"In the Name of the Brother" is the 12th episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 34th episode overall, which aired on January 20, 2013.
In this episode Dr. Whale has to face his fears with helping people, while flashbacks show Victor Frankenstein bringing his brother back from the dead.
It was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Milan Cheylov.
Plot
Opening sequence
Rumplestiltskin is featured in the forest, which, in this sequence, is tainted black and white.
In the characters' past
In a black-and-white land, Dr. Victor Frankenstein (David Anders) and his father, Alphonse (Gregory Itzin), toast the Silver Cross that has been awarded to Alphonse's younger son, Gerhardt (Chad Michael Collins), a military officer. Alphonse then gives Victor a military commission that will require him to give up his scientific research, which he will no longer finance. Later, Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle)--who appears in color—observes Victor telling Gerhardt that he will find a way to continue his research. Rumplestiltskin then appears in Victor's lab and offers him a vast amount of gold if he can teach him how to restore life. Victor accepts the offer.
Gerhardt finds Victor digging up a body from a graveyard to use for his experiments. They are interrupted by a guard, who fatally shoots Gerhardt. Victor attempts to revive Gerhardt in the laboratory, but the procedure burns his heart into charcoal. Alphonse discovers what has happened and disowns Victor. Rumplestiltskin appears again and offers Victor a magical heart in exchange for "putting on a show" for his "friend," Regina. After receiving the heart, Victor successfully brings Gerhardt back to life. Alphonse is initially pleased, but becomes dismayed when he discovers Gerhardt is now an animalistic "monster." He assaults Victor, which prompts Gerhardt to attack Alphonse. Victor stands by and allows Gerhardt to beat him to death, after which Gerhardt becomes distraught and runs off.
Some time later, Victor visits Gerhardt, whom he keeps in a cell. Gerhardt attacks him, but then recognizes him and is traumatized yet again. Victor puts a gun to Gerhardt's head, but cannot bring himself to pull the trigger, even after Gerhardt himself pulls the gun back into position for the fatal shot. Victor declares he will find a way to save Gerhardt.
In Storybrooke
In the aftermath of the shooting and the car accident, Mr. Gold uses magic to heal Belle's (Emilie de Ravin) injuries, frightening her. Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), and David (Josh Dallas) arrive on the scene and they prevent Gold from killing Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) by pointing out that Belle, if she were herself, would not want him to. Paramedics arrive to take Belle, Hook, and the driver of the car (Ethan Embry)--a stranger from outside of Storybrooke—to the hospital.
At the hospital, Dr. Whale drinks alcohol and does not immediately respond to a page. The patients are brought in, accompanied by Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Gold, Leroy (Lee Arenberg), and Ruby (Meghan Ory). Everyone is agitated, but Dr. Whale arrives and tries to calm them down, promising Gold that Belle is in good hands. Emma questions a handcuffed Hook, whose ribs are injured, as to Cora's (Barbara Hershey) whereabouts, but he claims he doesn't know where she is. She warns him he's likely to be dead soon, after having crossed Gold.
Emma and the others examine the stranger's belongings and learn that he is Greg Mendell, a tourist who has been sightseeing in New England. They realize that outsiders are no longer deterred from entering Storybrooke. They worry that Greg's friends or family will come looking for him and that they could be in danger if the world at large learns of their magical natures. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret is concerned that Cora will find Regina (Lana Parrilla) before they do, but nobody has seen her since she fled. Dr. Whale asks Gold to heal Greg of his serious injuries, but Gold refuses, telling them that they should hope Greg dies, since he saw him use magic. Dr. Whale offers to let Greg die but the group, led by Mary Margaret and David, agrees they must save Greg's life in spite of what it may mean for Storybrooke. After Dr. Whale leaves, Mary Margaret notes that he is drunk. Then Greg's phone rings, a call from someone who is in his contact list as "Her."