I’ve been reading this topic for a while, but I decided to make an account so I can give my opinion 🙂
I don’t think that Milah was Hook’s true love, and I think that the directors wanted us to think that she wasn’t because not once did they show any affection between Hook and Milah. The only signs that showed us that Hook and Milah loved each other was when Milah was dying and told him that she loved him, and also when Hook told Milah to run.
I think that Milah just opened Hook up to the possibility of love-because before (and I’m just assuming from how he behaved) he was just a ‘ladies man’ who never once thought about love and settling down. He just wanted to travel the seas and go on adventures and make the most out of life. And he just happened to find a woman who wanted the same thing.
Now, as for Hook’s revenge… I believe that the only reason he wanted revenge was so he could live for something. Because remember, Hook doesn’t approve of cowardice (which he told Rumple 2×04). It’s pretty obvious that Hook’s pain and misery has blinded him, and as much as he wanted that to end he couldn’t because that would be considered (to him) a cowardly act.
So Hook’s revenge was more of a death wish. If he was really into the revenge, he would have planned everything perfectly as Regina or Rumple or Cora did when they wanted to achieve something. Instead he just made it up as he went along -which didn’t work out for him.
Also when Hook encourages Rumple to kill him so he could be “reunited with Milah”, really just shows how much pain he is in, and it is in that moment that he realised that he couldn’t live anymore.
So this brings me to Emma (and in case you haven’t noticed from my username, I ship Hook and Emma 😀 ). They are, as Jennifer Morrison stated “kindred spirits” which I fully agree with. Hook is broken, Emma is broken. However whenever they are around each other, or if their names are mentioned, they immeditaely light up, and they become a different person.
Heres an example: In ‘The Outsider’ when Hook shot Belle, Hook’s revenge had taken over and he couldn’t have been more livid with Rumple. However, in the beginning of ‘In the Name of the Brother’ when Emma went to Hook on the ground, Hook immediately changed. He began smiling his genuine smile (which I haden’t seen in the last 2 eps), and he starts laughing with her. Also, in case you hadn’t noticed he held her hand when she touched his chest. This all shows that he is finally showing other emotions since he came to SB- which is a good thing 😀
So since they are so alike and equally broken, they can relate to one another and help to fix each other. True love is hard to achieve in this show, and it is something that takes time. It is something that has to be fought for. So Captain Swan will take time but I think it will be amazing to watch them grow together 😀
Also- this is off topic. But I have noticed (and I’m sure many of you have too) whenever Hook and Emma interact, or Hook is mentioned in front of Emma and Snow is around, the camera always goes to her. And she always has a look on her face, like she is thinking ‘uh oh thats the same look me and Charming gave each other’. I think she knows that something is going on between them, but she doesn’t want to get in the way of Emma’s happiness. I think that Ginnifer plays that look very well, hats off to her 😀
Just to make it clear, I am not putting down any other ‘ships’. I’m just giving my opinion.
Sorry that this post is long. It’s my first post and I had a lot of feelings to get out. 😉 And I wanted to make sure I explained myself well.