I’ve actually wondered if she is even going to know who Gold is even if she DOES remember Rumple. He only started to change back into a normal looking guy when she kissed him and then he immediately changed back into Rumple when he got mad – so I don’t think she ever got a really good look at him. So even if she has been sitting in the looney bin for 28 years pining away over Rumple, I’m a bit concerned she could walk right into Gold on the street and have not a clue who he is.
Belle didn’t seem too keen on the queen when she met her on the road until she started to tell her about how to break the curse. Since Belle is supposed to be so smart, I’m guessing that when the queen captured her in FTL she figured out that she had been tricked by the queen and I think she probably knew where to lay the blame. I had the impression that she recognized Regina and had a look of disgust on her face for her when she saw her peering in on her in her “cell.”
But what will be interesting is to see what her understanding of things is. If she does remember who she is – she won’t have had a way to understand the curse, so like you said she won’t understand 28 years of being locked up in a mental institution. Compared to Jefferson who does have an understanding of the curse so he recognizes what has been going on – and he is pretty messed up even with an understanding of it. Imagine what she will be like if she doesn’t understand what has been going on.
I actually think the bigger problem is going to be Gold himself. I think he has the potential to implode on himself when he realizes she is alive. First for believing that she was dead in the first place and not trying to rescue her in FTL – which will then make him go through the guilt he felt over throwing her out all over again. But then the realization that she has been there in SB all along for 28 years locked up in mental institution. Knowing how much power he has in the town and that he probably could have gotten her out, I think that realization is going to be almost too much for him to take – especially if she is really messed up.