Can Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon a Time be Redeemed?

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Rumpelstiltskin has had a very winding road of character arcs. He has: Taken unlimited (but limiting to him) power and immortality from the Dark One dagger from Zoso, been given limited visions of the future from a seer, “died” and been revived at least once, gave up and found his son again, found love with Belle, but always struggles with choosing power over things that would bring his true, “happy ending”.

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Rumbelles and Rumpel fans have struggled to like Rumpel/Mr. Gold because of his wrong choices. My wife yells at the TV (like many of you, I think) when Rumpel lies, manipulates and makes wrong choices these days.

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With the release of “The Author” Rumpelstiltskin may have his chance to be redeemed, but can Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon a Time be Redeemed?

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Many say no, but I say maybe.

The answer to me, lies (pardon the pun) with the Author.

I believe at some point the Author will have a “Come to Reality” conversation with Rumpelstiltskin, and instead of writing new “happy endings” for Rumpel, the Author will tell him the pieces of his happy endings were there all along – he just needed to make the right choices.

As powerful and as manipulative as Rumpel is, it can’t overcome Rumpel’s bad choices.

At the end of the day, it may not be the Author controlling the story of our characters, the destiny or “happy endings” of our OUAT characters will be contingent upon their choices. Did they treat people well? Did they choose the important thing for all time or the thing that will bring short term, instant happiness?

Perhaps the Author will get his happy ending by highlighting the opportunities all around the OUAT characters to get theirs by good choices?

What do you think? Can Rumpelstiltskin be Redeemed?

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2 thoughts on “Can Rumpelstiltskin in Once Upon a Time be Redeemed?

  1. obisgirl

    Colleen yells at the TV when Rumple makes a wrong choice too? Glad, to know I’m not the only one raging.

    I’m honestly not sure Rumple can be redeemed at this point (although it was nice to hear from him last episode that he realizes he had a good thing with Belle and then screwed himself over with his obsession with magic).

    But I think at the end of the day, Rumple is still out for himself. Rumple’s always been flawed, but I think what makes his arc different this season is that everything he’s doing, it’s for himself and not for others. I think what he’s trying to do is correct his mistakes and at the same time, selfishly get what he wants.

    I think a Rumbelle TLK, or a Rumple redemption this season wouldn’t fit as a resolution to his arc thus far.

    He wants ‘multiple happy endings’ for himself, which to me, means he doesn’t just want Belle back; he still wants a way to keep being powerful. Belle still isn’t enough for him and that makes me feel really bad for Belle because Rumple’s always been enough for her. She never cared about power. That was always Rumple’s deal.

    But the thing with Adam and Eddy, they always find a way to redeem characters, even at their lowest. After season 1, I honestly didn’t think there was a way to redeem Regina but they made it happen. And I’m sure that they’ll find a way to redeem Rumple in some way, just probably not this season.

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  2. Andrea

    To obisgirl, Rumple has a Dark One’s curse. That is the reason why his heart is failing, the DO is taking control. I saw this coming a mile away. And unlike Hook and Regina, whose villainy is all them, Rumple actually has something evil inside affecting him/influencing him so redemption is only going to possible if you exterminate that Dark One curse from him. So to me he gets more of pass than say Hook who regressed this past half season when he only helped Ursula for his own gain not out of some altruistic reasons. (And also pulling the gun on her when things weren’t going his way.)
    And Rumple wanting multiple endings. That was a reference to the deal he made with Zelena as in she’ll let him live if he helps her get a happy ending as well as having the author stop the DO progression on his being.

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