Tag Archives: Dr. Whale

once upon a time recapping: the doctor

Previously on Once Upon a Time: The Crocodile.

This week on Once Upon a Time, it’s all about monsters. In the past, we learn how Rumpelstiltskin’s manipulation sent Regina down her dark path. In Storybrooke, Regina’s past, specifically Daniel, comes back to haunt her. And in the Enchanted Forest, Emma and Snow must team up with Hook to defeat Cora.

Once Upon a Time, Regina and Jefferson

In the pre-curse Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin attempts to tutor Regina on how to control – and kill – others by ripping out their hearts, but she’s not willing to go that far. When Rumpelstiltskin asks what’s holding her back, she reveals she wants to bring someone back from the dead. He informs her that it’s impossible, but Jefferson (who just happens to stop by at that moment) says there is a man who could help. “The Doctor,” a.k.a Dr. Whale, is brought to the palace. In order for his experiment to work, he needs an enchanted heart. Regina is still unwilling to snatch one, but her mother left a vast supply. Yet even though The Doctor uses “something greater than magic,” he fails. With Daniel lost, Regina returns to Rumpelstiltskin ready to crush hearts and continue her education. Rumpelstiltskin thanks The Doctor for fulfilling his end of the bargain, and in exchange gives him a heart to create “his own monster.” The Doctor insists his powers transcend magic, but Rumpelstiltskin warns that whatever it is, it comes with a price, and Jefferson transports him home. Back in his black and white realm, he uses the heart – and science – to reanimate a corpse. The assistant congratulates Dr. Frankenstein for bringing his brother back to life.

Once Upon a Time, Dr. Whale

In Storybrooke, Whale asks Charming if the “all the lands” still exist. His answer is a punch in the face (for the time Whale slept with Snow) and yes, which is why he’s trying to get back. Meanwhile, Regina is seeking help from Dr. Hopper to keep her promise to Henry. Whale interrupts her session, demanding to be sent back to his land since her curse only “transported the living.” However, that’s not exactly true, since Regina has kept Daniel magically preserved in her heart vault. Hopper tells her to let go of her past; Regina storms out and sees her past standing on the corner. Daniel is missing from the vault, and when she finds Dr. Whale, he’s missing an arm. He used one of her hearts to bring Daniel back and created a “monster.” Regina tracks him to the stables, but she’s only able to get through to him for a few seconds before she’s forced to use magic to destroy him. She returns to Dr. Hopper. Whale goes to Mr. Gold to reattach his arm. Whale confesses he revived Daniel in the hopes Regina would send him back to his brother so he could “try again,” since the first time ended badly. Gold forces “Victor” to admit he needs magic, and restores his arm.

Once Upon a Time, Emma and Snow

In the Enchanted Forest, Emma and company make it back to Haven, only to discover that Cora has killed everyone by ripping out their hearts. Under the bodies they do find one survivor – Hook. Mulan believes he’s a blacksmith, but he’s unable to get his lies past Emma. The threat of being dinner for ogres is enough to get him talking. Cora sent him to learn everything he could about Storybrooke, and the enchantment from the wardrobe remains in the ashes. The only thing Cora needs is a magical compass, but Hook is willing to help them get it instead – if he gets to come along. Their target is at the top of a very large beanstalk, guarded by a giant.

Next week, we get a glimpse into Emma’s past!

Thoughts/Theories
• Point of interest: Jefferson’s hat only transports between magical realms. Speaking of, I’m not 100% certain where this fits into his timeline, but it must be prior to his mushroom selling days with Grace. I’d be interested to see how he got to that point, because this version of him is quite nefarious.
• Whose heart did Whale use? Whose heart did Rumpelstiltskin give him? Do the original owners of the hearts affect the outcome? I have a feeling this will play out later on.
• Are there any other characters from different lands wandering around? The plot thickens.

Nicole N. decided to justify the countless hours she spends watching television by writing about it here. She is currently indulging her addiction to medical dramas by rewatching all of Grey’s Anatomy. Follow her on twitter @nicolemnelson and check out her tumblr.

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once upon a time recapping: red handed

Previously on Once Upon a Time: Dreamy

This week on Once Upon a Time, Ruby finally gets tired of doing nothing other than waiting on the citizens of Storybrooke, considering Granny’s is the only diner/coffeehouse/bar/stalking hideout in town. More developments are made in case of Katherine’s disappearance, and new evidence shifts the blame away from David. In the Enchanted Forest, the story of Red Riding Hood is revealed. Red teams up with an on-the-lam Snow White to slay the wolf that’s been terrorizing the village, but not all is as it seems. Naturally.

Once Upon a Time, Granny and Red

In the Enchanted Forest, Red flirts through the window with her love, Peter, before she’s called away by Granny. A group of men are at the door to form a hunting party but Granny tells them they’re fools for going after the wolf and not wearing red (which repels wolves). They leave and the women barricade themselves in for the night. The next morning, Red goes out to the hen house and finds Snow – on the run, calling herself Mary – and invites her to come in. They stop by the well first and discover the mangled bodies of the hunters. People are clamoring for the wolf’s blood, but Granny tells them how the wolf killed her entire family, and that there’s no outsmarting it. Later, Snow and Red exchange some girl talk about Peter. Snow thinks that Granny is using the wolf to trap Red, so they decide to hunt it. They follow the prints, which become human and lead to Red’s window. They think it’s Peter, and Snow begs Red to tell him before he kills anyone else. He agrees to be chained up and she decides to stay with him. Granny discovers Snow in Red’s hood and panics – the wolf isn’t Peter, but Red. As they go after her, Granny explains how she passed the wolf curse down through her family. When they find Red, use they her red hood – which is magic – to turn her human again, but Peter is dead. Granny apologizes for keeping the truth from her, and Red must flee before the hunters discover her.

Once Upon a Time, Ms. Blanchard and David

In Storybrooke, Emma doesn’t really believe David’s a killer, and she lets him go but suggests he gets a lawyer. Ruby flirts with August before Granny calls her away to tell her she’ll be working Saturday nights. An argument ensues and Ruby quits. Ms. Blanchard joins Emma for a walk, and the Sheriff warns her that people are going think she plotted with David to dispose of Katherine. The next day Ms. Blanchard finds a disoriented David in the woods, who wanders off before she can stop him. At the Sheriff station, Henry (who is no longer being kept from Emma?) is trying to help Ruby find a job. She starts answering phones and Emma offers her a job as an assistant; Ms. Blanchard comes in and warns Emma about David. Emma decides to take Ruby along to the woods, and she hones in on David, who has no memory of the night before. At the hospital, Dr. Whale says the blackouts are similar to David’s memory loss after his coma, and Emma wonders if he could have done something to Katherine and not remembered it. Regina rushes to David’s defense, and Emma sends Ruby to the toll bridge to see if David left evidence. Ruby uncovers a small box, opens it, and screams. Back at the station, Emma tells Ruby that she’s impressed with her. This is apparently what Ruby needed to hear – she cleans herself up a bit and returns to the diner, ready to take on the responsibility Granny wants to give her, no longer afraid she’ll screw up. Meanwhile, Emma finds David and Ms. Blanchard at the pet shelter. The box contained a human heart. David tells Emma to arrest him, but the box had Ms. Blanchard’s fingerprints are inside the lid.

Once Upon a Time, David, Emma, and Ruby

Thoughts/Theories
o The plot thickens. I’m curious about Regina’s 180 this episode. Last week she planted evidence to blame David. This week she’s defending him, and planting evidence to blame Ms. Blanchard. Is she taking them both down, or solely going after her nemesis?
o Despite the grisly heart discovery, we all know from what happened to Graham that as long as it’s intact, Katherine is probably still alive. With Dr. Whale smarming his way back into the plot, I think she’s probably in a cell next to Belle.
o While it’s great we’re getting a new plot thread to consistently develop over the next couple episodes, I feel like we’re losing sight of the fairy tale charm. I miss Henry and his enthusiasm. I need this Katherine disappearance thread to play into the curse somehow – is Emma making progress, or not?

Nicole N. decided to justify the countless hours she spends watching television by writing about it here. She enjoys a challenge and is currently re-watching all 15 seasons of ER. Follow her @nicolemnelson

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