Jennifer Morrison defends curse plots on 'Once Upon a Time'

RICHMOND, British Columbia, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Jennifer Morrison says curses are more than they seem on Once Upon a Time.

The 44-year-old actress discussed the ABC drama's penchant for curse plot lines in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Many viewers rolled their eyes when Storybrooke fell under yet another spell Sunday, but Morrison pointed out such crises have metaphorical meaning.

"I see the curses and spells and crises that come our way...as representative of the things that come our way that are hard in life: illness, death, exams, fights with loved ones, breakups," she shared. "All those things are, in real life, what would be a curse or spell in Storybrooke."

"In real life, stuff comes your way and you have to find a way to survive and deal with it," she related. "The underlying message of the show is that you have to fight for the people that you love, because those are the people that are going to stand by you in those battles."

The Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) unleashed a Spell of Shattered Sight on Sunday's episode, and the town has also seen a Dark Curse, a Sleeping Curse and a memory curse. Once Upon a Time is in its fourth season, and airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.