Edward Kitsis writes fantasy with an interest in what people want from one another. With Adam Horowitz, he makes familiar stories inviting again, though the urge to connect everything too often means stopping to explain it.
Fi1m perspective
In Once Upon a Time (2011), a familiar fairy-tale figure has to carry on living beyond the story we remember. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz find a warm, workable premise there: recognition brings us in, and the possibility of someone behaving unexpectedly keeps us watching. We rate Kitsis as an emotionally attentive fantasy writer whose plots can require more explaining than they should. The appeal survives those interruptions, particularly when the cast makes the sillier moments enjoyable.
His writing credits include One Tree Hill (2003), where believable teenage hurt competes with familiar family quarrels and a shortage of humour. Kitsis and Horowitz joined Lost (2004) midway through its first series in 2005, as writers and producers. They were contributors to an existing programme, not its creators. We were frightened by Lost because its survival story made us care about the strangers facing it. Its habit of postponing answers can become wearing, but the ensemble gives us good reasons to stay.
The screenplay for TRON: Legacy (2010), written with Horowitz, put a father-and-son story inside a science-fiction sequel. After Lost, the pair created Once Upon a Time, making their interest in familiar stories and complicated connections the basis of a whole programme. Fairy-tale characters living in the modern world give the writers a clear way into questions of family and identity. It is a promising idea, but it needs the characters to hold our attention between explanations.
Too often, those explanations take over. The solemn fairy-tale flashbacks in Once Upon a Time slow the pleasure of seeing familiar figures find something new to do, while keeping their stories connected becomes a chore. The warmth survives, but the tangled plotting makes this a qualified recommendation for fantasy enthusiasts. Start with Lost for the stronger programme; come to Kitsis and Horowitz's fairy tales prepared to forgive the time spent sorting everyone out.
Biography
Edward Kitsis is an American screenwriter and television producer. He was born on 4 February 1971 in Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. in radio, television and film from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1993, where he met his long-term writing partner Adam Horowitz.
After moving to Los Angeles, Kitsis and Horowitz began as assistants before writing for series including Fantasy Island, Felicity (1998), Popular (1999) and Birds of Prey (2002). They joined the writing and producing staff of Lost (2004) midway through its first season, rising to executive producer roles and contributing to 21 episodes. They later created and executive produced Once Upon a Time (2011) and wrote the screenplay for TRON: Legacy (2010). Kitsis has also written for One Tree Hill (2003) and other series.
