Reply To: Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

[kfchimera]

I just saw after my long post the questions about whether Neal is a flat character or not.   People say that about Belle too, so ultimately a huge part of it is taste.  Belle is not given as much screen time as Neal has been so far, nor as heavily involved in the main action of the plot, to this point.

Stories vacillate between points of view and the importance of various characters.  Last season, Hook was barely on screen for some parts.  The media campaign talked about Neal/Tamara/Emma, there was a  whole preview on Bae (ET special).  This season Hook is being promoted heavily, but at the same time, we are in NL and the other theme is #SaveHenry.  Neal was included in the “men of Storeybrooke” thing too along with August and Hook all 3 in scenes with Emma.  The media /fans fixated on August and Graham in S1, and on Jefferson.  Who gets the limelight changes, but I think the writers downplayed Neal on purpose to hide his importance to the story, and they are still doing that to some extent, but at the same time “Neal” isn’t a draw like a legend or costumed character and he is not replacing Emma as a main character.  He is a support character, but I do think that is like Henry and Belle.

Belle is a romantic love interest.  Henry is a familial parent/child love interest and I think that Neal is both.

These fairytale characters could come and go, but Neal is an original creation.  MRJ and Dylan work to portay someone we do not already know or think we know but for the new spin.  He is out of whole cloth, just like Henry.  The writers have created a long suffering character who keeps on trying despite getting kicked in teeth.  He is no fairytale prince, but a street smart survivor who just wants to have a home.  He is not out to be a hero but he has a core of goodness that colors how he treats others.  We are seeing new sides and in general while there is some debate about what it means, he is developing as a character.

CSF should have been a thread to discuss these different views but I realize, not everyone has the same appetite for discussion and civil disagreement.  I love that stuff.  I am not an emotional shipper type.  I don’t dream of their kisses  for feels, but for me it is analysis of their characters that interest me.  So  I enjoy the contrast in thought with  those who see Neal in a harsher light than I do, but I think those who write him off as  “flat” and one dimensional, may not realize how much time the show is spending on developing him. As a matter of emotion they may not WANT to see him as anything other than an unimportant blip in the epic love story they want to see.  I think there is a lot the writers have yet to reveal that they have in mind for this character but who knows.