Once Upon A Time Episode 205: ‘The Doctor’ Recap

Once Upon a Time’s Episode 205, “The Doctor,” gave us some long awaited insights into one of the show’s most mysterious characters. Caution: Spoilers.

Last week we saw how Regina first got her powers to try and thwart her mother, Cora, who has entered into some kind of weird arrangement with the adorable Captain Hook.

What we didn’t get to see was what was going on with Emma and Snow, who are stuck in current day Story Book Land.

That was solved this week as Emma, Snow, Aurora and Mulan return to their camp to find it completely destroyed.

They’re initially lead to believe Cora’s ripped through the place and left no survivors save one, the guyliner aficionado himself, Captain Hook.

Apparently he’s been undercover at the camp as the blacksmith. Luckily for the rest of them, they have Emma, who sees right through his “innocent victim” ruse.

Can she get Captain Hook to tell her the truth about Cora’s plan?

We also finally got a glimpse into just who Storybrooke’s Dr. Whale was back in Story Book Land. His fairytale alter ego has been a complete mystery up until now, but this week’s flashback shed some light on who he really is.

The flashback began with Rumpelstiltskin teaching Regina magic. At first she struggled with picking up the dark arts. But what she really wants is to learn how to revive the dead, specifically Daniel, her true love who Cora killed to keep them from marrying.

When Rumpel turns her down, she turns to Jefferson, the Mad Hatter, for assistance. He leads her to a mysterious wizard who may be able to help her, and we finally unlock the mystery of just who “Dr. Whale” really is.

What did you think of Once Upon a Time’s “The Doctor” tonight? Were you surprised to learn the real identity of “Dr. Whale”?

Photos by Jack Rowand – © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.