Welcome to Storybrooke

If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s the value of escapism. And now with the breadth of streaming platforms available, there’s endless content and more every day. As a 90s kid, I grew during the Disney animation renaissance. VHS tapes stocked the cabinet and played on repeat, probably annoying my parents. I had toys and stuffed animals of the characters. (I even have a Simba tattoo on my foot!) In school, I threw myself into fantasy and fairy tale books. So, when ABC announced a new TV series in 2011 that revolved around the Disney vault of characters, I was all in. And like any guilty pleasure, I find myself returning time and again to Once Upon a Time and it's magical 7 seasons.

Once Upon A Time

There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.

Or think we know.

One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.

Our world.

And with those words on the title cards, the pilot opens on Prince Charming kissing Snow White in her glass coffin, surrounded by the 7 Dwarves. At their wedding the Evil Queen interrupts the ceremony to monologue about taking away the happiness of everyone living in the Enchanted Forest. I definitely thought I knew where this was going and I'm so glad I was wrong!

Once Upon A Time asks a simple question: what if beloved Disney and literary characters got stuck in a small town in Maine? We meet Emma Swan living in modern day Massachusetts as she gets a knock on the door by Henry, the son she gave up for adoption. He explains to her that residents of his home town of Storybrooke are fairy tale characters under a curse, freezing them in time and depriving them of their memories of their time in the Enchanted Forest. She opened the door to an her and my adventure. From the beginning, I was *cough* hooked! The characters are relatable, the episodes are dynamic, and the special effects drew me into the magic of the show. It was easy to forget that it was a fictional place, and I wanted to hop into an old-school yellow Beetle, drive to Storybrooke, and have a bite to eat at Granny’s Diner.

This is one of my favorite adaptations of fairy-tales and classic literature. Not only because it brings all sorts of characters together in one universe, but it also adds depth or twists their original personalities. The result is Snow White as a bandit, the Wicked Witch as a mother, and the Evil Queen as a hero to name a few. Then there's the fiction character I'd most like to marry... a leather-clad and steamy Captain Hook (thank you Colin O'Donoghue). Being an ABC show made for families, there is through line of believing in happy endings. But at its core, the story is about family, love, and hope.

I've come to believe that family is more than just the one you're born into. For me it's about the bonds I've formed with the people I want to surround myself with. This is what Once Upon A Time so brilliantly weaves into its narrative. We have the advantage of piecing together how they are are related through flashbacks; Emma is the daughter of Snow White/Mary Margaret and Prince Charming, and Henry is the adopted son of the Evil Queen/Regina who is also Snow White's step-mother. The list goes on. But the characters themselves spend the first season forging connections on their own.

You can't change things with the family you lost, so may, you should try it with the family you still have.

- Henry

As for the women in this show, they are no pushovers. I wish I had the kind of strength that comes from a place of emotional vulnerability. Grounded by compelling acting, the characters of Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), Emma (Jennifer Morrison), and Regina (Lana Parilla) have to face the challenges of being mothers and daughters. Both Mary Margaret and Emma gave up their children at birth to give their children the best chance. They must come to grips with their decisions and face the repercussions of not being their emotionally for their children as they were growing up. This does, however, serve as a catalyst for Emma and Henry's relationship, as they can both relate to growing up with a feeling of abandonment. On the other hand, Regina wants desperately to hold on to Henry and prove to herself and the residents of Storybrooke that she can have a happy ending. Ultimately, the mutual care of Henry and each other brings these three women together as a family.

True love isn't easy, but it must be fought for. Because once you find it, it can never be replaced.

- Prince Charming

If this show has taught me anything about love, it's that it can come from anywhere. Like many people, I still have a hard time navigating the up's and down's of a romantic relationship. But I haven't had quite same the roller coaster ride as the couples on this show. Their obstacles are the likes of curses, resurrections, and journey's to other realms. At the center of these is Emma and her relationship with Captain Hook (again, I wish he was real). When they meet, she has been transported back to the Enchanted Forest and he is running away from Neverland. They are both strong-willed and start out fighting each other, but by the end they fight for each other. It's the kind of love I found myself routing for, even when all seemed lost. But as Snow White and Prince Charming often say to each other, "I will always find you."

The biggest take away from the show was my connection to the elusive concept of hope. Mary Margaret is the beacon of it on the show. She shoulders the burden's of other with grace and does the right thing even in the face of danger. She makes me want to be a better version of myself. I would love to walk through life with the faith and courage she possesses. And most of all she believes in the goodness of people, no matter who they are or what they've done. This is best exemplified in how she sees her step-mother. Regina has done unspeakable things and is seen by everyone only as the Evil Queen. But through it all, Mary Margaret sees that her heart can change and guides Regina though the darkness to redemption.

And what exactly do you think fairy tales are? They are a reminder that our lives will get better if we just hold on to hope.

- Snow White/Mary Margaret

This escape from reality has it all for me: magic, layered story-telling, and striking scenery. I can't help but keep going back to it when I need a little joy in my life. If you want to make Once Upon a Time your guilty pleasure, just remember to expect the unexpected and that "all magic comes with a price."