I just read that article as well Slurpeez, and it perfectly captured my dislike for Hook’s characterization and the way they handled it
Even the connection to Neverland aside, Hook is still poor villain and an even poorer love interest to boot. Fact is if you stick another character that’s charming and sexy next to Emma it’ll be the same and Hook would be irrelevant. Harsh to say but that’s how I see him as. He has no other reason to be there other then pining for Emma, which is a lame character arc. At least his revenge arc was a tad more interesting even if it wasn’t executed that well.
(I’ll post here what I’ve posted in another thread about why Hook just falls flat)
Hook had so much potential during the Crocodile episode but as season 2 went by I felt Hook wasn’t executed very well. He’s an anti-hero villain, but his actions seem so lame compared to the other villains we got. He was pretty much a vengeful lackey for Cora, Regina, and even Greg and Tamara. All of his plans have failed except getting Belle’s memories erased, but then proceeded to get run over by a car. He became a pirate to avenge the death of his brother but proceeded to burn an important asset that could help him (the Pegasus sail) and went to Neverland (with no purpose other then it connects with his character) and didn’t know a way off the island and sat around for 200 years. Then he grabbed at Bae shawl to prevent Rumple from leaving town but got beat up by Belle. I just started cracking up at that point at his character. All of his reasoning doesn’t even make sense. He is neither cunning nor smart. His actions in Neverland were underwhelming as well. The group wandered around for days with no progress into getting Henry. Neal formulated a plan in mere minutes the moment he got there. Mind you, Hook and Bae spent around the same amount of time in Neverland. No wonder Regina wanted to leave the group.
He should get more of his own arc then just with Emma. I thought his relationship with Bae was so compelling, I was hoping for more of that since it turn my opinion back around about him during the last 2 episodes of Season 2 with Bae and Neverland. Now it feels like they swept that all away as if it didn’t exist. They might have touch upon it in the first episode of season 3 as if he mourned him like his was his best friend, but then once Neal was back proceeded to compete with him for Emma’s affection DURING a dangerous mission to save henry, I just wanted to smack Hook across the face.
If it wasn’t for Colin’s charisma and acting, he would’ve been long gone and I wouldn’t even bat an eye. I’m sad that he’s reduce to being a love-sick puppy dog for Emma. I feel like for the most part Hook’s character is made for the sole purpose to satisfy fan’s sexual fantasies. Emma is their representative of that fantasy to have a hot sexy charismatic pirate who is a bad boy but will fawn all over you in their place. It’s just that type of thing the media harps on and idealize. But that is not love, that is the definition of lust.