Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-25926288-20151211170125/@comment-27885419-20160229145220

 In season 4, numerous times I found Emma's behaviour a bit strange, like she was making excuses for Hook, when he himself felt guilty about it. Like when he says it's his fault the fairies got trapped in the hat, Emma says "It wasn't you, it was Gold." When he talks about what happened with Ursula, she tells him it won't affect them. She repeatedly insists "You're not that man anymore." while Hook himself is afraid that his past might affect his - their - future. Further amplified when she chooses to make him the dark one and embrace darkness herself rather than let him die.

I thought back about it, and this is what I think. Emma has always sought love since childhood and whenever she found it she became quite attached and wanted to hold on, to change herself for it. Neal's betrayal changed some things about her, made her more closed and mistrusting, having mile high walls, but still she craved love. She found it again with her family, with Henry, with her parents, and eventually Hook as well. After Neal, Hook was the first person she had come this far with, i.e., openly admitted and accepted her love. Hook had won her love and trust, and slowly her fears were also subdued. But this created a sort of dependence for her, I don't know how to explain it exactly. Initially she had fears and inhibitions regarding her and Hook, but slowly she began to subdue them. She never truly got rid of them, but she wanted to be free of them, to be assured, that is why she made those excuses, to reassure herself and brush away her own fears. She desperately wanted this to work, and deep down was hell scared that it wouldn't, that he would die, or leave her, or something would happen and it would end. Hook gave her hope of a happy future, and she desperately wanted that future. This produced a sense of dependence in her and made her downright desperate sometimes, especially when as the dark one fears and negativity ruled her mind.