And They Lived...

And They Lived...
Season 1, Episode 13
Airdate	April 3, 2014
Written by	Edward Kitsis Adam Horowitz Zack Estrin
Directed by	Kari Skogland
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And They Lived... is the thirteenth episode and series finale of the Once Upon a Time spin-off series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. A week prior to this episode's release, it was announced by ABC Studios that the series was canceled.

Upon airing, the finale was watched by 3.38 million American viewers and attained an 18-49 rating of 0.9, marking an increase in viewers from the previous episode, but a slight decrease in 18-49 ratings. Commentators also gave the finale generally positive reviews.

Plot

Jafar (Naveen Andrews) has succeeded in regaining his father's (Brian George) love and tricking Anastasia (Emma Rigby) into loving him; he imprisons the Jabberwocky (Peta Sergeant) and raises an army of the dead. Meanwhile, Alice (Sophie Lowe) and Cyrus (Peter Gadiot) raise their own army to fight Jafar for the realm, and a final confrontation takes place between Alice and Jafar at the Well of Wonders.

Production

Executive producers and creators of the series Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, and Zack Estrin wrote this episode; while Kari Skogland directed it.

On 28 March 2014 — a week prior to the episode's release — it was revealed that the series would be ending.

Despite the show's cancellation, Edward Kitsis said prior to the show's premiere "We really want to tell the story without having to worry about how to stretch it for five years. This is not meant to be a 22-episode season. Whatever it ends up being, we'll have told a complete story ..." It was revealed in August 2013 at the TCA Summer Press Tour that, contrary to previous reports that more than 13 episodes were ordered straight out the gate, only the usual amount of 13 episodes had been ordered. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz commented "However many we wind up doing this season, what we're planning to do is tell a kind of complete tale with a beginning, middle and end" and added "If it does well [and] people like it, hopefully we'll come back and tell another adventure with this cast."

Prior to and after the show's cancellation, questions rose about whether the characters would be featured in the parent series, with the ABC president Paul Lee suggesting that Horowitz and Kitsis will "weave storylines across their assets."

Reception

Ratings

The finale was watched by 3.38 million American viewers, and received an 18-49 rating/share of 0.9/3. Though the viewership improved slightly from the previous episode, the 18-49 rating decreased. The show placed third in its timeslot and fourteenth for the night.

Critical reception

The finale received generally positive reviews from critics.

Amy Ratcliffe of IGN gave the episode an 8.9 out of 10, saying "The series finale was emotionally satisfying and worthy of the characters and their stories. Though there is always room for improvement, it delivered what it needed to. It's unfortunate we won’t get more time with these characters in this setting."

Christine Orlando of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.4 out of 5, signaling positive reviews.

Lily Sparks of TV.com gave the episode (and the season) a mixed review, saying "Thanks to this finale, Wonderland's future fans will have an emotionally satisfying, classic happy ending to look forward to at the end of the rusty laser-tag game that was the season—an ending so complete and composed that I’m sure the production team had a big heads-up they wouldn't be getting a second season well before they wrote the finale script. No storylines were left unsewn, there was no signature Kitsis & Horowitz cliffhanger; instead, we saw a very All’s Well That End’s Well, every-character-reunited wedding, presided over by a CGI rabbit, no less."