Brittany Previte
Staff Writer
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland retains the charm that its parent show, Once Upon a Time, seemingly lost somewhere down the rabbit hole of its second season. Driven by a plucky heroine in the form of a now-adult Alice (Sophie Lowe), the show unexpectedly brings new life to a franchise by giving us a show we did not know we wanted.
The pilot presents a scene we have all seen before — a little girl with a blue bow clambering out of a rabbit hole, chattering about some wild land she’s visited — and spins it: in a flash forward, Alice is now trapped in a Victorian mental asylum. As a panel of doctors drill Alice with questions about her supposed delusions, we are led through lengthy flashbacks of exposition setting up a cutesy romance between our protagonist and the genie from Aladdin (glad to see they are using those Disney rights!) named Cyrus. Cyrus, of course, suffers the fairytale fate of falling into a boiling lake directly after he proposes.
Right before Alice is all set to get a lobotomy, The Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and a curiously well-animated White Rabbit whisk Alice off to Wonderland because — surprise! — Cyrus is not actually dead, just in need of a little rescuing. Thus, we have our plot.
The show suffers many of the same flaws as its parent show: too much suspension of disbelief, nonsensical plotlines with lazily written flashbacks, dismal displays of child acting and an excess of cheesiness. The stunts (read: every fight scene) are laughable at times, but then, that is half the fun of the show. This is not a gritty, emotionally poignant action serial. This is lighthearted entertainment for those who enjoy Disney and fairytales.
Despite doubts about the show from the trailers, Wonderland looks far better than expected. It might not stand the test of time, but many of the visuals, such as the Cheshire Cat, the talking caterpillars and the imaginative scenery, are, in a word, wondrous.
The entire show succeeds at creating an immersive illusion. The cast’s clever interaction with the setting of Wonderland — bouncing in the Mallow Pond, stealing bits of giant mushrooms — is what grounds the show in an inch of believability.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will ride on the success of its leading actress. Lowe’s convincing portrayal of a heartbroken girl inside an asylum shifts seamlessly to a spunky heroine capable of taking out five guards with her bare hands and resourcefully navigating the mazes of Wonderland. Alice is sweet — but not overly so — and embodies the sense of adventure fans will remember from Snow White in the first season of Once Upon a Time.
The other main character, The Knave of Hearts, proves to be a new fan favorite. Socha (played by Tom from Being Human) banters with Alice in a roguishly handsome sort of way.
The Knave is reminiscent of Flynn Rider from Tangled, complete with a “wanted” poster and sarcastic commentary, adding appropriate quips at any given moments such as: “Because a pond made out of dessert topping makes perfect sense.” The show not-so-subtly hints that he has a dark past — and that inevitably some sort of romance will spring up between him and Alice. Knowing these writers, it will most likely happen right before Alice is reunited with her beloved Cyrus.
The darker tone that suddenly shrouds the show can be surprising at times. The prelude to the lobotomy is surprisingly menacing. The Cheshire Cat is not a goofy purple kitty speaking in riddles but a monstrous beast attempting to eat Alice with his wide grin. However, the villains are not exactly frightening. Emma Rigby as The Red Queen pouts unconvincingly behind her guards, making empty threats. Even Jafar (Naveen Andrews) fails to impress as the growly sorcerer.
Fans of Once Upon a Time will be treated to a few cameos and familiar settings, like a quick scene in Storybrooke where the Knave of Hearts brushes into Cinderella, Grumpy and Emma’s yellow car. Yet the show mostly succeeds in carving out its own identity without falling back on familiar characters. While viewers of the parent show were questioning the necessity of yet another storyline in Wonderland, the sheer fun that the adventuring cast delivers validates the show’s existence.
Time will tell if the writers can keep up a complex storyline with this spinoff without resorting to tedious flashbacks filled with unbelievable backstories or falling back on an ensemble cast. Do not watch this show if you are looking to poke at plotholes. Turn off the skepticism, forget what you know about the fairytale canon and enjoy a foray into Wonderland.