Short Review: DEAD IN THE WATER

Out of the Past opens with Once’s Captain Hook out at sea on the Jolly Roger. Except he’s not Captain Hook yet—this is his time as a pirate before meeting Milah, and before he lost his hand to Rumplestiltskin. The narrative setup neatly fills the 22-page length while trying to unearth some new or interesting elements of the character. Does it succeed? Eh, kind of.

The Jolly Roger is fighting through a storm to get to the Southern Isles (yes, that’s a Frozen reference), and things keep getting worse until Killian spies some calm waters, the only hope for survival. The problem is that said waters are the Leviathan Shoals, a dangerous area haunted by a monster capable of casting illusions to lure prey into its clutches. Despite the warnings of his first mate, Killian sees no alternative and orders the crew to steer the ship to the shoals. Shortly after they escape the storm, he spots a small ship nearby—and who should be on board but his deceased brother, Liam, alive and well.

Sensibly, some shade is thrown on this development, more so by the first mate. Killian is convinced that his brother is really here, surviving not only the poisonous Dreamshade from Neverland but his burial at sea, too. Liam’s explanation for his current undead-ness is vague, which keeps the crew and the reader on edge. One issue that made me doubt this guy was Liam, besides the physical unlikelihood, is that he isn’t more appalled that his brother, once a royal naval officer, is now a pirate. Granted, Killian doesn’t act quite as ruthless in this story as he does later on as Captain Hook. Near the story’s beginning he rescues the ship’s cook from being tossed overboard in the storm, but he acts as though it’s an inconvenience rather than a concern for the man’s life. That could just be Killian’s tough-captain persona. He demonstrated similar strictness while serving as lieutenant under his brother.

Over the next couple days Killian and Liam plan an escape from the shoals. They think that by engaging the Leviathan, they can distract it enough to elude its control. Liam takes the small ship he showed up in to provide fire power while the Jolly Roger acts as a decoy. They launch their attack, and it seems to work until Liam’s ship catches fire. From afar he begs Killian to come rescue him with the Jolly Roger.

Killian’s ultimate decision is sensible, but it raises the question of what choice he’s actually making. If his brother is an illusion, then he’s not really losing anything by leaving him behind. In reality, though, whether Liam is real or not, this story presents a turning point for Killian. He now has to accept that his brother is gone, one way or the other. Yet he closes the story with the declaration, “You will always be by my side.” It demonstrates how much Killian clings to his love for his brother—so much that he believed in what was probably an illusion right away despite all logic raising a fleet of red flags.

The incident also shows that Killian is willing to put his crew (and his own survival) before his sentiments, albeit only after he convinces himself that the Liam on the burning ship isn’t real. This decision leaves interpretation open to readers while still coming across as an in-character choice. Is Killian finally moving on from his grief over Liam? Is this moment going to compact his guilt over his brother’s fate? Is it an indication that he values his life above the person he loved best? I think anyone could spin this in different ways, and that might leave some readers a bit wanting. I believe it gives us just enough to reflect on what we know, or think we know, about the man who would become Captain Hook.

Rating: 3/5