The return of Once Upon a Time promises new duels, but also the continuing battle for Emma Swan’s heart. Read on and judge for yourself who Emma should be with!
Valentine’s Day arrives tomorrow and love is on everyone’s mind. Fans of Once Upon a Time have quite the love triangle waiting for them when the series returns Sunday, March 9. At the close of this season’s first half, Emma’s mind was erased of all memories involving the fantasy world.
As the final minutes drew to a close, Emma’s life in New York had only one guy in it, her son Henry. But when Hook knocks on the door and tells her that her family is in trouble, the baggage that arrives with that intrusion is quite a lot to sort through.
Before the season returns, let’s take a journey back through the relationships that Emma shares with the dueling bachelors! Once Emma remembers the sordid history she shares with each lad, who should she choose?
Neal and Emma, criminal lovers with quite the rocky history together, start out in murky waters. Add in a mix of fairytale secrets and Neal’s battle for Emma’s heart becomes that much more difficult.
Arriving with a plethora of his own daddy issues, Neal discovers that Emma gave birth to a son after he left her to take the fall for his criminal activity. After the curse is broken and memories resurface, Emma allows Neal into her life and warns him not to hurt Henry. They slowly build as good of a relationship as they can when Regina and Rumplestiltskin are both parental figures in the web of a family tree.
It is the arrival of Neal’s current fiancé, Tamara, that places Emma on her guard as he struggles with his guilt from their past and the roadblock for their future. Well versed in apologizing to Emma at this point, it seems no words can make up for the trouble he put her through.
I wanted to look for you, but I was too afraid that you wouldn’t forgive me because I never forgave myself. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I don’t regret having left you.
That is until Tamara takes Henry to Pan, forcing Emma and Neal to come together when their son is kidnapped. Tamara’s wedge between the two grows larger when she shoots Neal and he saves Emma from falling into the portal that transports him to the Enchanted Forest. It is only at the thought of losing Neal forever that Emma confesses her love for him.
Neal’s quest across realms and his willingness to live a lifetime paying for his mistakes, creates a second chance for their love to blossom. Hook’s willingness to back off for the sake of Henry helps, but Emma’s mind and heart are unsure where to go next.
If Emma is faced with losing Neal again will she be able to see the man who is willing to do anything to redeem himself in her eyes?
On page 2:
Recall Hook and Emma’s history and cast your vote!
Page 2: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Lover’s Duel: Neal vs Hook, who should Emma choose?
Captain Hook, the man with a distaste for crocodiles and one sharp back hand, begins his intertwined relationship with Neal earlier than Emma’s existence. The magic of frozen time ensures Hook remains a strapping young man even though his first true love was once Neal’s mother, Milah.
Hook operates under two motives, love and revenge. Swearing vengeance against Rumplestiltskin for taking Milah’s life, Hook takes to the seas of Neverland where he happens upon a young Baelfire. A softer side of Hook shines through when he takes Bae aboard the Jolly Roger and trains him to sail and navigate the stars. (Neither Hook or Neal fully disclose every detail of their past to Emma.)
When Emma eventually arrives in the picture, it is at the height of Hook’s plan to kill Rumplestiltskin. Hook may swear off deep romantic entanglement, but that does not stop his flirtatious attitude causing anyone in a mile radius to swoon. His icy charm does little to move Emma Swan, yet the pair discover they understand each other more than they think during a climb up a beanstalk. Any hint of romance is erased after Emma abandons Hook and he confronts her with a dried up bean.
Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility… Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I’m done… With you.
In spite of the dark persona he gives off, Hook realizes that once he exacts his revenge, he will have nothing to live for. It is not until the crew is gathered to set sail for Neverland at the start of season 3, that Once Upon a Time‘s long awaited “hook-up” starts to spark.
Emma may be reluctant to offer Hook insight to her past, but soon Hook recognizes the way to Emma’s heart is through action, not prying. After taking charge on the mission to save Henry and guiding the search party through Neverland, Hook manages to save David by temporarily stopping the dreamshade poison. As an act of thanks, Hook and Emma share quite the passionate kiss, after which Emma asserts that it was a one time event. “As you wish,” replies the broken-hearted captain.
Neal’s return tosses Emma into a romantic frenzy, suddenly faced with the man she loved but believed dead, and hearing Hook reveal their kiss reminded him that his capacity to love did not die with Milah.
After all is sorted in Neverland, and right before the memory spell is cast upon Emma, it looks as though Neal has the clear advantage. But does Hook’s arrival in New York one year later indicate a head start for Emma’s heart?
Once Upon a Time returns Sunday, March 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC