Reply To: Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

[kfchimera]

I agree Ranisha and PoM.  Maybe they will hero-glaze Hook some more and show he was a revolutionary pirate, in the tradition of classic story types.  There’s also Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro.  There’s a lot they could blend in if they want, but so far I would have a hard time matching that up to his bullying of the beggar, his remarks on Jimmny’s looks, and just other small moments.

Hook seems like maybe he was in the shadow of Liam a bit, despite that he did feel hopeless and snapped on his death.  There’s just this boastfulness to Hook that often oversells his true accomplishments.   How many people have we seen best him?  I think we need more than 1 hand.  Belle, Greg, Tamara, Regina (didn’t need magic to push him off a cliff!), Gold (didn’t need magic to beat him down with a cane!), Cora, and of course Emma (with an umbrella stand, and in the fight they say he “threw”).     There’s his lines about how “even I never ” went into Shadow Valley (but Bae apparently did at 14?).

I just don’t know how much we’re supposed to trust what he says, or whether some of it is not entirely true, but I do think he is not a thug-style pirate who hurts others simply because he enjoys it.  I don’t think he is truly a sadist.  I do think he is insecure, despite his outward show of confidence and that a lot of his behavior and half-truths stem from a desire to appear more useful, survival instincts, rather than a more malicious place like Regina pre Season 3.  Regina lied sometimes just because she could, as she did to Hansel and Gretel about their father leaving.  Maybe she’s changed now but I can’t fully trust her character is just all sweet and goodness now any more than I can believe it for Hook.

As RG said, there were magical reasons, and manipulation and abuse that explain why Gold and Regina turned out the way they did.  Hook’s story feels like while he is less evil overall in terms of his actions, he is more responsible for that evil (well that’s buying the magic darkness warping Regina brain theory, otherwise I still think she did a lot of it on her own).

What’s really funny against it all though is the contrast to Neal, who is very understated about anything he’s done.  He apologizes, owns up to his mistakes, but doesn’t try to take credit for things he doesn’t deserve, not even a little bit.  He does the right thing, as he did saving Whale, not because he wants to be admired and loved, but because it is the right thing to do.  He’s a good person basically, who may not be as out-ward focused and heroic to the extent that he goes out looking for people to save, but he steps up to the plate when the ball comes his way.