ABC's modern fairytale series "Once Upon a Time" is returning to TV screens this fall with a host of new characters. Some of the characters being introduced, like Peter Pan, may not exactly be like their classic fairytale personas.
The "boy who never grew up" may be more intimidating than his happy-go-lucky image from the original story. Rumple said that Peter Pan is someone "we should all fear."
Series co-creator Adam Horowitz told TVLine that there is a reason Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) warns about Peter. "There's a history between those two," Horowitz said. "There is a big reason why he said if you're going to be scared of someone, this is the guy to be scared of."
Yet, Rumple also respects the lost boy. "When you meet Pan, you're going to see a very, very, very clever person," said co-creator Eddy Kitsis. "And if there's one thing Rumple admires, it's somebody who has game."
According to E! Online, fans will meet another one of Neverland's lost boys, Devin, in episode five. Devin is often ignored, and is therefore competitive with the other boys.
As for the characters in the real world (or as for the fairytale characters' real-world personas), Regina (Lana Parrilla) will have a new love interest. Horowitz said that her "special someone" becomes "a part of the show very quickly, but in a way you don't expect." The character will appear within the first five episodes of the new season.
Another character joining the collection of classic fairytale creatures is Ariel, who will be played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher. Swisher, known for her roles on "Reba" and the ABC sitcom "Better with You" will first make an appearance on the show by stealing a fork from one of the seven dwarves, then diving back into the ocean.
As for other main plot lines, the upcoming season will include a number of flashbacks to fill in characters' back stories. Episode two will focus on Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), backtracking to when Snow White first woke up from the sleeping curse and encountered Regina/The Evil Queen. Episode three will focus on Tinkerbell's (Rose McIver) origin.
The new season will also cover more of Rumple's past, how Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) became a pirate and the introduction and story of Ariel.
As for what not to expect this season? The show will not take viewers down the yellow brick road. Despite a recent "Wizard of Oz" craze on both the small and big screen, TVLine reports that the show will not be featuring Dorothy and her hapless cohorts.
"We've always loved Oz - we've talked about it, we've hinted at it," Horowitz said. "And if and when we get to it, we have the way we want to do it. And if we're lucky enough to be able to do it, we'll just go our way."
And if the creators decide to travel to Oz, it may be truer to the story than some recent iterations of the classic tale.
"It just goes to our approach to all these things, which is about honoring the source material and trying to do something new to it without reinventing the wheel," Horowitz added. "We've tried to put our spin on characters like Snow White and Prince Charming while still allowing the audience to have the memories they love."
Season three of "Once Upon a Time" premieres Sunday, September 29 on ABC.