Emma's reaction in the finale
The more I think about it, the more Emma’s reactions to the heart thing make sense to me. I understand that some people hoped for more, but I do think the way it played out makes sense for her character.
First of all, Emma does not talk about her feelings. She’s been opening herself up, yes, but even when she lets people in she expresses herself more with actions than words - hugs, ruffling Henry’s hair, forehead kiss for her little brother, kisses and cheek caresses for Killian. She’s not vocal, never has been.
The only times she really gets emotional is when she’s faced with loss. It’s a pattern, with her, that once everything is okay again, she’ll just move on. She called her parents “Mom” and “Dad” in a moment like that, but not afterwards, and when Snow brought it up she shut down. She was visibly upset at leaving Killian in 3x11, but when he found her again, there was no mention of it (and he apparently knew better than to bring it up). Same thing with her parents, that time. Emma does tearful goodbyes when she can’t avoid it, when it overwhelms her, but she doesn’t do tearful reunions. Because at that point, you’ve got time again, you’re safe, there isn’t nearly the same pressure that you have when you’re faced with losing someone forever. Emma needs to be really pushed to get emotional, it has to be a now-or-never situation, and reunions or moments of relief just aren’t that.
Emma also doesn’t have the best relationship with words, especially emotional ones. Neal said he loved her, and left. Ingrid said she loved her, and left - twice. If you want Emma to believe you, you’ve got to show her, not tell her. If you tell her too much, she shuts down. No one knows that better than Killian.
And let’s not forget - he hasn’t let her in. Not really. Oh, he loves her, but he didn’t trust her to believe him. I can’t blame him; she hasn’t really given him reason to. And again, that’s not something that can be resolved with words or a conversation, that’s something that needs to be built up with actions. I have a feeling that we’ll see that devleopment in 4b, at least a little.
With all that in mind, I want to offer my interpretation of the scene in Granny’s.
I think that the way it played out actually made sense for them. You can see her relief that he’s okay in the way she looks at him. You can see Killian Jones come back to himself in that split second before he kisses her. And no, they don’t talk much, but talking would open up a floodgate that I don’t think they’re ready to open yet.
This post offers a great explanation of why Emma doesn’t talk about it. She can’t handle losing Killian, and I think that extends to thinking about losing Killian or confronting the fact that she almost did. She only knew about this heart thing for a few minutes before it was resolved. She didn’t feel the full impact of it at the time, and it makes sense for her to not dwell on it, to avoid realising the full impact of it after the fact.
All Killian says is a reminder of what he told her before, which doubles as a reminder of that entire conversation for the viewers and an assurance to Emma that he knows she cares, he knows what this means to her, she doesn’t need to say it. She says nothing, but she literally holds his heart in her hands with no sign of discomfort, and she slams it back into his chest with confidence. She knows she won’t hurt him. She knows he can take it, that he’ll be fine. She trusts him to be fine. And he is.
And then she leaves, to have a drink with Regina. The interpretation that makes sense to me is this: she wants to stay with Killian. But staying with Killian means confronting the fact that she almost lost him, making that moment into a big deal, acknowledging that he almost died. It’s too much, plain and simple. She’s not ready, not able, to get that emotional, especially in a non-crisis situation.
Trying to cheer up Regina with a drink and a chat means going back into Savior mode, gaining some distance and detachment. Focusing on someone else’s problems means distraction from this thing that’s too big and overwhelming for her to even acknowledge right now.
I get that it’s frustrating, but that’s Emma for you. We have literally never seen her come out of a situation like this and get emotional. The most she’s ever done is give Henry a hug or let her parents hug her.
The fact that she kissed Killian and had that moment with him speaks volumes about their relationship, to me. She now treats him the way she treats her family. That’s huge. Who would have thought that this time last year?
So that’s my take on it. I know people were disappointed, and I understand, and I’m not arguing. This is just my solution, I suppose, in terms of finding a way it makes sense in context. And when I look at it like this, it’s such a beautiful and significant moment for them, so I wanted to share.
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