Reply To: Is this the end of Rumbelle?

That’s what I believe is going to cause the end of Rumbelle. Rumple is going to accept his fate, probably say a final kiss/hug/”We will always have our chipped cup” good-bye, then either permanently die or become the man he was before the Dark One curse. Plus, the writers may think it’s poetic that both father and son “died” in one season then actually died in the next (however twisted that sounds to me, but that’s a different debate).

I think that this is a distinct possibility. Rumpel’s dark one curse is finally undone, he transforms back into a man, but having been undone, he dies a mortal death. Robert Carlyle may be back next season as Rumple in flashbacks, but Mr. Gold will be dead in the present day. Hence, Belle’s love for him will live on in memory only, while her relationship with Will shall continue,  having been so sanctioned by her dearly departed husband.