Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, living in Massivetwoshits, there were billboards and all kinds of stuff advertising the show before it came out. I specifically vividly remember a poster/picture of Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin that was burned into my memory for eternity, that was at a bus stop.
It was this one:
http://oncepodcast.com/files/2012/06/Once-Upon-a-Time-soundtrack-Rumplestiltskin-300x300.jpg
Anyways, I was very excited for it for a while, but by the time the premiere rolled around my life had gone to absolute shit, and I lost interest in just about everything. That was Fall 2011.
Fastforward to Spring 2012, when my Dad was in a nursing home after having a stroke that January. I would most often go visit him on Sundays, around the time that the show would be on. I would catch bits and pieces with him. Again, I specifically remember seeing the scene from Season 1, where Emma finds Henry at his special playground by the beach (forget what they called it -- sanctuary maybe?) (before Regina had it torn down), and they're talking about her believing and all that fun stuff.
That summer, my Dad passed away, and I lost touch with it again.
Fastforward another year, to Spring 2013. The show was in its second season, and I had discovered Season 1 on Netflix. I figured, "ah, what the hell," and binged it. Quite impressed, I quickly caught up with the rest of the available and released episodes (That was up to Episode 17 at the time -- "Welcome to Storybrooke"), and eagerly awaited the following episode -- Selfless, Brave, and True.
Some time after Season 2 ended and before Season 3 began, I got a bunch of my friends into it, as well as my Mom.
However, just about since Selfless, Brave, and True, with one large exception, I have been catching almost every episode on release. The one big exception was through the bulk of Season 4 (Episodes 7-22/23?), where I kind of lost interest and had to catch up on Netflix again just before Season 5 started.
And now, here we are! I'm loving it more than ever, with The Dark Swan... whoo!! What a great storyline we're getting at the moment. So happy with the show, again. :)