"There's not a ngày will go I won't think of you." - Hook in 3x11
"...Not a ngày goes bởi that I have not thought of you." - Charming's letter to Snow in 1x10

I saw certain các bình luận from the unofficial 'We Hate Captain Swan' club on the OUAT spot and couldn't help chuckling quietly to myself when they asked 'Why did it have to be Hook who finds Emma in New York?" and "It should've been Neal!" How unobservant and dim is it possible for them to be?! Isn't it crystal clear at this stage in the hiển thị who Emma's true tình yêu is? (or should be?). In case bạn missed it, hoặc need a quick recap, let's look at the facts again. chịu, gấu in mind: this is not wishful thinking on my part. It's what has been được trao to us on the show.

On OUAT, 'true love' is defined as being about honor, sacrifice, hope, faith, and never giving up. It's also about putting the one bạn tình yêu first. It's been consistently emphasized that Hook will do anything for the things he feels passionately about, whether it's about getting revenge, hoặc whether it's for love. Therefore, it's completely in sync with his character for him to find a way back to Emma. It's been noted bởi various characters throughout the season that what he does is for Emma, and that's deliberate. The writers want us to know that, because they want us to be on Hook's side. Since Emma and Neal were reunited, what big scene have they had? The hug they shared in 3x11 felt thêm like a hug between 2 old Những người bạn rather than an emotional goodbye, hoặc a romantic, intimate moment. And in spite of Neal telling her "I'll never stop fighting for you", it doesn't feel like that's what he's doing. If the writers were serious about Swanfire, and wanted Neal to be redeemed, they could have easily scripted it so that Neal finds Emma in New York. After all, he does tell her that it isn't over and they'll see each other again. But they didn't, and that should tell bạn something.
Now, there could be any number of explanations for why Neal stays in Fairytale Land, but at the end of the day, OUAT isn't 'The Vampire Diaries', and they're not going to play CS shippers off against SF shippers just because it's supposed to be a tình yêu triangle, and a bit of ship rivalry is needed for promotional purposes hoặc whatever. I believe that the producers know that CS are true loves, and it really doesn't serve the fanbase to mislead SF những người hâm mộ in any way, bởi giving them false hope. It makes thêm sense to try and get as many people on the CS ship as possible, and they obviously can't do that if they give Emma/Neal big, emotional scenes. It's not that the producers are intent on pleasing the CS fans, hoặc that CS are 'fanservice'. CS works, they want it in the show, and they want the people who watch the hiển thị to want CS as well. Therefore, it has to be Hook who goes to New York and not Neal.

One of the most striking thoughts I had upon re-watching the end scene in 3x11 was that Hook didn't just say "Not a ngày will go bởi when I don't think of you", he also acted upon what he said, and he came to New York for her. I mean, he found a way to vượt qua, cross WORLDS for Emma and her family. He didn't let the curse hoặc the fact that they were separated bởi different worlds stop him. Again, this is in line with what we already know: that everything he does is for her, and brings to mind the famous Snowing trích dẫn "You found me!" and "I will find you! I will always find you!" (The fact that she doesn't remember him when he kisses her doesn't mean they are not true loves; the same thing happened to Snow and Belle.) There were no doubt other people involved in helping him travel between worlds, but look. Neal spends 10-11 years wallowing and brooding, and refusing to see Emma because he doesn't think she'll want to see him and because he's afraid of what she'll say. The only thing preventing him from being with her again is himself. Hook is in a completely different world from Emma; they are literally worlds apart from each other, and...he still found a way to get to her. Because they are true loves. And he will find her. He will always find her.