Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-26159109-20151023040541/@comment-24674051-20151023145606

Maybe this is why Dark Swan needs Gold to become a hero. She needs Gold to defend her From Killian, since she knows that Killian is the one who gets Excalibur, and with Excalibur he will do whatever it takes to remove the darkness from his love.

Now, I don't see them going the decapitation route. That would be extremely dark (and very much Game of Thrones meets OUAT). But I could see them going the kill Dark Swan route, but then needing to go to the Underworld to rescue Emma. And having Emma be the one killed as the cliffhanger for the winter finale, if done right, would be a bold storytelling move. (along the same lines as 'killing' Rumple in 3A).