I loved how Mr. Gold looked as if he had seen a ghost. He had to actually touch her just to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating
When Gold said “Your real” my heart shattered. It makes me think that he has dreamed about her before, and now he is in complete awe of her actually standing before him. I apologize for my cheesy comment, but it had to be said or else my fangirl mind would have exploded! I thought the reunion was sweet (when Rumple hugged Belle she made a face like should I be concerned this strange man is hugging me?) Gold’s face was precious. 😀
I believe the reason things seemed rushed in the forest scene is because rumple is a bit shaken. He still wants to go along with his centuries old plan, but now is trying to fit Belle into the picture. He won’t let Belle out of his sight in order to protect her, so I love how he dragged her along into the forest with him to spill the love potion in the well. He cares deeply about her, so I think part of him does want the power to protect her and find his son (because he thinks he won’t be able to as a coward) but I also believe he has other emotions targeted on the want to be in a state of power and control. It’s fantastic the characters are not simply black and white. There is so much hidden is the grey areas. The viewer s perspective play an important role.