Spoiler alert! The season finale of ABC’s Once Upon a Time aired on Sunday, and fans have been lighting up Twitter with excitement over a long-awaited romance (“Captain Swan”), a fallen hero honored (baby Prince Neal), and the promise of something super cool (Elsa from Frozen) next fall.
But I’d like to devote this post to my favorite part of that triad: the moment Hook finally got the girl he’s been chasing for two seasons, Emma Swan. (Thank you, OUAT writers!) Yes, after following Emma into a time portal (Quote: “One of these days I’m going to stop chasing this woman.”), Hook helps his unrequited love navigate the past without destroying the future. During this time, she realizes that she doesn’t want to run away to New York City after all, that home is right there with her family in Storybrooke, and that … yes … Hook sold his beloved ship, the Jolly Roger, in order to come back and find her during the lost year. That’s how true his love is.
And with that confession, we finally get this:
(thanks to @lillyrain77 for the photo)
It was the reprise of this:
I’ve been waiting for since last year!!
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And for me, it was perfect. Unlike the old tales, this relationship took WORK. The guy didn’t rescue the girl like a prize; they rescued themselves and each other–physically and emotionally–many times over. And that kiss was based on a heck of a lot more than her looks or his wealth.
My favorite kind of hearththrob has never been the white knight Prince Charming type, anyway. I’m a Han Solo kind of girl. Damon Salvatore. Sawyer over Jack. I’m far more interested in the flawed anti-hero with the dark past. The guy who’s constantly battling his inner demons, but who wants more than anything to be a better man … usually because he’s found that ONE person who makes him want to change. To him, while “charm” may come naturally (particularly the kind that digs deep beneath a girl’s skin until she just can’t resist it any longer), he must constantly work at all those other “heroic” qualities the storybooks celebrate. And in some ways, that makes them more meaningful.
In Once Upon a Time, Hook plays the role of this black leather knight perfectly. For me, his addition during season two revived what was becoming a somewhat repetitive storyline. Then, the Neverland love triangle between him, Emma, and Neal gave me hope that this was leading somewhere great. And during Sunday’s season finale, I wasn’t disappointed!!
Now, sadly, all of us Once Upon a Time fans have to wait FIVE MONTHS to find out what happens next 😦
Lucky for me, I won’t be going a day without Belle, Snow, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, or the Princess and the Pea. I’ll be pouring myself into the June blog tour of Desperately Ever After; the August release of its sequel, Damsels in Distress (it’s got one of those black leather knights); and the creation of both a novella (Want to find out more about Rapunzel’s captor?) and the third book in the series.
Chick Lit Central recently called Desperately Ever After the perfect solution to Once Upon a Time withdrawal: “If you are looking for a fun and gossipy story to satisfy the holes left when Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives had their series finales (or even if you’re going through Once Upon a Time withdrawal come season finale time) look no further than Desperately Ever After.”
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What other bloggers are saying about the OUAT season finale:
laurakenyon.com 
I love OUAT Laura and have been waiting for Season 3 in the UK. I’ve just read this 😦 http://www.geektown.co.uk/tvairdates/once-upon-a-time/ Gutted!!!!
I said spoiler alert!!! But anyway, it’s about the journey, not the destination 😉
The sad face is that it isn’t being aired in the UK! Not the spoiler. I read that bit first and decided I could handle it hahaha
I am gutted that it isn’t being carried on in the UK. Might have to watch out on Netflix …
Ahh. That is a bummer 😦
I am so excited you are writing a sequel! You made my day!
So happy to hear it! There’s a teaser at the back of Desperately Ever After 😉