Over a decade ago, I wrote many, many words for Once Upon a Time. Words I personally don’t want to revisit, but you’re more than welcome to if you’d like. There was a period where my entire fandom experience was focused solely on a pirate and a lost princess, and I had no time or energy to focus on anything else. And while I adored our collective experience of finding out that Killian and Emma would kiss in “Good Form,” that’s not the scene I think about when I randomly miss them. The moment that’ll always be my favorite is—and will always be—what we get outside of Granny’s Diner in “There’s No Place Like Home.” It’ll always be Emma finding out the truth about the Jolly Roger and the fact that Killian traded his ship for her.
“You traded your ship for me?” “Aye.” One question. A simple, unmistakable reply. With stunning blocking, gorgeous lighting, and the most memorable performances from Jennifer Morrison and Colin O’Donoghue—this is the Captain Swan scene. It’s the moment I think about most, followed closely by Emma’s realization that she’s his happy ending in “Poor Unfortunate Soul.” Everything else is solid, but these two moments, outside of the sheer brilliance of “Tallahassee” as an episode, are the ones that’ve stayed with me. Lingered. Left a mark. You name it.
But let’s talk about it. So much of the reason Killian and Emma’s kiss outside of Granny’s Diner has an impact is because of everything we get before. Because from the moment he comes back in the Season 2 finale to every little choice he makes throughout Season 3, Hook shows the audience (and all the characters) that he’s trying to be better.
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He might believe he’s destined to perpetually stay a villain and chase vengeance, but Emma’s momentarily belief that he can make a significant choice changes everything. He starts to believe it too, and in seeing a part of him in her, he recognizes that her belief is bigger than everything else he’s fought against. So much of Once Upon a Time is convoluted, contrived, and too saccharine, but Killian and Emma’s story leading up to this moment is perfect.
“One day I’m going to have to stop chasing this woman,” he says as he jumps right into a portal to the past. He finds her, finds the person he used to be, and recognizes that once again—she’s the answer. She’s the inevitable choice. He’ll do anything to get her back home to her parents, and he’ll do anything to help her see that running away isn’t the only option.
All Killian had at this point was the Jolly Roger. It was both his home and the symbol of everything he bore, but when the time came, he didn’t question Emma’s significance over it. He didn’t hesitate. He traded his ship for her. If Once Upon a Time were canceled after the Season 3 finale, it would’ve still been the most deeply satisfying ending because his confession is brimming with promises. It’s perfect. You don’t just give up everything for a “one-time thing,” but you absolutely do for love—true love, while we’re at it.
Before the show fell victim to atrocious lighting and questionable narrative decisions later down the line, this moment was proof of the fact that there’s excellence on network television. There’s depth and magic, and a moment that’s so lovely, the right words don’t exist, no matter how much time has passed. As Emma sits across from him on the chair while he’s drowning his sorrows in rum, likely thinking of and recollecting every moment they’ve shared in their journey for safekeeping in his mind, things are already different between them.
She might not have heard him call her his princess, but it doesn’t change the fact that she is. She’s his, and he’s hers—tethered through a brokenness that’s forged into armor, their burdens and unyielding stubbornness link them gorgeously. Putting aside all the cosmic interferences we learn about later, this moment is proof that they’re each other’s safe place. The one person they can’t give up on. The person they can’t let go of. The person they’re searching for in a crowded room, which is fitting considering she leaves her family to sit beside him outside.
It’s also why Killian and Emma’s kiss outside of Granny’s hits different. It’s softer and more tender, yes, but it signifies something bigger. This isn’t a one-time thing driven by fierce longing, losses, and fears. It’s a kiss that says “stay.“ It’s a kiss that says, “I see you.“ It’s a kiss that’s driven by gratitude and immense understanding. It’s a kiss that says everything. It’s also amplified by the words he says before and the confirmation that if he had remembered the bar-wench, he would’ve gone after her. He knows how she kisses, meaning he’s held on to the one in Neverland all this time. It’s never been a question for him that Emma was hope personified. His refuge. His entire heart. The sole person he’d make amends for—change all his ways and fight through everything for.
The way she gradually learns to let her walls down with him. The way she’s the one who leans into the kiss first because Killian’s always given her the agency to know she’s in control. The way he delicately sweeps his thumb over her chin as they linger and hold each other’s gazes. The way she smiles as they fully lose themselves in each other. It’s all so deliciously penned that this is the reason the scene continues to hold up years later.
Once Upon a Time is now streaming on Hulu. What are your thoughts on Killian and Emma’s kiss outside of Granny’s Diner? Let us know in the comments below.
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