Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160321010032/@comment-25926288-20160327202222

The thing I think people are glossing over is Milah's ability to leave and willingness. Milah shows that she didn't really want to get up and leave or try to get out of her marriage right away. Milah and Rumple were likely at least friends in some way and had some level of decency around each other. Milah only left at the pit of despair and some coaxing by a handsome, young pirate and also a ton of drinking.

I think everyone's also putting a modern view on it. People today can get in relationships willynilly and marry and divorce ten times over, but that's not necessarily the case in the Enchanted Forest. So, there was likely no good way out of their bad situation (plus, I'm sure there are countless peasants offscreen living horribly).

Rumple did the right thing and it took some bravery, but it was not without its disgust. All choices were morally grey, so you can't fault him for that. Plus, Rumple seems like a traditional, patriarchal kind of guy. Ya know, the whole "little wifey in the kitchen raising the children" kind of thing. That's the secret problem of any happy Rumbelle thing, but I digress.