It is extremely sad that something that could have been so great became so bad. They were allowed to use the Disney versions of the fairytale stories. Who knows when there will be another show that is able to do that?
Though, for me Season 1 is the only really good season. There are episodes i like in Season 2, but i think even it was a mess. The change in Regina’s character, or rather the other characters treatment of her character, between Season 1 and 2 was just as bad as the change in Hook’s character between Seasons 2 and 3.
I definitely think though the creation of the love triangle and then the death of Bae was the end for the show. The show was just never the same after that.
I agree though. Hook wasn’t that bad in Season 2. He was sarcastic and evil and there was nothing wrong with that, but even then i wasn’t interested in him. I found him fine as a background character, sometimes boring, but i didn’t really dislike his character. It was only in Season 3 that his character became unbearable and then once they completely rewrote Emma’s character for him, there was nothing but extreme dislike. Emma was my favorite and they ruined one of my favorite characters.