You know, I had scribbled two pages of notes on criticisms of Rumpbelle before I though of how useless it was, because of how their whole relationship is set up narratively, as nailed by others. The writers want to have their cake and eat it too. This is killing the Rumpelle story/relationship. And Rumple’s path would have been entirely different had Neal not been killed off. Even if Rumple didn’t become 100% wholesome, even if he stayed amoral, or even kinda-bad, he would have been a sort of anti-hero type kept in check by his son and/or wife. And perhaps even extended family on occasion, as he got semi-incorporated into the do-gooder’s clan through the Neal-Henry-Emma connection.
[adrotate group="5"]