The writers have created a long suffering character who keeps on trying despite getting kicked in teeth. He is no fairytale prince, but a street smart survivor who just wants to have a home. He is not out to be a hero but he has a core of goodness that colors how he treats others. We are seeing new sides and in general while there is some debate about what it means, he is developing as a character.
This is one of the biggest reasons I’m rooting for Neal. He makes me want to believe that nice boys don’t always come in last. Neal’s the boy-next-door to Emma’s girl-next-door character, your atypical princess who is a survivor and who fell in love with a sheep farmer, same as Snow fell in love with a shepherd.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy