[4] Actor Michael Socha, in his Wonderland role as Will Scarlet / Knave of Hearts, joined Once Upon a Time as a series regular for its fourth season.

[5][6] After the apparent death of her true love Cyrus, Alice returns home to Victorian England where she is placed in an asylum, and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything about her tales in Wonderland.

In February 2013, Kitsis and Horowitz, along with producers Zack Estrin and Jane Espenson, began development on a spin-off of Once Upon a Time which would focus on Lewis Carroll's Wonderland.

Kitsis and 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.

Even though the cast of characters seems to contradict this dark show's target at an older audience, it's a tantalizing blend of action and drama with ties to stories you and your teens will have fun recalling from your own childhood".

Some of it is conjured by CG magic (the Red Queen's palace is splendid, and the White Rabbit's ears a masterwork), and some by just good storytelling and performer chemistry, which Lowe and Socha have in abundance.

Add to that a smattering of witty dialogue, clever character twists and, of course, the Victo-goth steampunk look, and ABC has another shot at redefining the family hour.

"[36] David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that while the plot was "a little overstuffed", "the special effects, crisp direction and high-octane performances keep us interested enough to follow Alice down the rabbit hole.

"[37] Brian Lowry of Variety gave the show a mixed review: "Wonderland is equally handsome [as Once Upon a Time], but behind those virtual sets lurk many potential flaws.