It's a classic pilot, introducing characters, storyline, setting. And since its a story about fairy tales, it is definitely a little cliché and well, childish, at some points. But that's to be expected.
Aside from those small annoyances it was a fantastic pilot, with a strong flashback-to- fairyland story about Snow White and Prince Charming. The whole timeline of it all, between Storybrooke and Storybook, doesn't exactly make sense yet, and whether its intentional or not, I expect that it will become clearer with each episode.
It's pretty cool how each person in Storybrooke is a fairy tale character and the writing is fantastically set up to emphasize this. Not just Ginnifer Goodwin or Josh Dallas, but upon close inspection, even actors like Tony Amendola or Lee Arenberg are glimpsed in each world.
This is the only episode yet directed by Mark Mylod. The acting is mediocre with some strong and weak points, though the somewhat cliché script could have contributed to the latter. Mark Isham's music is excellent, fitting perfectly with every scene.
Overall, this is strong pilot, one that I think will keep its viewers watching. But I don't think we have yet seen the best of this series. This is a show that will get better and better.
Best Quote: Emma: "Kid, you've got problems." Henry: "Yep, and you're going to fix them."