ONCE UPON A TIME: Jennifer Morrison, Michael Raymond-James, Colin O’Donoghue, and Eddy Kitsis Weigh in on the Emma-Hook-Neal Triangle
October 11, 2013 by Marisa Roffman
Many of the relationships on ONCE UPON A TIME are fairly simple with obvious rooting intentions (ex: Snow and Charming, Belle and Rumple), but for Emma Swan, her romantic life has always caused a bit of debate between fans.
In season 3, things are a bit up in the air for Ms. Swan as she (falsely) believes that Neal — who also happens to be the father of her missing son, Henry — is dead, and one of the people who is on Neverland trying to help her find Henry is Hook, with whom she’s had a bit of a reluctant spark with since they met last year. And while the timing is not really right for romance, will sparks be flying for either couple anyway?
“Obviously they think Neal is dead,” OUAT co-creator Eddy Kitsis told reporters last month. “Obviously Hook is a man who likes ladies. And as we saw last year when [they] climbed the beanstalk, Emma has probably captured his heart a little bit. But in the same respect, we see that Neal is fighting like hell to get a second chance with her. And right now, I think Emma is focused on getting Henry. She’s not someone who likes to let her walls down, and her heart’s been broken too many times for her to kind of be worried about dating right now. But we’ll see. She’s got two handsome guys.”
“Logically she believes that Neal is dead, for good reason,” Jennifer Morrison (Emma) pointed out. “But also emotionally she has to believe he’s dead because she’s already been through so much loss with him that I don’t think her heart could take hoping that he was still alive and in that situation. She’s pushed to the limit already so she has to believe that he’s dead for emotional and logical reasons. And in terms of Hook, just like everyone else in this group that you said has trouble working together, she’s making educated decisions moving forward without them. They all have a common goal — she believes they all want to save Henry — but she’s making educated decisions based on what their behavior has been in the past.”
“You know obviously she knows Regina has tried to murder thousands of people, so that does go into play when she makes decisions — although she has decided to trust Regina and trust that she wants to save Henry, and she does form a union with her in a certain way on this island, and there is a different kind of connection because of that,” Morrison continued. “And similarly with Hook, she believes that he probably has selfish reasons for wanting to do that from the start because based on her experiences with him in the past, she believes he’s going to do something selfish, and he kind of continues to surprise her by coming through, by truly being supportive, by actually being helpful, by doing things that seem at the surface sort of selfless. So there’s an interesting dynamic that starts to play out when she starts to realize that he exceeds her expectations in almost every situation and that has its own way of putting her off kilter because she then doesn’t know what to expect from him, even though what she’s saying is good. So that definitely is an interesting dynamic that starts to develop. It feels like, whether it’s the island or the way that they connect or get along, he seems to be changing in a way, and she’s taking note of that.”
For his part, Colin O’Donoghue (Hook) noted that regardless of Hook’s pull towards Emma, Neal’s presence is never far from their minds. (Hook, after all, was involved with Neal/Baefire’s mother before Rumple killed her.)
“I think the relationship that they have is sort of complicated, because they both care deeply for Baelfire[/Neal],” O’Donoghue said. “Emma loves him, you know, and Hook was willing to give up everything to become his stepfather. And in the first episode you see that he has kept his sword. Remember that he would have had to have kept that sword for hundreds of years, and he says to her — cause she said ‘Obviously you guys were quite close,’ and he said ‘I miss him, too.’ And he was very, very genuine about that. They always saw an element of themselves in each other anyway, I think, from when they went up the beanstalk, but in particular this sort of thing you know is kind of, they’re not that dissimilar.”
So where does that leave Neal? After all, he is currently trapped in fairytale land, trying to make his way back to the people he loves, unaware of what might be brewing between Hook and Emma.
“Neal is under no illusions that things between he and the woman that he loves are perfect,” Michael Raymond-James (Neal/Bae) admitted. “I think, now more than ever, he realizes that there’s work to be done and is prepared to do whatever work is necessary, because I’ve had an opportunity to sort of touch what Neal feels could be his happy ending, but I haven’t been able to grasp it yet. It was a fleeting sort of instant. So he’s trying to get back there and whatever he needs to do in order to have that I think he’s willing to do.”
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ONCE UPON A TIME airs Sundays at 8 PM on ABC.
Related:
ONCE UPON A TIME: ‘Quite a Common Fairy’ Photos
ONCE UPON A TIME: Ginnifer Goodwin on Shooting the Emotional Snow/Emma Scene in ‘Lost Girl’
ONCE UPON A TIME: Josh Dallas, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Jennifer Morrison Preview Charming Family Drama in ‘Lost Girl’
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If Emma and Neal end up together it’s a deal-breaker for me and OUAT. It would make no sense for Emma to take him back based on everything he’s done up to literally minutes before he fell in the portal.
Emma can not stay with Neal, but Hook…disgusting… He already had Bae’s mother
Emma can stay up with Grumpy, whale, but Hook is disgusting. No matter how Hook is redeemed.
To me Emma will be the new Kate from ‘Lost’. ..cheap and easy…hope I’m wrong :/
I am rooting for Hook/Emma!!! Simply because they both fighters, who never give up. And they have this kindredness, and he understands her and has been doing, he believes in her and she sees past him being a villian, he is much more. I want a man to fight for Emma. Who chooses Emma. And these two have touched on the subject of trust before and that is vital.
So yeah i am rooting for Captain Swan!!!
I am liking Hook-Emma dynamic, so much can be brought into it – two ppl finding love in each other and hope. They have a connection and they are fighters etc.
Both see through each other and past each others walls and that is what they need. And Emma is inspiring him to be a better person. And he accepts how and who Emma is – always had done.
I dislike Neal to what he has done to Emma before and after we see him come back, not that he ever wanted to come back. Insensitive he is.
I always liked the Hook-Emma interactions due to the fact that he read her so well on that beanstalk and she did as well with knowing there is more to his revenge. They both knew each other. Kindred Spirits and much more.
I am all for a love story between Hook/Emma falling in love in this journey due to the ppl they are today. Emma deserves so much and a man who fights for her, chooses her and never gives up.
Hook/Emma are amazing. Neal has hurt her so much in the past – it’s time someone put her first and Hook can do that. Seeing their journey is amazing.
I am all for a Hook/Emma love story. Show is very good without it, but their relationship makes me want to tune in each week.
I really like Neal a lot and I hope this triangle storyline plays out for the good of all 3 of them. That being said, Hook & Emma have something so natural and electric. Emma has given Hook a sort of hope to be a better man and a better person and likewise, Hook offers Emma the opportunity to trust someone again. I’m all for a love story inspiring two people to become the best versions of themselves and that’s what I see with Hook & Emma. Just my opinion, I do like Neal, but there is nothing special or epic about their story.
I love Hook and Emma. I hope the writers don’t go with Neal/Emma, Neal is SO boring, and I can’t see him as an adult Bae. Hook is so interesting, so dark yet tender sometimes, I do believe he’s changing.
I really enjoy hearing what all three actors have to say about their characters, it eases my mind about what (could be) a very annoying narrative device. It all seems to be very character-motivated, not soap opera-esque romantic drama, and that makes me happy. Having said that, I’m really enjoying the dynamic between Hook and Emma on the island so far – it’s starting to feel like a genuine relationship, rather than simply a flirtation. I haven’t seen much of Neal, so I can’t say anything about that…
I really would like to see Neal’s relationship with Tamara and the aftermath of her betrayal dealt with. His love and need for her seemed very genuine, and discovering that what SHE felt for him wasn’t the same… That has to be heartbreaking! But suddenly knowing that Tamara didn’t love him does not negate the way that he felt for her either. Even being shot by her does not change the fact that, up until that moment, he was planning a future with her. I’m looking forward to a fuller examination of his character, and how he went from idealistic and courageous young man to the jaded thief we meet in “Tallahassee.”
On the flip side of the coin, I can’t deny cheering for Captain Swan. The way O’Donoghue portrays the character–you can practically see the sincerity in his eyes when he says that he fancies Emma or that he would like to know who she really is. There’s an earnestness, a desire to be seen and known himself that is apparent, even in moments such as when he is asking her to soothe his vanity regarding her world’s representations of him. He’s practically torn down all of his own walls and defenses with Emma in particular in a way that begs her to reciprocate his trust and openness. Furthermore, even while flirting with Emma, he clearly respects her and accepts her decisions with grace– letting her walk away without pursuing more flirtation, following her when she declares herself the leader (which shouldn’t necessarily come naturally to a man who has been de facto dictator aboard his own vessel for the better part of three centuries).
I like Neal, I do, but NOT with Emma, not after all the pain he’s caused her.
Captain Swan all the way for me! They define all the aspects of True Love the A+E have layed out for us!
JJ – Can i say its this desire that he has to know Emma, her core self is what is so beautiful because Emma deserves to be known for who she is – EMMA SWAN, a person. And Hook has always seen her as Emma nothing else. Also i want their to be desire and passion for Emma from a man… and Hook has that, its natural and it can be passionate and intense, Emma deserves that – a love and a fighter. Hook is i guess is on his way to falling in love with Emma Swan. But i think the great thing Jen says is that she sees how he is being and coming across which helps a relation between them go further then stuck on one thing, its growing.
Emma/Hook all the way, rooting for them. Hope is what i see for them with each other and with that comes everything else.
I love reading Jennifer’s words on her character, it’s clear she puts a lot of thoughts behind her acting choices, and it’s beautiful really 😀
I ship Emma/happiness, so whoever she ends up with, I’ll be fine! She deserves a happy ending, she went through a lot, and still manages to be a good person. She’s a real fighter…an inspiration for me.
I love Emma and Hook’s interactions, but even if they get romantic, I do not really see them as endgame. I am far more interested in seeing Neal and Hook interact and deal with each other. I feel like Colin and MRJ have better chemistry together than with Jennifer haha. As for Emma, I want to see her develop her magic! I want to see her become the person she was born to be! I want to see Emma explored rather than forcing her into relationships so they can play up the tired triangle trope. Let Emma be her own woman!
I’m still rooting for Emma/Graham, they were so cute lol
JMo has good chemistry with MRJ -it shows they are close friends- but it’s mad hot when acting with Colin, not sure why, but they are amazing together! I’m not the biggest Hook’s fan, but on the show he looks more into Emma, than Emma is, for him. It’s still one sided, so I’m curious to see how she’ll react once she realizes Hook isn’t being selfish, but helping only because he wants to.
I think the endgame for Emma just might be Henry. I think Neal will always be a friend and Hook an ally. I do not like the idea of Hook going with both grandma and ma. That’s just a wrong set up for romantic love or true love. I think Emma, Neal, and Hook all relate to each other. I actually like to see Colin and MRJ as well. I agree Emma needs to be explore more than force into a relationship. But if they have choose Neal or Hook. I vote Neal all the way.
Emma and Neal belong together. Simple as that.
I like Emma and Neal. Every scene I have scene with the two of them has had emotional depth. To me they are a classic love story. Two people divided by fate coming back together. Emma has has already stated numerous times how much she loves Neal. Also, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have stated in interview that Emma really loves Neal and what he did was an act of selflessness. It was for the greater good. That being said, I do like the interaction of Hook and Emma. They have great banter and spark, but you put them together, you may take away their spark. Emma and Neal have great couple chemistry.
Rooting for Hook, who loves her and chooses her and believes in her!!! Rooting for Emma/Hook
How can Neal and emma be together I mean they r cute together but Neal is dead and hook and emma aren’t so bad together I like Neal and emma and hook and emma