The Bandersnatch in Tim Burton’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland” film
This episode introduces two guest characters who are crossing over from the mothership OUAT show. The first character is someone who didn’t appear on OUAT until recently, in the Season 3 premiere. The other character is someone who we met way back, early on in Season 1 — though we’ll only be hearing her voice this time.
The episode also introduces the Bandersnatch, a creature who was first mentioned, in passing, in Jabberwocky, which is from Lewis Carroll’s second Alice book, Through the Looking Glass:
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
More about the Bandersnatch, and the official description of the episode after the jump (contains spoilers):
“Forget Me Not”
Flashback
In a flashback, viewers are introduced to Will Scarlet, who turns out to be the nifty Knave of Hearts.
Will has joined Robin Hood’s Merry Men and convinces them to steal gold from Maleficent’s castle.
He also pilfers an enchanted looking glass for himself that comes with a hefty consequence.
Wonderland
Meanwhile in Wonderland, Cyrus successfully tricks Jafar and the Red Queen into sending a Bandersnatch after Alice.
Alice, in turn, exposes something the White Rabbit has been secretly hiding.
… on “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” stars Sophie Lowe as Alice, Michael Socha as Knave of Hearts, Peter Gadiot as Cyrus, Emma Rigby as The Red Queen with Naveen Andrews as Jafar and John Lithgow as the voice of the White Rabbit.
“Forget Me Not” guest stars include:
Michael P. Northey as Tuck/Injured Man
Jason Burkart as Little John/Traveler One
Casey Manderson as Traveler Two
Ryan MacDonald as Footman
Thomas Saunders as Wealthy Gentleman
Sean Maguire as Robin Hood/Fourth Man
Mark Acheson as Nazim
Iggy Pop as the voice of the Caterpillar
Aaron Harrison as Screaming Head
Hugo Steele as Orang
Steve Bacic as Grendel/Handsome Man
Catherine Michaud as Young Woman
Brian George as Old Prisoner
Kristin Bauer Van Straten as the voice of Maleficent.
“Forget Me Not” was written by Richard Hatem and directed by David Solomon.
More about the Bandersnatch
A few years after writing Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll wrote and published a long poem called The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits). The Bandersnatch from Jabberwocky reappears here and is again described as “frumious”:
… But while he was seeking with thimbles and care,
A Bandersnatch swiftly drew nigh
And grabbed at the Banker, who shrieked in despair,
For he knew it was useless to fly.He offered large discount—he offered a cheque
(Drawn “to bearer”) for seven-pounds-ten:
But the Bandersnatch merely extended its neck
And grabbed at the Banker again.Without rest or pause—while those frumious jaws
Went savagely snapping around—
He skipped and he hopped, and he floundered and flopped,
Till fainting he fell to the ground.The Bandersnatch fled as the others appeared
Led on by that fear-stricken yell:
And the Bellman remarked “It is just as I feared!”
And solemnly tolled on his bell…
I wonder how much the OUAT-in-W creature designers were influenced by the way the Bandersnatch was depicted in Tom Burton’s 2010 Disney film, shown in the picture at the top of this post and in the video clip here.