Choosing not to go to war/to get out of war is never cowardly. Fighting should be a choice. Nobody should ever be forced to go. Besides, his son needed him more...especially with a bitch like Milah for a mother.

I don't like Milah, but she was right. Rumple should go to battle, to prove everybody that he is not a coward... What did he do? He run away and humilited his family. That is why Bae didn't have normal childhood.

(In that time, things were like that)

No!!! Everything he does, he does it for Bae!!! This epsiode really proved that to me!!! His son needed him, Milah was just such a cruel bitch!!! Rumple is what a true man is, someone who puts his family first!!!

Bae didn't have a normal childhood because that bi*** of a mother he had. She was the one that humiliated her family by running away with a pirate, living behind her child.

I agree that what Rumps did was in fact brave but I had to laugh when I read your poll. Partisan much? It might as well said, Are you a supporter of tyranical bloody corrupt warlords? If so click "yeah sure". :) Anyhow true bravery to me is when you put aside your own well being for something greater then yourself.

I believe that ANY parent put in his situation would do something like that. Look at what people are doing over Henry.. .what Snow did to stay with Emma... and in real life. I have seen parens go insane at the prospect of not being there for their child. It's a valid reason to not go to war, he had someone that needed him.

No, but I do think he was a little bit selfish, he's not the only father in that place, many soldier also want to be with their family but they still decide to go and fight for them

I get his priority though, that's what parent do, sometime they did selfish or bad things for the sake of their children (remember marco lied to snow/charming so he can save pinocchio from the curse?), I don't think it's coward, but if you ask a kid who his father die on that battle, I think you will get different result

Fuck, I'd do that even if I didn't have a kid on the way. xD

But no, not wanting to participate in some bullshit war because you actually want to be there to raise your child is not cowardly.

Backing out of a violent war that could result in your death and devastate your family is far from cowardly its pretty brave if you ask me.

Hm.

On the one hand, he did it so that his son wouldn't go through what he went through. He permanently maimed himself for his son. On the other, he probably could have at least attempted to make it look like he got injured on the battle field.

For me, it's too hard to say. Was Bae truly the only reason he did it? So far as we know, he didn't see any wounded come his way before talking to the seer. If he had seem them, without knowing the future, would he have stayed?

Rumps is a true hero. He stopped the Ogre Wars with his magic and saved the lives of thousands. He was not selfish about it. He payed the price for magic and saved thousands people.

In the beginning of the ep, when I saw him and Milah, I thought "Oh, look at that, she wasn't entirely cruel." Then when Rumple returned home she was completely the same condescending woman we have come to know. I'm not sure how she could marry a man deemed to be a coward's son and then complain that he's coward for wanting to raise his son. I mean if she was so worried about her reputation, why didn't she marry some noble soldier. Her character just irritates me. I'm kind of glad Rumple killed her, but I also understand that he didn't have to kill her... Anyway, he thought he wasn't going to be there to support his family because of the Seer. I'm guessing Milah didn't care either way because Rumple would have been a hero and she would be his poor widow who would easily find another husband.

^sure thing! and it was so cruel of her to say: you should have died. :/

It actually is, but a justified cowardice, I don't love Rumple any less for that.

Come on....He did it and for himself....It was only about the child & Milah....That's what i believe and he should have known better since his own father did it also.... - But i don't judge him for that and that doesn't mean i don't like him but it's ok to say the truth sometimes even if it is against the character you love.

I wish there was a mixed feelings option,

He wasn't conscripted. We saw earlier on in the flashbacks that he'd volunteered to join the army. And I got the impression that he was really trying to protect himself and afraid of dying more than trying to protect his son from losing a father - if there hadn't been a prophecy of a son, he'd probably have claimed that he was preventing Milah from being widowed instead. There's a bit of a theme of Rumple using his son as an excuse for doing what he really wants to do for his own sake.