Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-8345449-20140513141958/@comment-24892318-20140523043144

Because Emma is his True Love.

He loved Milah no doubt. But she was made for the Jolly Roger and a pirate's life. Hook was a carefree pirate back then. He wasn't twisted with desire for revenge or redemption. He was simply Killian Jones.

The Hook Emma pulled from the rubble had spent untold years trying to get to Rumble. He was consumed by hatred. Until he thought Bae was killed and sent through the portal that is. At this point he realized that he needed to honor Bae's memory by proving him wrong and changing. This is a crucial development.

By the time he fell in love with Emma in NL, he had abandoned his quest for revenge and was intent on proving himself to be a man of honor. To no avail. No matter how many times he put himself forth to save Henry, Charming or the others, all he got for his efforts was a broken heart. The hero thing didn't stick. He was, as he said, always a pirate, and as such set off for the Jolly Roger.

His encounter with Ariel was also crucial. Hook believes in "Good Form" above all else. When he betrays Arial and kills Blackbeard, he realizes what a coward he is. He also realizes he has a void left in his heart by Emma and he's trying to fill it with the Jolly Roger. At some point shortly thereafter, he's going to get the message and trade his ship. He's betting on Emma, who doesn't love him, let alone remember him. It's called trust darling.

The Hook that comes back is doey eyed, patient, heroic, sexy, fatherly, and still snarky. He's taken quite a journey since Milah and he's in no way the same man. I think losing Milah and his hand, hating Rumble, forgiving Rumble, losing Bae, betraying his honor and then sacrificing the Jolly Roger all allowed him to find True Love with Emma.

All in all, excellent character development by A&E!