Reply To: The Captain Swan thread!

Can I just say that during season 2, I was definitely not Hook’s biggest fan. Rumple and Belle are 2 of my 3 favourite characters so obviously anyone against them (Hook) wouldn’t be my favourite person. I was okay with Hook up to The Outsider where he started going after Belle (I liked him in Tallahassee). I absolutely despised him after he shot her. I hated Hook up to the point of Neverland.

In Neverland, Hook grew on me in the first couple of episodes, I thought maybe he wasn’t such a bad person for Emma afterall, I was literally wavering between CS and SF every episode. Good Form rolled around and it wasn’t my favourite episode, however that was more to do with the fact that 2 of my favourite characters weren’t in it, 1 was only in the first and last scene, and Hook’s brother was a bit of an idiot to the point that you wonder how he managed to be captain of a ship (If someone tells you the dreamshade is poison, don’t scratch yourself with it to prove a point). Also I felt that Hook’s progression from upstanding navy man to pirate was a bit rushed. I thought that should’ve been a 2 part story with Good Form starting him on the road to piracy.

Anyway, then there was the CS kiss and it wasn’t that bad. Yeah, Hook shouldn’t have asked for the kiss as payment, but Emma wasn’t actually forced into it, it wasn’t as if Hook held a gun to Emma’s head. The kiss was overhyped. So Pan told Hook that Neal was alive and kudos to Hook for actually telling Snowing in Ariel, he could’ve kept it secret and nobody would’ve been the wiser but Hook did the right thing. I agreed with Hook and Charming’s plan not to tell Emma until they found out that Neal was actually alive, I really didn’t like Snow in Ariel in either flashback or present day.

Then Dark Hollow happened and it kind of put me off Hook again. He was back to being a bit of a jerk again and using statements like “WHEN I win your heart and I WILL WIN it”. It was very Gaston out of Beauty and the Beast and it made it seem like Emma was a prize to be won. The lighter fight was just awkward to watch because of it’s ridiculousness but hat’s off to Colin and MRJ for at least playing it seriously.

I liked how Hook used his hook to force Felix to sit back down in Save Henry. It wasn’t a big moment but it amuses me. I didn’t like how he tried to come on to Tinkerbell then implied to Emma that him and Tinkerbell had been up to something in The New Neverland to make Emma jealous. Not only does it show a lack of respect for Tinkerbell, but it also implies that Hook could actually feel the need to cheat on Emma if he felt wronged by her enough. I’ve seen the arguments that Hook was drunk and hurting used as an excuse to justify his behaviour, but it’s not an excuse. Tink rejected him but what would’ve happened if he had come on to a woman who was receptive of his advances. How far would it have gone then? Would Hook have told Emma it was her fault he cheated on her because she made him feel sad?

But anyway, 3B started and when we first got the death spoiler I was kind of hoping it was Hook. I wasn’t expecting to like Hook this half.

However Hook has grown on me again. I liked his snark this half, he grew on me so much that I didn’t actually want Hook to be the death anymore. Quiet Minds was a great episode for Hook. He made up with Neal and admitted they’d been silly fighting over a woman, the CaptainFire moment was so good that it’s a shame we didn’t get more scenes like that between Hook and Neal. He apologised to Belle which was a big must do for Hook IMO. I liked the apology because, whilst it wasn’t a “How have I wronged thee, let me count the ways” type of apology, it was an in character apology from a character who admitted 3 episodes earlier that he doesn’t apologise very often so for him to even say sorry is a big step forward for Hook. I also liked how Belle did give him some crap for it which he deserved and Hook knew he deserved.

I can genuinely say I like Hook after this episode. My hope for Hook now is that the writers don’t try and push the CS stuff too early after Neal’s death. Let Hook be there for Emma, let him support her and comfort her if needed, but don’t make him look like he is trying to come on to Emma whilst she is still emotionally vulnerable after Neal’s death.