On another forum I frequent someone wondered if Smee is Zelena’s spy/agent. She noted how he was called a rat and how he was always trying to push Hook into the pirate life. My guess probably not, but I thought it was interesting.
I have mixed feelings about Jolly Roger. I wanted Hook to have one person/Disney Princess believe in him and see the good in him. Someone who will stick up for him when the other princess bag on him. Emma is attracted to Hook but she doesn’t really take his side or try to see the good in him. I think there has been a miniscule change in that, but she keeps him at arms length. She always seems surprised that he does something good. Everyone has these low expectations of him but refuse to give him much credit for any good he does. I would get tired of everyone if they never gave me a chance no matter what I did.
In order for him to be seen as good, he basically needs to be a saint to convince anyone and that isn’t realistic. Snow and Emma were totally prepared to fight Mulan to keep the compass and let Aurora die, just to get home to Henry. Hook is expected to give up his ship/home for a bratty stranger who clocked him in the head, held a knife at him and acted like a toddler about the cloak. I love Ariel but she is like a little kid who is oblivious to the needs of others in a somewhat good hearted way.
Hopefully Hook starts to get some wins and some fun in his life. He needs to have people who appreciate him as a person and not a means to achieve whatever goal they have. Even Smee is more interested in what Hook can provide for him then in how Hook the person.
Also I agree that this forum is often one-sided. I feel CS’ers have to really walk on eggshells and go out of their way to not upset the SFers. Sometimes I feel just disagreeing with some of them in a normal, dispassionate way is taken so personally. It should be ok to be happy about your ship, to like your favorite characters and to say so outside of this thread. The double standard bugs me a lot. Any accusation you can make about Hook or CS would be just if not way more applicable to Rumple or Rumbelle, including the TLK not working.
Keeper of Hook and Emma's smoldering first kiss, a certain Pirate's sauciness, the Evil Queen's snarkiness, Grumpy's gruffness and a drop of true love to make it all go down smooth.