Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24892318-20140523071906/@comment-6175354-20140523141659

Ktmae1234 wrote: If Belle forgives Rumble, I will truly be surprised. He said repeatedly that he'd given her his trust by giving her the dagger. Trust is the foundation of any good relationship; without it, you've got nothing. I think even Belle knows this. Love, trust, and respect are all key to building a healthy, and lasting relationship. Rumbelle lacks 2 out of 3.... without trust and respect, love dies. For a character who is supposedly intelligent, Belle is awfully naive. Her love for Rumplestiltskin blinds her, from seeing him for what he truly is.... a coward, and a lost cause. He always chooses power over her, and has never once put her first. Nor, does he ever plan on changing.

The creators can say all they like, that Rumple's feelings for Belle are genuine. However, they are only fooling themselves. Genuine people do not lie, to their loved ones. What started out as a unigue take on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, has become nothing more than Stockholm Syndrome. It is not sweet and romantic anymore, it is depraved and lecherous.