I heard of this show after watching Once Upon A Time (as I assume most people have). There is no comparison - Once Upon A Time has a much more intricate and better-developed storyline, as well as generally much better actors. I have a great respect for actors, but at the same time I feel it is equally important to offer an audience critique, especially for more popular shows.
I watched 8 episodes (over quite a long period of time) because it was a genre I enjoy, even though the story and actors were fairly mediocre. The actor rating is an average - I think Emma Rigby is excellent as the Queen, and Sophie Lowe does wonderfully too. Peter Gadiot is attractive but not quite sincere as Cyrus. There is something missing in his delivery - it feels less like he is delivering his loving speeches towards Alice than an audience.
Surprisingly enough, and unfortunately for the show, Episode 9 is where things really pick up. They introduce a brilliant actress for the Jabberwocky - I'd never heard of her before but seeing her in action, this unique villain had me captivated. She introduces a much more unpredictable aspect to the storyline which improves the show greatly.
Then all of a sudden the story actually starts to tie in with the show Once Upon A Time. This should have happened MUCH earlier in this series for people to keep watching.
As I have expressed before, this show is nowhere near the quality of Once Upon A Time, but it is certainly improving as of the end of Season 1 - worth a look at the very least. With the introduction of an actual tie between the series in late season 1, it may have a future.
