For me, this was the first decent episode of the season. It's interesting that so many are either crowing over Hook's situation or lamenting over the fact that he isn't saint. I don't care if he isn't a saint. No one is meant to be one. Certainly not Emma and the Charmings, who at times, seem unaware of their own ambiguity.
Yes, Hook can be a selfish, cunning and ruthless bastard. And at the same time, he can be a generous, decent and compassionate man.
He's both. He has always been both and he always will be. If he can just stop listening to Rumpel and the Charmings, who all seemed to want him to be one thing or the other, perhaps he'll learn to balance and eventually control all of those traits within and be himself, instead of something someone else wants him to be.
But this is "ONCE UPON A TIME". If the writers don't demand that he always be a saint worthy of Emma, then many of the fans will. And the pity of it is that Emma is no better. She's not. She may have her pleasant traits, but she also has her unpleasant side. The so-called "Savior" is still a thief who knowingly possesses a stolen vehicle. She still refuses to accept the fact that one does not meddle with time - even one's intentions are good. And I see that she has also returned to her penchant of abusing her position as the town sheriff. I haven't forgotten her physical abuse of Hook when he was in her custody back in S2. And now, she keeps Will behind bars longer than necessary, because he nearly spoiled her date. This is Kitsis and Horowitz's idea of law enforcement?
As for Rumpelstiltskin, I'm not really surprised by his behavior. This is becoming a habit with him. He'll do something loathesome, face the consequences of his behavior or feel guilt, declare his intentions to repent, and engage in loathsome behavior all over again. I don't know what this wizard's hat going to lead for him, but I suspect that either he, the citizens of Storybrooke or both will pay a serious price for his actions.
I suspect that this new relationship with Henry will not end well for Rumpel. Henry is not as pure as many want to believe. In fact, he is no more pure than his Charming relatives. He can be pretty sharp. And unlike Regina, he saw nothing wrong with her and Robin getting back together, despite Marian's arrival and her marriage to Robin. He's not that young. And he did a pretty good job in manipulating Rumpel. Which is not surprising, considering how he had manipulated Regina back in early Season 2, so that he can get into her vault. Like everyone else, Henry is a combination of both good and evil. His unpleasant traits have nothing to do with being Rumpel's grandson. It has everything to do with being Henry.
I think the worst about Operation Mongoose is that Regina will come to the realization that the book does not map out everyone's fate. It merely records their actions and decisions in the Enchanted Forest. After all, Emma and Hook's time traveling didn't appear in the book until after their return to Storybrooke.