To me, Neal was meant to embody desperation. A very unpopular thought, I know, which is why I only dare say it here. But even from the beginning – he was desperate to leave the EF because of what Rumple had become. He was desperate to get off the JR when he realized who Hook was. He was even desperate to do the right thing, which, in my opinion, it was so easy for August to persuade Neal that he needed to leave Emma. That desperation was his fatal flaw – it caused him to act before thinking. And it made him an easy target for people like August and Z to manipulate so they could achieve their own goals. And it makes Baelfire very much Rumple’s son – as we saw Rumple’s own desperation in becoming the Dark One in the first place.
Yes, I agree.
But developing Captain Cobra does a lot for the writers – it keeps Neal’s memory alive, it further displays Hook’s redemption and begins to show it more than him doing it for Emma. And it gives Henry an interesting foundation as he enters his teen years
Yes.
But ultimately, if this story is anyone’s I actually think it’s Henry’s – and the death of his father is one of the most important things that will happen to him, and because it happened how it did, when it did, allows the writers to take a huge turn with Henry’s character, and set him up for some amazing, growing up storylines.
Yes. Adam and Eddie said earlier before the 3A began that they had a plan in place for Jared’s sudden growth spirt, and skipping ahead to one year in the winter finale and then also this, is part of that plan. And that makes me really excited going forward because we’re going to see Henry dealing with more adult situations and how he reacts to them. No more trying to destroy magic, or save magic or throw temper tantrums.