The hit shows “Once Upon a Time” and “Revenge” returned Sunday on ABC, bringing a new wave of lies, magic and drama with them.
“Once Upon a Time,” last year’s biggest new series, returns this season to answer the big question left unanswered: What will happen to the people and town of Storybrooke? Magic is definitely in town, and it’s here to stay.
As the purple cloud of dust covering the town is lifted, the people of Storybrooke realize the curse has been broken. The characters are no longer under the spell that hid their true identities. Mary Margaret and David (Snow White and Prince Charming) are standing in the middle of the street in Storybrooke, and as the fog clears they realize they are not in fairy tale world anymore. The people surrounding them are also coming to the same realization.
Mary Margaret and David are finally reunited with their daughter Emma, who is still bewildered by this whole event and hesitant to share in the joy of this reunion. Emma eventually reveals her true feelings of hurt for being left alone and not growing up with her parents.
Throughout the episode people want to kill Regina (The Evil Queen). Mary Margaret, David and Emma will not let them because they promised Emma’s son Henry the Queen will be saved because she saved Henry and revealed her love for him.
In a shocking twist of events, at the end of the episode Emma and Mary Margaret are transported to the fairy tale world, which was thought not to exist. There we are introduced to new characters, and it is reveled that not all of the land was destroyed by the curse. Some people were left behind and frozen until the curse was finally broken.
This show proves excellence in visual arts and writing still exists in the TV business. It is extremely well written and keeps the audience guessing at every turn. The acting is as strong as any drama on TV, and this show is proving to be a staple on Sunday nights.
This new season is going to be filled with more magic and fairy tale characters than before. New characters this season, along with new main cast members who were recurring last year, include Aurora, Mulan, Captain Hook, Belle and Red Riding Hood.
“Revenge” returns just as dark, nasty and twisted as it was last season. The wickedness of this show is what makes it shine above the rest of the family dramas on TV right now.
The episode opens with a boat that has been wrecked and is submerged in the ocean. It’s Jack’s boat, and there is a male body floating in the water. We hear one of the rescue divers say, “We have a body.” We then see a title card that reads, “Three months earlier,” and back in time we go.
Emily Thorne has been away from the Hamptons for a while but makes her triumphant return and finds comfort in her friend Nolan. We are made to think the Ice Queen Victoria is dead, but deep down we know it’s not true because they wouldn’t kill off the queen of sinister.
Sure enough, the Queen is back. She survived the plane crash and is hiding while the feds are building a case against Conrad to prove he is the one who brought the plane down. We also learn Charlotte survived her drug overdose and is under the close watch of her father.
The episode is packed with twists and turns, secrets, gossip, lies and betrayal, or as I like to say, “Just another day in Jamestown.”
Other things we learn in the episode are Conrad is conspiring against his own daughter, Jack is despondent and unhappy with Amanda, and Daniel and Ashley have begun a relationship which looks to be setting up a love triangle for the ages with Emily.
This season is on pace to be a heart-pounding thriller. The writing is as strong as ever, and the surprises are abundant. The acting continues to be flawless, and every character has added a darker side to the repertoire.
Hold on tight because we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Both of these shows are addictive and fascinating for different reasons, but they mesh well together airing back-to-back on the same night. If you are not watching, familiarize yourself with them, and try them out. Trust me, it will be an exciting choice.
