Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-25926288-20151211170125/@comment-25926288-20160229150408

PrettyBlackRosePirate wrote:  In season 4, numerous times I found Emma's behaviour a bit strange, like she was making excuses for Hook, when he himself felt guilty about it. Like when he says it's his fault the fairies got trapped in the hat, Emma says "It wasn't you, it was Gold." When he talks about what happened with Ursula, she tells him it won't affect them. She repeatedly insists "You're not that man anymore." while Hook himself is afraid that his past might affect his - their - future. Further amplified when she chooses to make him the dark one and embrace darkness herself rather than let him die.

I thought back about it, and this is what I think. Emma has always sought love since childhood and whenever she found it she became quite attached and wanted to hold on, to change herself for it. Neal's betrayal changed some things about her, made her more closed and mistrusting, having mile high walls, but still she craved love. She found it again with her family, with Henry, with her parents, and eventually Hook as well. After Neal, Hook was the first person she had come this far with, i.e., openly admitted and accepted her love. Hook had won her love and trust, and slowly her fears were also subdued. But this created a sort of dependence for her, I don't know how to explain it exactly. Initially she had fears and inhibitions regarding her and Hook, but slowly she began to subdue them. She never truly got rid of them, but she wanted to be free of them, to be assured, that is why she made those excuses, to reassure herself and brush away her own fears. She desperately wanted this to work, and deep down was hell scared that it wouldn't, that he would die, or leave her, or something would happen and it would end. Hook gave her hope of a happy future, and she desperately wanted that future. This produced a sense of dependence in her and made her downright desperate sometimes, especially when as the dark one fears and negativity ruled her mind.

I'll agree for the most part, but I think the Neal thing is a bit overstated. Emma;s alls comes from a number of life instances with being an orphan, Ingrid, Lily and then Neal, not simply Neal alone. Those are how her walls formed but she still had some wholes in that wall where some people squeezed past.

The issue many have with it isn't what it is (Yeah, some people do, but that's not what I'm getting at). It's everything else around it. IF the Emma-Hook relatiohsip was the forefront and the only two major characters, then it would probably be fine, but...........surprise it's not. Henry was the first person to face Walled Emma and he was able to sowly bring down Emma's walls. It wasn't Hook doing all the heavy lifting, but Henry primarily, then Snow and Hook. Now, Hook plays a major role, but the issue is how everything is cast to the wayside. As I always say, It's not Hook, but the relationship...getting greater focus. It's nice and have beautiful moments, but when you have Snow and David doing like nothing for Emma and Henry sitting around pouting and throwing wacky villains forgiveness, except Emma; there is something off. Equal balance between Emma-Henry, Emma-Snowing, and Emma-Hook, is the best balance of all.