Ok, I know I'm going to get some smirks for this one, but bear with me. I will admit to being a fan of the original Once Upon a Time; however, when I first heard news of this spin-off, I was decidedly unenthusiastic. The reason for this was my annoyance at the convoluted story line of Once's second season. I was seriously beginning to question whether or not the original show would make it into my Fall lineup this year, not even to consider a new spin-off. Having said that... Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is fantastic. It has all the awesome fairy-tale elements that I adored from the first season of Once. There's an extremely clever, charming (and handsome) genie; a roguishly adorable Knave of Hearts; a treacherous rabbit with a pocket watch; and a pair of murderous villains (including Jafar, whose mid-season hair-makeover was one of the most welcome moments of the entire show). To top it all off, the starring player Alice is an adorably deadly blend of Katniss Everdeen and Hermione Granger. This is not to say that the show is without its faults. The CGI of Wonderland often leaves a lot to be desired, and the lighting has also had its less-than-stellar moments. Fortunately, the CGI has gotten better in the latest episodes (perhaps due to a budget bump?). And even in earlier episodes, the unconvincing CGI doesn't take away from the fantastic acting. Or the hilarious banter, for that matter.
