by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.
For March, I picked Once Upon a Time for March to pair with Snow White!
Snow White is a fairy tale that has gone through many iterations. From the first Disney animated movie to most recently being portrayed in live-action by Kristen Stewart and Lily Collins, the character has had a history of over 100 years in cinema. She has come under scrutiny for perpetuating gender roles and mistrusting the wrong old lady, but her relationship with the seven dwarves has endured the test of time. Although Rachel Zegler’s turn as Snow White has had its own controversies, her film is bound to get some attention from younger audiences (like my daughters). To me, though, the definitive version of Snow White is played by Ginnifer Goodwin in Once Upon a Time.
Once Upon a Time is about the town of Storybrooke, Maine, where magic is held hostage by an Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), and fairy tale characters are forced to live a life devoid of fantasy. It isn’t until Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) shows up that the magic is unleashed. Her and her son Henry’s (Jared S. Gilmore) lives are never the same, as they are whisked into a world unlike anything they could have imagined, filled with lands and characters known only on pages of books and imaginations.
This show does a fantastic job portraying many notable characters from fairy tale lore, and it deftly balances both the fairy tale and real-life stories. For instance, Snow White’s partner is Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), but his real-life (or cursed) form is that of a John Doe in a coma until he awakens. His backstory is similar to the original Snow White, but his arc expands beyond the main narrative into something else. The same happens for almost all of the other characters, from Belle (Emilie de Ravin) to Jiminy Cricket (Raphael Sbarge).
Family is a substantial part of Once Upon a Time, with several characters being connected by blood. Many characters are found to be family, even if that isn’t their actual backstory in the original stories. This accomplishes two things: It ups the stakes for, and semi-organically weaves the stories together. It can get muddled, since you’re sometimes tracking two to four characters for the same performer, but the benefit is that it allows each actor to expand their reach and play with so many different personalities and characters. Take Parrilla, for instance. She plays a few versions of the Evil Queen: a cursed one named Roni, when the show incorporates a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde-like potion, and Regina, the mayor of Storybrooke.
I enjoyed how some characters have the script flipped on their classic arcs. For instance, Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) is a villain in the usual Peter Pan story. However, in Once Upon a Time, he’s a good guy trying to be the best person he can despite his charm and wicked ways. The same goes for many other characters in the show.
Not everyone is a fairy tale character, though, with certain pieces of classic literature being represented. Characters like the Wicked Witch of the West (Rebecca Mader), Dr. Frankenstein (David Anders), and Dr. Jekyll (Hank Harris) are included, allowing the show’s creators to expand the story while incorporating a general fantasy element.
Not many of the characters last the entire run of the series. Some eventually move to recurring or guest roles. Unsurprisingly, the only character to last the whole series is Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle). Rumple is a trickster responsible for several evil storylines in Once Upon a Time. He’s among the most interesting and fun characters to hate (and secretly love). I mentioned before how some characters are looking for redemption, and Rumple struggles between wanting to stay the way he is, or to become a better person. Carlyle chews up the scenery every time he’s on screen, giving one of the most dynamic performances throughout the show. His shtick can sometimes become a bit grating, but Carlyle is easily the best performer of the series.
I love alternative history, so it’s no surprise I found Once Upon a Time enjoyable. It’s is attempting to do a lot, and largely succeeds: It’s forging a new path for many well-known fairy tale characters, while trying to maintain the history and tradition that these stories present. Themes involving family and redemption make the story worth watching, and the performers are excellent, considering many of them portray multiple iterations of their characters. This is a fantastic ride through and through, especially for those who love fairy tale characters who subvert expectations.
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