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Futher, Hook and Rumple are studies in narrative contrasts. For example
S4: Rumple working (mostly) with Ingrid for his own selfish ends, not to mention hat-sucking. Rumple lying to Belle about how he hasn’t really changed, is found out at the end of arc, is forced to deal with consequences from romantic partner.
S4: Hook working against Ingrid with the help of Emma and Emma’s family, and any hat-sucking was done because he was controlled by Rumple. Hook lying to Emma about how he hasn’t necessarily changed (beating up Will, ect), is found out off screen and never forced to deal with consequences from romantic partner.
S4B: Rumple working with the Queens of Darkness and the Author to get his own happy ending, everyone else (except Belle) be darned.
S4B: Hook working against the Queens of Darkness and the Author trying to protect his and, by extension, Emma’s happy ending.
S5: Rumple is set up as a hero who pulled Excalibur only to take back on the Dark One’s powers for his own agenda. We are also told that Rumple’s real motivation for leaving the war out of fear and never anything to do with Bae.
S5: Hook is set up as a hero-turned villain who first helps Emma only to take on the Dark One’s power but loses them in self-sacrifice, declared a hero and going to be saved from Death. We are told that Hook’s father abandoned him and even named his new shiny son after Hook’s brother.
And even though it took 2 seasons
S3: Rumple dies for the town and only two people go in search of him, no matter how many times he has proved useful and actual family to rest of the gang.
S5: Hook dies after almost killing Emma’s child and family and everyone goes in search for him.
It’s a matter of contrasts.
[adrotate group="5"]"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Of course, they’ve had Rumple slip back way more on a consistent basis.
Yes but even when the other two–Regina and Hook–slip back, there is an “excuse” that doesn’t directly have to do with them, their very selves.
For example: Regina often snarks at Zelena and threatens her. But the excuse is that Zelena raped Regina’s true love and got pregnant with Robin’s daughter. On top of that, Zelena is fairly comfortable with her villainy and makes no apologies. It’s “understandable” then that Regina would turn on her “Evil Queen” persona.
For Hook, the biggest slip so far was as the Dark One. The “excuse” was that it was inflicted on him by Emma and the Darkness was controlling him and feeding into his fears, insecurities, and hostility.
For Rumple, by contrast, it’s that he is simply an addict or a coward. The responsibility is on him and him alone because he should have willpower or remember his past mistakes or what his fear/addiction have cost him before.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"To have it happen after he was made out to be a hero with a pure heart in particular further adds insult to injury. Not only that, but he’s right back to deceiving Belle, and after she decided to give him yet another chance.
Yes this. Him taking back the DO’s powers felt like it came completely out of left field after the season was set up as 1) no longer the DO and 2) spent the season learning to be a hero (albeit in a highly questionable manner).
When the writers realized they wanted Hook to go evil only to be killed and brought back later in 5B, they also realized that they needed one of the main cast to still be villainous so Rumple has a bottle of magic laying around and wam bam, DO Rumple again.
This brings us to another question, and one we’ve been somewhat avoiding. Is Rumple’s inconsistent character writing a result of trying to make Hook look better? Or is it because the writers don’t know what to do with Rumple? Or is it because they find Dark Rumple more interesting? OR is it not inconsistent writing at all?
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"No, I totally get your logic and I happen to agree. But I’m just not sure that’s how A and E roll.
I just have a sneaky suspicion that because Emma has already said this is her plan, that it isn’t going to go down like that.
This on the other hand is a much more plausible reason for why it may not happen
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"It makes sense, sure. But it’s one of those things that I wish was actual text instead of being relegated to headcanons.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"I don’t see it at all and I think it’s rather insulting to Snow and Charming to suggest that Emma and Hook have the same level of powerful love.
It is insulting. That’s why it’s not going to happen.
Because this show never does anything insulting?
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"ow, if they give us a big revealing motivation behind Rumple’s reasoning for taking back the DO mantle, I think they can still bring the character to a close in a decent way, albeit different way than what his ending was supposed to be in season 3a.
Actually I now think that his end at the end of all things is going to be the same as it was in S3A but with a different motivation. Instead of Rumple sacrificing his life for the town, I think it’s likely that he’ll be sacrificed by the heroes in an effort to end the darkness for good OR to end the “final battle”
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"The heart splitting idea should work given that the price in each case is a life…but I want to bank on True Love being necessary for it to work, too. And I’m not seeing True, sacrificial Love between Hook and Emma for the most part.
I don’t see it at all and I think it’s rather insulting to Snow and Charming to suggest that Emma and Hook have the same level of powerful love. Snow and Charming who–by that point–had taken back a kingdom from an Evil Queen, had TLK and broken curses, had one child who is the Savior of the World because of their TL, and about to have another one–are being equated to Emma and Hook have dated for all of–what–5 months at most? Yes, love can progress faster for some than others but say that Hook and Emma have the same TL-narrative weight is…an odd writing choice to say the least.
However, I have little hope that the writers aren’t going to go that route.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"I haven’t had a chance to read everyone’s responses yet, but I want to hit a few things:
–For the “whitewashing” aspect: While I obviously am NOT a fan of them whitewashing Hook’s deeds, what bothers me more is that the characters (and writers) do not extend even remotely the same courtesy to Rumple. This past season alone, when they knew Emma had Rumple it was “oh well. He had a chance. He can die for all we care.” Never mind that the darkness currently inhabiting their daughter/friend/girlfriend is the exact same darkness that inhabited Rumple. Later, when Hook is killed while that same darkness is inside him, we are told (through our lead character, Emma) that it’s not fair, that Hook died a hero, and that the collective CharMillStiltskin clan has to go and save Hook–never mind the Merlin murder and the attempted murder of the selfsame CharMillStilkskin clan. This is really wants fans are talking about when they mention that the shift in narrative has caused the audience to believe that Rumple – BAD and Hook – GOOD with no greater analysis or thought.
–With addiction: it’s definitely something that drives him, but I wouldn’t say it’s the first and most major aspect. @Keb is right that fear outweighs addiction: fear that without his power he’s unlovable. I would put it another way: fear that without his power, everyone would leave him because “he’s not worthy enough.”
–Not a hero but a good man: Y’know. I have argued with myself for 20 mins about if I believe this to be the case. I do think Rumple is a hero, at the very least his pre-reboot version is. Self-sacrifice is one of the defining traits of heroism–Emma, Regina, and Snow have all exhibited it at one point or another. But is he a good man? It’s hard to say for me. He has “good man” qualities: he does love his wife and son, even if his love for Belle and Bae are often overshadowed by something else. There is no denying that he does love and provided for his son. He does love and have affection of Henry even in S4A (post-re-boot) wanting to take Henry with him and Belle out of SB. But there things that no good-man would do, like hat-sucking. I think trying to classify him as one or the other or one and not the other is maybe too simplistic, even on a show that has reduced him to being so simplistic.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"
