Why You Should Catch up on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  1 February  2014.

It has been a bumpy trip down the rabbit hole for Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. The spinoff to Once Upon a Time has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers and the ratings have been slowly declining. But that’s no reason count the fantasy/romance/adventure series out. After all, Veronica Mars only pulled 2.5 million viewers its first season and it has a highly anticipated feature film coming out next month.

The basic premise of the ABC show is this: Alice travels back to Wonderland to search for her lost love, genie Cyrus. The Knave of Hearts and the White Rabbit help her against the land’s many creatures and villains, including Jafar and the Red Queen. Just like on Once proper, we get flashbacks and bits of backstory as we progress as well as ties to classic fairytales and the writings of Lewis Carroll. Seems interesting enough right?

Whether you are already a Oncer, a Wonderer, or are uninitiated in either world, Wonderland is worth your time. Here are five reasons why:

1. It Gets Better

This is important to clarify right off the bat. I know some of you watched the pilot episode and were underwhelmed at best. It’s true that Wonderland’s first outing does not grab you the way its parent show did. At first glance Wonderland is clunky and exasperating but let’s recall that many of us initially felt this way about little shows like The Office. Keep with Wonderland through the slow moments and you’ll be rewarded with stellar episodes like “Forget Me Not” (Ep. 3) and “Bad Blood” (Ep. 7).

2. The Knave of Hearts

Arguably the most entertaining character on the show, the Knave aka Will provides most of Wonderland’s humor and action. As Alice’s partner and guide in searching for Cyrus, he routinely saves the day and the episode with his cleverness and charm. Michael Socha, with his delightfully thick accent, plays Will as a fighter, lover, smartass and all around adorable rogue. As we slowly learn Will’s backstory, I found I only loved him and his puppy dog eyes even more.

3. The Red Queen

It would have been easy for Wonderland’s creative team to just make their own Evil Queen aka Regina. Instead they opted for a character who you think is a mindless pawn but slowly unfolds to reveal an emotional depth and intelligence that downright surprised me. Thanks in large part to Emma Rigby’s controlled, simmering performance, by the midseason finale it was the Red Queen’s story I most looked forward to (sorry Alice).

4. The Laughs

I love a show that makes me laugh even if it’s unintentional. Sure there are funny moments when Will cracks a joke or the Red Queen delivers a snappy insult. But there are also moments like Jafar (Naveen Andrews) surfing away on his magic carpet like he’s catching a gnarly wave. Whether I am supposed to be as amused by this show as I am, I’m not sure. I do know that I thoroughly enjoy snickering and giggling through each episode and that’s enough for me.

5. The Excellent Midseason Finale

If you’re going to convince skeptics to stick with your show when it returns three months later you need a fantastic midseason finale. Wonderland delivers in spades, tying up some loose ends and providing us with the hint of fantastical new adventures ahead. For a show that often felt artificial in its sentimentality and poignancy, I was unexpectedly moved during the finale. I credit this mostly to a knockout performance by Emma Rigby (see above). While you could watch “Home” without seeing any other episodes and you would probably get along just fine, you’d be missing out on the true emotional punch it delivers.

So do yourself a favor and binge watch all eight of Wonderland’s episodes before the show returns on March 6th. Then tune in here for weekly recaps by yours truly.

Meet “The Serpent” On This Week’s Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

Originally published on PopWrapped.  8 November 2013.

After a weeklong break we’re finally back to the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland. Alice still searches for her beloved Cyrus but her Knavish friend is looking for a long-lost love as well: The Red Queen aka Anastasia. When their paths finally cross, you better believe heads will roll. Except not really because even though the villains effectively capture their prey, they do almost nothing to them and even freely let them go. We do lose a beloved character though and get some juicy scenes between my new Wonderland OTP: Will and the Red Queen. Also, we learn via icky hookups and daddy issues that Wonderland’s writers have been watching way too much Game of Thrones. So without much further ado, “The Serpent.”

We begin many years ago in Agrabah. A blacksmith beats and yells at his slave boy for taking too long with some coal. The boy cowers and as much as I want this to be little Aladdin, it’s pretty clear right away that this is young Jafar. He’s also pretty ballsy because when everyone else in the market turns away from a beautiful sorceress who wanders through, Jafar stares straight at her. He follows her later to her door where he begs her to teach him dark magic. He wants people to fear him like they do her and he wants revenge on the Sultan. Jafar is supposedly the Sultan’s son but was cast out for being a bastard and now he wants some payback. Whoa this got Game of Thrones-y real quick. Credits.

In the Red Queen’s palace, Jafar materializes with some new perfectly coiffed hair. He’s perturbed that she didn’t tell him about the Knave but she brushes it off. The Knave coming with Alice wasn’t intentional but he was helpful in getting the girl to Wonderland. Now that he’s served his purpose though, Jafar is ready to eliminate him. Judging by the look on her face, the Red Queen might have some issues with that.

Hey speaking of issues, Will and Alice are arguing again, now about the Red Queen and the White Rabbit. Will wants to fool the Rabbit into telling them everything but Alice would rather hold the bunny over a cliff. Some debt collectors sent by the Caterpillar interrupt their exhaustingly boring bickering. When Alice stupidly asks what they should do, Will quips, “Well basically we could die or we could run.” Running quickly turns to Will volunteering as a distraction to lead the Collectors away from Alice, which works quite well.

While his love plays hide and seek in the forest, Cyrus grovels in his cage for a scrap of food. Even a bone would suffice, he pleads. A guard takes pity, for…reasons. But Cyrus didn’t want the food after all, just the wishbone.

Back to the forest, Will is feeling pretty proud of himself for evading the Collectors until he sees that they have all been knocked out. The Red Queen appears to greet her old lover.

In Agrabah, grown up Jafar is being happily entertained by the stories of his goat herder. After giving the man some wine in thanks for his hard work, Jafar goes indoors to complain to Mistress Dark Sorceress about wanting to learn the spells in her book (if you know what I mean). This includes a spell that requires a human liver… which she’s just procured for them from Jafar’s goat herder friend, who is slowly being poisoned by the wine. Mistress Dark Sorceress gives Jafar a creepy analogy about them being like snakes who need to shed their skin and asks him if he’s ready to be reborn. Just as Jafar sets down the poison’s antidote, the man dies. Dark Sorceress #1 congratulates Jafar on being reborn and they celebrate by making out. So many levels of ewewewewew!

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland Says “Forget Me Not” In This Week’s Episode

Originally published on PopWrapped.  25 October 2013.

Oh Wonders, we’re back again for another jaunt through Wonderland or in the case of this episode, Underland. Alice remains steadfast in her search for Cyrus just as Will remains the most entertaining part of this show. The writers apparently predicted this because tonight’s episode is all about our beloved Knave. We get some juicy info on his thieving past and the Anastasia who broke his heart (Spoilers: It’s not Disney’s Anastasia). We also get a well-publicized cameo from Once’s blonde Robin Hood.

This episode is a fun one especially since it focuses so much on Will and so little on Alice. Also, Jafar doesn’t look quite so ridiculous (although next week’s previews show an unfortunate change in hair style). So, let’s jump in to Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’s “Forget Me Not.”

“A few years ago,” as the title reads, a horse drawn carriage stops to help some screaming men in the roadway. A man is down with a broken leg and as they tend to him, someone else silently drops from the sky and snags the carriage’s loot. Later Robin Hood congratulates his Merry Men on a fine ruse and they welcome the man who snagged to the loot as their newest member: Will Scarlet aka The Knave of Hearts.

In present day Wonderland, Will thinks it’s safer for he and Alice to split up but she thinks they should stay together. Turns out she’s right because he has the idea to seek out the Forget-me-knot. This magical item when held over any area will show what last happened there. It would show them who dug up Cyrus’ bottle and give them something to do considering right now they’re just wandering around.

In Cyrus’ Cave of Woes, Jafar and the Red Queen are having a feast while the genie looks on. Jafar taunts him with Alice’s paper crane and utters the words Wonderland has been dancing around for two weeks now:  “Magic always comes with a price.” Tonight’s price will be forcing Alice to make her first wish.

Will and Alice arrive at the Caterpillars abode. He’s the one with the Forget-me-knot and a bounty on Will’s head. No biggie, the Knave assures Alice. This Underland is his world. Everything will be fine! Yeah. The pair have been in this Underland for barely a minute when they’re held at sword and dagger point. But the Caterpillar, not fancying his Knave skewered, bids them approach his smoking couch.

They try to work out a deal with Mr. Caterpillar, who slimily suggests Alice as the form of Will’s payment toward his debt. Anyone else having Jabba the Hutt with Han and Leia thoughts here? Anyway, Alice uses her smarts to deduce that the Caterpillar doesn’t have the Knot but he does know where it is: with the Grendel. The new deal is they retrieve the knot, bring it and Will’s debt is paid. Bonus for the Caterpillar is if Will tries to keep the magical item, his head gets to become the newest pretty decoration on the Caterpillar’s desk. Win-win-win.

Take A Trip “Down The Rabbit Hole” With Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

Originally published on PopWrapped.  10 October 2013.

Greetings my fellows Wonders! (Or whatever Once Upon a Time in Wonderland fans are calling themselves. OUAT fans are Oncers so just a suggestion.) Now that the spinoff has finally premiered it’s time to see if it lived up the hype. Let’s take a trip to Wonderland…

We open on an abandoned tea party. A hole suddenly bursts from the ground and a little girl in blue and white dress climbs out of it. She looks around happily and with a sigh of delight says, “Home.”

She tears off running over the hills and through the woods before arriving at a manor home yelling for her father. He opens the door, looking stunned to say the least. See Alice was gone a very long time and her dear Papa thought she was dead. While she’s more interested in telling him all about where she’s been and what’s she done, he’s more concerned that little Alice has gone to the crazy place. In fact, he starts having a talk with a doctor about her mental health, but Alice, who overhears, is determined to prove she’s not a liar.

Flash forward to present day (ish). We pan in to a familiar clock tower. Hello Storybrooke. A young man (Michael Socha) strides through town and is nearly run over by a Yellow Volkswagen Bug. Then he bumps into Grumpy and Ella who are leaving Granny’s Diner. The man pickpockets the door keys and lets himself in to have a cup of coffee while he waits. The diner vibrates and a hole explodes in the floor (this seems to be a theme on this show). The White Rabbit (voiced by John Lithgow) pops out and helpfully identifies the man as The Knave of Hearts. The Knave isn’t sure what to make of the Rabbit’s appearance or his insistence that  “We’re not late for something. We’re late for someone.” That being Alice, of course. The Knave puts on his unconvinced face for the first, but certainly not last time in this episode.

We jump to a gritty asylum where grown up Alice (Sophie Lowe) is being interrogated by a panel of doctors including the one from when she was a young girl. He’s summarizing Alice’s “miraculous, strange and terrifying adventures” in Wonderland: food and drink that changes your height, smoking caterpillars, talking rabbits and such. Turns out little Alice made multiple journeys to Wonderland, each one making her father more and more concerned. He finally broke down and asked Bald Doctor for help.

Fans Got First Taste Of Wonderland At Once Upon A Time’s D23 Panel

Originally published on PopWrapped.tumblr.com.  11 August 2013.

Oncers were out in force for the Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland panel at Disney's D23 Expo. Creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis teased their fans with new characters, an extended trailer for Wonderland, and a new clip from the season premiere of Once.

In the clip, Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) meets up with the leader of The Lost Ones, revealed to be named Felix, to discuss the Dark One’s return to Neverland. Rumple, looking as dashing as ever back in his leather fairytale attire, tells Felix to tell Pan that the master of magic is indeed there for “the boy” (presumably Henry). Felix departs but not before returning to Rumple a straw doll that causes the Dark One to break down in tears.

For all the confused fans, Horowitz and Kitsis clarified that the clip comes from the ending of the premiere. Everything will make sense when we see the entire episode live on Sunday, September 29th.

The two creators also revealed that joining the cast of fairytale and literary characters are favorites Tinkerbell and Ariel. Kitsis and Horowitz teased that The Little Mermaid’s Ursula and Eric may also make appearances, “but you never know because on the show you never know who is the real Ursula,” said Kitsis. Regina perhaps?

First Look: 'Once Upon a Time' Wonderland Spinoff Coming this Fall to ABC

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  14 May 2013.

It’s been denied by everyone. It’s been speculated about and rumored. Oncers have been yanked around for months but finally there’s an answer. The Once Upon a Time Alice in Wonderland spinoff is real and we’ve got the trailer and pictures to prove it.

Written by Once creator Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland begins with Alice (Sophie Lowe) recounting her adventure in the strange new land she discovered through the rabbit hole and with the mysterious genie, Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) with whom she in love.

Alice’s doctors and her father think she’s gone insane but before they can give her a treatment to take away all of her memories she’s saved by the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the White Rabbit (John Lithgow). They tell her Cyrus, who she thought to be dead, is alive. Together they return to the incredible and impossible Wonderland to seek him and new adventures.