Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-30644093-20170510114236/@comment-31937823-20180109221628

Another theory:

According to the writers, Mother Gothel/the coven in general is targeting someone specific.

Tiana is detached from the storyline, so it wouldn’t make sense if she were their enemy. They invited Zelena to join them, which means they don’t have anything against her. I doubt Henry or Jacinda have wronged them, and it didn’t seem like it could be anyone who was on the mountaintop when the Curse was cast. Hook did nothing to warrant Gothel’s anger, and Alice was in the tower for the majority of her life. I’m also ruling out Robin, because she doesn’t seem to have a big role in the story (but time will tell if that changes in 7B). It seems that Regina’s only altercation with them was in the events of the Eighth Witch.

So, that leaves Rumple (as the coven already has Victoria and Ivy). They are also chasing after the same thing (the Guardian) and the least can be assumed about what happened with him during the eight years between Pretty In Blue and The Eighth Witch. He could have rivaled with them, and it ends with him locking up Mr. Gold in his mind. Alice also said that Rumple saved her or something along those lines, and maybe that ties in with the coven.