I agree. They should have just had Regina meet Facilier in the present or in the present flashbacks, not way in the past some pre curse Regina flashback. There is just no need for that. There is really no need for Regina to have a love interest at all. I still just don’t think she will ever be stable enough to be in a relationship, neither her or Zelena or Rumpel or Hook or fake Hook are stable enough to be in relationships, in my opinion.
Here she is being in a relationship with another villain, a villain who knew her as the Evil Queen. That doesn’t seem good for her either. Her behavior makes it seem like he wasn’t good for her. Every character shouldn’t need a random love interest to find their happily ever after.