Once Upon a Time returns for the first half of the fourth series and this time takes on the phenomena that is Frozen.
As Frozen has been so huge this last year, with the characters and story known to all, even those who haven’t seen it, there was uncertainty about whether Once Upon A Time was simply jumping on the bandwagon and trying to make money out of something they knew was popular.
However, I have to admit that despite the concerns, they made the characters loveable enough that it worked.
Storybrooke had returned to normal – well, as normal as things could get – after the defeat of the Wicked Witch. However, when an ice wall erupts around the town, they know their problems are just beginning again. Elsa, it seems, is not to blame for the ice wall as she is unable to take it down again, stuck believing her powers cannot possible work or be controlled unless she can find her sister. A new villain is in town, one who is linked to Emma’s past… despite the fact that she can’t remember it.
The first half of series four follows our heroes as they try to find a way to defeat the Snow Queen, despite no one truly knowing who she is. It seems that she has been in Storybrooke for this whole time, but no one can remember her coming over with the curse or whether she arrived on her own accord. But even more mysterious is the fact she seems to know both Emma and Elsa – and want something from them – despite them not having any memory of ever meeting her at all.
As the team finds a way to defeat evil again, Regina continues her fight to be good, even making sacrifices that she would have never done during her time as the Evil Queen. Henry promises to help her find the author to give her a happy ending while Rumple takes his deceit with Belle just a little too far, despite them now being married. Meanwhile, Charming and Snow must adapt to being parents again, only this time with a baby to raise rather than a magical portal.
The plotlines as the series develops are certainly not as tightly woven as back at the beginning, where everything related to each other and left your brain spinning at the complexities of it. However, despite starting to believe it might have run its course, this first half of series four was pure entertainment through and through. It is getting a bit predictable over good winning, but the character development – especially through Regina – means that it hasn’t become stale yet and still continues to engage with the audience.
With new villains being lined up for the second half of the series, Once Upon A Time still seems to have something magical that keeps its audience gripped and enjoying the storyline. Let’s just hope that they continue it in the second half and prove that its time is not yet up.
A Rambling Reviewer 