Well the writers promised it would be a whale of a tale and it was. Dr. Whale (David Anders) is back as Dr. Frankenstein in this black, white and red episode and we find out what happened to his dearly departed brother. So strap in folks for this week’s Once Upon A Time review/recap of of “In The Name Of The Brother”.
The episode begins in black and white where Dr. Frankenstein and his war hero brother, Gerhardt (Chad Michael Collins), are receiving presents from their military-dressed, statesman-like father, Alphonse (Gregory Itzin). Gerhardt gets a pocket watch, a family heirloom and Dr. Frankenstein gets a commission to practice medicine elsewhere. This is his father’s way to undermine his son’s scientific work. Is it just me or do all of the characters in Storybrooke have severe parent issues? Almost no one has or can be a good parent. They all suck at it.
Determined to find another way, the doctor returns to his lab and Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle, Mr. Gold's counterpart) is waiting for him. The crocodile offers the doctor a proposition to teach him what he knows for a tremendous amount of gold. So Dr. Frankenstein goes to the cemetery to dig up a body. Gerhardt finds him there and chastises him but they are both interrupted by a guard who begins shooting at them. One of the bullets hits Gerhardt and he dies.
Dr. Frankenstein tries to revive him at his lab but the electricity burns Gerhardt’s heart. Of course this is the perfect time for Alphonse to walk in and discover what happened. Naturally instead of mourning with the son he has left, he tells the doctor that he has no sons. Wonderful parenting. Just splendid.
As he leaves, Rumplestiltskin enters. They formulate a plan to get a heart from his world. This is where the backstory from "The Doctor" episode comes in. Dr. Frankenstein is able to resurrect his brother and he shows him to his father. Alphonse is pleased until Gerhardt reacts badly to the fire from his candle. As a result, the father accuses Dr. Frankenstein of resurrecting a monster and begins physically pushing him. Gerhardt gets mad and pummels Alphonse. Dr. Frankenstein seems indifferent to his father’s suffering until he realizes he’s dead. Oops!
Gerhardt runs off but Frankenstein finds him and locks him in a cage. He realizes his brother is a monster and he gets his gun out to kill him but he can’t even after Gerhardt encourages him. He once again says he’ll find another way.
In Storybrooke, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and David (Josh Dallas, Prince Charming's counterpart) show up to the town line and find Mr. Gold, Belle (Emilie de Ravin), Hook (Colin O-Donoghue) and the mysterious stranger (Ethan Embry). They all go to the hospital and Emma and her parents rifle through the mysterious stranger’s phone and find out his name is Greg Mendel.
Just then, Dr. Whale enters the room and informs them that Mendel is in critical condition and could die if he doesn’t get some help. So they turn to Mr. Gold for help, but Gold has just seen Belle and the fact that she’s repulsed by him and doesn’t remember him has put him in a sour mood, so He refuses. Then the phone rings with a Star Wars theme (special thanks to the writers for giving a shout out to all the fellow Star Wars geeks). The person calling simply says “her” on the screen. As they are awaiting Mendel’s surgery, they learn that Dr. Whale has left the building. He’s missing.
They enlist Ruby (Meghan Ory, Little Red Riding Hood's counterpart) to track him. She finds him at the edge of the pier, eyeing the pocket watch, which is now attached to a wristband. He throws the watch and himself into the ocean but Ruby catches him. Once back on the dock he explains that every time he saves someone, someone else dies. Ruby tells him that they all have a past that they would like to forget but that doesn’t mean that they still can’t do good now.
Convinced, Dr. Whale heads back to the hospital. He saves Mendel and Emma goes in to talk to him. She finds out that Mendel was texting while he was driving and didn’t see Mr. Gold use magic. Satisfied, she tells him he can go once the doctor sets him free.
Meanwhile Mr.Gold returns to his pawnshop and is surprised by Cora’s (Barbara Hershey, Queen of Hearts counterpart) arrival. She asks for his help finding Regina (Lana Parrilla, Evil Queen's counterpart). In exchange she gives him a globe to find his son, Baelfire. They make a deal and seal it with a kiss.
Cora snoops around Regina’s place and finds a pink handprint in stone. Then she heads to the mausoleum disguised as young Henry (Jared Gilmore) and fools Regina into letting her into a secret door and then reveals herself. Naturally, Regina is not happy.
She tries to convince Regina to love her again but Regina is too upset. She makes her go to town with her to admit that she framed her for Archie’s (Raphael Sbarge, Jiminy Cricket's counterpart) murder. On the drive over, Cora pulls out the pink handprint and uses it to convince Regina that she just wants her child too. Regina pulls over and hugs her mother. Oddly enough here, Regina knows that Cora has manipulated the town into believing she is a murderess in order to break her but she can’t see that her mother is manipulating her with a pink handprint. Wow!
While all of this is going on Rumplestiltskin enchants the chipped the tea cup and gives it to Belle to look at to bring her memory back. She’s okay until she finds out it’s magic and then she gets frustrated and throws the cup against the wall, breaking it and apart of Mr. Gold’s heart. That’s right ladies and gents. OUAT killed Chip. Let’s all take a moment of silence for this great loss.
Mr. Gold returns to his pawn shop, pricks his finger on a sharp edge of a globe and touches the globe with the finger to pinpoint Baelfire’s location. He enlists Emma to help him find Bae as repayment for Ashley (Cinderella) getting to keep her baby.
The episode ends with Mendel calling “her” and saying, “you're not gonna believe what I saw”. It seems that once again that Emma’s lie detector superpowers have failed her. Add Mendel to the long list of people who have gotten over on Emma.
This episode was pretty sweet. I didn’t really know what to expect given that the other Dr. Whale episode, “The Doctor”, was so lackluster. One of the best parts of the episode was when Henry acknowledged what everyone was thinking when he said that Frankenstein is "not even a fairytale". It at least let me know that the writers cared about what we were all thinking. However, it did excite me to know that there will be an element of surprise now added to OUAT since the new characters can come from anywhere. This episode gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Be sure to come back for the next recap/review three weeks from now on February 10 when OUAT comes back with all new episodes. In the meantime check back everyday for the latest in acting and entertainment.
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