You mean he bats for the home team Watcher.
A&E lie. They could’ve also done it to try and throw people off the scent. Also, they could’ve done it because they want the audience to worry that their favourite characters could actually die so that the regular life and death situations on the show are actually threatening rather than the audience being “So and so just keeled over! Never mind he’ll be back soon”.
Both Emma and Rumple have ties to Neal and considering the massive story arc both are having at the moment, it would seem a little out of place not to have Neal come back in some way. Rumple is on a very slippery slope, he’s lost Belle, lost Bae, lost his power, Bae needs to come back and inspire his father to redeem himself.
All magic comes with a price!
Keeper of Felix