Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-35568687-20180512232820/@comment-35751112-20180601113401

Robert Carlyle has said in interviews that he always believed and played it as though Rumple had always had his memories and known who he was - even before he heard Emma's name in Episode 1. He said he didn't believe Rumple would allow himself to forget who he was when Regina was awake.

I once asked him about the scene with Charming in the Season 6 flashback and he said he thought Rumple was awake throughout the conversation and just pretending. Again, reiterating the idea that Rumple has always been awake.

Of course, that is just his interpretation. The writers might have intended something different.