As I said in another thread, I don’t think Regina will become the Evil Queen again by choice. I highly suspect that she is somehow given Jekyll’s potion, and turns into the Evil Queen against her own will. I think the writers miss writing certain characters when they were evil, and can’t help but figure out ways to do so again in the present. We’ve seen them do so with Rumple countless times, and we even saw them do it with Hook at the end of 5A.
The writers have kinda sorta drawn on RL Stevenson before with the oblique nod to Captain Silver, and Treasure Island, but never fully committed. But Jekyll and Hyde do seem like a rather random choice aside from the possibility of using Dr. Jekyll’s MacGuffin — excuse me, serum — to get Regina back to EQ.
But I do wonder, how effective would this whole thing be? If the plot is the recuperation of the science vs magic story, with yet another instantiation of the previously half-baked Rumple is evil and goes after Henry, who is suddenly against magic — I mean, not every half-baked draft that ended up in their metaphorical trash bin needs to be resurrected. This story would have been great on the heels of S1 because this was exactly what S1 was setting up. But now — I just don’t see how these past few seasons have set up anything, period. It’s just aimless hopping from one flashy plot point and romance-driven hand wringing to the next. I don’t personally sense an overarching narrative structure. Also, Henry’s now what, 15? What might have been cute and understandable when he was 10 (magic causes misery, lets get rid of ALL MAGIC) is not going to come across in the same way from a teenager, who is, presumably, capable of much more sophisticated, complex, non-linear thinking.
You said it yourself with Rumple — they’ve done this. And done this. And done this some more. Too much plot recycling and flip flopping on a character, and the whole thing will start feeling like they’re peddling the TV version of pre-owned chewing gum.
They’ve more or less ruined Rumple’s character to the point where even Robert Carlyle’s amazing acting talent can’t really salvage it. And that takes some serious ineptitude. I really don’t want Regina’s character to suffer the same fate.