to Fables by Vertigo and less similar to Disney princesses. This show is a bit blah and more family friendly than it needs to be.
  28. nalukima
    Oct 1, 2015
    8
    This show is exciting and addicting. I think I watched the first three seasons in three weeks. Keep in mind, though, the show gets much better as it goes on. I mean, it was good when it started out; however, I find the newer episodes to be much more entertaining. I love the dynamic of all the characters and how complex many of them are. Although this show is a 'fairy tale' kind of show, IThis show is exciting and addicting. I think I watched the first three seasons in three weeks. Keep in mind, though, the show gets much better as it goes on. I mean, it was good when it started out; however, I find the newer episodes to be much more entertaining. I love the dynamic of all the characters and how complex many of them are. Although this show is a 'fairy tale' kind of show, I don't find it to be cliche. Basically, this show is awesome.… Expand
  29. ValeKementari
    Sep 27, 2015
    10
    I absolutely adore this show. Every fairytale character ever is here with a brand new twist that is more often than not an improvement on the original. It is impossible not to fall in love with most of the characters.
  30. Greenwood0
    Sep 21, 2015
    9
    I think what makes this TV show good is that it can be watched by a broad range of people and it doesn't feel cheesy or too childish. It's entertaining and makes us remember our child fairy tales.
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Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Best TV Season of 2011
7
#7 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
15
#15 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Slate
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Oct 28, 2011
    40
    The series, fueling itself with folklore, proceeds as if no characterization is required.
    Read full review
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Oct 24, 2011
    50
    The show is a bold idea, and there's hope for the modern-world portions, but it doesn't quite know what it is (or maybe it does, but the audience won't).
    Read full review
  3. Zap2it (Inside the Box)
    Reviewed by: Rick Porter
    Oct 24, 2011
    60
    No other new show this fall is attempting to tell a bigger story, and we're hoping the rough patches smooth out and it fulfills the potential that's there in its very strong cast and premise.
    Read full review
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