Re: "I need you! I love you."

[kfchimera]

I definitely agree that characters start off as flawed so they can have room to grow. Yet those flaws, and the writers choice to have Emma believe Neal is dead (rather than having the hope he is still alive and refusing to believe it), also opens a door for the audience to root for Emma to fall for someone else, like Hook, who has just grown a little (I”m suddenly thinking of the grinch…his heart grew two sizes!).

Neal’s damaged state plays into the Love Cannot Overcome Trope. I agree that Neal is just starting a hero’s journey, and that Emma is continuing on hers, so I don’t see the outcome as already decided between them one way or the other. They could do the noble step-aside thing or he could be turned into a romantic false lead or maybe that is Hook’s role. Without more development though, the sudden declaration smacks of Strangled by the Red String of Fate trope. The falling through the portal thing saved the hurried “I love you” from being that, but I am still waiting for what comes next in the story.

I’m still leaning to thinking Neal will eventually grow and overcome his damaged past, and be given the chance to prove his worth so to speak. I could also see the writers ending things with a happy ending for Neal that focuses more on his filial love for Henry than romantic love for Emma. I just don’t think the portal scene, as touching as it was, had enough build up for the kind of “ok, these two are meant to be” conclusion that some draw, and I think that was on purpose. There are lots of things the writers could have done to provide more development and they chose not to do it. They’re probably well aware of those tropes, as this isn’t their first rodeo, and some of them have written quite epic love triangles before. I’d prefer they continue to subvert the trope stuff, like they did with Tamara (hah, talk about a romantic false lead!) and use it in a way that leads a romantic viewer down a garden path only to pull the rug out from under us (oh, he loves her, he’s doing it to help her….oh wait….he’s Bluebeard.). Not that I want Neal to be revealed to be a big bad, because I’m sappy. I just think in terms of storytelling over all, that these writers love to have twists. I’m waiting for what the twist is here, but I am hoping for a happy sappy ending too.