15 Reasons You Need To Watch 'Once Upon A Time'
If you've spent the summer so far binge-watching reality shows and political dramas, then we have the perfect show to get you out of your rut -- and that would be Once Upon A Time. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are the brains behind this fantasy series. In this world, the evil queen cast a powerful curse which forced fairy tale characters into the regular world They don't remember who they really are or how they got to this world in the first place. It isn't until a kid named Henry finds his biological mother and brings her back to town that the queen's plan start to unravel. The series has been on the air for five seasons and has incorporated more classic stories and twists than you ever thought would be possible. And it's showing no signs of slowing down! Here are 15 reasons that you should tune into Once Upon A Time. You won't be sorry! Couch time, here you come.
15 Strong Female Leads
Don't expect to find too many damsels in distress on this show. Once Upon A Time is full of female characters who are seriously kicking some major butt. In fact, it's the women who often end up saving the day, which is super inspiring to watch. That's not to say that the men don't contribute but the women definitely rule this town. Come on, Emma Swan is the chosen one: she broke the curse and has been a vital part of keeping the peace in StoryBrooke. You don't ever want to be on the receiving end of Regina's fireballs, and Snow has proven several times that she's the ultimate survivor. The best part about the female leads is that they show being strong doesn't have to mean that they're without fault. In fact, their trials have made them who they are. In the end, these characters are flawed women who ultimately want love and acceptance… but these women are definitely not afraid to kick a few butts to protect themselves and their families.
14 Alter Egos
If you are a fan of the show, then you already know that the Storybook residents each have an alter ego fairytale character. Here is the backstory if you have not been a fan yet: Snow White, The Evil Queen, and a host of other fairy tale characters lived in the Enchanted Forest, an area outside of what we know as the real world. They were transported to our world thanks to a curse from the Evil Queen. Why the curse? She wanted to get revenge on Snow White. So she took away everyone's magic, gave them new identities, and made them forget all about their own world, including their friends and families. That is how she became known as Regina, Rumpelstiltskin became Mr. Gold, Snow White became Mary Margaret, etc. If it sounds fascinating, then you are absolutely right, because it just gets more and more interesting with each new episode.
13 Rumplestiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin (also known as The Dark One) is a central villain on the show. You always know that he's somewhere in the background orchestrating whatever terror is going on. He's selfish, conniving and can never ever resist a good deal. There is also the fact that he manages to be deliciously wicked, and at the same time contain an heir of vulnerability. While we hate that he has such little value for human life, we can't help but ache for him when he's searching for his lost son, Baelfire. What's cool about this character is that he seems so cold and heartless at first but we get to know the real him underneath all that. Plus, he makes us laugh a whole lot and provides some comic relief for the series. Maybe it's his accent or his maniacal laughter. But he will still destroy anyone who gets in his way… and we want to be there every step of the way.
12 Visual Effects
Movie studios spend millions of dollars to make their visual effects look convincing. A TV show like Once Upon A Time obviously doesn't have that type of money lying around, but a Canadian-based company, Zoic Studios, are the brains behind this fantasy world. We honestly believe every second of what we see on screen. Did you know that most of the show is filmed in front of a green screen?! Well, you do now. Rumpelstiltskin's castle? Totally phony. Wonderland? Doesn't exist. The lovable Jiminy Cricket? A total fake. Okay, that one was obvious. The fantasy series does a great job with the resources that they have (unlike some other shows!). It's one of our fave parts of the entire show and what keeps us coming back for more episodes, every single time. In such a crowded TV marketplace, anything that a show can do to set itself apart is always a good thing.
11 Crazy Relationships
Most of the main characters on this show are connected in one way or another. Emma Swan is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Henry is Emma's biological mother, though Regina adopted him (post-curse) after Emma gave him up. Henry's father was Rumpelstiltskin's son, who ended up in our realm once he fell through a portal. That means that Henry is also Rumpelstiltskin's grandson. There are also some romantic storylines, of course. Did you get all that? This show would not be nearly as good if there was not some good old tension in every episode. You need something to humanize the characters, after all -- it cannot be all magic and fantasy, all the time. We will not spoil it for you but you definitely want to check this show out so you can see all the amazing connections between each character. It is truly a sight to see.
10 The Title Sequence
This series does not have a theme song, but it does have a really cool title sequence. At the beginning of each episode, the background of the title screen changes and acts as foreshadowing for the entire episode. How cool is that? It is a small thing, but it is one of the things that we look forward to the most. The writers do an awesome job paying attention to detail, and it is things like that that make the story richer. An example of one really ominous foretelling? The episode where the former dark ones take over the town of Storybook. During the title sequence, you can see all of the former dark ones, emerging from the forest. Creepy… and totally amazing at the exact same time. This show always keeps us guessing and keeps us coming back for more, and we can't wait to see what the next season brings.
9 True Love
True love and true love's kiss are two big components of the show. In theory, true love can overcome anything… well, at least on the show! It would be great if that was true in real life too but unfortunately, as we all know way too well, that's just not the case. The whole reason that Emma was able to break the curse was because she was the product of the true love between Snow White and Prince Charming. True love's kiss can also wake anyone from a sleeping curse (unless they're pissed at their husband… like Belle is ). If we're to believe Rumpelstiltskin, true love is supposed to be the strongest, rarest magical of all--also the hardest to bottle. Even before Emma broke the curse in season one, true love's kiss weakened it somewhat. It was only after Emma kissed Sheriff Graham, that he regained more memories of his true self. Needless to say, it's powerful stuff.
8 Costumes
Getting the wardrobe right on a show like Once Upon A Time is crucial to creating the illusion that the characters are actually from another world. There are so many eras and settings to cover, but the wardrobe department never misses a beat. I think it's safe to say that the wardrobes are just as magical as come of the story lines. Lana Parilla, the actress who plays Regina already brings a bit of regalness to her character (seriously, she was royalty in another life) but the immaculate gowns that she wears, definitely up her royal factor! She's not the only one who benefits from an awesome set of clothes. Rumpelstiltskin's' amazing leather get-ups never fail to impress. Similarly, Mr. Gold wouldn't be Mr. Gold without his long trench coat and cane. Even Emma who is always wearing red leather looks super cool because her wardrobe choices are super distinct and make her seem different from the rest of the characters… which was, of course, the entire point.
7 Captain Hook
Let's start with the obvious: Captain Hook (Killian Jones) is absolutely smoldering. He definitely has that bad boy gone good thing going for him. It's not surprising that Emma fell for him. In addition to that, though he's had once heck of redemption arc, transforming from a pirate who was hell-bent on revenge against Rumple to a love sick one who will do anything to save the woman he loves (which makes him even more attractive). He never lost his snark, though, which is another reason to love him. We laugh out loud every time that he calls Rumple a crocodile and gets into with Regina over her calling him "guyliner." Of all of the villains-turned-heroes, Hook's redemption is also the most believable. He started off as an honorable sailor how was working for a corrupt king before he became a pirate. He also sacrificed his life to save Emma and the rest of the town. Swoon.
6 Flashbacks
Flashbacks can be tricky but they are super well done here, so we give the production team and writers total props for that. This show and its flashbacks give us a glimpse into the past lives of each character and provide some much-needed explanations for how the characters are acting in the present-day. Almost every episode has flashbacks. And who doesn't love a goo flashback? They provide backstory and usually run parallel to the present day to give the story more depth. Some shows trip themselves up when it comes to flashbacks, but the show's flashbacks are set in a whole other realm, so they're easily distinguishable. Sometimes, of course, this can be a bit hard to follow… but that just makes the show even more interesting, and that just keeps us watching. We wouldn't want everything to be super easy to understand! Where would the fun in that be?!
5 The Evil Queen/Regina
Lana Parilla's portrayal of the Evil Queen/Regina is another reason that the show has been so incredibly successful… and is probably a huge reason the show has lasted for this long. Even if you do not particularly like her character, you cannot deny that she is captivating to watch. You cannot ask for a better representation. She dominates every scene that she is in and you can totally tell that she is committed to the character. Not to mention that her wardrobe makes us super envious because she wears the coolest stuff in the world. Of all of the characters, she gets to wear the most intricate gowns and ornate headpieces. Just like Rumple, Regina did a lot of evil in her life. But unlike Rumple Regina actually, has an interest in trying to be good. She even became friends with Snow, the person that she tried to kill for years. That's true progress!
4 Magic
It wouldn't be a fairy tale without a little magic. We've all thought that having magical powers would make life a little easier. It would be amazing if we could just snap our fingers or wave a wand, and have could have whatever our hearts desired. Right? Not exactly. All magic comes with a price. We learn that back in season one. Of course, more power that a character has, the more problems come their way. Magic has ruined more lives and killed more people than anything else on the show. For Rumple, the desire to gain more magical power drove a wedge between him and his son and Belle. As far as Emma goes, the introduction of magic turned her entire world upside down, which is why she had a hard time accepting who she truly was. But it's the drama that makes us love the show! So, we say, bring on the magic!
3 A Twist On Classic Characters
The writers love to put twists on the classic fairy tales that we grew up loving. Snow White, for example, is an arrow shooting bandit who could kick your butt if needed. Peter Pan turns out to be quite devilish ( not to mention Rumpelstiltskin's father). Red Riding Hood is a shapeshifter who turns into ( you guessed it) a wolf! Rumple also turns out to the "beast" to Belle's beauty, unlike the original. That's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Once Upon A Time. The writers do an awesome job of leaving just enough of the canon quirks in for us to follow along, before bringing something completely fresh to the characters. It makes each new character and storyline that's introduced an adventure to navigate. This made the first season especially addicting, as the narrative unfolded and we were given clues as to who each Storybrooke resident really was.
2 Villains And Heroes
Part of what makes this fantasy drama so unique is that it makes us root for the villains. They are witty, conniving and oh, so addicting. Even though we all want good to win out in the end, it's the villains that make the show interesting. Sorry, Emma. In the five years that they've been on the air, we've seen a plethora of villains from Rumple to The Evil Queen to even Cruella De'Vil and Maleficent. What's more interesting is that the line between good and bad is often blurred and no one on the show is confined to one end of the spectrum. We've seen villains like Regina turn into heroes and vice vera. It's a great lesson that nothing is absolute and that everyone is capable of being good and bad. No one is immune to making mistakes, doing the wrong thing… or redeeming themselves in the end.
1 Peter Pan
Peter Pan is one of the most beloved villains that this show has ever had. The writers slowly revealed the Peter Pan was nothing like the story that we grew up reading. He might have been disguised by Robbie Kay's boyish good looks, but he was truly evil incarnate. Pan would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. He abandoned his own son, Rumple when he was just a boy in exchange for what he thought was eternal youth and the chance to rule Neverland. He lured kids away from their homes to come live with him and once he found out he was going to die, he tried to kill his own grandson (Henry) for his true heart. Of course, Emma, Regina, and surprisingly Rumple came to Henry's rescue but not before Pan had a little twist fun with them all. Sadly, his story arc officially ended this past season, when Rumple tricked him into getting sucked into the river of lost souls. But if his fans have their way, though, the writers will find a way to bring him back.