I just completely disagree that Belle and Rumpel are the most popular pairing on the show. I think that Snow and Charming are. I think that Belle and Rumpel get talked about more because they are the less obvious couple and the people who like them think they need to be defended, but i think that a lot of people watch this show for the Snow and Charming episodes. I just think that no one thinks it is necessary to defend Snow and Charming. And there are people that don’t like Snow and Charming too, but that seems to be a lot less then the people who don’t like Rumpel and Belle. A lot of people seem to either hate Rumpel and Belle or love it. There doesn’t seem to be much in between.
I actually don’t think they are going to kill Belle this season. I think it is more likely to happen down the line somewhere. Though who knows. I don’t consider Rumpel and Belle a main couple though. I think that the Rumpel episodes so far have been filler and could both be pulled from the story and the story would still be complete.