Once Upon a Time: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 523 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	Your Score
7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 523 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

ABC | Season Premiere Date: October 23, 2011

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Rebecca Mader, Eion Bailey

Summary: Henry locates his birth mother, whom he believes can save Storybrooke, which is a town of fairy tale characters that do not remember their lives in the fairy tale parallel world.

Creator: Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz

Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E22. A Land Without Magic
Air Date: May 13, 2012
tbd
S1:E21. An Apple Red as Blood
Air Date: May 6, 2012
tbd
S1:E20. The Stranger
Air Date: April 29, 2012

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Hank Stuever

Sep 21, 2011

Once Upon a Time is a smartly-crafted reward for fans of light fantasy, with the right mix of cleverness, action and romance. Read full review

Uncle Barky Ed Bark

Oct 20, 2011

Fans of the fantastical can do far worse than Once Upon A Time, which manages to both stir the pulse and please the senses with its beautifully imagined medieval times. Read full review

Lynnette Porter

Oct 24, 2011

In its premiere episode, Once Upon a Time offers a mix of hope and cynicism, coupled with familiar television and film allusions (not unlike the Shreks). Read full review

Lori Rackl

Oct 20, 2011

I don't see this fairy-tale fantasy having broad enough appeal to conjure up the kind of viewer numbers it will need to stick around. Read full review

Zap2it (Inside the Box) Rick Porter

Oct 24, 2011

No other new show this fall is attempting to tell a bigger story, and we're hoping the rough patches smooth out and it fulfills the potential that's there in its very strong cast and premise. Read full review

Maureen Ryan

Oct 21, 2011

There are times when the enterprise lacks a certain heft and when the fantasy realm seems a little generic. Also, some characters, especially Lana Parrilla's Evil Queen (who is also the mayor of Storybrooke), are one-dimensional in kind of maddening ways, though Robert Carlyle makes up for that with his charismatic turn as both Rumplestiltskin and a Storybrooke resident named Mr. Gold. Read full review

David Hinckley

Oct 21, 2011

To draw out the story by looping it through subplots and minidramas runs the risk of turning it into a fairy-tale soap opera--when what we really want to know is whether the tragic Snow White or the lonely Emma can in the end live happily ever after. Read full review

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User Score

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7.8

User Reviews

griffinsau

Jul 13, 2014

I greatly enjoy this show. While some might find the execution to be on the trite or cheesy side, I find the tone fits perfectly with the concept of a fairy tale world. It is well acted and I love how the smaller arcs feed into the overall themes of the show, such as togetherness and goodI greatly enjoy this show. While some might find the execution to be on the trite or cheesy side, I find the tone fits perfectly with the concept of a fairy tale world. It is well acted and I love how the smaller arcs feed into the overall themes of the show, such as togetherness and good vs. evil.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

ladylu01

Nov 11, 2011

I really like this show! It's unique & different & the plot has me wanting to see what's going to happen next! I really like how they flash back on every show to show the lives of popular fairy tale characters. I can't wait to see it next Sunday!

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

Melb13

Oct 25, 2011

I loved the concept of the show its different from what's on television at the moment and it makes you want to watch it and the cast does a fantastic job! I can not wait to continue watching the show and see how the storyline develops.

12 of 20 users found this helpful128

gheather14

Jan 15, 2015

This show is pretty good. Yes, some of the couples are cliched, like Snow White/Mary Margaret and David Nolan/Prince Charming. Jennifer Morrison's character, Emma Swan, is the only one I absolutely cannot stand because she's always in denial about everything. The character Henry played byThis show is pretty good. Yes, some of the couples are cliched, like Snow White/Mary Margaret and David Nolan/Prince Charming. Jennifer Morrison's character, Emma Swan, is the only one I absolutely cannot stand because she's always in denial about everything. The character Henry played by Jared S. Gilmore is occasionally annoying with his eternal optimism, and utter naïveté, but in the end he's just a sweet kid. However, OUAT has done a fantastic job of creating interesting and layered villains. Regina played by Lana Parilla and Rumplestiltskin played by Robert Carlyle are the main reasons that I keep coming back to this show.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Jimtaryon

Sep 24, 2014

I like the show, but I'm halfway through season 3 and more and more it seems that the technique they use for weekly casting decisions is to send a team of monkeys onto the street and whoever they throw feces at gets to be this weeks new character.

Sometimes the monkeys get lucky and hitI like the show, but I'm halfway through season 3 and more and more it seems that the technique they use for weekly casting decisions is to send a team of monkeys onto the street and whoever they throw feces at gets to be this weeks new character.

Sometimes the monkeys get lucky and hit someone good. Hook does a great job. Robin hood is great. Regina has been good since day one, but then other times the monkeys hit annoying teeth lady and we're stuck with Cora for a season. Or they hit Peter Pan or Rapunzel and we go to the "I'm more wooden than Pinochio" school of acting.

Makes it hard to watch at times. Season 3 has brought us the wicked witch from Auz (It's like Oz, but with a more annoying accent). On the one hand, it's easy to root against her because if they kill off the character we might get a more compelling villain, but it also means that the rest of this season is almost certainly going to feature more of her and I'm not sure it's worth the effort to keep going.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Bossuk

Jul 13, 2012

After watching a fair few episodes I've decided to not bother watching this again. The writers have realised they need to create 22 episodes so instead of actually telling stories they just give you enough with the inevitable cliffhangers that force you to come back to see what happens. TheAfter watching a fair few episodes I've decided to not bother watching this again. The writers have realised they need to create 22 episodes so instead of actually telling stories they just give you enough with the inevitable cliffhangers that force you to come back to see what happens. The word Soap opera is appropriate.
The main antagonist, the Queen(Regina) is just a shallow one sided disney style evil character that we are expected to accept without any real insight into the hows and whys of her obvious anger at everything.
Robert Carlysles **** character is about the only saving grace in the whole show and the only character with any real depth. The rest you can pretty much take or leave. Its a shame as the story had potential but the writers just don't have the talent to make 22 episodes of interesting content. Maybe if they had made it 10 or 12 episodes they could actually have made it work.
The telling of the Enchanted forest stories is not bad, with some interesting twists on the stories we know, but anything to do with Storybrooke is just static.… Expand

9 of 14 users found this helpful95

Broyax

May 10, 2018

Une idée qui semble originale et audacieuse mais qui semble seulement... ça s'empêtre en effet très vite dans une niaiserie et une bêtise intolérables. Les épisodes s'enchaînent sans conviction alors qu'on s'emmerde à qui mieux-mieux au milieu de ce fatras d'improbables conneries écritesUne idée qui semble originale et audacieuse mais qui semble seulement... ça s'empêtre en effet très vite dans une niaiserie et une bêtise intolérables. Les épisodes s'enchaînent sans conviction alors qu'on s'emmerde à qui mieux-mieux au milieu de ce fatras d'improbables conneries écrites n'importe comment par des scénaristes drogués.

On voit bien trop peu l'estimable Robert Carlyle qui a l'air de bien se faire chier là-dedans et on le comprend. Le pire est sans nul doute cette blondasse qui cumule l'antipathie, une sale gueule et une absence totale de talent : tout simplement atroce. Laissez donc les contes là où ils sont, ils n'ont pas mérité un tel traitement.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 112 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

66

Series Overview
Season 7

tbd
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: October 6, 2017
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: September 25, 2016
Season 5

tbd
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: September 27, 2015
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: September 28, 2014
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: September 29, 2013
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: September 30, 2012
Season 1

66
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: October 23, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E22. A Land Without Magic
  Air Date: May 13, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E21. An Apple Red as Blood
  Air Date: May 6, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E20. The Stranger
  Air Date: April 29, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E19. The Return
  Air Date: April 22, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E18. The Stable Boy
  Air Date: April 1, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E17. Hat Trick
  Air Date: March 25, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E16. Heart of Darkness
  Air Date: March 18, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E15. Red-Handed
  Air Date: March 11, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E14. Dreamy
  Air Date: March 4, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E13. What Happened to Frederick
  Air Date: February 19, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E12. Skin Deep
  Air Date: February 12, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E11. Fruit of the Poisonous Tree
  Air Date: January 29, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E10. 7:15 A.M.
  Air Date: January 22, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E9. True North
  Air Date: January 15, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E8. Desperate Souls
  Air Date: January 8, 2012
- tbd
  S1:E7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
  Air Date: December 11, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E6. The Shepherd
  Air Date: December 4, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E5. That Still Small Voice
  Air Date: November 27, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E4. The Price of Gold
  Air Date: November 13, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E3. Snow Falls
  Air Date: November 6, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Thing You Love Most
  Air Date: October 30, 2011
- tbd
  S1:E1. Pilot
  Air Date: October 23, 2011