The thing most Oncers forget most of the time is that the story of Once Upon a Time isn’t about Neal; it’s about Emma’s journey towards finding her own happy ending. And what Emma used to do, is live in the past. She had walls to protect herself from being hurt and since Tallahassee, we know why those walls existed (because Neal left her) and it solidified her view of the universe that she was unlovable, unworthy of love and therefore, the best way to protect herself was to keep love out of her life.
@obisgirl and @Bo_Peeps I’m in total agreement with both of your posts. I was great to have JMo finally clarify the reasoning behind Neal’s death. Many “fans” have forgotten that this journey IS ultimately about Emma. Never mind that Baelfire was the reason behind the curse’s existence, the story was never completely about him. You could almost (but not quite) refer to Neal as a plot device. Need a reason for a curse? Rumple searching for Baelfire! Need a reason for Emma’s walls being up due to betrayal? Ex-boyfiend Neal!! Need a biological father for Henry? Again Neal! Let’s face it, this ex and baby-daddy could have been any random person but having Bae/Neal be the one makes for a good story. The curse and betrayal issues having been dealt with, Neal making amends to Emma and forgiving Rumple were all we needed for that story line to conclude. And yet, Emma’s journey is still not complete. The expectation is that her road to true love will be rocky; I just don’t see her and Killian settling into domestic bliss right away since they both have their respective issues to overcome. But again, its all about the journey and I wholeheartedly expect a happy ending for both parties in the end.