Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25896389-20150514071947/@comment-25926288-20150516030736

Budloopy4 wrote: I know, but we didn't see a direct connection between that line in skin deep and the ariel episode. There was no, previously on once upon a time... And then the mermaid line. In fact, regina never even mentions her potential deal with rumple in the ariel episode, so no we haven't seen the direct connection. In the nicest of ways.....they want you to put two and two together. I remembered it and other hardcore fans remembered, so that's why they put that there. They have million of small references that most of the general audience would remember. They would put two seconds of a scene two years prior because they'd be confued.

I tell you know, it is undeniably confirmed by the writers and showrunners and fans that that was it. Don't expect anything else, lol.

But I see what you may mean to the general audience.