I feel like the writers care to address these things because it is important to establishing a romance going forward–not to establishing why it wouldn’t work. They don’t have to bother doing that, do they? It’s just, you know, hot pirate, chemistry all that, and one sad look and we’re all done with Emma and Neal. We all saw that he left, we all saw he was with Tamara, and we saw he was sorry. They didn’t need to have him hear that speech from Emma to realize he can’t just show up and they get back together–he’d already expressed doubts about it.
So why all the screen time on it, if they don’t intend to do anything? I feel about it that way I guess. Hook’s little crush is just the sideshow, to set up his internal conflict, perhaps temptation for Emma and angst with Neal. I don’t feel they’ve been showing me why Emma and Hook have a connection, if anything it feels like I’ve been shown why they don’t. They’re not on the same wavelength a lot.
Agreed! If they intended for SF to just remain in the past, then what’s the point of them writing the present day angst? They could have resolved it, they could have killed Neal when they had the chance if he wasn’t gonna be relevant in the future. But instead they’ve brought them back together, and they’re having Emma bear her soul about her conflicting emotions because of the love she still has, and will probably always have for him.
Honestly, what’s the point of showing us all of that if there’s not a real possibility of them getting back together? If she’s just gonna move onto a relationship with Hook, then don’t waste screen time showing her clinging to her love for Neal, just have her move onto a relationship with Hook. Don’t show her downplaying their kiss, show her being excited because she’s feeling something for him. Have her secret in the cave, said to Neal’s face be, “I’m falling in love with Hook,” instead of, “I love you, I probably always will.”
What makes it fascinating and heartbreaking for me is that Hook is going to be incredibly torn over this. While he has clearly fallen for Emma, he also cares enough about Neal that he isn’t going to want to be in the way of Neal’s happiness–he believes himself a man of honor, and he knows that he hurt Neal badly as a boy (first by breaking up his family, though on the Milah side of the equation he feels more than justified, he gets that this hurt Baelfire a lot, and then by selling him out to Pan in a move that was definitely bad form, and we don’t know what further history they may have had in Neverland…but, oh yeah, he also tried to kill Neal’s dad, again, feeling justified on one level but realizing that Neal may possibly have been hurt by this).
But I think, too, that’s why SF is the sturdier ship–for Hook to do the right thing and redeem himself, he will have to relinquish his claim to Emma’s heart (as long as that’s what she wishes). It would be an act of love toward both of them–Milah’s son and Emma–to allow them to be together and rekindle their love.
Agreed with all of that.
I’m on board with what several people have been saying in various places that what Hook’s feeling right now is something he doesn’t yet fully understand. And it’s understandable if he doesn’t fully understand it, because honestly, if you start feeling something for someone new for the first time in 300 years, then of course you’re gonna equate that to falling in love with the new person.
But I think that what’s actually happening is just that his heart is starting to open up again, (someone somewhere posted something about how it’s similar to when Emma kissed Graham, and his memories opened up as a result), and yes, that’s a result of having let his guard down with Emma, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s in love with Emma.
Now that the process is kickstarted, I think that the flow on effect of his softening heart will be that he’ll soften towards Neal as well, and genuinely want to become close to the guy, finally, after all these years. Emma’s started a change in him that’s helping him to let go of Milah, which could in turn allow him to make a new connection with Milah’s son, which would heal some of the self loathing he’s no doubt carried around ever since he handed Bae over to Pan. Hook’s connection with Emma is a valuable one, but it’s not necessarily his be all, end all. She’s not even exactly a rebound. She’s his Saviour.
Her kiss started to defrost that lump in his chest that’s been frozen for a few centuries, just like her kiss unlocked the true self that Graham had had repressed for a few decades. Now that Emma’s set him on that path, he’ll inevitably want to do the right thing by both her, and Neal, and in time he’ll realise what they both truly mean to him, and what he wants for them, and for himself, and his soul will be a lot lighter for it, and it will mean he’s able to move on to living in a more happy, satisfying, honourable way.
If that’s the kind of route they go with it, then the triangle will have actually served a purpose.
Agreed. I go back to Good Form. Hook: “I just want you to know that I also know what it’s like to live without hope.” Because Emma instantly picked up on Bae’s loss of hope in the cave. Emma: “I know what this is. This attempt to bond with me. I’m not in the mood.” Hook’s loss of hope, whatever it was, didn’t come across to Emma. But without even being there, Neal’s did.
Agreed! Yes, that line bothered me a lot. Not only did it sound forced and out of the blue, but it’s just another reason why I hate it when people complain that Neal is not giving Emma space or not understanding her…etc…It came across as more pushy to me then Neal’s “I’ll never stop fighting for you” line. Even Emma realizes that and she told him to stop, she doesn’t have the energy to deal with him right now.
The line in the cave wasn’t even anything compared to the actual kiss scene. He freaking pointed to his lips and dared her to kiss him when she was reluctant to do it. Yeah, that’s far less pushy than Neal hugging her for being brutally honest, and then telling her he’ll fight for her, and then walking away to give her space to think and breathe. Geez Neal, stop being so pushy and insistent and not taking no for an answer.
There is a new TV Guide article which mentions J-Mo’s and MRJ’s perspective on SF as they stand currently:
I loved that article, for the reasons you outlined. Meanwhile, I’ve seen several tumblr posts from CSers applauding JMo and MRJ and claiming their quotes as victory for CS, and I’m sitting here all, “Did we even read the same article?” For some reason, CSers as a general rule seem to be under the impression that SFers think that our ship would instantly come together and be all rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers, so the quotes in this article should come as a massive blow. But as a general rule, the attitude I’ve seen with SFers is, “It’s a hot mess and they have a lot to work through, but they’ll eventually overcome it.” We’re not ignorant about the current state of their relationship, and it’s exactly what JMo and MRJ said in that article, and it’s the fact that it’s gonna be a struggle that will make it all the more rewarding when they finally sort their stuff out.