Fresh from a series rewatch, Jackie and Amelia discuss the fantasy drama Once Upon a Time (2011-2018), which drew inspiration from classic fairy tales and Disney films. What emerged was a story that emphasizes faith, hope, and love above all.
Content Warnings: This episode contains mentions of sensitive and/or potentially triggering topics, such as abandonment, abortion, abuse, addiction, death, trauma, and violence.
Timestamps
0:07:15 Preliminary discussion
0:21:00 Pilot and Season 1
0:43:00 Seasons 2 and 3
0:53:00 Rumplestiltskin
0:59:30 Regina Mills
1:07:00 Captain Hook
1:14:00 Seasons 4 and 5
1:17:00 Season 6
1:32:00 Season 7
1:37:30 Final takeaways
Read more of Jackie’s analysis in “Stories and Saviors in Once Upon a Time.”
Media references & recommendations:
~ "On Fairy Stories" by J.R.R. Tolkien
~ "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" by C.S. Lewis
~ Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
~ The Owl, the Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales by G. Ronald Murphy, S.J.
~ The Literary Life Podcast Episode 70: Why Read Fairy Tales?
~ The Literary Life Podcast Episode 104: Witches, Wizards, and Magic, Oh My!
Music used:
~ “Adventurous Souls” by Zane Dickinson
~ “Emma’s Theme,” sung by Jenniffer Morrison, written by Mark Isham, Michael Weiner & Alan Zachary, from Once Upon a Time: The Musical Episode (Original Television Soundtrack)
