Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20160516005939/@comment-25926288-20160517150518

Hook, once he lost :the Emma he loved", went dark and nearly killed everyone. He eventually got around to sacrificing himself because that's not the man he wants to be. Regina lost Robin, but we don't see her going around nearly killing people but sort of wanting to. They are practically on differnt roads of redmeption.

Everyone gathering around Regina is because they are practically all together. When Snow is feeling down, Regina is there for her. When Regina is feeling down, Snow (and all those she drags along) are there for her. You're arguing character dynamics which leads to a flawed argument (which I understand). I'll pretty much lay it out:

Hook has pretty much only Emma as a positive connection. He hardly interacts with the rest.

Rumple has Belle as a positive connection. Rumple is iffy on everyone else.

Zelena has only Regina.

Regina has Emma, Snow, and Henry as a positive connection. So, it's not like Regina gets unwarranted group hugs. The group will never gather around someone like Zelena, Belle or Hook if they are having troubles, simply because they aren't well connected in the Charming circle of friends.

The question that would have to be asked: Do you want other characters to complain about their angst? Do you want characters to all be the same? If Regina, Zelena, Hook and Rumple all went the same route of redemption, it would get tedious.

There are problems on every side of the aisle. Many could argue that Hook's redmeption is iffy, that the show caters to him, and he gets everything he wants. Some argue that in the case of Regina. I think they are both right and wrong in many respects.

Hook's "I saved them from the trouble I started" redemption is bad because if you caused the problem and then changed you're mind, you're still a terrible person. (aka like Regina with the trigger). I actually thought his redemption was passable until it was confirmed in 5a that his goodness was contingent on Emma and still is in many respects. He puts Emma too far on a pedastal and to the bloody plank with the other characters.

I think a similar way with Regina. She feels remorse, but it's centered around her small sphere of influence and not the countless victims. I think the revelation that she struggling and sort of wants to give in, but doesn't because of "reasons" is a great reveal because before that I think her redemtion was terribly simplified and whitewashed if she just switched on a dime. That's actually what plagues Zelena a little because she's a terrible person who should countless times she can't be trusted, but I think she's been the best character this whole season.

Rumple's a different story. Even in this episode, it seems like they want to evolve Rumple, but they killed it far back then and I actually side with Rumple (on everything other than how he treats Belle). When he did the right thing, his son died. When he did the right thing, Belle left him. He suffered being powerless and good, why not go back into the comfort of powerful magic. I see where he's coming from. But the writers are really making it hard when they just make him evil for evil's sake. I mean, before they cartooned Rumple, I'm sure he would never kill or try to kill Emma or Rregina as he showed some respect for them in seasons 1 to 3.