Whoa, so many pages!
Speaking of villains getting a redemption arc:
Regina was the only one who atoned for her sins. Not ALL her sins, she had MANY. but she certainly showed great progress.
1) she SAVED the people she spent years trying to kill
2) she was only good for Henry’s sake at FIRST but became good even though she didnt expect good things to happen as a reward. She gave up Henry to save the town. Etc.
She is delightfully crazy, emotional, stormy, and regrets nothing because “it got her her son”
So she might never be fully redeemed in the sense that she had all her sins erased. But as a person she definitely grew TONS
Hook, otoh, never grew at all. Look at the apology to Belle, as an example. He said “sorry?” Regina was alot more sincere in hervapology to Belle.
And yet all of this blatant hypocracy brings me to think that it is ultimately a show about good vs evil, and evil could stare you right in the face and you wouldnt realize it. (A line regina said in season 1 to david)
Hook vs Rumple
Evil vs Good
Obviously
Isnt this why they never cut Rumple a break? No matter what he is a villain? Even when he is good he is villain
When he almost died from so much darkness, he sencerely begged Belle to go with will so he wont hurt her when he is a zombie dark one when Rumple is dead. This was when he had not even a tiny flicker of humanity left in him
From what i heard Hook was not as good to Emma while a fresh DO