Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24892318-20140606234443/@comment-24892318-20140614000100

One  the the things I love about Hook is that he is multilayered. I think he has several motivations for becoming a better man, or rather, returning to the man he was before he lost Milah and even yet the man he was before he lost Liam.

A big part of it was losing Bae. He loved Bae. They were kindred spirits as well. While Bae was the Jolly Roger, they bonded over their shared abandonment by their fathers. Hook treated him like a son and wanted him to be his family. But once Bae found out about his mother, Bae told him he would never change. Hook promised him that he could. Bae didn't believe him. Hook proved him right by giving him to Pan. Then he didn't see him again until he was a grown man, Emma's first love, Henry's father. When he thought Neal had been killed and went through the portal, he realized he had lost his chance to prove him that he could change. Hook did leave with the bean but he also came back. Emma- "I thought you didn't care about anyone other than yourself." Hook -"Maybe I just needed reminding that I could."

But again, multilayered. Hook has always worked on his own. Look out for yourself and you never get hurt. He didn't trust anyone. She challenged him in the diner. Emma -"You can do what you do best and be alone, or you can join us and be a part of something." He left. But driven by his desire to change, and to be a part of something, he came back. And he opened himself up to working as part of a team in the side of good for the first time since Liam.

Again, multifaceted. Rumble. He realized that that if he succeeded in his quest, that when it was all over, his life would be empty and he'd have nothing to look forward to. He realized through his conversation with Regina that villains don't get happy endings. He had already "killed" his crocodile once and it didn't bring him what he was looking for. He still wasn't happy. Coupled with his revelation with Neal's death, he was ready to drop his quest for revenge. He left. But again, driven by his desire to redeem himself and to be part if something bigger than himself, he came back.

I think all three things worked on Hook initially to motivate his desire to change. I believe he continued to grow by his desire to be a better man not only for Emma, but for himself.