Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24674051-20150126185712/@comment-25926288-20150126192233

I don't doubt Ingrid's intellect and skill. I may agree that she gave him a run for his money, in terms for manipulation, but I think Rumple overcame her leverage lead. But I think power played a role in the manipulation battle, however minor. She also showed some forgetful things, like Rumple's immortality (whether she knew that or not). She wasn't aware of Rumple potentially using Emma until he told her. She didn't know if she would win the manipulation battle. Rumple had her modify her plans. I'm sure she wasn't aware of Hook as much as we think, because he would have at least targeted him, besides that random encounter with Elsa, Hook, Emma, and Charming.

Also, every magic user knows you can't use magic in a world without magic. She may have had some manipulation prowess, but not massive intellect to have many back-up plans. If Rumple was stuck in the SS spell, she would have died and she knew that. No amount of manipulation she possessed could stop a pure-evil (because of the spell) immortal, nigh omnipotent sorcerer from killing her eventually.