NEW ADVENTURES - 1990

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time title card
E35

Official Synopsis

Skeletor reads aloud from an open spellbook, red eyes glowing.

Homesick for Eternia, Adam is told by the Sorceress that he cannot go back. Skeletor and Flogg hold one volume of the Encyclopedia of Evil and learn that the rest lie in the vaults of Zactus on Primus. Skeletor uses the book's spells to reach Grot's garden, where Grot goes missing and Skeletor crashes a picnic. Teela appears, sent to cheer He-Man, with the warning that she must be back in the garden before the dragon iris blooms. Sebrian finds a counter spell, Skeletor finds the stairway to the vaults, and in the scramble he and the books are sent back to Nordor, with Teela and Mara thanked for it. Teela returns home. A closing tip says never wander off alone.

Morals by closing safety lesson, paraphrased from the episode audio

The closing lesson is that when you are in the woods you should never wander off alone, because it is safer and more fun to stick with a friend.

heman.org Episode Review

What do you do when the one thing you miss is the one thing you cannot have? "Once Upon a Time" gives its homesick hero a visit from the past with a catch, and builds an adventure around the ticking clock of a flower that is about to bloom.

The story opens with Adam troubled by another nightmare and telling the Sorceress that all he can think about is Eternia, his parents and his friends. She tells him that it is not possible to go back, that Primus needs him now, and that he must have patience. The visit that comes later is a gift and a goodbye in the same breath. The flower in Grot's garden is the clock, because Teela is told she must be back there before the dragon iris blooms or she cannot return to Eternia again.

The villain's plot is the busier of the two. Skeletor shows Flogg a single volume of a multi-volume encyclopedia of evil, explains that Nordor was once part of Primus and was blown away with a crystal in a big bang, and says that only this volume came with it while the rest lie in the vaults of Zactus on Primus. The Nordor origin is a nice bit of lore, and the wiki points out that it picks up what Master Sebrian first explained in Sword & Staff. The comedy of spells that go wrong, with Flogg complaining about floating and Skeletor telling him that evil cannot be pushed, is a pleasing piece of double-act business.

A third of the way in, the shape of the episode is clear: it is about a hero choosing his duty over a wish, and the villain's quest for the books is the trouble that surrounds the choice. The picnic in Grot's garden is the stage. Grot promises dessert and goes to pick melons, and someone soon remarks that he should have been back by now. Skeletor and the mutants then turn up to join the picnic uninvited, and the fight begins.

Teela's arrival is the standout moment. She meets Skeletor with the remark that things have been peaceful on Eternia while he has been gone, and later in the council halls He-Man tells her how good it is to see her again. Mara wonders aloud where this strange young woman came from, and Sebrian teases her about a note of jealousy, which she denies; the wiki reads that as a further hint of an attraction between Mara and He-Man. The conversation between He-Man and Teela is the heart of the episode: she asks him to come home, he says he is happy here and has only been a little homesick, and seeing her has cured it. A neat reversal, since the visit meant to ease the longing ends by showing him he has already made a home.

The finish is busy. Skeletor finds the stairway to the vaults, the heroes arrive and tell him the library is closed, and chains of evil hold He-Man, Mara is told to throw the sword to him, and Skeletor and the encyclopedia are sent back to Nordor. The final chapter of the encyclopedia of evil is closed with thanks to both women. At the garden Teela wishes he could come back with her, he answers that he is needed here, and he later tells Mara that she had to leave but asked him to say goodbye.

The weakness is how crowded it is. A lore lecture, a spell comedy, a picnic, a vault hunt and a farewell are all fitted into the slot, and the vault fight goes by quickly.

Verdict: a warm episode that gives the hero a personal scene among the plot, and it ends well on its spine: home is where you are needed. The closing tip, to stay with a friend in the woods, is an easy coda.

Notes of Interest

  1. Continuity: The He-Man wiki says this is the only episode of the series in which Teela appears.
  2. Continuity: Per the wiki, Teela is the only Eternian character besides King Randor, Queen Marlena and the Sorceress to appear in the series, and the only one to travel to Primus.
  3. Voice cast: Cathy Weseluck is listed as the uncredited voice of Teela, per the He-Man wiki and Wikipedia's additional voices list.
  4. Fan observation: The wiki says Teela's redesign drops her red hair and traditional outfit for a blonde look, and some fans have theorised the design was originally meant for She-Ra.
  5. Homage: The wiki notes that the book Master Sebrian handles in his library has the same cover as the Encyclopedia of Evil volume Skeletor is trying to complete.
  6. Continuity: According to the wiki, Skeletor and the Mutants discover the origin of the moon Nordor, which Master Sebrian first explained in Sword & Staff.
  7. Fan observation: The He-Man wiki says Mara shows jealousy over Teela, further hinting at a romantic attraction between Mara and He-Man.
  8. Edit history: The wiki says this was one of only a handful of episodes digitally restored and upscaled for the DVD release.
  9. Edit history: The wiki's errors list says Teela's sword scabbard switches from her right side to her left between shots, and one of Flogg's gloved hands is miscoloured purple on and off.

Cast Appearances

Full roster →
He-Man
Good

He-Man
Skeletor
Evil

Skeletor
Flogg
Evil

Flogg
Teela
Good

Teela
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
Good

The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull

Episode screenshots

A wide blue eye opens beneath a blond eyebrow.
A wide blue eye opens beneath a blond eyebrow.
Skeletor reaches toward an open book on a lectern while Flogg and two other mutants look on.
Skeletor reaches toward an open book on a lectern while Flogg and two other mutants look on.
Skeletor leers with his mouth open, red eyes glowing.
Skeletor leers with his mouth open, red eyes glowing.
A mutant in a grey helmet with one lens and a green vest looks uneasy.
A mutant in a grey helmet with one lens and a green vest looks uneasy.
Skeletor stands holding his staff beside an open book in the purple mutant chamber.
A large blue planet hangs in a starfield beside a small distant moon.
A cracking planet glows with bright yellow fractures against the stars.
A skull-shaped moon floats in space.
Flogg, a gold-helmeted mutant and a green-vested mutant stand behind a console holding a book.
Flogg, a gold-helmeted mutant and a green-vested mutant stand behind a console holding a book.
Skeletor stands over an open book on a stand while Flogg and other mutants watch from below.
Skeletor snarls, baring his teeth under a grey helmet.
Skeletor grins and grips his staff close to the camera.
Skeletor stands by a book stand while Flogg and three mutants gather across the chamber.
Flogg bends upside down to speak to a laughing mutant in a grey helmet as another stands below.
Flogg bends upside down to speak to a laughing mutant in a grey helmet as another stands below.
Adam lies on a picnic blanket as Mara sits up beside him.
Adam lies on a picnic blanket as Mara sits up beside him.
A bald man in a red vest sits beside a picnic basket as a grey arm sweeps past.
Flogg hangs upside down beside a seated green-vested mutant and a gold-armored mutant.
Skeletor glares with wide red eyes and an open jaw, the brim of his helmet over his brow.
Grot peeks out from behind a melon tree, looking worried.
Skeletor grins in a garden under a blue sky.
Skeletor opens a thick book in a dusty clearing, a skull-topped staff behind him.
Skeletor grins over the open book in front of leafy plants.
Master Sebrian sits at a desk of books on a purple hill, his staff beside him.
Master Sebrian closes his eyes and speaks, his staff upright beside him.
Skeletor grins from a viewscreen, holding his staff and the open book.
Master Sebrian sits in his high chair and looks stern, his staff in one hand.
Adam and a dark-haired woman in a white dress stand on a dusty path.
A dark-haired woman in a white and lilac dress looks alarmed among tall green vines.
A thin blade points upward between three bright white orbs in a blue sky.
A dark-haired woman in white is held by an arm in a green vest, her face looking worried.
A mutant in a grey helmet and green vest grabs a struggling woman in white.
A green-vested mutant carries Mara over his shoulder as He-Man faces him with sword in hand.
A green-vested mutant carries Mara over his shoulder as He-Man faces him with sword in hand.
A path bends past a leaning tree beside a field of twisting vines.
A mutant in a grey face mask with a blue lens looks up in alarm.
He-Man grits his teeth and grips a pole with one fist.
He-Man grits his teeth and grips a pole with one fist.
He-Man looks back over his shoulder with a glare as a mutant dangles upside down beside him.
He-Man crouches on one knee holding his sword by the vine-covered road.
Flogg hangs upside down against the blue sky, his purple face tilted.
He-Man stands with his sword at his side as a mutant ducks at the right edge.
A green-vested mutant turns on He-Man while an upside-down figure hangs from a pole behind them.
Dark purple clouds roll across a night sky.
White foam smears He-Man's face and chest as he wipes at it with one hand.
He-Man looks off with a puzzled face, one hand raised.
He-Man stands on the path as a long-haired woman in pink armor with a sword steps toward him.
A long-haired woman in pink armor and a purple helmet holds a sword beside a grey rock.
A long-haired woman in pink armor and a purple helmet holds a sword beside a grey rock.
Mara stares wide-eyed from behind a tree as a red-gloved hand covers her mouth.
He-Man faces Skeletor, Mara, a red-armored mutant and a helmeted woman at the edge of the vine field.
Teela scowls beside He-Man, her purple horned helmet gleaming against a blue sky.
Teela scowls beside He-Man, her purple horned helmet gleaming against a blue sky.
Skeletor leers with his staff raised, red eyes glowing.
A pink wisp and a thin dark pole hang above a field of tall twisting vines.
Dark green leaves fill the whole frame in a close pattern.
A mutant in a grey face mask with a blue lens runs through a blur of motion lines.
Skeletor holds his staff aloft as a pink net and metal claw crackle above him.
Skeletor reads from an open book beside a purple boulder in the vine field.
Skeletor stands on cracked ground seen from above as a red beam shoots from his staff.
A figure with a startled open mouth is swept up in a rush of purple light.
He-Man stands holding his sword as a pink and purple cloud swirls in the sky.
Mara, Teela and He-Man stand together on a cliff edge above the vine field.
A round multi-tiered building stands on a grassy cliff under a pale sun.
Master Sebrian smiles over an open book as Mara stands beside him.
Mara smiles warmly, her white scarf draped around her neck.
Master Sebrian grins as he holds an open book in front of tall bookshelves.
Mara stands in a library as Master Sebrian reads from a ladder behind her.
Teela looks up beside He-Man, who gazes off to the side.
A woman in a pale blue helmet and a light gown appears inside a large blue eye.
A woman in a pale blue helmet and a light gown appears inside a large blue eye.
He-Man looks off toward the trees as Teela stands partly out of frame.
He-Man and Teela stand together among tall green bushes and a pillar.
He-Man and Teela walk away side by side across a field, seen through a tall doorway.
Flogg strokes his chin, arms crossed, on a flower-lined path.
Skeletor reads an open book as Flogg walks behind him along a dirt path.
Flogg scowls in a grey hood as two mutants stand beside a pit in the background.
Skeletor leans over his open book and speaks, his skull-topped staff upright beside him.
He-Man and Teela stand close together, looking at each other.
He-Man speaks warmly with a hand held out as Teela listens beside him.
Master Sebrian speaks with raised brows against a purple wall.
A tiny dark object flies over a green plain and distant purple mountains.
Skeletor grins beside an open page of spidery writing against a bright floral backdrop.
The skull top of Skeletor's staff rises out of a puff of tan smoke against a blue sky.
A small gold-armored mutant runs across a sandy slope holding a purple boulder overhead.
A dirt path splits along a deep crack beside a dark hillside.
Skeletor grins beside Flogg, who scowls and bares his teeth.
Teela and He-Man run side by side across a golden sandy slope.
Tall dark trees rise over a field of twisting vines.
Skeletor stands with his arms wide in a red vault, a book in one hand.
Teela and He-Man walk out of a doorway as Skeletor stands with his back to them.
He-Man looks off to the side with a firm face in the red vault.
Skeletor holds a stack of pages and grins, fire glowing behind him.
Glowing pink rings wind around He-Man's legs, binding his boots.
Skeletor grins over an open book, his staff beside him in the vault.
Teela's purple helmet fills the corner as Skeletor floats with his book in the upper right.
Skeletor grips his open book and leers, his staff over his shoulder.
Skeletor bares his teeth over an open book while Mara peeks around a doorway behind him.
Mara kneels and lifts the Power Sword as a gold-armored mutant stands by a purple boulder.
Mara throws a sword into the air as a mutant with a boulder runs below, seen from above.
A mutant in a grey mask and green vest crawls along a red brick wall.
A curved wall of pale pink bricks crumbles with small orange chips.
Skeletor grins in profile as bits of brick fall around him near a dark doorway.
Rubble falls as a mutant in a green vest stumbles through a ruined red vault, another far behind.
Skeletor holds a burning page as Flogg and other mutants sit dazed by the fire.
A dark stone stairway descends into a doorway between rough rock walls.
A dirt path splits along a long crack between twisting vines.
Mara and Teela smile at each other as He-Man stands between them with his back turned.
Grot grins and holds up a spotted orange melon.
He-Man, Mara and Teela stand around a plant in a glass greenhouse.
He-Man presses a hand to his chest and speaks to Teela in the greenhouse.
He-Man listens with a firm, serious face in the greenhouse.
Grot, Mara and He-Man gather around a pair of blooming white flowers.
Mara holds a red rose and looks worried as He-Man's head fills the edge of the frame.
Two white flowers bloom above a leafy plant in a round planter inside the greenhouse.
A man in a blue visored helmet and headset speaks with his mouth open in a forest.

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