There may come a day when ABC’s fantasy drama Once Upon a Time runs out of <Disney princesses and fairy tale characters to bring to the screen, but that day definitely isn’t here yet. Still, the show is already double dipping into its character base for an updated version, as Chicago Fire actress Teri Reeves has been cast as The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy Gale, only an older version than the one we’ve met before.
Once Upon a Time will obviously be meeting up with Dorothy again, and it looks like she’ll be sticking around a little longer than her previous incarnation. Reeves has signed on for a recurring role here, and her first appearance will be seen next year for Season 5’s Episode 16, according to TVLine. This won’t be a girl merely relying on tornadoes and colored shoes, though.
New Dorothy will be a courageous and virtuous warrior who returns to Oz on a mission to save the mystical place from Regina, the wickedest witch of all. It won’t be easy, though, and Dorothy will have to make some new friends along the way, which will help to unlock a certain kind of strength that she wasn’t aware of before. A witch-hunting mission seems like a good time for Hansel and Gretel to find a way back to the show.
Audiences were first introduced to a younger version of Dorothy, seen above, back in the Season 3 episode “Kansas,” in which she was played by Matreya Scarrwener. Upon their first encounter, Zelena saw Dorothy as a threat and wanted to get rid of her, which she did through a crafty plan involving silver slippers and a Wizard disguise. Now, a little older and hopefully a little wiser, Dorothy is apparently coming back and raring to get some revenge.
Beyond her role on Chicago Fire, Reeves is possibly most recognizable from her role on Hulu’s Battleground a few years ago. Since then, she’s appeared in the Shonda Rhimes double play of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, as well as Castle and NCIS. She’ll next be seen in the Arthur Ian drama Rivers of Milk and Honey.
It’s a good time to be an actress going out for a Dorothy part. The character was recently seen on the musical The Wiz Live!, and we’ll soon see another one on the upcoming NBC fantasy series Emerald City. There’s no place like TV.
Season 5 of Once Upon a Time aired its midseason finale earlier this month, and viewers will be waiting a while to see what happened in and around Hades, as it won’t be returning to ABC until Sunday, March 6, 2016. I’ve got a weekly poker game with the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion – always folding, that guy – if you guys need something to do in the meantime.
