We were conditioned not to like Neal. Emma told MM in S1 that he was a bad man and Henry didn’t need to hear about his father. Then the show used classic “riff raff” clothing and tropes to reinforce this idea: the “wife beaters”, the hoodies, the rough accent. But what most people forget is that the first time we saw Nealfire, he was in a gorgeous 3piece suit. KFC actually has more to say about this than I do.
Nealfire is my second favorite character, after Rumple. I find him completely compelling. He is a tragic soul who has had nothing but misery for pretty much his whole life. He was abandoned and forced to give up his happy ending for the sake of people he did not know and also knowing that his father would come looking for him. I love every second he is on screen. The three min convo with Rumple in Manhattan remains my favorite scene of S2, beating out Rumbelle phone call and Rumbelle reunion (and coming from me, that should say something)
As to the writing Neal is a more reserved character because instinct scares him. His instinct is to run and that means he is like his papa, his biggest fear. Hook’s instincts are to be loud and brash and that’s part of his pirate makeup. As far as marketing goes, totally and completely different from writing. The marketing has a different job and a different agenda.
And I know that you said you’re not comparing him to Hook, but let’s face it: that is what happens.
Hook is, to me at least, I won’t speak for my ship: loud, brash, in your face, sexual. He’s the quaterback of the football team who knows that every girl wants to be with him and he relishes it. He uses his looks and his sexaulity to get he wants.
Neal is quiet and contemplative. He can’t make waves or noise because every time he’s tried to make wave, something bad happens to him: he falls down a bean hole, he gets taken by a shadow. He has to lay low. He’s the kid in the back of the class who no one ever gets to know because he doesn’t open up.
So these are big differences, for me. It’s easy to say that Hook is more compelling but I think that’s because he is more loud. He makes the bigger jokes. He makes the puns.