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 522 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 522 Ratings

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Once Upon a Time: Regina and Facilier

Now Playing: Once Upon a Time: Regina and Facilier

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, Action & Adventure, 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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7.9

User Reviews

sincerelyjane

Mar 2, 2015

This show has everything. Intricate story lines, cleverly formed relationships. Amazing acting. Humor. Amazing character development and relationship development. There isn't much not to not like about this show. Sometimes they go with a story line for way too long (like the Never-landThis show has everything. Intricate story lines, cleverly formed relationships. Amazing acting. Humor. Amazing character development and relationship development. There isn't much not to not like about this show. Sometimes they go with a story line for way too long (like the Never-land story line with Peter Pan that just seemed to go on forever) but I must say this show is really brilliant.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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

Abzzski

Aug 27, 2018

Personally one of my favourite American TV series that I have seen. I think this TV series has really good casting. Full of imagination and adventure. The first 4 seasons were really interesting to me. I ended up watching it till the very end.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilmOnTape

May 4, 2016

Confusing and Toothless
The show is interesting, its a twist on classic fairy tail stories with new over arching plots thrown in. Seeing how stories get combined, different fairy-tale characters turn out to be the same person and how the drama becomes more moral grey then the originalConfusing and Toothless
The show is interesting, its a twist on classic fairy tail stories with new over arching plots thrown in. Seeing how stories get combined, different fairy-tale characters turn out to be the same person and how the drama becomes more moral grey then the original Disney story is really interesting to watch. But the main problem with the show is all drama and audience relation is lost when too many big supernatural elements get thrown in. Every season ends with the heroes having to dig deep down and believe in themselves after finding some rare magical thing needed to stop some big supernatural plague that only been briefly explained is really bad. Because this is a retelling of a fairy tale and its already been explained in the show that good-guys always win. The audience can safely assume that the problem will be resolved adding to drama. then because the show is about magical stuff and our heroes digging down within themselves. The audience has no grasp of what they are going thru and the show makes no attempt to make us feel it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

xlogan123

Jan 23, 2013

It's not absolutely terrible, but I'd hesitate to call it good.

The thing I thought was the absolute funniest was how the wicked stepmother gave them worst fate she could imagine, and that was living in a quaint upper-middle class town in Maine. There are a lot of times where theIt's not absolutely terrible, but I'd hesitate to call it good.

The thing I thought was the absolute funniest was how the wicked stepmother gave them worst fate she could imagine, and that was living in a quaint upper-middle class town in Maine. There are a lot of times where the progression of the story just doesn't make sense, and requires a very generous suspension of disbelief. Other times, the protagonist makes unethical decisions and the show paints it as a "noble" thing to do.

I could see how people would enjoy this show if they're enamored with the idea of larger-than-life romance, but it falls short in worthwhile content.… Expand

9 of 12 users found this helpful93

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 113 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