Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-27060727-20171018191424/@comment-25926288-20171230021826

It might be a partial-focus on Gothel with her actual backstory being further on. After all, why call it Secret Garden without her Garden?

I think it'll be:

Flashback: A little bit Gothel's focus, but a Robin and Zelena backstory.

Robin goes to Elphame Academy/ Magic School. Leota is a (secretly evil) professor. Robin is very distant towards Zelena (which is why she's away, aging in another realm or magic). She summons her mother (who encountered Wish Hook in NEF), then gets manipulated by Leota/Gothel. After some trickery and magic, Gothel wants a certain person (Robin), but Zelena takes Robin's place for Gothel's dastardly deeds..

That will counter present day, so Eloise gets one Witch, while some motives are starting to show. Ana's decision with Rapunzel (or Rapunzel sacrificing herself for Drizzy) will mimic (contrast) what Zelena does for Robin.