Reply To: Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

RumplesGirl wrote:

And just to clarify, I’m not saying that all romance is wrong, but rather the idea that without a true love or soul mate or significant other your life is basically meaningless is pure hogwash. Especially coming from a show that was founded on the idea of love as both romantic AND parental. That one does not outweigh the other.

I’m all for romance, but I dislike when it’s made out to be the be-all-and-end-all of a story. What I especially loved about Emma in S1 was that her “journey” was about finding True Love with her son. Most of S2 her experience was about reconciling with her parents, especially her mom. Meeting Neal again was simply icing on the cake, and it took her completely by surprise. Yet, Neal was never “The Goal” and she wasn’t necessarily looking for love. It was simply the case that the moment she met him again, the instant she recognized him, she admitted she never stopped loving him. Yet, what they had went deeper simply than romance, chemistry or merely declarations of feelings. It was an experience in what it meant to really love someone deep down to the core of your being, yet also knowing that true love sometimes means sacrifice, as David once said. What I especially loved about Neal was that he valued reuniting her with her family so much that he was willing to let her go in order that she might save them. Might Neal have remained with her and tried to help convince her of her destiny (namely that her parents are indeed Fairytale characters)? Perhaps, but in some alternate universe, but not in the fiction that Adam and Eddy created. What I also really liked about Emma and Neal’s relationship was that it so powerfully embodied the Real Life Fairytale idea, not this idealistic prince and princess unrealistic fairytale. Neither Emma nor Neal were perfect, but they were perfect for each other. They were two orphans against the world living out of a beaten up old bug. Heck, when Emma first met Neal, she stole his already stolen car. What I also really loved about their relationship was that he taught her survival skills. Sure, he was a petty thief, but he taught her invaluable lessons, like what it means to have a home and how to pick a lock, a skill which later enabled Emma to save herself. The thing I really liked about Neal too was that while he was no knight in shining armor, she was no princess, and he constantly made sacrifices for Emma, which I think is at the heart of what it means to love someone.

sniff…..