Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-26837468-20150311103729/@comment-24674051-20150402200640

Again, they could use any character. But it has to make sense in context of the story, as well as fit with what has already been established about the character.

For instance, Sir Maurice could easily have been used to provide a little bit of comfort to Belle right after she gave Gold the boot, maybe even suggesting that it was time to move on with her life, thus leading to her interest in a relationship with Will. It could work, but it's also not really necessary. That type of scene is what I would consider filler, and the only purpose is to show a character doing something.