once upon a time

tv:  The ABC drama Once Upon A Time ended this past weekend.  I can't help but say I was pleasantly surprised.  The show is based on the premise that all of the fair tale characters we have grown up with have been cursed and now are trapped in our own world in a town called Storybrooke in Maine(Stephen King would be proud).
The show was created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, two veterans of Lost.  This show more or less directly takes the template from Lost of having their characters trapped in a foreign setting, in this case Storybrooke, and filling in their characterization and informing the plot with flashbacks to a different world, the fairy tale world.  The parallel stories do well to give us insight into what these characters have the potential to bring to the table, whether it be magic or romance or treachery based on what we see of them in each side of the story.  And while it must be noted that this storytelling device is not nearly as effective as in Lost, it is a fun way to see things unfold.
This device also allows for something in the show that for better or worse does exist.  That is cheese.  The acting, particularly in the fairy tale world is cheesy at best, but it is still fun and enjoyable to watch, and you can tell those involved had fun.  It is also fun to watch how the common fairy tales that we have read and watched (mostly via Disney) have been used, and sometimes manipulated, to create relationships within the show that can be used to drive the story.  Despite the fact that the cheese does exist, there are a few standout performances.  Particularly by Sebastian Stan, who plays The Mad Hatter (Jefferson in Storybrooke) and is truly scary in his insanity.  The other standout performance is by the always spectacular Robert Carlyle.  He plays Rumpelstiltskin in the fairy tale world and Mr. Gold in Storybrooke.  As Mr. Gold he is a dark, backhanded businessman who walks the fine line between good and evil in a way that makes one revel in knowing that they don't know which way he'll turn next.  As Rumpelstiltskin, Carlyle seems to have been given free reign to be able to go as broad and insane as he wanted, which not only makes for great performances but also gives a nice change from the cheese of the limited performances of his fellow cast members.  His is a cheese of greatness.
In the season finale Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who was sent to our world before the curse that sent everyone here was performed, has to save her son, Henry (the only one in Storybrooke who knows about the curse holding them their) from eating an apple, intended for her, made with the same dark magic that once felled Snow White.  Once she finally realizes that true love, in this case between a mother and son, is the only way to break the curse she kisses her dying son.  It not only frees Henry, but also frees the people of Storybrooke.  and allows them to realize their true identities.  They, however don't get the chance to go home because something his wrong.
What happens next is surprising enough and confusing enough that the previous paragraph is the end of the spoilers.  All that can be said is that the end was reminiscent, like the format of the show, to the end of the first season of Lost.  The writers and creators clearly planned for one season and then ended up with a hit on their hands and went, "Shit, lets do something insane to keep this going and make it so no one understands and has to come back."
Once Upon A Time definitely had its ups and downs during its opening season, but overall did a solid job with nothing short of a difficult premise.  As the questions as to how the curse can be completely broken and what the hell just happened in the season finale continue to mount, and they will I am sure, the intrigue and fantasy of the series will only increase.