Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26159109-20160201202653/@comment-16953943-20160205004949

Having Neal be Rumple's only option to sacrifce to the hat would have been far more compelling to watch, as even if he just considers it, it shows how far he'd consider going, once faced with his own morality.

If Neal and Hook both were alive, Neal could have been around to make Emma's decision to choose Hook feel less forced and more organic. She would have struggled with her past (Neal) vs her future (Hook), and would have learned that you can't hold onto the past, and must look to the future for your happiness. A lesson Regina had to learn herself. (Daniel/Snow situation vs Robin). Her choice to be with Hook then would have felt more like it really was her choice. As it stands, it feels the choice was taken from her when Neal died, and therefore feels forced as a result.

Henry might actually be able to grow up a bit more into the teenager he should be, rather than the 10 year old he still seems to act like he is. Having his Dad around to give him some guidence might have helped with this, as Emma and Regina don't seem to have the time to really raise the kid.

The entire Dark Swan arc would have possible been a HELL of a lot better than it was, rather than being reduced to the "Emma can't live without a man" arc. (And the Underworld arc wouldn't become the "Emma can't live without a man 2.0" arc.)