@rumplegoldfan – I saw that theory on tumblr as well. The bottles are definitely different but whether or not that is on purpose or a mistake is definitely questionable. I have issues that are very opposing.
With Regina’s comments about the kingdom being separated as the price for ripping up the original curse how did Hook get out/escape Snowing’s casting of the curse? I always assumed he was outside of the realm at the time of the cursing but now I am not sure if that was possible? Only thing I could think of is that technically he was never really cursed and could therefore somehow get around that.
On the other hand if he was still in the realm, got cursed and drank the potion to remember how did he leave Storybrooke? I thought that was part of the curse that you couldn’t leave? Unless that was a Regina specific thing and that is why Zelena has monkeys guarding the borders because they technically can leave. Or maybe Hook’s ship makes him immune to the can’t leave Storybrooke thing. It would explain though how Zelena/Walsh knew about him and the potion in NYC if he was cursed originally with everyone else.
Overall I like that theory about Hook being cursed too. It is a nice twist. Not sure though how that still fits in the timeline regarding the short time between Hook receiving the potion/the curse being cast and Hook getting to NYC and finding Emma. I would think that it would have been harder for him to get another memory potion than it would be to use his ship (which was already established as being made from enchanted wood) to make a portal somehow. Unless in that huge block of time that is still unaccounted for he was already doing his own thing to get a memory potion (JR trade?) so he had two and then somehow got to NYC from Storybrooke without Zelena’s monkeys getting him.
A&E are certainly good at creating mystery. The only thing I am really convinced of is that Hook traded/gave up the JR for SOMETHING in order to get to Emma or help her remember.