‘Once Upon a Time’ season 3 spoilers: More clarification on Belle’s story

Is there a bigger mystery out there on “Once Upon a Time” than what in the world is going on with Belle? Let’s be real about this: You know that you are going to meet Peter Pan and Ariel, but nobody knows how executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis are going to keep Rumpelstiltskin’s love interest relevant when she is separated from the rest of the cast. The only folks that she has the capacity to get any face-time with at all right now are some of the recurring stars of the show, a list that includes the likes of Archie, Leroy, or maybe Red depending on when Meghan Ory is able to put in an appearance.

Speaking to TVLine, Horowitz gave fans plenty of reassurance that the one-time “Lost” star, who is still a series regular, is going to be around quite a bit. The reason that you’re not hearing very much about her right now is simply for the preservation of the mystery:

“Belle’s role in this first half of the season becomes clear very early on, within the first couple episodes — and in a way we think is not expected. How Belle fits into all of this is something we’re really excited to reveal to the audience.”

The first two episodes are going to be free of Storybrooke entirely, but if they craft an interesting enough twist, it’s always possible that the character could still turn up. Ultimately, what we’ve learned about “Once Upon a Time” over the years is really simple: If you expect nothing, then you have a tendency to be surprised. That’s what we are hoping for with the Belle storyline, given that she has always been quite the fun character to see explored.

What do you want to see from Belle this season? Be sure to share below! Meanwhile, click here for another cryptic tease from the premiere about something important involving Emma.

Photo: ABC