Pilot (23 Oct. 2011)

Emma Swan's world is turned upside down on her 28th birthday when the son she gave up 10 years earlier knocks on her door. Holding a book of fairy tales he claims are real, he tells her ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Mylod

Writers:

Edward Kitsis (creator), Adam Horowitz (creator),

Stars:

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard
Jennifer Morrison	...	Emma Swan
Lana Parrilla	...	Evil Queen / Regina Mills
Josh Dallas	...	Prince Charming / David Nolan
Jared Gilmore	...	Henry Mills (as Jared S. Gilmore)
Raphael Sbarge	...	Jiminy Cricket / Archie Hopper
Jamie Dornan	...	Sheriff Graham
Robert Carlyle	...	Rumplestiltskin / Mr. Gold
Tony Amendola	...	Geppetto / Marco
Lee Arenberg	...	Grumpy / Leroy
Peter Bryant	...	Jailer
Warren Christie	...	Ryan
Beverley Elliott	...	Granny
Meghan Ory	...	Red Riding Hood / Ruby
Keegan Connor Tracy	...	Blue Fairy

Storyline

Emma Swan's world is turned upside down on her 28th birthday when the son she gave up 10 years earlier knocks on her door. Holding a book of fairy tales he claims are real, he tells her that she's not only in the book but that she is the only hope her people have of being freed from an evil curse.

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Plot Keywords:

evil queen | sheriff | orphan | reference to snow white | folk tale | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kitsis/Horowitz, ABC Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min 45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Emma wakes up in the jail cell, the song Leroy is whistling is "whistle while you work." from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Leroy's fairy tale counterpart is Grumpy, one of the seven dwarfs.

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Goofs

When Emma and Henry meet Archie Hopper on the street, when Emma opens and closes her car door, a white lighting screen, camera, and some crew members are visible in the reflection from the door.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Doc: You're too late.

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Connections

References Lost (2004)

User Reviews

"The classics, there's a reason we all know them."

It's a classic pilot, introducing characters, storyline, setting. And since its a story about fairy tales, it is definitely a little cliché and well, childish, at some points. But that's to be expected.

Aside from those small annoyances it was a fantastic pilot, with a strong flashback-to- fairyland story about Snow White and Prince Charming. The whole timeline of it all, between Storybrooke and Storybook, doesn't exactly make sense yet, and whether its intentional or not, I expect that it will become clearer with each episode.

It's pretty cool how each person in Storybrooke is a fairy tale character and the writing is fantastically set up to emphasize this. Not just Ginnifer Goodwin or Josh Dallas, but upon close inspection, even actors like Tony Amendola or Lee Arenberg are glimpsed in each world.

This is the only episode yet directed by Mark Mylod. The acting is mediocre with some strong and weak points, though the somewhat cliché script could have contributed to the latter. Mark Isham's music is excellent, fitting perfectly with every scene.

Overall, this is strong pilot, one that I think will keep its viewers watching. But I don't think we have yet seen the best of this series. This is a show that will get better and better.

Best Quote: Emma: "Kid, you've got problems." Henry: "Yep, and you're going to fix them."