Reply To: Why is Hook such a divisive character within the fandom?

[TheWatcher]

So this is my short response to another comment in the filming thread:

Much of it is an overreaction due to the nature of the character and him offending easily offended people.

I’m not offended at Hook. I am just unimpressed with his storyline or lack thereof. He’s boring and repetitive. He’s not a “Regina” or a “Rumpel” in the sense of being a layered villain, anti-hero, whatever you want to call it. He just isn’t doing anything besides swarming Emma all the time. What in this show would be effected if he were eliminated? In the words of Regina, he’s the pirate mascot of the group. I don’t care to see much of him unless or until he becomes a relevant character, and when that happens I do applaud it (him as Dark One Hook was very enjoyable and refreshing).

In short, I just want the character to be interesting. Seriously. What is he doing right now in the show? What is his purpose to the overall series? Outside of Emma, does the character have any weight and if so what is it??

Many people love her and just as many people hate her. It doesn’t help that Regina is a character that gets white washed a lot of her crimes, like the rape and murder of Graham for instance. And then she holds Zelena to some impossible standard when she literally has done the same if not worst things then her sister. However she doesn’t want to admit to them or the writers don’t want her too, and it makes her come off not in the best way.

I disagree that Regina generates as huge a divide as Hook because she was a fan favorite from day one. There are people who dislike her, but I wouldn’t say its a fandom wide war between those who love and those who hate her. Anyway,  I feel the exact same way about Hook. He’s the one who gets his crimes whitewashed. With Regina, she has had her ups and downs, but she has been going the road of a hero for a long time and struggling along the way. She is acknowledging and trying to get past her dark past and evil ways. So much so that she literally felt the need to rip it out of her. Hook on the other hand is constantly being given a free pass because so many of his fans are sensitive to any kind of criticism of him as a character. It seems the writers go out of their way to show him in a positive light, especially in flashbacks, where he was supposed to be this ruthless, tyrannical pirate out for revenge, but no guys he was really sensitive and nice the whole time.

No one on this show is great. But it seems like Hook is just handed the crown the of heroism while everyone had to work for it.  That everything negative he does gets pushed aside because he’s Hook and that he doesn’t actually need a story arc because…well I guess him being on screen and kissing Emma is enough for some people.  It’s not a competition, but to say that Regina gets her crimes whitewashed and not Hook is incredibly….wild. I acknowledge that may be the case though.

And also, I don’t have an issue with Regina getting “three hours of screen time” BECAUSE SHES ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND IS ACTUALLY MOVING THE STORY FORWARD. Hook is not doing that. It has nothing to do with him just being Hook, if he were intereting, relevant, all the stuff that Regina is, i’d have no problem. But the CS fandom seems to require so little effort from Hook to stay invested.

Sorry, I need more than constantly reassuring Emma about stuff and making smexy eyebrows and quips to make an interesting character.