"Lost" fans crowded into the "Once Upon a Time" panel at Comic-Con as much to preview the new fall show as to pick the writers' brains about that polarizing (or perhaps polar bear-izing) " Lost " finale. Former "Lost" executive producers and writers Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis maintained the focus on their new fairy tale drama, but they're hoping they've done enough to draw in fans of their former series.
"Once Upon a Time"
It's not surprising that a couple of "Lost" writers would come up with an idea about alternate dimensions. "Lost" writer and panel moderator Damon Lindelof told the Comic-Con crowd that Horowitz and Kitsis pitched the idea to him during the third season of "Lost." Rather than giant wheels and bombs and time leaps, we get a peek at the characters in two different dimensions. "Once Upon a Time" flips its characters back and forth between the land of fairy tales and the real world.
Jennifer Morrison ("How I Met Your Mother," "House") stars as Emma Swan, a bail bond agent who grew up without parents and continued the pattern by giving up her own son. When he shows up at age 10 to ask for her help, and insists that she may be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, Emma is naturally both curious and skeptical. She follows Henry back to Storybrooke, and sticks around for a while to see what caused him to imagine that the Evil Queen has trapped all of the fairy tale characters in modern suburbia.
Endless Mystery?
Each week, "Once Upon a Time" will have scenes in both modern reality and fairy tale land. While the nature of the story means this dual reality will be a mystery for Emma to solve, the writers are planning to be less intricate than "Lost." Let's hope they've learned their lesson about introducing too many questions and not giving enough answers.
The show's creators do still want to throw a few scraps to the diehard fantasy fans who love to note every minute detail in a show. The panel attendees at Comic-Con found references in the new series pilot to a couple of those pivotal numbers in "Lost." It's all part of the master plan. "We'll give a shoutout here and there," Kitsis promised.
Characters to Love
"Lost" viewers would never have stuck around through all of those polar bears, time shifts and mind-scrambling events if they didn't love the characters. "Once Upon a Time" is off to a good start with an ensemble cast of attractive and talented actors, with some big mythological shoes to fill. Ginnifer Goodwin ("Big Love," "Ed") stars as Snow White, with Josh Dallas ("Thor," "The Boxer") as her Prince Charming. Goodwin revealed at Comic-Con that she took the part before even reading the script , and then was even more convinced she'd made the right choice once she read it.
Lana Parrilla ("Swingtown," "24") and Robert Carlyle ("SGU: Stargate Universe," "The Full Monty") look to be relishing their roles as the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin, even turning on the deliciously sinister/creepy vibe in the modern world. It should also be a treat for viewers to see Lee Arenberg (Pintel in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies) as a suburbanite Grumpy.
The New "Lost"?
Reports from Comic-Con indicate that the "Once Upon a Time" pilot was well-received, even if some of the diehard "Lost" fanboys weren't entirely into it. Despite the nods to "Lost" and the alumni involved, it doesn't look like this will be an obvious follow up to the popular series. Horowitz and Kitsis seem to be aiming for a wider audience this time around, and the fairy tale theme should snag viewers that don't normally watch fantasy or sci-fi TV.
A story of princesses and true love could easily turn off the more cynical (and most likely male) "Lost" fans, but they could be replaced by any woman who's ever wished for her own Prince Charming. It's a wise choice for the producers to take their new show in this alternate direction, so they're not completely dependent on their former fanbase to launch a successful series. This is especially important given how divisive the "Lost" series turned out to be.
So, "Lost" fans (or former fans), will you watch "Once Upon a Time"? The show premieres on ABC Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. E.T.
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