Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25491743-20181127152213/@comment-25926288-20181128132717

Most probably know that I dislike ships (at least, within this show). I think ships evolved to be more about idealized representations than what’s actually being written.

If you want my thoughts overall and not a long essay: Neal- Emma was stronger if the show ended earlier, Hook- Emma was stronger at the show’s end. However, the show changed over the course of time and thus what fit what changed as well.

Disclaimer: I’m going to skip over the writers’ worldbuilding and lack of math skills and possible internal logic and even move beyond the fact that I didn’t particularly like either male character.

I think both were good for different parts of the show. In the first three seasons in which the show was more muted (though some aspect generic), Neal and Emma represented something real and the show was all about fairytale meets reality. There was complex dynamics that got explored (Though for some, just superficially). When the show became more overt and “lively”, Hook and Emma thrives without comparison.

It all comes down to personal taste in that regard. Neal and Emma fit the muted, real tone and Hook and Emma bloomed in the campy, colorful tone. I like a more down to earth tone and thus Neal and Emma would seem to be more of my preference, but Hook and Emma had the underpinnings...but the writers chose “Secrets and Lies” plus their “bad boy formula” three times over.

This is where fandom diverts from writing in some aspect. In “Once Upon a Hook” aka season 5B, certain fans saw “Hook is finally getting the spotlight he deserves as main love interest” and others saw “Hook is hogging all the spotlight” and I think both were just wrong despite kernels of truth to both. Hook was elevated in level as he should as main Love interest and he did get more spotlight....but it was shallow and superficial and thus didn’t really get anything. A season half that could delve into his psyche was reduce to one episode, forgotten about like some episodic filler and they simply toss him around for the plot and falls into the “Love Interest must permanently die...not Hook” trap of season 3 and 5.

To give some balance, though less to write, Neal and Emma was just something that was near completion and doesnt match the fortitude of random writing cycles that Hook and Emma has. Neal and Emma is slowburn, but also less fun, too ingrained with the overall narrative (at the time) to be rocked with less stellear writing. It wasn’t something campy and one off that could thrive in campier tones and sporadic development.

So...each were good for what was the tone at the time. It’s all a matter of preference of tone and the depth of character development/narrative relevance.