It is official, unfortunately Once Upon a Time is coming to an end. The fairy tale will come to an close after season seven. The TV show is a fan favourite that includes as many stories as you can imagine (mostly inspired by Disney movies/stories). The show started back in 2011 after being brought to life by creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis.
The story began following the lives of characters from a story book that had been put under a dark curse, cast by the 'Evil Queen' Regina (Lana Parrilla). Leaving them trapped in the real world under new identities with no recollection of who they really are. The curse could only be broken by 'The Saviour', who just happened to be the daughter (Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan) of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas).
The story progresses after young Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore) discovers a book with the same title of the show. Henry is the biological son of Emma - who gave him up for adoption after giving birth to him at a young age. His adoptive mother is Regina Mills (The Evil Queen played by Parilla). The young boy's mission is to find his biological mother to convince her of the importance in their lives.
Images courtesy of Google
Unfortunately at the end of the show's sixth season the majority of the cast departed, leaving mostly supporting roles behind to carry it through. Since the departure of Morrison, Goodwin, Dallas and Gilmore, the series was given a soft reboot for season seven.
Henry is now portrayed as an adult and going through the exact story that he experienced in the first series, but this time with his daughter Lucy (Alison Fernandez) taking on his childhood role . The role of Henry was taken over by actor Andrew J. West in the last episode of season six.
When season seven began, the audience were introduced to the new Henry Mills (West) now living in Hyperion Heights, Seattle. A cursed town much like Storybrooke in season one. West's Henry is still supported by original cast members Lana Parilla as Regina, Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold and Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones, who later joined the show in season two. Season seven has also seen the introduction to new characters Jacinda/Cinderella (Dania Ramirez), Victoria Belfrey/Lady Tremane/Rupunzel (Gabrielle Anwar) and more.
Season one of Once Upon A Time was definitely it's strongest, with the pilot episode alone being viewed by over 12 Million people on its original air date. Season two also received good ratings. With lots of fantasy stories to be told, drama, action, romance and even a brilliant musical episode in season six, it was a well rounded show. Although unfortunately as each season was released the viewers appeared to have lost interest over time as the viewing ratings deteriorated down to around 4 million viewers for season six.
Video courtesy of YouTube
Despite downfall in ratings, the ABC show still has a big following which has led to the marketing of products based on the show including character figures released by the hugely popular Funko Pop! and even replicas of the Henry's book and Rumple's dagger.
This is exactly the reason why so many will be sad to see it all come to an end. Including myself. Although in my opinion, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the series was renewed for it's seventh season after the departure of half of the cast and what appeared to be a closure to its story at the end of its sixth.
It is clear to see that the cast and creators have adored their time with the series. Many are feeling saddened by the end of the road but are feeling positive and grateful for the time that they have spent working on the set of this magical show. Some of the stars of the show took to social media to thank their loyal fan base.
Adam Horowitz (Creator) - Twitter
Lana Parrilla - Instagram
"I’ll never forget the day I walked in to audition as Evil Queen Regina for Eddy and Adam. I was wearing all black (of course) and had this crazy, dreadlock looking wrap draped over my shoulders. I had no idea where this pilot was going to go but I knew it was something special. I walked out of the audition room and down the hall was an old photograph of the OG Evil Queen herself. I knew then, something magical was about to begin. It’s been 7 years now and I couldn’t be prouder of what we all have created. Adam and Eddy had this crazy idea in their minds years ago and it turned into a fantastical phenomenon. This show has touched so many people’s lives, changed them for the better, has inspired us to grow in ways we never could’ve imagined. It’s brought hope, joy, friendships and love to so many. I am lucky and blessed to have been a part of it for 7 years. I want to thank the cast, our incredibly, hard working crew and the writers for your dedication and hard work over the years. Thank you to the studio and network for believing in us, supporting us and giving us a home to tell our stories. But most importantly, I want to thank our fans. We honestly wouldn’t be here without your love, support and loyalty to ONCE. Thank you for standing by us all of these years. We hope we’ve made you proud and that the magic this show has brought in to your lives never dies. Thank you for all you’ve given back to us in return and always remember to keep that magic alive. Signed with love, respect, gratitude and honor, Lana ❤️ #OUAT 🙏"
Jennifer Morrison - Instagram
Colin O'Donaghue -Instagram
Andrew J West - Instagram
And this rather lovely conversation between Lana Parrilla and Jared Gilmore on Instagram:
Once Upon A Time is a TV show that is certainly not like any other. Inspiring us all to remember that all we need is hope. Congratulations and thank you to all of the creators, cast and crew for the last seven years of magic and wonder. Once will be sorely missed by it's fans. On the bright side, it's seventh season isn't over just yet. We still have some time with our favourite heroes and villains as the show is currently on a season break and will return in March 2018!