I expect the uneventful and un shocking TLK to save the day! Could just do that. Summon her, then kiss her! Group Kiss and then solved! But they'll find someway to beat around the bush. Unless the TLK just forces the darkness out of the vessel instead.

Maybe. But they still annoy me. I just hope they have at least one more fight because they're too perfect. It kinda feels like they share a brain as well as a heart.

Or, maybe TLK causes the entity to change to the new host.  That might also explain some of the reaction that Rumple had back in the EF when Belle did kiss him and it seemed to work.  I am going to bet that Gold is going to be a wealth of information that can hopefullly be useful in defeating the Dark One.

It's more that David is almost a doormat to Snow. If you look at all the "ships", they are like that. Belle is a nice, little doormat. Emma has the pants in her relationship and Robin sings the praises to Regina like no tomorrow!

Unfortunately, you're right.  And the writers even poked fun at themselves when Evil Snow commented to Evil David "You do have a brain inside that pretty little head".

David is the least of the doormats, and has at least had a few character growth opportunites on his own.  And if you look at the others (Robin, Killian, and Belle), they are partnered with the 3 strongest magicians in the realms. They aren't stupid, they know when they have a good thing going, and they're not about to rock the boat (as rocking the boat for them could have devastating consequences).

He did let his wife transfer all of the darkness from their child to a different baby, thus ruining her life, even though he thought it was wrong, so...

I always wondered why true love's kiss didn't free Rumple from it since Belle's supposed to be his true love but of course she said power was his true love. Agree the way you present it HM the rock and dagger could make a good part of the story.  I was wondering this morning whether the writers had the Jolly Roger returned to Hook this season, so at least part of the gang travels in it to find Merlin?

I really like the characters Lily and Maleficent (that conversation about being a "scary dragon b****" was cute), and their relationships with the main cast (Lily and Emma, then Maleficient and Regina). Basically, since Season 2, the main focus has been on Emma, Snow, Rumpel, and Regina, as some of you have pointed out. I think adding Lily and Maleficent, then Henry with his author duties, would shake things up enough to make the character dynamics interesting again.

One thing that I see happening is that the Author is not the only job that is transferred to the Navengers. I think as part of Rumples transformation, he will be tasked with the job of Apprentice so that he can help the others find Merlin, and also be there to help Emma deal with hosting the Dark One. (Who better to help Emma than the one person that actually survived being a host for the Dark One).

Another key to passing on the mantle of the Apprentice is that, unlike the other magic users, the Apprentice is actually able to CAST magic in the LWM. (He opened the portal to the EF from the LWM, while still in the LWM, when he was with Isaac). That type of magic may be necessary in order to cross the realms and locate Merlin. So in a sense, Rumple would get what he wanted, just not in the way he (under the DO's influence) ever thought it would happen.

I totally am for this idea!!!!!!!! Since I can;t change what happened, I think this is the perfect way for Rumple to transform. (Though it pretty much means he ends up with everything he wanted, like in the AR). I doubt he'll wake up soon, but he could become the Apprentice, while the App (Yen Sid) could finally become the Sorcerer in the Sorcerer's Apprentice and be both characters in one. 

I totally do have a quaestion for another thread, though........