Once Upon a Time: Season 1 (2011-2012)
Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 32
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 7
Charming and fantastical, Once Upon a Time is tonally uneven but derives strength from an outstanding cast and handsome visuals.
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Critic Reviews: 17
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 6
Charming and fantastical, Once Upon a Time is tonally uneven but derives strength from an outstanding cast and handsome visuals.
Season Info
In the first season of this fantasy series, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) is reunited with 10-year-old Henry (Jared Gilmore), the son she gave up for adoption at birth. He pleads with her to come to his hometown of Storybrooke, Maine, so that she can save his town from a curse. Emma is skeptical about Henry's stories of fairy-tale characters and curses, but she goes with him and becomes the town's sheriff. The town is indeed populated by fairy-tale characters such as Snow White (Ginnifer
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Network: ABC
Cast
-
Ginnifer Goodwin
Snow White/Mary Marg... -
Jennifer Morrison (I...
Emma Swan -
Robert Carlyle
Rumplestiltskin/Mr. ... -
Lana Parrilla
Evil Queen/Regina -
Jamie Dornan
Sheriff Graham -
Jared S. Gilmore
Henry Mills -
Josh Dallas
Prince Charming/Davi... -
Raphael Sbarge
Jiminy Cricket/Archi... -
Richard Schiff
King Leopold -
Kristin Bauer van St...
Maleficent -
Tony Amendola
Marco/Geppetto -
Jessy Schram
Ashley/Cinderella -
Lee Arenberg
Leroy/Grumpy -
Eion Bailey
Stranger -
Alex Zahara
Midas/Nobleman -
Howard Siegel
Tavern Owner -
Quinn Lord
Josef/Hansel -
David Anders
Dr. Whale -
Meghan Ory
Ruby/Red Riding Hood -
Jennifer Koenig
Queen of Hearts -
Scott Heindl
Bartholomew -
Adam Young
Pickpocket/Young Jim... -
Karley Scott Collins
Ava/Gretel -
Barbara Hershey
Cora -
Jakob Davies
Pinocchio -
Alan Dale
King George -
David Paul Grove
Storybrooke Doc -
Anastasia Griffith
Abigail/Regal Blonde -
Catherine Lough Hagg...
Fairy Godmother -
Ian Butcher
Burly Knight -
Jesse Hutch
Peter -
Amy Acker
Astrid/Nova -
Tristan Jensen
Horatio -
Rick Dobran
Raskind -
Nicholas Lea
Michael Tillman/Wood... -
Morgan Roff
Teenage Jiminy -
Sebastian Stan
Jefferson -
Tony Perez
Valet -
Faustino Di Bauda
Walter/Sleepy -
Gabrielle Rose
Ruth/Peasant Woman -
Paul McGillion
Knave of Hearts -
Aria Pullman
Siren -
Kwesi Ameyaw
Dr. Thatcher -
Isaiah Lehtinen
Gordie -
Emma Caulfield
Blind Witch -
Mark Gibbon
Head Troll -
Kam Kozak
Black Guard -
Bill Dow
Mayor Tomkins -
Tim Phillips
Sean/Prince Thomas -
Dylan Schmid
Baelfire -
Emilie De Ravin
Belle -
Keegan Connor Tracy
Blue Fairy -
Giancarlo Esposito
Sidney/Mirror -
Eric Keenleyside
Moe French/Sir Mauri... -
Amos Stern
Lead Knight -
Laura Wilson
Mrs. Grace -
Demord Dann
Aide -
Connor Dwelly
Morraine -
Greyston Holt
Gym teacher/Frederic... -
Jarod Joseph
Billy -
Beverley Elliott
Granny -
Scott E. Miller
Mr. Grace -
Natalie Gibson
Female Doctor -
Carolyn Hennesy
Myrna/Puppet Princes... -
Sage Brocklebank
Gaston -
Matthew MacCaull
Knight No 1 -
-
Kate Bateman
Mother -
Jonathan Holmes
Majordomo -
David Bloom
Mr. "K" Kryzszkowski -
Patti Allan
Ms. Ginger/Blind Wit... -
Michasha Armstrong
Guard -
-
Chris Shields
Military advisor -
-
Mark Gash
Father -
Lucas Wolf
Armed Escort -
Harry Groener
Martin/Puppet Prince... -
Ted Whittall
Mitchell/The King -
Layton Keely
Gnome -
Osmond L. Bramble
Queen's Guard -
Robert Maillet
Behomoth -
-
Noah Bean
Daniel/Stable Boy -
Ty Olsson
Hordor -
John DeSantis
The Dove -
Jim Shield
Royal Guard -
Donald Adams
Vendor -
Bailee Madison
Young Snow White -
-
Geoff Gustafson
Stealthy -
C. Ernst Harth
Burly Man/Scarred Og... -
-
-
Laura Bertram
Donna -
Brad Dourif
Old Beggar -
Edward Foy
Black Knight -
Alissa Skovbye
Paige/Grace -
-
Ingrid Torrance
Severe nurse -
-
-
-
Luke Camilleri
Stephen -
-
-
Michael Phenicie
The Duke -
-
Gabe Khouth
Sneezy -
-
Michael Strusievici
Fairytale Boy -
-
Jeffrey Kaiser
Dopey -
-
Christina Gooding
Mute maid -
Charles Zuckermann
Black Knight No. 1 -
Ken Kramer
Bossy -
-
Gabe Kouth
Sneezy -
Mike Coleman
Happy -
Michael Roberds
Donkey driver -
Richard Ian Cox
Watchy -
Miguelito Macario
Bashful -
Michael Rinaldi
Helper Dwarf -
-
-
Paul Chevreau
Skinny Man -
-
Elizabeth McCarthy
Rotund Wife
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Episodes
Pilot
Emma's life turns upside down when she is visited by Henry, the 10-year-old child she long ago gave up for adoption; Emma brings Henry back to his foster mother in a strange town called Storybrooke.
The Thing You Love Most
Regina tries to push Emma out of Storybrooke and Henry's life; information about the Evil Queen's curse comes out.
Snow Falls
Emma talks Mary Margaret into reading to an unidentified coma patient in the hospital; Prince Charming and Snow White meet for the first time.
The Price of Gold
Emma tries to help a pregnant woman get away from Mr. Gold; Cinderella makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin.
That Still Small Voice
Sheriff Graham makes Emma a deputy; a sinkhole appears at the edge of town; in fairytale world, Jiminy wants to leave the family business.
The Shepherd
David must choose between Kathryn and Mary Margaret, with whom he's fallen deeply in love; Sheriff Graham is caught in a lie; Prince Charming's destiny is altered.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
One of Storybrooke's residents starts to remember fairytale life; the town mourns a death; the Queen tries to find an assassin to kill Snow White.
Desperate Souls
Emma runs for public office, leading Regina and Mr. Gold to indulge in dirty politics; Rumpelstiltskin searches for a power source to help his son avoid war.
True North
Emma tries to save two children from the foster system by finding their birth father; the evil queen has Hansel and Gretel steal an artifact from a blind witch.
7:15 AM
David and Mary Margaret continue to struggle with their feelings; a mysterious stranger in town makes Regina and Emma suspicious; Prince Charming's wedding approaches.
The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
Sidney asks Emma for help uncovering evidence that could expose Regina's corrupt ways; David and Mary Margaret continue to meet secretly; King Leopold (Richard Schiff) is granted three wishes.
Skin Deep
When Mr. Gold's house is robbed, Emma suspects he is planning to seek vigilante justice; Ruby, Mary Margaret and Ashley (Jessy Schram) plan a night out on Valentine's Day; Belle (Emilie de Ravin) makes a deal.
What Happened to Frederick
David decides to tell Kathryn about his relationship with Mary Margaret; as Prince Charming searches for Snow White, he agrees to help Abigail with a dangerous mission.
Dreamy
Mary Margaret and Leroy join forces to help nuns sell candles at the Miner's Day festival; Emma investigates the disappearance of David's wife; Grumpy falls in love with a fairy.
Red-Handed
Emma gives Ruby a job as her assistant; David faces questions about Kathryn's disappearance; Red Riding Hood yearns to run off with her love but is prevented by a dangerous situation.
Heart of Darkness
After Emma is forced to arrest Mary Margaret for the murder of David's wife, Mary Margaret hires Mr. Gold as her attorney; Snow White continues to be affected by Rumplestiltskin's potion.
Hat Trick
During her search for Mary Margaret, Emma is kidnapped by a mad man with an affinity for hats; the evil queen hires a man of magic.
The Stable Boy
Emma keeps searching for evidence to prove Mary Margaret's innocence in Kathryn's murder; the root of the evil queen's disdain for Snow White is revealed.
The Return
Mr. Gold tries to expose August's true identity; Regina is confronted about her involvement in Kathryn's disappearance; David hopes to reconcile with Mary Margaret.
The Stranger
August takes Emma on a journey that will show her how to beat Regina and possibly attain custody of Henry; Regina tries to seduce David.
An Apple Red as Blood
As Henry begs Emma to stay in Storybrooke, Regina works on a plot that could rid her of Emma permanently; Snow White asks her cohorts to help save Prince Charming and defeat the evil queen.
A Land Without Magic
Emma and Regina work together to save Henry's life; Prince Charming tries to escape from the Evil Queen and reunite with Snow White.
Once Upon A Time: Magic Is Coming
Critic Reviews for Once Upon a Time: Season 1
Once Upon a Time gets off to a bewitching start.
In Once Upon a Time, the setup is exhaustive and exhausting.
From a pair of Lost producers, this is a love-or-hate proposition, and I mostly hated.
There is the germ of something really good here. And worth watching.
Once the action leaves the overly Maxfield Parrish-ized world of magic trees and drooping pregnant princesses, things pick up considerably.
The show is a bold idea, and there's hope for the modern-world portions, but it doesn't quite know what it is.
Once Upon a Time is a smartly-crafted reward for fans of light fantasy, with the right mix of cleverness, action and romance.
Once's drama is whimsical, fanciful and over-the-top in some ways.
The show is not only great, fluffy fun, but note that it occupies a traditional family time slot on Sunday nights.
Give ABC credit for trying something different. But next time, try harder. And better. And maybe shorter.
Fans of the fantastical can do far worse than Once Upon A Time, which manages to both stir the pulse and please the senses with its beautifully imagined medieval times.
The pilot certainly looks great, and it's hard to imagine better choices for the leads than Goodwin and Parrilla.
It's flawed, to be sure. But we have to give it points for ambition: No other new show this fall is attempting to tell a bigger story.
I will go, but gingerly.
Watching the pilot again, though, it became harder to ignore the soap opera underpinnings and the twee sentimentality.
To draw out the story by looping it through subplots and minidramas runs the risk of turning it into a fairy-tale soap opera.
Unfolding simultaneously in two distinct worlds, the series has an enchanting premise, even if it plods at times when it should sparkle and soar.
There's gorgeous fun to be had here.
Once Upon a Time's square-ish optimism is what sets it apart from everything else on television at the moment.
Once Upon a Time is just as charming as a prince.
Not for all tastes but a few will love this oddball.
Once Upon a Time succeeds on charm but comes up short on logic.
It's a high-concept show, and sometimes high-concept shows come strong out of the gate, while others need time to find themselves.
For now, it's an enticing cupcake, but I want to see if it's more than frosting all the way down.
It's not easy to strike the right note between the real and the storybook; Once Upon a Time finds it though.
Once Upon a Time gets points for being creative and different, and I've certainly watched worse shows this season.
Horowitz and Kitsis have opened up a wonderland for themselves, and they should feel free to play in it.
OUAT shows potential for stories that explore the ways fairy tales reflect real world struggles.
There's definitely an odd rift between tone and subject matter; at times the show tries to be deadly serious when perhaps it could use more charm.
Once has become a rare must-see for families, bringing adults and kids together in front of the flat-screen in a way that hasn't been done by a scripted show in years.
Once Upon a Time offers a mix of hope and cynicism, coupled with familiar television and film allusions.
The series isn't very original, but that doesn't stop it from being relatively satisfying on its own terms.
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