Once Upon a Time Review - In the Name of the Brother
Hey, it's time for my review of In the Name of the Brother! Many spoilers this way...
Poor Doctor Whale. He has had TWO centric episodes this season and in both of them he has been overshadowed by the main plot. In the first one we find out he indeed FRANKENSTEIN but the episode is really about how Regina gave up her hope of getting Daniel back and committed herself to evil. And in this one we meet his (dead) family but the episode is really about Rumpel and Cora trying to reconnect with those they love.
Even so, they gave it a good try and he at least had some of the episode focused on his problems. Like everyone else in town it seems, he has LOTS of problems. Even before he got his whole family killed off in his single minded pursuit of SCIENCE and eternal life, he did not exactly have a warm relationship with his father. Just look at the gifts he got the two of them - for the beloved younger brother a family heirloom, and for the barely acceptable older brother a 'get the hell out of my sight' commission. That's gotta hurt. Even if he craves his father's approval and loves his brother with all his heart.
Ah...hearts. The theme of the episode. Frankenstein needs a strong heart to save his brother who he loves dearly. Rumpelstiltskin in the past provides hearts and in the present loses his. I hurt his heart. Belle's just where he keeps it. Cora, the Queen of Hearts, offers Rumpel a replacement in the form of his son. Cora needs Regina to let her into her heart. A place Cora knows she already is but need Regina to admit it. And the heroes of show need to decide if they are going to think with their hearts or their heads. Hearts win.
Hearts (and love) is a thread which is woven all through the show both last season and this one but this season it is especially strong. Who we love. If we love. And what we will do when confronted with love or the loss of love in in all our stories. Cora is willing to manipulate and twist Regina all around to get her love back. Hook is willing to kill anyone in his way to avenge his love's death. Rumpel is willing to kill EVERYONE if need be for Belle but holds onto enough of his sanity to complete his life's work and go off to reunite with the son he loves. Frankenstein is willing to hold a monster in his heart in hopes of having the brother he loves back.
When Red was talking to Whale about her past she wasn't kidding about everyone having many things they would like to forget. In some ways the curse wasn't as much of a curse as Regina hoped. Perhaps because there was also plenty Rumpelstiltskin would want to forget. 28 years of obliviousness can see rather nice when there is all manner of pain in your life.
• I'll say it again from my quick thoughts I posted on Sunday - CHIP!! I couldn't actually watch it again. As soon as Rumpel started to get too desperate and freak Belle out I zipped forward.
• Okay, Rumpel CLEARLY did not handle it well with Belle. He was too pushy and too interested in fixing this NOW that he didn't give her time to process anything. Compare that to their first meeting in Storybrooke. He was gentle and calm with her. The difference this time (other than not knowing how he is going to fix it) is that this time he is holding onto his sanity by a thin thread. Charming and Emma managed to pull him back from the brink at the beginning of the episode but he is a minute from going over again. Hence the need to leave. Leave now or kill Hook and then who knows what he'll do.
• Also, I think when he said he would kill all of them, I think he meant ALL OF THEM. Not just the Charmings but hell on earth, scorched ground sort of thing.
• Ah, Regina. I know Cora can twist you around and how much you need approval but I was hoping it would be harder. I still hope you're playing her but I don't think you are. She knows what to say and how much to hurt you and you still haven't been able to free yourself of her.
• I will note that her fortress of solitude is AWESOME. Gorgeous design. I loved it.
• I also completely adored the blues and greys of Frankenstein world set against the bright reds and golds of Rumpelstiltskin. His costume for occasion was wonderful and I'm sure I'll love it even more once I get a chance study it properly. Even something as simple as the pile of gold coins he left made a really lovely visual display.
• The kiss. Well, well I guess they had a closer relationship than I thought. I absolutely don't think Regina is his daughter though. Not only did they cast Tony Perez as Henry for a reason (like the bit where he is Puerto Rican) but Rumpel can count. He held Regina AS A BABY. He knows when she was born. Cora managing to hide it from him would be character assignation.
• I'm near certain at this point that Neal = Bae but they could have done a better job with the globe. That was not NYC! More like South Carolina.
• Hey, Ruby has super speed! Very useful. Didn't notice her having that before.
• I noticed some criticism of the 'good guys' being willing to kill the outsider (Greg) but from where I was sitting only Grumpy wanted him dead. Red was on the fence. And Snow, Charming, and Emma were very much against it from the beginning. They just didn't want to discuss even the possibility where they could be heard.
• So what is going to happen to Belle? Obviously Snow and Charming are going to look out for her but there are all kinds of things she could run into they wouldn't even think of. There is Hook who could try and charm her. There is Greg who might have questions for her. And she has no idea who to trust. What has happened to her is even worse than amnesia. It's not that she has forgotten who she is. It's that she remembers who she was.
• And Greg. What the hell is he up to? Obviously not an average joe who stumbled on the town. He was looking for Storybrooke. And now he has found it.
This entry was originally posted here and has
comments. Comment here or there.
Poor Doctor Whale. He has had TWO centric episodes this season and in both of them he has been overshadowed by the main plot. In the first one we find out he indeed FRANKENSTEIN but the episode is really about how Regina gave up her hope of getting Daniel back and committed herself to evil. And in this one we meet his (dead) family but the episode is really about Rumpel and Cora trying to reconnect with those they love.
Even so, they gave it a good try and he at least had some of the episode focused on his problems. Like everyone else in town it seems, he has LOTS of problems. Even before he got his whole family killed off in his single minded pursuit of SCIENCE and eternal life, he did not exactly have a warm relationship with his father. Just look at the gifts he got the two of them - for the beloved younger brother a family heirloom, and for the barely acceptable older brother a 'get the hell out of my sight' commission. That's gotta hurt. Even if he craves his father's approval and loves his brother with all his heart.
Ah...hearts. The theme of the episode. Frankenstein needs a strong heart to save his brother who he loves dearly. Rumpelstiltskin in the past provides hearts and in the present loses his. I hurt his heart. Belle's just where he keeps it. Cora, the Queen of Hearts, offers Rumpel a replacement in the form of his son. Cora needs Regina to let her into her heart. A place Cora knows she already is but need Regina to admit it. And the heroes of show need to decide if they are going to think with their hearts or their heads. Hearts win.
Hearts (and love) is a thread which is woven all through the show both last season and this one but this season it is especially strong. Who we love. If we love. And what we will do when confronted with love or the loss of love in in all our stories. Cora is willing to manipulate and twist Regina all around to get her love back. Hook is willing to kill anyone in his way to avenge his love's death. Rumpel is willing to kill EVERYONE if need be for Belle but holds onto enough of his sanity to complete his life's work and go off to reunite with the son he loves. Frankenstein is willing to hold a monster in his heart in hopes of having the brother he loves back.
When Red was talking to Whale about her past she wasn't kidding about everyone having many things they would like to forget. In some ways the curse wasn't as much of a curse as Regina hoped. Perhaps because there was also plenty Rumpelstiltskin would want to forget. 28 years of obliviousness can see rather nice when there is all manner of pain in your life.
• I'll say it again from my quick thoughts I posted on Sunday - CHIP!! I couldn't actually watch it again. As soon as Rumpel started to get too desperate and freak Belle out I zipped forward.
• Okay, Rumpel CLEARLY did not handle it well with Belle. He was too pushy and too interested in fixing this NOW that he didn't give her time to process anything. Compare that to their first meeting in Storybrooke. He was gentle and calm with her. The difference this time (other than not knowing how he is going to fix it) is that this time he is holding onto his sanity by a thin thread. Charming and Emma managed to pull him back from the brink at the beginning of the episode but he is a minute from going over again. Hence the need to leave. Leave now or kill Hook and then who knows what he'll do.
• Also, I think when he said he would kill all of them, I think he meant ALL OF THEM. Not just the Charmings but hell on earth, scorched ground sort of thing.
• Ah, Regina. I know Cora can twist you around and how much you need approval but I was hoping it would be harder. I still hope you're playing her but I don't think you are. She knows what to say and how much to hurt you and you still haven't been able to free yourself of her.
• I will note that her fortress of solitude is AWESOME. Gorgeous design. I loved it.
• I also completely adored the blues and greys of Frankenstein world set against the bright reds and golds of Rumpelstiltskin. His costume for occasion was wonderful and I'm sure I'll love it even more once I get a chance study it properly. Even something as simple as the pile of gold coins he left made a really lovely visual display.
• The kiss. Well, well I guess they had a closer relationship than I thought. I absolutely don't think Regina is his daughter though. Not only did they cast Tony Perez as Henry for a reason (like the bit where he is Puerto Rican) but Rumpel can count. He held Regina AS A BABY. He knows when she was born. Cora managing to hide it from him would be character assignation.
• I'm near certain at this point that Neal = Bae but they could have done a better job with the globe. That was not NYC! More like South Carolina.
• Hey, Ruby has super speed! Very useful. Didn't notice her having that before.
• I noticed some criticism of the 'good guys' being willing to kill the outsider (Greg) but from where I was sitting only Grumpy wanted him dead. Red was on the fence. And Snow, Charming, and Emma were very much against it from the beginning. They just didn't want to discuss even the possibility where they could be heard.
• So what is going to happen to Belle? Obviously Snow and Charming are going to look out for her but there are all kinds of things she could run into they wouldn't even think of. There is Hook who could try and charm her. There is Greg who might have questions for her. And she has no idea who to trust. What has happened to her is even worse than amnesia. It's not that she has forgotten who she is. It's that she remembers who she was.
• And Greg. What the hell is he up to? Obviously not an average joe who stumbled on the town. He was looking for Storybrooke. And now he has found it.
This entry was originally posted here and has
comments. Comment here or there.