Very interesting discussion, guys! My two cents
1. I think some of Hook’s belligerence towards Bae (despite the underlying affection) is because he’s starting to realize that Bae is responsible for Emma’s emotional walls. I think juvenile behaviour was just that..juvenile and not at all in keeping with the seriousness of the situation they were in, but Hook had been almost apologetic to Bae till then. Its only after he tells Emma that he’s going win her heart (and I think he gets some confidence that he has a fighting chance with her when she thanks him for telling them about Neal, because this meant she was seeing him for who he really was), that he starts off the “silly” competition.
2. About redemption, I don’t think its going to be all that simple and straightforward. I think there’ll be a fair amount of back-sliding like we’ve seen with Rumple and Regina too. The key difference is I think, that Regina and Rumple have someone they love dearly and who loves them back (Henry and Belle) to steer them back on the right path and remind them of the better version of themselves. I think Killian needs this too to fully achieve his redemption. Once he knows Emma loves him back for who he is, he will be a better person. He’s already got Charming’s grudging thanks for helping him and Snow doesn’t see him as completely bad either. So yes, while it’ll be a bumpy road ahead for him, he will continue to prove himself in his mission to win Emma’s heart and in doing so lies his redemption.