Smile Always, Chuck: Smile Always Spotlight: Once Upon a Time

[I've decided, in an effort to keep me writing regularly, to have a weekly post titled "Smile Always Spotlight". In this post, I will pick something that makes me smile and write about it. It can be a movie, book, person, food, anything I want to spotlight. I think it'll be a lot of fun and similar to the way I would write on my old blog. Hope you enjoy.]

Smile Always Spotlight:

I started watching Once Upon A Time before my mission with my sister-in-law, Nichole. Every Sunday we would meet at her house and watch the hour long episodes. As I got closer to leaving on my mission, I stopped watching much TV and thus stopped watching this show. Since I've been home, I've been using Netflix a lot. Guess what show was available on Netflix? ...Yep, Once Upon A Time. I avoided it for about a month and half. Finally, I gave in and soon I was addicted.

Upon watching it again, I found that I really, really liked the show. There is something magical about it that keeps me coming back for more. I got caught up quite quickly... and now I have to wait until March to see a new episode. Oh well.

Once Upon A Time:

Here's a brief synopsis from me: Emma Swan has been alone her whole life until one day someone knocks on her door. Her long lost son, Henry, is on the other side of the door. He's on a mission to get Emma back to Storybrooke, Maine.

Storybrooke, Maine... the town that didn't exist 28 years ago. It turns out that Storybrooke is the home of every fairytale character you've ever heard about. The Evil Queen, in a fit of revenge and fury, sent everyone there. Now they are stuck there with no memory of who they are and where they came from. And for 28 years, time pretty much stood still. Until Emma decides to stay...

It turns out Emma's parents are in Storybrooke... with now memory of who she is or who each other are. Yep, Snow White and Prince Charming didn't get their Happily Ever After. They're separated from each other and their daughter.

Don't worry though... it all gets sorted out eventually... and there are a lot of adventures along the way.

What makes me smile about Once Upon A Time?

1) Prince Charming.

Need I say more?

2) Fairytales.

As a little girl, I LOVED Disney movies. I loved the idea of a Happily Ever After. Having grown up just a bit, I realize that Happily Ever Afters require more work than they show in the movies. I do still believe that you can be happy but I recognize that it doesn't begin with meeting that "perfect" person or having all your problems be solved- let's be honest, never are you not going to have problems. Even if you have problems though, you can still be happy. I've learned and am still learning that.

3) Magic.

Who wouldn't want a little magic now and then? However, we are reminded continually that all magic "comes with a price".

4) True Love's Kiss.

This brings out the Hopeless Romantic in me. It also ties in with the Fairytales and Magic in the show. It's stated that True Love's Kiss can break any curse. I think that's what I loved about Disney movies... True Love's Kiss would bring the Princess's Happily Ever After. It made it seem so simple. All you have to do is find that one special person, share a kiss, and "whoosh" all your problems are resolved. I wish I still believed that was true. But real life is much more complicated than that. Something that Once Upon A Time shows us. Another reason I like it. Even though Snow White and Prince Charming fell in love, experienced True Love's Kiss, got married, and had a baby... they still had a TON of problems to deal with. Isn't that real life? And what's even better... is that they work on their problems... TOGETHER!! I think that's something that's lacking in the world today... couples working together to overcome their problems. Instead, the problems break up the couple because they think they can do it alone. Now, I've never been married so this is purely my own observations. However, it is something that I love about Once Upon A Time... they show a real life marriage (despite being between fairytale characters) and the problems (however realistic they may not be...) they have to work together to overcome them.

5) Family.

Once Upon A Time is all about family. And family is the most important social unit we can have. I like seeing Emma discover that on her journey in StoryBrooke. It makes the show even more awesome for me.

There you go. Reasons why Once Upon A Time makes me smile. The show isn't perfect... no show is. But I enjoy it all the same. It speaks to the little girl who loves fairytales (as well as the Hopeless Romantic) within me. You can't go wrong with that.

Smile Always,

Chuck

Bonus Spotlight:

Captain Hook!

He's not some slimy old guy with curly hair anymore...