You guys are all brilliant. I love that OUAT inspires such debate and passion for the characters. My opinion, after watching Lacey for five times so far, is that Gold/Rumple is showing us way more in the way of expression and tenderness than in any other episode. We are definitely seeing a more vulnerable Gold. Even at the end, when he is beating Keith with the cane, right before that he says that it “doesn’t matter anymore.” I think we are seeing Gold/Rumple being the worst when he has no clue what to do next.