Just posted these thoughts on another site–thought I’d leave them here to see what you all think.
I think there’s a good reason why Henry can’t seem to figure out who Mr. Gold is…yet (as he said to Emma in episode 4).
I think there’s also a good reason why August wants to “help others see the light” by adding pages to Henry’s book.
I think these two reasons are related.
Rumplestiltskin is the only character that apparently knows or has been involved in practically everyone’s story, right up until Emma is saved from the curse. This is why I’m inclined to think that Mr. Gold is the writer of the book, not August. That would certainly help keep him busy while waiting for Emma to show up in Storybrooke.
And if he were to write the book, I think he would leave himself out of the stories. Keeping his identity and involvement secret would help him maintain power. It keeps the focus on Regina and away from his own agenda, which is apparently not for anyone to know but himself.
“No one knows my little game—Rumplestiltskin is my name.”
Maybe August doesn’t just want Emma to know about the curse itself. Maybe he also wants her to know the truth about who is really behind it—who is behind everything.
So he added Rumplestiltskin back into the stories.
***
Incidentally, August and Rumple have some uncanny similarities. Their reluctance to give their names, their careful choice of words and attention to technicalities…and their knowledge of both Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land.
This is what attracted me to the possibility that August might be connected to Baelfire in some way, either as the same person or as a descendant perhaps. Because Emma was saved from the curse, we know that fairy magic can cross worlds, and if Rumple’s son escaped using fairy magic, then…
That might explain why
- Rumple hates fairies
- Rumple was never able to find his son
- Regina said August looked familiar, but couldn’t recognize him (Could this be part of the spell? Would Mr. Gold recognize him? Would anyone?)
- August knows so much without being from Storybrooke (immune to the curse)
- The episode about how Rumple ”lost” Bae is called “The Return.” (And according to Jane Espenson, the Blue Fairy is in it.)
- The episode after that one happens to be called “The Stranger.”
Conclusion: As Henry reveals the truth about Regina, August’s purpose may be to reveal the truth about Mr. Gold.