Fairy-tale justice or a fairy tale of justice: Genre collision through Once Upon a Time.

This article analyzes the television series *Once Upon a Time* (2011–18) as a hybrid of the police procedural and Disney-inspired fairy tale genres, exploring how this fusion complicates traditional notions of justice. The show draws parallels between fairy-tale heroes, medieval chivalry, and modern law enforcement figures, particularly through the character Emma Swan’s evolving role from bail bondsperson to sheriff and “Saviour.” While the series initially aligns fairy-tale justice—rooted in binaries of good versus evil and hope—with police procedural justice—focused on law, order, and punishment—its expanding narrative reveals tensions and contradictions between these frameworks, highlighting the limits of imagining justice solely through either genre. The article further discusses how the show’s medievalist aesthetics and power dynamics, including racialized implications of chivalry and policing, influence audience perceptions of morality and authority. Ultimately, *Once Upon a Time* concludes by reaffirming fairy-tale justice within a magical realm separated from the real world, raising questions about the feasibility of reconciliatory justice in contemporary society and the challenges of envisioning just systems beyond idealized narratives.