Dipping my toe briefly into the CaptainSwan ship, Hook was a pirate for some 300 years and I’m going to assume it was not sunshine and rainbows. Does he owe it to Emma to explain his past, even his most recent past like killing Blackbeard to get the Jolly Roger back, even though Ariel was counting on Hook’s help? What kind of lies are okay to tell your significant other? Is total honesty more morally responsible? And if Hook never fesses up, do we approve of a relationship that hasn’t been perfectly honest with one another?
And even leaving aside all of the many other horrible things that these guys have done, I think someone’s current/potential romantic partner has a right to know if that someone has murdered romantic partners before–Leopold and Graham for Regina, and Milah (and one could argue indirectly Cora) for Rumple. I know I wouldn’t want to be involved with someone who had a history of murdering his/her past spouses or lovers when they upset him/her! I don’t think that sends a great message about relationships.
Wait a minute….wait a minute….now, the Graham issue, I can give over as murdering of a romantic partner, even though if looked at through Regina’s point of view, was something that needed to happen. Had Graham awoken that night, he could’ve helped Emma break the curse, which in turn would have Henry be taken from Regina, along with her being killed by the town. Sooo….his death was a necessary death, it DID NOT make it right, but it HAD to happen. Though, as I said, will surrender that as murdering romantic partner.
BUT….the Leopold….nooooo….that I can’t give. I have absolutely NO sympathy for Leopold’s death! The man was a sixty something year old jerk who WILLINGLY married his ex-fiancée’s eighteen year old daughter. And then didn’t even marry her for love…he just wanted to find a baby sitter/mother for Snow White, and didn’t even have the decency to get Regina’s answer instead of just accepting whatever his ex-fiancée/Cora answer. Then he blatantly ignored Regina, imprisoned her within the kingdom, and only showed her off as a “trophy wife” at grand events and celebrations, and once that was over, he pretty much locked her back up in the castle, because as Regina told Sydney/Genie in the Forbidden Fruit episode…King Leopold was a jealous man.
And before anyone brings up 2×02 moment when Regina was leaving the castle, and turned back….Please…I beg of you to remember that a certain Dark One did show up, and convinced her to turn back. And knowing Cora, she probably placed a curse on Regina that kept her within the kingdom, only allowed to leave whenever she’s with Leopold(which was never as he seemed to never take her anywhere.)
"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor