Is Regina John Wayne? ("Thought you were dead")

OK, I couldn’t resist the silly title for this topic but here is the explanation for it. When Rumple first appeared to Regina at the “roast swan” dinner, he said “I thought you were dead.” I can’t remember for sure, but I seem to recall him greeting her with that same line at least once before in Season Two (Was it maybe in “The Doctor” or possibly in “The Evil Queen”?)  Anyway, the recurring question reminded me of the running joke in the John Wayne movie Big Jake (airing Tuesday evening on Turner Classic Movies, which reminded me of this) in which every time John Wayne’s long-lost but rather famous character introduces himself to someone, they respond, “I thought you was dead!” Could these references be foreshadowing of still more danger in Regina’s future?

Here’s a more serious parallel: Regina’s descent into becoming the Evil Queen and her redemption remind me of John Wayne’s darkest character,  Ethan Edwards, the bigoted, revenge-seeking Civil War veteran in John Ford’s classic western, The Searchers.  Both characters ultimately have to choose to put aside their quest for revenge in order to save someone they love. And Regina does ride horses…