Though it premiered nearly 15 years ago, fewnetwork dramashave had quite the same impact as ABC’sOnce Upon a Time. Debuting during the 2011/2012 television season, the odds were often against the show, thanks to its ambitious premise and the landscape of broadcasting at the time. Butthe show defied the odds and consistently ranked among TV’s most successful shows, due to itsmemorable characters,dynamic storytelling, and, of course,its infamous ships. However, every good story comes to an end, and after 156 episodes, ABC decided to close the book on the fairy tale mash-up.
While the show was a ratings smash for the first three and a half seasons, viewership steadily declined from the back half of Season 4, before dropping to all time lows during Season 6. For many, the final nail in the coffin was the show’s seventh Season. Billed as a “requel” (half reboot and half sequel) by creators and showrunnersEdward KitsisandAdam Horowitz, the outing marked a new chapter for the series, as most of the main cast had exited, with onlyColin O’Donoghue,Robert Carlyle,and the iconicLana Parillareturning as main cast. Surrounded by new characters, the season is often deemed the “worst” of the series. However, as we look back on it seven years later, it’s clear that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it teased a promising future for the series.
‘Once Upon a Time’s Later Seasons Became Too Reliant on IP
WhenOnce Upon a Timepremiered in October 2011, the premise was a largely unique one. When self-proclaimed lonerEmma Swan (Jennifer Morrison)is found by the son she gave up for adoption, Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), he alleges that the town he is living in, Storybrooke, is actually the product of a powerful curse cast bySnow White’sEvil Queen/Regina Mills (Parrilla). In this modern-day New England setting, none of the fairy tale characters know who they actually are and live under the control of Regina. Emma, being the daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), and therefore the product of true love, is the one destined to break the curse and restore happy endings to all.It was certainly an ambitious concept, especially for network television, but it worked beautifully. What’s more is that the next two seasons expanded upon the initial concept in fantastic ways, from bringing magic to the “real world,” visiting Neverland, and introducing the formidableWicked Witch, Zelena (Rebecca Mader).
Should ‘Once Upon a Time’ Get a Reboot? Jennifer Morrison Thinks So — On One Condition
Could we be heading back to Neverland?
However,Season 4 began a trend that eventually overshadowed the show’s merits. At the time,Frozenwas at the height of its popularity and was incorporated into the series. While this arc is actually far better than people give it credit for (due in large part toElizabeth Mitchell’s Snow Queen), it made way for the show to incorporate more Disney IP than ever before, which did turn a lot of viewers off. What’s more is that the characters were more often than not directly lifted from their Mouse House counterparts, rather than being inspired by them. Sure, Seasons 1 and 2 featured characters like Belle (Emilie de Ravin) and Aurora (Sarah Bolger), but these Disney adaptations were rarer and neatly fit into the fold of Storybrooke, as they were original versions. By the time we got to Season 6, the series was filled with Disney characters that often took up more screen time than the core cast. Season 7, however, brought the series back to basics.
‘Once Upon a Time’s Season 7 Brought the Show Back to Basics
Part of what madethe early seasons ofOnce Upon a Timeso successfulwas how it focused on more traditional fairy tale characters and added a dynamic twist to their stories.Regina became a fan favoritebecause of the character’s original and heart-wrenching backstory, which, while it didn’t absolve Regina of her crimes, laid the groundwork for one of thebest redemption arcs in TV history. Early years also offered some of the series’ best twists, such as Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory) being the big bad wolf. While Season 7 continued on without many of the original cast members,the reboot recentered focus on toOnce Upon a Time’s version of fairy tale characters, rather than direct rehashes of Disney’s.
Take Lady Tremaine (Gabrielle Anwar) for example. Yes, she was basedon the classicCinderellavillain, but she was far more nuanced and interesting. Both stylish and dangerous, she was a callback to earlier villains and had one of the show’s most twisted backstories. As it turns out, before becoming Lady Tremaine, she was Rapunzel, but not just “Disney’s Rapunzel.” She was a mother, determined to save her children, who ultimately became a murderous villain and, in a final shocking twist, a victim ofOnce Upon a Time’s all-time darkest villain, Mother Gothel (Emma Booth).
Like Tremaine, Gothel was an incredibly loose adaptation of her Disney counterpart, being a powerful witch hellbent on revenge against mankind for their destruction of the earth. Not only is she able to take the original Dark Curse and perfect it, but she’s also manipulative and is even powerful enough to conduct mass extinction. Likewise, the season’s heroes offer a return to form. Focusing on a now-grown-up Henry (Andrew J. West), the show ends up putting a twist on its mythology, rather than only that of fairy tales. Yes, it repeats a lot of favorite tropes from Season 1, butit does so in a way that makes old stories new again and reminds us of why we fell in love with the show in the first place. Sadly, a combination of a new timeslot and the aforementioned continued drop in ratings led to the reboot lasting only one season. But the show’s series finale continues to elevate the season above that of the original storyline.
‘Once Upon a Time’ Finished Stronger Because of Season 7
Though Season 7 failed to extend the show’s lifespan beyond 22 episodes, the series’ legacy is actually stronger because of the reboot. For many of us who loved the show from beginning to end, we always knew that Emma was destined to fight the so-called “Final Battle.” Emma’s destiny was first foreshadowed in the pilot when Rumpelstiltskin (Carlyle) foresees it, and is hinted at over the seasons untilSeason 3’s “Going Home”first mentions the foe she is destined to face, the Black Fairy (Jamie Murray). Murray certainly craftedan intense villainwith the character, which elevated expectations. Though the actual execution of the Final Battle was something of a letdown,we never even got to see Emma face off with the Black Fairy. By the time the two-hour outing came to an end, it was a fine installment, but didn’t quite feel fitting for a saga as vast and beloved asOnce Upon a Time.The big issue was that there was no real consequence. All of the main characters made it through the battle and despite being the end that the writers had always planned, it fell flat compared to the creativity for which the show was known.
In just a year, though,Season 7 crafted an outing that brought both the “Swan Saga” and the reboot to an end in a way that was so fulfilling and poetic. After a battle that brings both versions of the show to a head and threatens to destroy the realms once and for all, Regina is tasked with resetting the realms of story. She casts one final curse that brings all the worlds to Storybrooke, and, in the very place she once threatened to destroy everyone’s happiness, she is elected the new realm’s ruler and is dubbed “The Good Queen.” It is a much more satisfying and full-circle ending, not just for Regina, but for all the characters, new and old. Emma and Hook reach a gorgeous conclusion, as do Henry and the Charmings.
Unlike Season 6’s ending, there are consequences. In fact, Season 7 has the highest body count of any season, withthe finale killing off longtime favorite Rumple in a cathartic and fitting end. What’s more, the finale leavesthe book open for a possible return(which was always the show’s thesis), while also feeling like a satisfying end, should we never return to Storybrooke, something the original finale just didn’t accomplish.
Once Upon a TimeSeason 7 often gets a bad rep, but it doesn’t deserve it at all. Sure, many of the characters we’d known and loved since the beginning were relegated to recurring or guest star status, but the stories the season crafted were just as enchanting as the show’s early years. What’s more is that it was able to craft a final season that outranked the show’s originally intended ending. While many of us would love to revisit the world of the show, it sent the show off with a magical legacy that reminded us why we loved the series so much and continues to enchant viewers new and old to this day.
Once Upon a Timeis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
