As I mentioned a week or so ago, it's been two years since Colin O'Donoghue first walked onto our screens as Captain Hook. Two years ago tomorrow (on October 28), Hook and Emma met for the first time, and a year ago today they shared their first kiss, meaning that it's been exactly a year since one of my all time favorite episodes of OUAT and the 24 ridiculous hours I spent walking around like Captain Hook.
I just went back and reread my blog post from that day, which was, ironically enough, a milestone in it's own right: Day 300. The post can be found
HERE, in case you're wanting to reread but don't want to go searching for the exact post. I think about those 24 hours quite often actually, as it turns out they probably made me better at a lot of things, like living with one hand. I have to say though, since my right wrist has been on somewhat of a rest for almost a month now, I've discovered that not having a left hand is a lot easier than not having a right hand, although I suppose the outcome would have been very different if I wasn't right-hand dominant. Either way, I've become pretty darn good at juggling things around and doing things with one hand. Actually, recently I was carrying my tea, a waterbottle, my ID lanyard and my phone with one hand and arm while I got out my ID card (it's in a zippered case thing at the end of the lanyard), unlocked the door, opened the door, put the card back in and opened the door to my actual dorm room. All with one hand, and my mouth a bit because zippers are hard. Plus I can't even count the number of times my friends and family ask if I have everything because I look like a complete pack mule but still am somehow able to carry all of my stuff while still opening various doors.
The point of all of this rambling? We've had two wonderful years of Captain Hook, and he's come a long way since he first stepped onto our screens. I felt that deserves a little bit of celebration, considering he's my favorite character and I had a post about him on this day last year. Plus, over on Twitter I've just finished participating in 10 Days of Colin O'Donoghue. Therefore, it just seems right to have this today.
To be honest, I was literally completely unsure of what to do to celebrate this occasion, since I couldn't really find a "30 Day Captain Hook Challenge." I searched on Tumblr for ages. And then, randomly enough, I decided to scroll down just once more (seriously...this was going to be the last time) and BOOM!
Now, 30 Days is a long time, and I learned my lesson last week with doing giant posts like that, so we're going to cut it down to 15 questions I've selected instead. If there's one on the list you really want me to answer for some odd reason, let me know, but for now we'll stick with the following 15! I picked them based on the type of question they were, especially in relation to the character and the questions I answered in last week's OUAT Birthday Celebration Post!
1. Favorite Quote
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| "Rum, Sailor? Does anyone know what happens to sailors who drink rum? They get drunk, and drunkenness leads to bad form, and if there's one thing that won't be tolerated aboard this ship, it's bad form!" |
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| "I would go to the end of the world for her. Or time." |
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| "As you wish." |
Picking just one quote felt wrong, so I picked three of my favorites, all of which happen to be from Season 3. The first one is just something I tend to quote all the time, all over the place. The difference between Bad and Good form has become quite the common occurrence in my life, as is evident by the fact that I have a frame on my desk with a picture from that exact moment encouraging me to study. The other two are very much CaptainSwan moments, but as I was thinking through all the moments, those two just really stood out to me.
2. Favorite Adversaries
I feel like there's a certain amount of respect we all must have for the extremely complicated relationship between Hook and Rumpelstiltskin. In fact, the dynamic that comes across between Colin and Robert on screen is one of my absolute favorite dynamics of the show. Both actors do a great job with their parts, bringing the depth to their characters that's needed for such villains, especially when they face off against one another. Plus, you have to admit that many of the problems for both of them are caused by the other: Milah ran away with Hook, Rumpelstiltskin took Milah from Hook, Hook tried to take Belle and kill Rumple, then they ended up helping one another and now we're back to the whole "I'm going to blackmail you to death" sort of thing.
It's all very complicated.
3. Favorite Fight Scene
I absolutely adore the fight scene in 3x17: The Jolly Roger. The fact that Blackbeard looks like the cartoon Captain Hook and classic pirate fight scene things (such as the one featured in that picture right there), that awesome thing Colin did with the sword flipping up (and then wasn't able to replicate but it looked so good the first time that it all ended up ok). I love all of it.
4. OTP
This one probably goes without answering, because again...it's CaptainSwan. Duh.Why, precisely, do I love this ship more than all the others? Honestly, I'm not really sure, aside from the fact that Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis took my OTP (Han and Leia) and made them my OTP (Hook and Emma). I think it definitely has something to do with how they're written though, and the fact that we are lucky enough to see their relationship progress on screen. As much as I love other ships, Snowing and Rumbelle for instance, we didn't really see their relationship one step at a time. With Hook and Emma, we see the first time they meet, the first time they work together, the first time one betrays the other, and the consequences of that decision. We see the trust develop, their first date, their first kiss, the first time Emma lets him in, the terror Hook experiences whenever he looses Emma. Those are all very powerful moments, and that's what makes it so beautiful.
5. Favorite Character Qualities
Let's see, what comes to mind? Persistence for one, especially when it comes to those he loves. He's very loyal to them, whether that person be Liam, Milah or now Emma. I love that the theme for Season 4 is "Never give up on those you love," and we've already had this extreme case of Hook not wanting to give up on Emma. After all, his famous motto is "A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets." Therefore, it all fits together. Other than that I'd say patience. I mean, after all, he spent like 300 years in Neverland, and despite what people might say in the hating world, he's very patient in his relationship with Emma. She makes the first move every single time, and when he knows something is a big step for her, he makes sure she's alright every step of the way.
6. Red Vest, Black Outfit or something else?
Good question, easy answer. I'm a huge fan of Hook's modern Storybrooke outfit, although I definitely appreciate everything he wears. When it comes to the classic Hook, I love when he wears things without the big leather jacket, kind of like he did through much of early Season 2, and nothing ever will match up to his ball outfit in the finale. I adored that one too.
7. Favorite Hook x Floor Moment
Not gonna lie, I threw this one in the lineup simply because I found it awesome that this is even on the list. I mean, how many characters can say that they have an intense relationship with the floor without being dead. Poor Hook, but at least the floor seems to love him back.
As for my favorite HookedFloor moment, I can't really pick a favorite. I celebrate every time this true love couple is reunited.
8. Most Heroic Act
Coming back for Emma, for sure. Yeah, I know, he did it for her because he loves her and what not, but that's what makes it so important. As we recently found out, Emma's #1 fear is losing Hook because everyone else she loves ends up dead, and she's got this extreme past associated with abandonment, so to have someone who isn't going to give up on her is important for her as a character, regardless of anything else going on.
But what I love the most about this particular act is that he gave up his ship for her. I guessed that from the very beginning, and after every single episode in S3B I had one question, and I asked it literally every single time, out loud to my friends: "Where is the Jolly Roger?" It was obviously not in Storybrooke and I really wanted to know where the beloved ship went. Then at the very end of the season we have that moment where we find out that he gave it up. Why is that heroic? Not because he gave it up, but because he didn't tell her about it. Emma has no clue how he got to her, and she doesn't really question it too much until that last moment at the end of the season. He knew that if he told her, it would weigh her down. She'd feel like she owes him or something. The relationship, or whatever it was, was still too new, and he did it because he loves her. It deserved no explanation. And again, he was allowing her to make the first move. Goes right back to that patience thing.
9. More things you want to know about Hook?
His parents, for sure. We find out at the end of Season 2 that his father was a fugitive that abandoned him out of the blue, and we know later on that he has a brother, Liam, whom he'd follow to the ends of the earth. But what about these parents? What happened to his mother? Who exactly was his father? How did Liam find him? So many questions! And something tells me that by the end of Season 4, we'll have a few more answers, whether we like them or not.
10. Two hands or one hand?
Talk about a throwback with that picture, huh? Anyway, I think definitely one hand with the Hook. I'm on the team that feels he doesn't need to have both hands to be a whole person. He does just fine with the hook...it's a part of him. Although making the deal with Rumple in regards to make things special for Emma was pretty sweet. I very much enjoyed him having both hands, if only for a few minutes. However, long term? I don't think I could handle that. I appreciate the return of the hook.
11. Saddest Moment
Sadly for my favorite character, sad moments seem to be all over the place. I get it, this is a drama and we have to keep that drama going for every single character, or else things start to get boring. But by far the saddest moment is this one for me, when he's watching Emma happy with her family, and now he's here with this awful secret, and we all know that Killian doesn't really like to lie to Emma all the time. Ending the episode that way was just heartbreaking, although it may just be Colin's face. He's so good at that face.
12. Favorite Eyebrow Moment
This one is also on the list simply because I adore that it's on the list. I mean, an eyebrow question? Gosh the OUAT Fandom has some awesome stuff. Now, there's an uncountable number of eyebrow moments with this guy on the show (actually that would be a really interesting experiment if...haha if...I rewatch again someday). But my favorite is probably this one, the moment when in the span of literally one shot he managed to raise both eyebrows at different times. We aren't treated to that ability very often. Then again, I really loved the one a couple of episodes later with Henry outside Granny's. It's funny though...the eyebrow thing is a daily occurrence in my life now, since my brother has started doing the eyebrow thing and I just realized the other day that eyebrows no longer mean the same thing they used to for me. They used to mean one was questioning something...now it just means anything but that.
13. When did you begin to like Hook?
This is sort of a hard question because I have very little memory of those first two seasons. I wasn't crazy about it back then like I am now, so I just don't know. If you go back and reread the very first blog post I mention OUAT in, I do mention Hook as one of my favorite characters, even back then, but I honestly don't remember really loving him as a character until I rewatched Season 2 with Megan and her roommate, Katie. That's when I realized that Colin was a real person and that Hook was a character that was obviously destined to become my favorite. Then again, I think a lot of us all really began to love Hook right then and there in Tallahassee, if not before that.
14. Killian Jones or Captain Hook?
Both.
I mean, there are things I love about Hook and there are things I love about Killian, but deep down they are the same person. Change any one moment of his life and he wouldn't be where he is today, so I can't say that I wish he had never been Hook or that he was all Hook. We learned that in 4x04 there's always going to be a part of that pirate in him, but he's my favorite character because of that development and because of who he is as a character as a whole...and because, well, Colin, but still. The point is that he'll always be a little bit of a pirate, and I'm alright with that because as he reminds us all the time, he's also a gentleman. It's a good balance and it's entertaining to see one part or the other ring true from moment to moment. It makes him more interesting.
15. Favorite BTS or OOC Moment
This was actually the last day of 10 Days of Colin O'Donoghue as well, so it all works out well. I think this is by far my favorite BTS moment, when this adorable kid was dressed as a pirate and Colin stopped to take this picture and swordfight with him. Absolutely wonderful, and 100% Colin. There ins't always a lot of time for fun and fan-interaction on set, but he tries his best and that's what matters. I remember seeing this and completely freaking out about it because really...isn't that just adorable and great and wonderful? Yeah it is.
And that ends the 15 Hook questions, which took me forever to do (Although I got distracted time and time again while trying to write this particular blog post...I'm talking roommates and dinner and YouTube and various other things). Still, I can't wait to see the rest of Hook's character development this season, which Colin says we're all going to like. It'll be a good time...and angsty time...but a good time I'm sure.
Special thanks to Colin himself for bringing this character to life, and to those behind the scenes writing the brilliance that we see on screen. I can honestly say that if you asked me a couple years ago if my favorite character would be Captain Hook I would straight up laugh in your face. I mean, like to the point that I love him now. From eyebrows to "bloody hell" to "bad form," it's obvious the character has impacted me, and I'm totally ok with that.
Have a magical day!
(Note: This blog post was published on October 29).
