~ Spoilers: The Return & The Stranger ~

Two special treats to make up the fact there won't be a new episode for three weeks : (

1)  ABC Medianet released a new synopsis for episode 19 The Return, which will air on April 22.

Mr. Gold attempts to uncover the true identity of August, Emma confronts Regina about her involvement in Kathryn's disappearance, and David tries to apologize and reconcile with Mary Margaret. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Rumplestiltskin agrees to comply and do whatever it takes if his son can find a way for him to safely give up his powers and turn back into the loving man he used to be

2) Since the 20th episode is called The Stranger, these photos give us a huge hint as to who The Stranger, aka August Booth, just might be...

~ Sneak Peek Videos: The Stable Boy ~

Here are 5 new videos for this week's most anticipated episode. And they are good.

~ Review: Mad As A Hatter ~

Once upon a time…

Jefferson is playing hide and seek with his daughter, Grace. They head back to their cottage, when they noticed Regina’s carriage. Grace asks her father if he knows her, and Jefferson says no. He tells Grace to hide in the woods until he comes and finds her. Jefferson goes in and clearly he and Regina know each other. Regina needs his help, but Jefferson says he doesn’t do that kind of work anymore. Regina tries to get him to do it by promising him and his daughter a lifetime of luxury and comfort. But Jefferson still says no. Regina tells him she needs his special skills to get her somewhere, somewhere he has been before. She hands him a paper, and Jefferson asks what she possible could want from that certain place; something was taken from her and she wants it back. However Jefferson still says no and Regina understands. Yeah right. 

Mirror, Mirror How Do You Like My New Nose?

The next day, Jefferson and Grace are at the village market. Grace sees the toy cart and finds a rabbit. She asks her father if she could have it so he can join them for tea, and Jefferson couldn’t resist saying no. However he doesn’t have enough money to pay for it, and the old lady says she can’t sell the rabbit for any less. Grace says it’s OK, but Jefferson will not take no for an answer. Grace insists she doesn’t need it and they both leave. After they leave, the old lady goes to the back where a mirror is. The Magic Mirror appears and tells the old lady that Grace still should have had the toy, but the old lady replied that would have been no fun, and reveals herself to be Regina in disguise. That is cruel. I have to admit I’m a tiny bit disappointed that we saw the EQ in her infamous disguise already. I was hoping that could have been saved for when she tries to get Snow to eat the poison apple. It would have at least had that element of surprise. Oh well...

Back at their house, Jefferson makes a rabbit for Grace and apologizes for it not being the same one she wanted, but Grace loves it. Love the expression Jefferson had when Grace said that. They sit down to have their tea party. But Jefferson has decided to help Regina one more time and tells Grace she needs to go to their neighbor’s house for the rest of the day.  Grace wants to come, but Jefferson tells her he is not going to work in the woods. Grace then pleads her father not to do whatever is Regina wants him to do. But Jefferson tells her he wants to give her everything she wants, but Grace says all she wants is her father. However Jefferson’s mind is made up and Grace makes him promise that he returns in time for their tea party. Jefferson promises. Sweet, but sad scene. After Grace leaves, Jefferson opens up a trunk and takes out a hat shaped box.

~ Sneak Peek: Hat Trick ~

So we have 3 new sneak peeks of this week's episode. Interesting enough, none of them take place in fairy tale land. I guess they want to surprise us. Enjoy!

~ Review: Darth Snow White ~

Once upon a time…

Its nighttime in King’s George’s kingdom, and James and Red are still on the run from the king’s knights. Red tells James to find Snow and she will take care of them. Red takes off her red coat just as the full moon appears and attacks the knights in her wolf form. James rides off through the night, with Red howling behind him. I assume Red told James of her secret identity.

What Do You Mean You Won't Whistle While You Work?

It’s daytime now and Snow (sporting the iconic Disney Snow White hair with a red ribbon) hymns the song, “A Smile and a Song.” She places a bluebird on the table, and then tries to kill it with her broom. I loved this scene! Disney’s Snow White for adults! As Evil Snow tries to kill “the vermin,” Grumpy comes in and convinces her to have dinner. The other 6 dwarves are at the table talking, but stop when Snow and Grumpy come in. Snow comments about the lack of dinner, and then Jiminy Cricket appears. The dwarves have planned for an intervention and asked Jiminy to help them. It’s pretty cute how each dwarf says something about how they feel about Snow’s new personality. Even Happy has got a little anger in him. The Jiminy Cricket Show anyone? Grumpy blames the potion for what’s happened to Snow, but Snow states the potion was “the solution, not the problem.” Snow bitterly goes on about how, thanks to Regina, she is living in a house with dwarfs when she should be living with her father at the summer palace. Jiminy tells her that it’s OK to be angry, but not OK to take it out on her friends. This gives Snow the idea that she needs to kill Regina, but Jiminy and Grumpy tell her that is not the best idea. But she ignores them and leaves.

Snow comes across one of the Regina’s knights, and through physical interrogation, the knight tells Snow that Regina will be heading to the summer palace in the morning. Snow knocks him out, stating that the summer palace was built for her mother. As she steals stills his clothes, Grumpy shows up. He is going to help Snow by taking her to Rumple so he can help bring back her memories. He says he is the most powerful man in the word and can do anything, and this intrigues Snow.

The next morning, James comes across the knight who is now completely naked, except his “manhood” which he has covered up with his helmet. Good thing Snow didn’t take that otherwise that would have been an awkward moment. James hands him a blanket and asks him who did this to him. The knight replied it was Snow who is going to kill Regina, although James doesn’t believe Snow is capable of doing something like.

At Rumple’s estate, Grumpy asks Rumple to help Snow, but Rumple says he can’t. No potion can bring back memories of true love. Stating that anyone who can make a true love potion, can do anything. Snow asks Rumple’s help to kill Regina and Rumple is pleased. He gives her a bow and arrow, which Snow mistakes as a weapon to get inside the castle. But Rumple tells her that’s impossible; instead she has to do it when Regina is on her way to the summer palace. Rumple shows her a map of exactly where she can kill her. Grumpy has had enough. He tells Snow that if she does this, she’ll have to do it alone, and Snow states that has always been her plan. Grumpy leaves, while Snow takes the bow and arrow from Rumple, who is very excited. I’m beginning to think that this whole thing with Regina and Rumple is a game to them; to see who can outwit the other. 

~ Sneak Peeks: Snow White & Regina ~

We have some new sneak peaks from episodes "Heart of Darkness" and "The Stable Boy."

First, 3 sneak peak videos of this week's episode. Check them out!

Second, behind the scenes pictures from "The Stable Boy." Careful, there are Spoilers!

~ Sneak Peek: The Stable Boy ~

ABC Medianet has released a new synopsis for episode 18 The Stable Boy, which will air on April 1st. 

Emma continues her exhaustive search for evidence that will prove Mary Margaret’s innocence in the murder of David’s wife, Kathryn. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was and before evil blackened her soul, Regina must choose between betraying her mother, Cora (Barbara Hershey), and marrying for true love, or betrothing royalty and living a regal – but loveless – life; and the event that caused the Evil Queen to loathe Snow White is revealed

This episode is written by Adam and Edward, so no doubt its going to be good.

Also...Guess who King George is in Storybrooke?

Highlight your cursor to find out 

District Attorney Albert Spencer

What do you think?

~ Review: Granny, What Big Eyes I Have ~

Once upon a time…

Red Riding Hood is in love with Peter, who has come to visit Red by her bedroom window. They talk about running away together when Granny calls for her. Red asks Peter to let her go, but Peter insists on having a kiss for the price. Finally a nice, good deal. Simple and easy.  A group of villagers have come to Granny’s as they are on their way to kill a wolf that has been terrorizing their village. Red wants to go as well but Granny won’t let her. Granny tells the villagers to let the wolf be as there are only 2 more nights before he stops hunting. Red hopes that they will kill the wolf, but Granny knows it’s because Red wants to be with Peter. Red defends Peter, but Granny dismisses it and they begin to lock down their home. Then Granny sends Red off to bed while she guards the door with an arrow machine.  Haha! Nobody gets passed Granny!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The next morning, Red goes into the barn to check on the chickens, when she notices someone hiding in the corner. Snow quickly comes out and tries to apologies for hiding out in the barn and stealing the eggs. Snow sounds so sweet and really innocent here. Red says its fine and introduces herself. Snow is about to say her name, but instead says Frosty. Haha! Red doesn’t believe her, but understands Snow can’t tell her name until she can trust her. Snow then says, Margaret Mary. How ironic. Snow and Red head off to the well to get some water. Snow inquires about the howling she heard last night, and Red tells her that it’s a wolf (“it’s big as a pony”) hunting for cattle. As they pull up some water Red notices it being blood red, and when she calls for Snow, she notices that Snow is looking at something else: four dead bodies, killed by the big bad wolf. I couldn’t resist. And those dead bodies freaked me out. 

Later that morning, Granny, Red, and Snow (in disguise) go to a village meeting, where the leader of last night’s hunting party vows to kill the wolf. However Granny warns them not to as she had first-hand experience with the wolf. When Granny was little, a different wolf killed her 6 older brothers and father, while she watched from her rooftop. She suddenly fell right in front of the wolf, but instead of killing her, it gave her scratched marks. She tells everyone the best thing to do is to hide and wait.

Back at Red’s cottage, Red tells Snow how she feels like she’s trapped, and Snow asks if it has something to do with someone. Red talks about her love for Peter, and Snow comments how nice the feeling must be. Just like two teenage girls having a sleepover and talking about boys. Red asks Snow if she has someone, but Snow replies no and doesn’t think that’s in her future. You never know what the future holds Snow. Red wants to run away with Peter, but Granny doesn’t let her go out alone on the count of the wolf. Snow thinks what Granny is doing is right, but not when it comes to love. Red then states that they should kill the wolf now during the daytime so they can have the advantage, but Snow doesn’t think that is a good idea. Clearly Snow hasn’t received her courage diploma yet. However Red is willingly to go with or without her and states that her grandmother can’t keep her locked up forever.

~ Emma's Future In Storybrooke ~

The Huffington Post did an interview with Jennifer Morrison about what is to come for Emma Swan in Storybrooke.

1) Emma's "super power" and Sidney Glass

I feel like she's always been a little bit skeptical of Sidney only because he did come from being so deep in Regina's pocket that it's hard for Emma to believe that someone could really make that much of a turnaround... It’s like she knows that there may be something to be skeptical about with Sidney, and yet, he seems like the best possible option at this point...But yes, at some point, she will definitely have a rude awakening in terms of how deeply he's not supporting her.

2) Emma arresting Mary Margaret

Emma's sort of left with no option because if she doesn’t go where the evidence leads and actually make the arrest, then she looks like she's offering some sort of favoritism to Mary Margaret, which then makes Emma look like she's not doing her job properly, which then gives Regina a reason to fire Emma...In Emma's mind, even though it's a horrible thing to have to arrest this person who she truly does consider a friend and truly does believe in, she feels like she can protect her better by doing this than she can if she doesn't do it...

3)  Emma on Mr. Gold as Mary Margaret's attorney

I think initially she's very opposed to [Mary hiring him] because obviously she doesn't trust him, for good reason...She suspects that he has ulterior motives that are serving him, but those ulterior motives that are serving him are also serving Emma sometimes. So she, once again, has to sort of choose the lesser of two evils and decide if she's going to go along with what he's doing in order to get the results that she needs in order to protect the people that she wants to protect...

4) Emma being kidnapped by the Mad Hatter

It does start to plant some interesting seeds in Emma, because it's another person saying to her some of the things that Henry has been saying...But it is really the first time that there are little chips in Emma's armor in terms of her thinking; not necessarily that there really is a curse and that everybody really is a fairytale, but I think it’s really that turning point for her to realize that there is something very dark and possibly dangerous going on that she needs to try to figure out.

5) Emma and The Stranger

...I think the next several episodes you sort of start to see her test whether or not she can trust him. She allows him in, in little bits, and then pushes him away in other ways and sort of starts to kind of test the waters to see how trustworthy he is, where he really stands on things, and if he is safe or not for her or for Henry or for anyone...

To read the entire interview, click here.

~ Episode Titles ~

Here are the titles for 4 out of the 5 last episodes and short synopsis for each of them.

From ChevronOne :

Episode 18: The Stable Boy ~ Here we find out why Regina hates Snow White as mentioned previously.

Episode 19: The Return ~ Here we get more of a back story of Rumpelstiltskin and his son as mentioned previously.

Episode 20: The Stranger ~ Obviously this is the episode where we probably find out who "The Stranger" is.

From Entertainment Weekly:

Episode 21: Apple Red as Blood ~ According to the article's writer Sandra Gonzalez:

...I can tell you that it’s part of a final arc that will focus heavily on the major players rather than stand-alone stories.

Josh Dallas ~ All I can say is I just got the script for episode 21 and it is going to go someplace that the audience will not expect it ever to go

~ Sneak Peeks: Red-Handed & Hat Trick ~

1) ABC Medianet released a synopsis for episode 17 "Hat Trick:"

While searching for a missing Mary Margaret, Emma is kidnapped by a man whose affinity for hats has him teetering on the edge of madness. Meanwhile, viewers will be transported outside of the fairytale land that was for the first time when the Evil Queen persuades a skillful man of magic to come work for her one last time and travel to Wonderland in order to help steal something from the Queen of Hearts.

2)  A couple of sneak peeks for this week's episode "Red-Handed." And there really good.

~ Review: Hi Ho Its Off To Work We Go ~

Once upon a time…

Up in the clouds, Nova, the Pink Fairy as I like to call her, is a clumsy fairy-in-training. The Blue Fairy is teaching her how to deliver fairy dust because next year she will be doing it alone.  Nova had hope that she would be a fairy godmother by then, but the Blue Fairy laughed it off saying that her journey is just beginning. The Blue Fairy asks Nova if she can deliver the dust from the mines home safely, and Nova nods. As Nova leaves, she accidentally drops a bit of dust, which blows right under the ground where the dwarfs are and spills over an egg. The egg begins to move. One of the dwarfs, Bossy, is surprised that the egg is moving as he is too early to be hatched, but sure enough seconds later Grumpy is born. I guess that makes him the oldest of the 7 dwarfs. I wonder how parents would have to explain this scene to their younger children. 

Grumpy is now hatched from the egg and inquires about the girl he saw. But Bossy dismisses it and begins to tell Grumpy what dwarfs do. They don't fall in love and they love to work in the mines; their job is to find diamonds and crush them into dust to give light to the world.  Once they are cleaned and fully clothed, the 8 new dwarfs each grab an ax that automatically gives them their names. However, when Grumpy grabs one, the ax reads Dreamy. Then they all literally whistle to the song “Heigh-Ho” as they go off to work! Love it! And it’s official! This scene is my favorite in the series so far. It just made me smile.

"My Hero"

A year later, Grumpy Dreamy is working in the mines when he meets Nova, who is still collecting fairy dust. Dreamy recognizes her from the dream he had a year ago just before hatching. After Dreamy saves her bag of fairy dust from turning into ashes, Nova complains about how she wants to be a fairy godmother, but can’t even take of care of fairy dust. But Dreamy says she will make a good fairy godmother and she could do whatever she wants to if she dreams it. Awww…gotta love Disney! Nova tells Dreamy that she is going to see fireflies later that night on Firefly Hill, and Dreamy tells her to have a good time. Haha! Even a dreamy guy can’t take a hint.  

That night, at a tavern, Dreamy is hardly having a good time. Bossy comes over and asks him what’s wrong. Dreamy tells him he can’t eat, he can’t sleep, and doesn’t feel like himself. Bossy dismisses it, tells him not to worry about it. However, Belle interrupts him and tells Dreamy otherwise. Yayy! Belle’s back! Belle tells him he is in love and begins to talk about what it’s like to be in love. Aww…she really misses Rumple. But Dreamy is afraid that Nova won’t love him back as she didn’t say anything, except about fireflies. Belle laughs at this and says that it was an invitation for him to be with her. Belle says that she has had “her heart broken enough, to know when somebody is reaching out.” That is indeed true.

~ Cast & Crew at PaleyFest 2012 ~

The creators and the cast were at the PaleyFest in Beverly Hills this afternoon. The full panel event is now posted on Youtube, if you missed it. Check it out below!

Some of my favorite moments:

1) Edward said that they already dropped hints as to how the curse can be broken.

2) Archie will have two new patients: David and Mr. Gold!
From Zap2It

~ Robert ~ "Something happens that pushes him towards it." He has to talk to someone about what's in his mind. When Raph and I spoke about it we said, 'of course!' He doesn't have anyone else. There is nobody he can talk to. It's a wonderful opportunity for these two characters to meet. He tells him stuff that he wouldn't tell anyone else and halfway through, he realizes who he's talking to and he's very threatening to him at the end."

3)  A British grandmother thanks Josh Dallas for moving her 12 year-old-granddaughter on from Justin Bieber.

4) Emma is not going to believe Henry anytime soon, but she will start noticing that something is going on.

Enjoy! And we finally get to see a new episode tonight!

~ Sneak Peaks: Dreamy & Mad Hatter ~

Update:  I just found 2 new behind the scenes photos of Sebastian Stan as the Mad Hatter. What do you think? Pictures are from the Examiner

And now sneak peaks from this week's episode. Also, the first video is an extended promo of Dreamy with new scenes. Enjoy!

~ Pictures: Heart of Darkness ~

Yayy!!! More spoilers! We may not have seen a new episode this past Sunday, but we are certainly being compensated for it. I am hoping for some new sneak peak videos for this week's episode tomorrow.

1) Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will be at the WonderCon 2012 in Anaheim, CA on Sunday March 18th. There will be an exclusive screening of the episode, "Heart of Darkness," which coincidentally, will air on the same night. Also, afterwards there will be a Q&A with the two creators. For more information click on the link above. 

2) Speaking of which, there are some new photos from the episode from TVOvermind.

Spoilers! Spoilers! 

~ Pictures: Red Riding Hood & EQ's Mom ~

It's sad that we didn't get to see a new episode of Once last night, although there were two promos during the Oscars that showed new scenes (I think) of what's to come. Did anybody catch those? They went by so fast...

Anyway... more new spoilers for 3 upcoming episodes. We have been getting a lot of new spoilers this past week. Not that I am complaining : )

1) Here is a picture of Regina (Lana Parrilla) and her mother Cora (Barbara Hershey). Picture and quote are from TVGuide. In this episode, on April 8th, we'll find out why the EQ hates Snow.

Like Mother, Like Daughter?

~ Edward ~ "Cora has 'an interesting connection to Rumpelstiltskin and an agenda she does not like to veer from.' Her past 'is just hinted at this year..."But we have major plans for Cora in the future.'"

2) ABC Medianet released a new synopsis for the upcoming episode "Heart of Darkness," which will air on March 18th.

Mary Margaret hires Mr. Gold as her attorney when Emma is forced to arrest her for the suspected murder of David’s wife, Kathryn. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, Prince Charming sets out to stop a determined and unhinged Snow White, whose memory is still clouded by Rumplestiltskin’s potion, from assassinating the Evil Queen...

3)  There are some new photos for the upcoming episode "Red-Handed" in which we will see the back story of Red Riding Hood and perhaps find out how Snow helped her when no one else would.

The episode will air on March 11th

Spoilers! Spoilers!  

~ Friday News With More Spoilers ~

We have some more, a lot more I should say,  information spoilers on what's coming up for the remainder of the season from Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

From E's Watch with Kristin 

1) So by now we know that Sebastian Stan, from Gossip Girl, will be playing the Mad Hatter in the 17th episode. This episode will be set in Wonderland and we get to find out why he is called the Mad Hatter. 

~ Edward ~ "The first [difference] you'll notice is in who the Mad Hatter was and his backstory. Then what Wonderland is and [its] changes is something we hope to explore also." "We're hoping this tells you the story of the Mad Hatter, but will also leave you questions about Wonderland."

2) Dr. Whale will return, but we won't find out who his fairy tale character is this season.

3) We will see Belle for a little bit in episode 14, as noted before. However, she will be much more prominent towards the end of the season.

4) As mentioned before, Barbara Hershey will play Regina's mother in an upcoming episode.

~ Edward ~ "Evil is not born, it's made. Her mother has a specific viewpoint about the world."  ~ Adam ~ "Hopefully you'll get a great insight into Regina and why she is the way she is."

5) The mystery of Kathryn's disappearance will go on for the next 4 or 5 episodes before it gets resolved.

~ What's Coming Up ~

The pages are now updated with last week's episode, and here is what's coming up on Once Upon a Time:

1) Meghan Ory, who plays Ruby/Red Riding Hood posted on Twitter that the 15th episode will be about Red's background story. The episode, called "Red Handed" will air on March 11 and ABC medianet released a synopsis about the episode:

After quitting Granny’s diner with her self-esteem at an all-time low, Emma hires Ruby to be her assistant in order to help her discover what it is in life that she’s good at…..Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Red Riding Hood yearns to run away with her true love. But she, along with her fellow townspeople, are virtual prisoners when a bloodthirsty wolf continues on its relentless killing spree. 

2)  E!'s Spoiler Chat released  Spoilers! Spoilers! new information about about Kathryn's disappearance.

Mary Margaret is going to be arrested and guess who is her representative in court......
(highlight your cursor to find out)

Rumpelstiltskin 

True's Love Kiss
Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

What do you think?

3) There will be no new episode this Sunday due to the Oscars. I'm actually OK with it, since I like watching the Oscars. 

~ Answers From Rumpelstiltskin On Twitter ~

Today Robert Carlyle allowed his Twitter followers to ask him some questions. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to mine : ( I wasn’t fast enough. I’m kind of new to Twitter. But I’ll try again later.

Here are a few things we found out. If you want to see all of the questions, check out his Twitter.

1) We may find out why Rumple wanted strands of Snow’s hair in episode 16.

2) Can Rumple change the curse? According to Robert, Rumple may be more powerful than we think. 

3) We’ll find out why Rumple helped Regina with the curse.

 

4) His inspriation for portraying Rumple? Cimmedia dell'arte and his 6-year-old son. 

~ Review: Fighting For True Love ~

Once upon a time…

It’s the day of the wedding. For James and Abigail that is. Abigail arrives and is greeted by King George. Abigail notices something is wrong, but the king tells her not to worry. He then goes and tells one of his guards to find James. James is shown trying to escape from the king’s knights and just when he thinks he’s safe, he turns around and is caught.

Three hooded knights surround James and he tells them to kill him already. Instead one of them unties him and Abigail appears. Abigail has eyes and ears at her father’s court and wants to talk to James before King George kills him. She knows that he loves Snow and James tells her he can’t marry someone he doesn’t love, and would rather die instead. Abigail calls his action “charming” and understands as she also doesn’t want to marry James. You’re so nice Abigail! Yayy!!!

James and Abigail are riding through King Midas’s kingdom. James angrily wants to know what is going on and why Abigail is showing him such kindness. Abigail tells him that her heart belongs to another, someone who she was supposed to marry, name Frederick. James asks what happened to him, to which Abigail replies, “we all have our tragedies. Lost love being the worst,” and she had hope that reuniting James with his love would be a consolation to her. James tells her that his love doesn’t love him back, so that is his tragedy. But Abigail says to him that is no tragedy and tells him to follow her.

Help Me Prince Charming...You're My Only Hope

They arrive at a memorial where Fredrick sacrificed his life. James is intrigued by how the statue looks so real, but Abigail tells him that is Fredrick. He accidentally turned into gold after saving King Midas during an ambush. I think this is a nod to the fable story when King Midas accidentally turned his daughter into gold after she touched him.  James tells her that all curses can be broken by true love’s kiss; Abigail says she tried but it did not work. She tells James there is a legend of a lake called Lake Nostos and its water has the ability to bring something back that was once lost to someone.  Abigail says she tried to get it, but it’s guarded by a creature (aka the Siren) that lures victims to their deaths. No one has succeeded. However James is confident (more like a bit overconfident, if I may say so) that he will defeat the Siren and return with water to bring back Frederick. Abigail tries to talk him out of it, but James insists that one of them should be happy.  And should he fail, then at least his misery will end.

~ What Is A Fairy Tale? ~

Laurel Brown from BuddyTV recently did an article about what counts as a fairy tale. It was announced that an upcoming episode would feature characters from Alice in Wonderland, however Brown states that Alice’s story isn’t a fairy tale. Being that this blog is about the fairy tales from Once Upon A Time, I thought it was something to think about.

So, what counts as a fairy tale?

Logic then implies that somehow the Walt Disney company -- and only the Walt Disney company -- has the inside line on the fairy-tale word.

From Alicia Blogs 

Brown does bring up a good point here. And I’ll be honest. For a long time I thought the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and others were created by Disney. Disney was a big part of my childhood. But of course some of the stories have been around longer than The Walt Disney Company itself. All Disney did was made the stories simpler and marketed it towards children. I actually prefer the Disney versions rather than the original stories. I think that for the most part we are use to the Disney versions because they are more familiar to us and easy to identify in popular culture.

According to Wikipedia, fairy tales are stories that feature fantasy characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, dwarves, mermaids, and magic. And I agree.

What do you think?   

~ Photos From Episode 14: Dreamy ~

SPOILERS! SPOILERS!


There is new information and new photos about the 14th episode called "Dreamy." The episode will air on March 4th.

Grumpy falls in love with a fairy name Nova. In Storybrooke, Mary Margaret and Leroy team up to help the town's nuns sell candles during the Miner's Day festival.

In one of the following photos, there is a big surprise.

~ Sneak Peaks: What Happened to Frederick? ~

First, I have updated all the tabs from this past episode and made a few edits as well. The only part I am confused of is Regina's timeline. Its not clear if  Rumpel and Belle's story takes place before Snow's father dies or after. I have a feeling its after, but if you know please comment and let me know.

Secondly, we have 5 new sneak peaks from this week's episode. This week, as James is searching for Snow, Abigail asks James to retrieve something precious that she lost. In Storybrooke, David finally tells Kathryn about his relationship with Mary Margaret. 

And, we finally find out The Stranger's name.  

Enjoy!

~ Adam & Edward On What's To Come ~

Happy Valentine’s Day!

A few days ago, LA Times’ Hero Complex did an interview with Adam and Edward where they talked about the future of the show.

Excerpts of the interview:

Edward ~ We have a phrase that you’ll see in later episodes, “Evil’s not born – it’s made.” What we love about Regina is she’s very tortured. And you understand that there’s a hidden pain inside her that is causing her to do these things. We’re just not going to reveal it till the end of the season.

Adam ~ Prior to the end of the season, well before the finale. That question of being evil, what happened between her and Snow that we’ve kind of hinted throughout the season is one that we see a few things before the finale.

Read the full interview.

True Love's First Kiss
 Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

~ Review: Tale As Old As Time ~

Song as old as rhyme,

Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin

Once upon a time….

During the ogre wars, Belle, and her father Maurice, Gaston Sir Gaston, and some knights are waiting the arrival of Rumpel as they seek his help with the war.  True to form, Rumpel knocks on the door, but as the group opens it, he appears behind them. Rumpel mocks them a bit, but says he can help them protect their town…for a price. Of course. And Belle happens to be that price (or has he says it “something a bit more special”), but Maurice says no. As Rumpel leaves, Belle agrees to go with him despite the protest of both Maurice and Gaston. Belle states that “no one decides my fate, but me.” Rumpel happily accepts, and congratulations the others on winning the war.

You Don't Look Too Bad

Rumpel brings Belle to his estate and escorts her to her room prison. Later on, Rumpel is giving Belle the list of things she has to do, including skinning children (just a joke). At this, Belle drops a cup on the floor, breaking a little piece of it. Hi Chip! That’s how you got your name. Belle apologizes to Rumpel, but Rumpel cares not for it, “it’s just a cup.”

Sometime later, Belle is trying to open Rumpel’s closed curtains while Rumple is spinning straws. Belle asks him why he spins so much, to which Rumpel replies it helps him forget. Rumpel asks Belle why she is on a latter. Belle replies that she is trying to open the curtains, which Rumpel literally nailed down, to bring some light in. As she opens them up, she slips and Rumpel catches her. They share a sweet moment, but Rumpel immediately puts her down and Belle tells him she will put the curtains back up. But Rumpel tells her to leave it and as he walks away, he is surprised by this new feeling.

Couple of months later, during tea time, Belle asks Rumpel the real reason why he wanted her here. Rumpel states it’s because the place was filthy, but Belle guesses that he was lonely, as any man would be. Rumpel tells her he is no man. Belle tells him that during her stay, she found clothing that may have belonged to a child. Rumpel admits that it belonged to a son, but he lost him. However, Rumpel doesn’t want to discuss it further and soon someone knocks on the door. It’s Gaston! He’s come to free Belle. But before anything else can happen (literally), Rumpel transforms him into a red rose. Nice little twist. Rumpel gives the rose to Belle, stating an old woman selling flowers gave it to him. Nice Disney reference. As Belle puts Gaston the rose in a vase, Rumpel asks Belle why she agreed to live with him. Belle tells him that there are not a lot of opportunities for women to be heroes and do brave things. Rumpel then asks about Gaston, but Belle states she never cared for him and could never be with someone who was superficial like he was. Rumpel is touched by this and tells Belle that if she goes down to the village and get him more straws, he will tell her about his son. Belle is surprised that Rumpel trusts her to come back, but Rumpel tells her he knows he will never see her again.

Don't Talk To Strangers!

As Belle is walking to town, guess who shows up in a carriage? The EQ of course! Regina decides to stretch her legs and walk with Belle. Regina comments on how little Belle is carrying, but Belle states it helps her move faster. Regina makes a good guess and states that Belle is running away from both her master and lover. Belle, clearly uncomfortably with the statement, tells Regina she wants to rest and she should continue on without her. Smart girl! But Regina continues on, stating that Belle loves her employer but is leaving him. Belle says that he could love him, but knows that something evil has taken over him. Regina says it’s a curse and the only way to break a curse is true love’s first kiss. So why would you give Snow an cursed apple if you knew that?

~ Skin Deep: Sneak Peak #6 ~

Hooray!! Another sneak peak! And its a really good one.

Enjoy!

~ Skin Deep: 5 Sneak Peaks ~

Yayy!! We have 5 sneak peaks for this week's episode. Enjoy!

PS: My favorite one is #3. Just picture Snow White, Cinderella, and Red Riding Hood. LOL!

~ Adam and Edward on Rumpelstiltskin ~

The creators talk about the most interesting (I think) and intriguing character on Once Upon A Time

Whose side is Rumpelstiltskin on? Or is he even on a side?

~ What's Coming Up ~

Coming Up On Once Upon A Time:

1) According to EW (Spoilers!, Spoilers!), a character from Alice in Wonderland will be making its debut on the show sometime in March.

2)  Bailee Madison tweeted that she will be playing a young Snow White in an upcoming episode.

Sadly, there are no sneak peaks for this Sunday's episode....so far.  Usually on Wednesdays, ABC releases a couple of sneak peek clips, but nothing yet. : (

Stay Tuned!

True Love's First Kiss
 Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

~ Friday News Roundup ~

I have now updated the Full Story, Snow's story, and the EQ's.

Some big announcements, in case you missed it:

1) Barbara Hershey (Beaches) has been cast to play the EQ's mother in an upcoming, unknown episode.

2) A DVD of the first 5 episodes will be released only at Target on Feb. 14

2) E! News' Spoiler Chat gave fans two big scoops:

• An upcoming episode will focus on 12-year-old Snow White. 
• In the next episode, we will some more of the relationship between Sidney Glass/Magic Mirror & the EQ

3) And speaking of the next episode, the next one will air next Sunday (Feb 12) due to the Super Bowl this weekend. But I can't wait for this episode! It's the Beauty and the Beast episode. I loved the Disney film.

Also Spoilers! Spoilers! 

~ Review: Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, How Did You Come To Us After All? ~

By being a genie first!

This week’s episode focuses on Sidney Glass and his fairytale character two fairytale characters: the genie and the mirror.

 Once upon a time:

A good king finds a magic lamp; he rubes it and out comes a genie from Agrabah. The genie give him, in a bored manner, some rules of what he can and can’t do. However the king states he has everything he already wants and instead wishes the genie free and gives him his final wish (the 2^nd wish was for the genie to have his 3^rd wish). The genie is touched by this kindness, but states he will not use it (as from his experiences, it can be quite dangerous) and wants to use his freedom looking for love. The king invites him to his palace and introduces him to Snow and the Evil Queen, Regina.

During the king’s birthday celebration, the king talks about the love he had for his first wife and who, like Snow, is “the fairest in all the land.” So that's how the phrase started. All the while Regina is looking sad and lonely. At least now we know why she is obsessed with being beautiful. She goes outside to her apple tree and the genie follows her. Regina is hurt by the fact that the king will never love her like his first wife. So why did he get married after all? To help make her feel better, the genie presents the queen with a mirror so she can see herself the way he sees her, “as the fairest in all the land.” So that’s how that phrase started. The genie and Regina look at each other with love and longing.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall: Who is the fairest of them all?

The king finds out that his queen is in love with another man by reading her journal (of course), and asks the genie to find the man who gave her the glass mirror. In the meantime the king locks Regina in her room and her father, Henry, asks the genie to deliver a box to her, which will send her free. When the genie delivers the box to Regina, he finds a pair of poisonous snakes of which Regina tends use to kill herself so she can be free from this prison. But the genie wouldn’t allow her and suggests they use the snakes to kill the king. Regina asks if he would do that for her and the genie replied he would do anything for her.

~ Their Story : Take Two ~

True Love's First Kiss
 Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

OK, So I made quite a few big changes in my blog. I will post a comment about each episode on Mondays, and then throughout the week I will add any news, fun things, or information about the show, spoilers and all (I can’t help it). I will also let you know when I have updated each of the 4 main character’s stories as well as the full story.

Please feel free to email me with questions, suggestions, or anything else.   

~ Tara ~

The Story So Far: Part 5A ~ Cinderella ~

Note: I am going to assume that the Cinderella storyline takes place right after Snow White and Prince Charming get married.

Read The Fine Print, Read The Fine Print, 

The episode begins like in the original tale: Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters are on their way to the ball. Cinderella, known as Ella, is sweeping the floor and is upset that she can’t go to the ball. Then her fairy godmother appears, and says she is here to ‘change her life.” But before she can explain any further…BOOM! She’s dead! In her place stands Rumpel and Ella is shock. Obviously King George told Rumpel about his fairy godmother.  Rumpel tells Ella that “all magic comes with a price” and instead she should change her life herself. But Ella insists that she can handle magic and she’ll do anything to get out of her current life.  Rumpel tells that in exchange for his help, he wants something “precious,” which she will eventually get once she gets everything she wants. Ella promises to give him anything he wants, and Rumpel draws up a contract. Ella immediately signs it and with the wand, Rumpel turns Ella’s dirty, rag dress into a beautiful, ball gown. Ella notices the glass slippers and is confused. “Every story needs a memorable detail,” Rumpel tells her. He tells her to have a good time, but reminds her to watch the clock.    

A few days later, it’s Ella and Prince Thomas’s wedding day and they have invited all of their friends, including Prince James and Snow White. During a dance, Snow tells Ella how proud she is of her for changing her life. As they switch partners, Ella comes face to face with Rumpel. Now that her end of the deal is done, he wants his and reveals that instead of jewels, he wants her first born child.  Some time later, Ella is packing her things and when Thomas asks why, she tells him of her pregnancy and the deal she made with Rumpel. Thomas is shocked at first, but tells her they will find a way to stop him.

The Story So Far: Part 4A ~ Hansel and Gretel & Snow White and Prince Charming ~

Note: These two stories are taking place roughly at the same time. And forgive me, this is a bit of a long post, I'm trying not to make these posts too long. 

Finally We Get To See Ruby As Red Riding Hood

One month after Snow and James meet, Snow is alone in the woods hunting a turkey for her dinner. Just as she is about to kill it, someone approaches close by. It’s Red Riding Hood! and apparently Snow’s friend and caterer. Red hands her a basket filled with food and asks about James. Red tells her that James and Abigail will be married in two days. Snow wishes that there was a way for her to forget him and Red, after a little bit of hesitation, states that there is someone who can help her.

Later that night(?) Snow is tying up her boat when Rumpel suddenly appears. Rumpel states that he has been looking forward to meeting her. When Snow tries to explain that she needs his help to fix a broken heart, Rumpel immediately tells her he can’t make a man fall in love with her. But Snow states that it’s to forget him, of which Rumple says that there is something he can do. He makes a potion out of water from the lake with pieces of her hair and tells her to drink it and she will no longer remember James. The price of the potion is for him to keep a few strands of her hair. Snow is surprised, but agrees.

At King George’s castle, there is a feast going on in James’s honor, but James is in his room, still thinking about Snow. The king walks in and he knows that James is in love with another woman. He tells James to forget her because this wedding must happen no matter what. As soon as the king leaves, James writes a letter for Snow and has a dove deliver it to her. 

The next day (?) a Woodcutter is cutting down large trees to help them with winter. He instructs his two children, Hansel and Gretel, to get something for him and hands Gretel his compass so they can find him when their done. As the children return, their father was no where to be found. They soon hear their father’s scream, and H&G run to the road, where they come face to face with the EQ. H&G try to tell her their father is missing, but the EQ has them arrested. They both quickly run into the forest, but the EQ uses her magic to prevent them from escaping. She tells them that if they help her with something, she will help them find their father.

Don't Eat Anything

The EQ takes H&G near the home of the Blind Witch. Since the house is protected by magic she can’t go inside but children can. The EQ tells them that once the BW is a sleep, they need to enter her house and get a black bag, which the BW stole from her. She warns them to be careful because the house is “unique” and it could be very temping for them. The EQ pulls back a few branches, revealing a gingerbread house. Hansel seems happy, but Gretel clearly is worried.

The Story So Far: Part 3A ~ Snow White & Prince Charming ~

As Prince James’s carriage is moving through the woods, his wife-to-be, Abigail, is complaining about the road and the view. All of the sudden, the carriage stops and the knights inform James that a tree has fallen and blocked the road. As they prepare to move the tree, James notices the markings on it as being cut.  Quickly as possible, Snow comes out of the tree, grabs the bag of jewels inside the carriage, steals one the horses, and rides off in the opposite direction. James quickly gets on a horse himself and runs after Snow. Soon the two riders were neck and neck and James jumps on Snow, making them both fall off their horses. The prince grabs Snow and realizes that the thief is a girl. Snow uses this opportunity to grab a rock near her and smacks James on the head, before taking off on the horse again. As she rides on, the prince yells to her, “Wherever you are, I will find you.”

When They First Met

Sometime later Snow is gathering some things from her hut, and as she is walking away, she gets trapped in a net. James comes out of his hiding place, laughing. “I told you I find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you.” James tells Snow to give back his jewels, but Snow states that she sold them. James is very upset as the bag contains his mother’s ring. He threatens Snow, telling her that if she doesn’t get his jewels back he will hand her over to the EQ, who has now placed a wanted poster of Snow. Having no choice, Snow agrees and James cuts her down.

As they are walking through the forest, James notices Snow playing with a little trinket around her neck and grabs it from her. She informs him that its fairy dust which came from a bad fairy and it’s meant to be used as a weapon. When asked why she didn’t use it on him, Snow replied, “Because you are not worth it.”  The prince smiles and places the trinket inside his pocket. As they walk on, Snow mentions that she is saving it for the EQ. She goes on saying that things on the poster are lies and when the EQ tried to have her killed, the huntsman spared her. And since then she has been living in the woods. She hopes to run away to another kingdom where she will never be hurt. When James asked what she did to make the EQ hate her so much, Snow replied that she ruined her life.

The Story So Far: Part 2A ~ Prince Charming & the Huntsman ~

Note: This post contains the back story of Prince James and the huntsman. I assume, from my understanding, that these two stories take place roughly at the same time, or shortly after. I will of course change it as the show moves on. 

Years later twin brothers are separated at birth so the parents can save their farm, thanks to a deal they made with Rumpel. Rumpel takes one of the twins to live with King George. King George and his wife were unable to have a child of their own, so the king made an unknown deal with Rumpel in exchange for a son. The son, name James, grows up to be a handsome and brave prince.

*Years later…(?)*

Snow White and the Evil Queen are mourning the death of King Leopold. The EQ tells Snow that she will always be there for her, yet it turns out that it was all just a ruse and the EQ was responsible for the king’s death. The EQ wants to kill Snow for revealing a secret that cost her dearly, and the Magic Mirror suggests a huntsman. The mirror shows him of a huntsman who has no understanding of humans and prefers the company of wolves. When he is at a tavern, the other huntsmen make fun of him, and he gets into a fight, yet successful defeats his opponents. The Queen sees this and is impressed and summons him to her. The huntsman agrees to kill Snow on the condition that all the wolves in the Enchanted Forest not to be harmed. 

The Sexy Huntsman
Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

Later Snow and the huntsman, dressed as a knight, are walking in the forest talking, when Snow realizes that the knight is not one of her father’s. Before the huntsman can make his move, Snow hits him with a branch and runs, with the huntsman right behind her. Soon, the huntsman sees Snow, who realizes that she can’t hide from him, writing a letter to the EQ and asks him to deliver it to her after he kills her. The huntsman reads the letter, which is an apology, and is moved by it and finds it in his heart to spare her. He lets her go and gives her a whistle, made out of a leaf, and tells her to use it for help.

The huntsman returns to the EQ and lies stating that he killed Snow and has her heart. She takes the heart and tries to place it in her vault, but the vault does not open. The EQ realizes that this is not Snow’s heart and is furious with the huntsman. As punishment, the EQ rips the huntsman’s heart out and tells him that she is now his and will crush his heart if he ever tries to run away. She then orders the guards to take him to her bedchambers.

The Story So Far: Part 1A ~ Rumpelstiltskin & Jiminy Cricket ~

During the ogre wars, every child in the Duke’s kingdom has to fight in the war when they become of age at 14. If any parent dares to object, “The Dark One” will use his powerful magic to prevent the parents from taking further action.  Rumpel, a poor widowed spinner, is scared for his soon to be 14-year-old son, Baelfire, as he doesn’t want to lose him. One night Rumpel and his son try to flee their village before getting caught by the Duke’s guards. The guards humiliate Rumpel in front of his son, stating that Rumpel ran away from the ogre war when he should have stayed and fight and this is why his wife left him. After the guards leave, a beggar comes up to them stating that he knows a way to protect Baelfire. He convinces Rumpel to go to the Duke’s castle and steal the dagger of “The Dark One,” for only he who posses the dagger can control “The Dark One.” And if he kills him, his powers will be transformed to the murder. 

"The Dark One"
Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

After Rumpel steals the dagger, he summons “The Dark One,” also known as Zoso, and kills him. Rumpel is shock to find that “The Dark One” is the beggar; apparently he knows how to “recognize a desperate soul.” And just before he dies, he tells Rumple, “All magic comes with a price” and now the price was for Rumpel to bear. With his new found power, Rumpel kills the guards who tormented him, right in front of his son. His son is now afraid of the man his father has become. 

Everyone's Favorite Conscience
Courtesy of ABC's Official Website

Sometime later, Jiminy Cricket wants to get out of the family businesses, which are puppeteers and thieves. On a rainy day he meets a young boy and the boy shows him kindness, which makes Jiminy even more determine to get away from his parents.  One night Jiminy delivers some goods to Rumpel and asks him for a way to be free of his parents. Rumpel gives him a potion which will do the trick and all of his problems will be solved. While being on another con artist mission, Jiminy’s family tricked a couple in giving their goods in exchange for a potion that will save them from a “terrible disease” which has been going around through town. Once outside, Jiminy has had enough and uses the potion on his parents, but nothing happens. It turns out the parents switched the potion with the couple inside. Jiminy runs back inside the house, he sees the couple turned into puppets. Even worse, moments later the same boy who showed Jiminy kindness earlier, walks in and is distraught over what his parents had become. Jiminy, so upset of what he has done, wishes upon a star and begs to reverse the spell. The Blue Fairy comes to him, but says that she could not bring the boy’s parents back. However, the now orphaned boy is going to need someone to guide him on the right path, and Jiminy agrees to help him. The Blue Fairy turns him into a cricket, which is want Jiminy always wanted to be, and states the boy’s name is Gepetto.  

Stay tuned for the continuing story….