Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-6175354-20141023215822/@comment-24674051-20141211215740

Ok, interesting, and partially random, thought.

I was reminded in watching the sneak peek, that Anna (dear, sweet, motor-mouth Anna) knows all about Rumple's designs with the hat. AND she has a tie in with Belle. AND they are all in Storybrooke at this very moment.

I'm taking bets right now that Anna manages to reach Belle, and Belle figures out what Rumple's is up to, gets some help from Elsa, Emma, and Regina (it's going to probably take all 3) to force Rumple to give up the hat and release everyone that he has captured. How does Anna reach Belle, with Killian trying hard to keep them apart? Easy. Belle has a cell phone, and any one of a number of people can call her (or text her, for that matter). Technology may be strange, but it's pretty darn useful. In fact, It would be a hoot if Killian let's Anna use his phone. The Dark One's command was to "Make Sure that Anna does not get anywhere near this shop". He can keep that command, while taking advantage of a glaring loophole in the command to allow the dark one to be defeated.

The door that is opened to return to Arendelle is probably opened by the Apprentice, and I'm betting that some of the Storybrooke people are going to elect to return to the Enchanted Forest as well (possibly with a brief stop to help a couple of friends retake a kingdom).

In fact, the Apprentice may very well return with Hat in hand to his home in the EF, just to put some distance between him and Rumple. Not that that would be the last of the hat, mind you, just that this chapter will be closed out. It's bound to turn up again.

That's my guess as to the A plot line. The B plot line will obviously be the introduction of the Queens of Darkness.