‘Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’ spoilers: Barbara Hershey making appearance

Did you see this one coming? We have a feeling that you probably did ever since it was first announced that “Once Upon a Time” was going to have a spin-off series set around Wonderland: Barbara Hershey will be making an appearance on “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” as Cora, the Queen of Hearts.

Given that she is (spoiler alert!) dead in the present, it’s fair to assume that this is going to be an appearance that takes place at some point in the past. TV Guide was the first to report the news of Cora’s arrival, though for the time being this appearance may only occur in one episode, the 11th of the season (which will air on ABC this March).  It’s easy to assume that Cora will probably be causing trouble of some sort, and we may even applaud if she actually proclaims “off with her head” during the time that she is around.

There are of course a number of interesting little trivia bits about this appearance, whether it be her being the latest cast member to cross over to the spin-off (as we have already seen Robin Hood a.k.a. Sean Maguire), or that she has a romantic history in real life with Naveen Andrews, who plays the character of Jafar.

Cora would be the first major character to appear on the show who has a blood relation to one of the “Once Upon a Time” series regulars. She is the Mother of the Evil Queen Regina, who is related by marriage (or she at least was at some point) to Snow White, who is the grandmother of Henry … who was in turn the grandson of Rumpelstiltskin. Oh, what a complicated world that we live in, where you can trace marriages, relationships, and family all the way from one “dark one” to another.

Are you thrilled to see Hershey on the show, and do you think this could give a spark to a series that deserves better ratings than it has been getting? Be sure to share your thoughts below!

Photo: ABC