Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-24846659-20140813193020/@comment-24674051-20141021132400

fascinating theories. And it makes sense.

First of all, regarding the beans and such. From what I have seen the Magic Bean portals and Wardrobe portals are all one-way. Meaning that you have to find some other way of returning. (like wardrobe ashes scattered in Lake Nostos, or another magic bean.)  and if there is no magic to activate the bean, then you're stuck. So it would be quite possible to get TO the LWM, but the return trip is not possible until someone brings magic. Rumple is too addicted to magic to just make the one-way trip, he is going to make sure that he has a return trip available, or at least has a way to bring magic INTO the LWM.

As we noted in 3.21, Rumple does not like to leave ANYTHING to chance. The savior would be included in that list of anything. So it makes sense that Rumple would find some way to manipulate events in the LWM during the 28 yearsof the first curse. And what better way to keep track of an orphan than to plant a social worker into the system.

So I agree with the above thoughts that Auntie Vanilla was, at least originally, sent over as Rumple's means to keep track of Emma during the waiting period. Now, the next question is, did something change during the Snow Queen's stay that may have affected her relationship with Emma? Could she have also been behind the scenes responsible for Emma and Bae meeting up? And for getting August to step in and break up Bae and Emma?

As to where the Snow Queen has been since the curse was broken, My guess is that she was still working the system, and was not in Storybrooke when Regina destroyed the Curse. So she was left behind for that year, but was finally able to get to Storybrooke when the second curse brought it back.

One final comment. The Snow Queen is definitely an Antagonist, but I am starting to wonder if she is really is not just another misunderstood sorceress. Next week's episode may clear up some of those issues (or muddy them up.)