After the developments in this ep, I’m more inclined to believe the speculation that Victoria is an adult RealRapunzel. If RealRapunzel trapped Gothel in the Tower, then it would make sense if she had her trapped again in present day, and was fearful of her being set free. And there was that line that Victoria had about Gothel never seeing the light of day again or something, which feels like it could be a line that we see come back at some point when there’s a flashback to Gothel locking RealRapunzel away.
It makes me want to flip all the tables that they’re repeating the rape by deception plot point. With any luck they’ve at least learned that a person who does such a thing shouldn’t get a redemption arc where the people involved end up being cool with what they did? #hope
Just keep Gothel evil, she works as a villain because she’s using people to achieve her own ends, (whatever that may be).