Once Upon a Timeadapted many Disney fairy tales, from princesses to villains and everything in between, always with a fun twist on the characters fans thought they knew. After three seasons of drawing from classics,Once Upon a Timeturned to Disney’s most recent hit movie and broughtFrozen’s Elsa and Anna into the show. Elsa initially seems to be the antagonist to theOnce Upon a Time’s Charming family, but the show involves another character, their Aunt Ingrid (Elizabeth Mitchell), who also has ice-based powers, to be the real villain of season 4A.
By season 4,Once Upon a Timehad adapted many Disney princesses, yet the show’s live-action Elsa (Georgina Haig) and Anna (Elizabeth Lail) are exactly like their movie origins. However, whileFrozenwas a phenomenon as a film, translating it intoOnce Upon a Timewas not as successful. Elsa and Anna’s inclusion felt awkward to fans of the show, andtheFrozenarc in season 4 marked the start ofOnce Upon a Time’s creative downfall in its later seasons.
Anna & Elsa In Once Upon A Time Season 4 Didn’t Work
Once Upon A Time Did Not Give Anna & Elsa A Creative Twist From Frozen
Once Upon a Time’s Elsa and Anna perfectly captured the essence of their animated counterparts. However, this adaptation ofFrozen’s characters and premise was so faithful to the movie that fans of the show missed the twists the show typically brings to its reimagined characters. Elsa is still regal and reserved, misunderstood but not a villain, and Anna retains her bubbly personality from the film.FrozenovershadowedOnce Upon a Time,preventing the show from reimagining the characters in its own style.
Once Upon A TimeVillains & Disney Properties Of Origin By Season
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937)
Queen of Hearts (Cora)
Original character
Evil Queen (Regina’s split personality)
Mother Gothel
Tangled(2010)
In its first three seasons,Once Upon a Timecreated new fairytale backstoriesfor older Disney properties likeRobin HoodorPeter Pan. These beloved classics were ripe for a modern take, butFrozenpremiered in 2013 andOnce Upon a Time’sFrozenstoryline happened less than a year later. The quick incorporation of a hit Disney movie into a Disney TV show felt like a corporate synergy push more than an organic storytelling choice. Fans were disappointed by howFrozenovertook the first half ofOnce Upon a Timeseason 4 at the expense of series regulars' storylines.
Once Upon A Time’s Peak Came Before Season 4
Once Upon A Time Became Too Convoluted Over Time
Once Upon a Time’s creative peak was its first three seasonswith its innovative premise, reinventing beloved fairy tale characters in a modern setting while weaving an overarching mystery about their forgotten pasts.Once Upon a Timeeffectively balanced character-driven storytelling with a compelling plot, with the curse’s unraveling being a natural source of tension. Seasons 2 and 3 expanded the world and introduced new characters and lands while keeping the story emotionally grounded in the main Charming family.
Once Upon a Timehad a soft reboot between seasons 6 and 7, with some of the main characters stepping back to become guest stars. A time jump occurs, so an adult Henry (Andrew J. West) is now in Emma’s (Jennifer Morrison) role.
By theOnce Upon a Timefinale, the narrative had become increasingly convoluted, with repetitive storylines and multiple memory-wiping curses making it harder for fans to stay invested in the characters. The integration of newer Disney properties, likeFrozenandBrave, came across as pandering. These shifts diluted the charms ofOnce Upon a Time’s earlier season, where the focus was classic fairy tales with a unique twist.
Once Upon A Time
Cast
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
