@Pan14 wrote:
A normal bean would have rotted away. This one is stiff around. Why show the bean if its no longer useful in someway. In writing this is called “Chekhov’s Gun”. If you show a gun early on in the story, it will more than likely be used later. Otherwise, why show it?
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that bean comes back into play, and now you’ve got me wondering how that could happen. Hook didn’t seem to be interested in getting it, so I’m guessing it’s not part of Cora’s current portal plans. If so, and he leaves the Giant’s place without taking the bean, it’d have to be brought back into play in some other way.
Just had an idea that’s based on something that’s been discussed in the spoilers section, though it’s a theory that’s largely just speculation, so it’s not strictly a spoiler, but I’ll still put it in spoiler tags, just to be safe…
This idea ties in with the impostor theory, where Hook and Cora get back to SB first. I'm assuming that whatever Cora plans to use as a portal, she plans to use the sparkly dirt – which is sparkly because Emma touched the wardrobe – to activate the portal. What if there's some mad race to get to this portal, and Snow and Emma don't get there in time, but they see enough to figure out about the sparkly dirt. Then Emma could be all, “Well the hat wasn't working until I touched Regina, so, uh,” and then they may figure out that Emma has this ability. Maybe then they'll go back to the Beanstalk so Emma can grab hold of the bean and try to bring it back to life.
This next bit IS actually spoilery, so if you're a spoilerphobe who braved the first part, look away…
It's been said that Jorge's been notified that he'll be needed again, and this would be a way they could work him into another ep in the not too distant future.