Once Upon a Time
Of the two fairy-tale-based series debuting in the same week, this one is the lighter version. Where Grimm is a dark police procedural, Once Upon a Time is a daytime drama, complete with wicked ladies you love to hate, amnesia, and long-lost children. Each episode divides its time between a story set in the present, and a mirror image set in Fairyland. It’s nowhere near as gruesome or spooky as its darker sister, which makes its half-hearted approach to its stories awkward at times.
SEASON ONE
Pilot – Bounty hunter Emma Snow answers the door to find a ten-year-old boy demanding that she return to his hometown, to help him restore the memories of the townspeople. He maintains that they are all actually characters in stories, but have forgotten themselves. Airdate 23 October 2011
The Thing You Love Most – While the mayor does her level best to run Emma out of town, we learn the story of how the Evil Queen cursed Storybrooke. Airdate 30 October 2011.
Snow Falls – Henry is convinced the John Doe in Storybrooke’s hospital is Prince Charming, and does his best to connect him to Mary Margaret. But an unforeseen entanglement may bar the lovers from a reunion. Airdate 6 November 2011