Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

You can never get enough of fairy tales, magic, and the power of true love, so it's no wonder that the creative duo of Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis decided to explore Wonderland, which had thus far only been briefly outlined, in greater detail. Without the Mad Hatter, but with a decent portion of new and completely amazing main characters. The anticipated audience favorite is the sincere Knave with his heart in the (not so) right place, Will, and in my case, the villainous Jafar. The way Lost veteran Naveen Andrews savors every raise of his eyebrow, not to mention his truly despicable deeds, is irresistible, and it's worth waiting for every malicious line he delivers. And when I realize how much I have grown fond of that unique winking doll's acting style of Emma Rigby, I have to admit, with slight hesitation, that the least interesting central character remains the love-struck Alice herself. Not that she irritates or hinders the plot with her decisions, but Anastasia or Cyrus did a better job of holding your attention. However, the most important thing is how smoothly the storylines fit together, despite various obstacles (the inconsistent quality of the effects or the changing rules, just like in the original series), and in the second half, they even manage to thrill you and move you. One season in Wonderland may be just right, with significantly positive impressions thanks to the unstoppable momentum of the final episodes, but that's why I'm already missing this world of genies, flying carpets, and hurried rabbits. (09/05/2014)