The Insider.com

Chief among the myriad of mysteries that Once Upon A Time has introduced in just 7 excellent episodes is that of Mr. Gold, a.k.a Rumpelstiltskin.

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Whether in Storybrooke or storybook land, he seems to know a lot more than your casual character. And that is something the mid-season premiere plans to address.

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"What he does or does not know about Storybrooke becomes very clear in the first bunch of episodes back," co-creator Adam Horowitz tells EW.com. "He certainly steps forward in a bigger way than we've seen thus far -- not just Rumple but Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold's role in the town and his connection and effect on the characters around him is something that becomes a more important part of the show as we move forward."

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Check out a sneak peek from the mid-season premiere, titled Desperate Souls, which sees Regina and Mr. Gold take opposite sides when Emma runs for a coveted Storybrooke public office in the real world. Meanwhile, the fairytale storyline features Rumplestiltskin attempting to track down the ultimate power source in order to help his son avert the horrors of a meaningless war.

Once Upon a Time returns January 8 at 8 p.m. on ABC