YES YES. This is the thing TVD does BEST and it does it as well as anything out there.
I mentioned in my post last night how Stefan and Klaus are so similar in the 1920s. Both have father issues, fathers who saw them as abominations.YES. Klaus was always the unfavorite. Mikael was the worst to everyone, for sure, but he seems to have singled out Klaus (it's my headcanon that he had his suspicions about Klaus' biological parentage way before the werewolf curse manifested, and he took out those insecurities on the kid). And then those issues haunted Klaus for centuries, with Mikael still alive and stalking him all over the world. Whereas it's fairly clear that Damon was the Salvatore problem child, and Stefan had a much better relationship with Guiseppe. So when Daddy Dearest rejected and killed him, that was a sudden trauma, reflected in Stefan's tendency to swing wildly back and forth from Friendly Neighborhood Vampire to Ripper of Monterey. But that crucial emotional turmoil is a huge part of why they latched on to each other
( ... )
I LOVE your idea that Klaus has both conscious and instinctive insight into Stefan's issues. I haven't gotten to the point in the season where he tells Stefan he became "someone to hate" yet, but it really does throw a light back on their relationship, doesn't it? The idea that Klaus knew instinctively how to get to Stefan, even to help him, does make sense, too. And also makes sense of why Klaus never really seemed intent on killing Stefan -- because they're the ~same. They're "brothers". And lol, it makes it even more hilarious how Klaus hates Damon for getting in the way of Klaus/Stefan brotp times. That scene where Klaus is throwing stakes through the window at Damon is soooo brotp jealousy
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Klaus doesn't get half enough credit for just how good he is at his game, IMO. I mean, yeah, JoMo is young and pretty, and Klaus is adolescent in temperament, but I think that leads viewers and other characters to underestimate his incredible skill at using people's psychological vulnerabilities to make them feel implicated in his games.
I guess if Stefan had submitted to it willingly, I don't think he would've had so many issues afterwards
I could go either way on that as causation, though - someone would have to have an awful lot of issues to begin with to sign on for that.
where does ghost Lexi get the power to do that? Unless I view it as the symbolic manifestation of her control over him -- it more dramatically presents her as the one who can physically compel his body in order to reshape his mindI can accept the dependence as entirely psychological, since no other vampire shows signs of intoxication from blood. Stefan's pretty run-down at this point, and he's fairly suggestible under the best of circumstances. It makes the
( ... )
Klaus' ability to manipulate others is pretty amazing. Considering how his family knows he's willing to dagger them all at any given moment, yet they still come back around. I was thinking how interesting it is that Klaus requires a blood bond to feel secure, coming first from Mikael's rejection of him for the wrong blood, but also because every single person who puts up with his shit has a blood bond with him. And they put up with this shit because he plays up the importance of that blood bond. Endlessly repeating. FAMILY OVER ALL. Never let go
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Awww, \o/ @ you writing TVD meta. THIS PLEASES ME. I have my (tremendous) issues with Stefan's S3 arc, but actually not so much with the Klaus/Stefan arc? I think Klaus is one of the few characters around whom S3 Stefan MAKES SENSE AT ALL. So, I can agree with and appreciate the bulk of this post.
What's more, while Klaus is literally running from his father, Stefan's running from his father, too, by diving into his Ripper days. That's what getting lost in the bloodlust is about. That's where it came from in the beginning. Drinking from his father.
Oooooooh, this is such a good and obvious point that I don't think I've ever seen anyone articulate so clearly.
Stefan can't fight Lexi, can't defeat her and win back his control through self-acceptance because, as she reminds him in "Ghost World", she's "dead" just like his father*.
!!!!!!!!!!!
How much do I love that no one could see that the humanity that would endanger the plan to kill Klaus in "Homecoming" came from Katherine and Stefan, the two people who everyone
( ... )
I have my (tremendous) issues with Stefan's S3 arc, but actually not so much with the Klaus/Stefan arc?
Would you mind recapping? It's a bit hard for me to parse Stefan's arc from the Klaus/Stefan of it all because I think Klaus mostly exists to clarify Stefan's psychological state/history. I guess I see the interpersonal arc of K/S working in conjunction to help define the personal arc for Stefan. Idk, I think I just missed the meta train deconstructing the problems with Stefan's arc, so I can't really think of the main points. Please halp. :)
ETA: or maybe if there's a good meta I could read about the problems with Stefan's arc? I'm le clueless, as per.
This is so interesting. I'm so used to conceiving of Damon as the one who "cares too much", but clearly Stefan is simply better at controlling his emotions.I think maybe Stefan's just better at repressing his emotions vs. Damon unleashing them. Stefan lashes inwardly, Damon lashes out (in order to lash in). I think they both ~feel and care just as much
( ... )
It's a bit hard for me to parse Stefan's arc from the Klaus/Stefan of it all because I think Klaus mostly exists to clarify Stefan's psychological state/history. I guess I see the interpersonal arc of K/S working in conjunction to help define the personal arc for Stefan.
I agree. Where I think Stefan's arc completely falls down is just re: Elena. Which, like, I'm always gonna be more concerned about Elena than Stefan. And I've talked about how problematic and gross the Elena/Stefan S3 arc was elsewhere, so I'll spare your comments section the bile? /o\
Tangent: I love how Damon rips out hybrid hearts while Stefan cuts off their heads. A commentary on what they can't control.
HAHA, great catch.
Tho, I think being forced to drink blood, the turning, Damon seems to associate it less with blood and more with Stefan. So, it's not the same sort of blood association = BAD that Stefan has where human blood is linked to the trauma surrounding his killing his father.
Yep, I can agree.
I think part of the show's mission, especially with
( ... )
Ahhh okay, yeah I agree about the Elena/Stefan grossness. I guess I thought (and this is my hazy memory and kinda being on the fringes of TVD fandom at the time) that one of the major issues with Stefan's arc had to do with how his darkness was explored. Idk. Maybe I should look for an old post of yours?
The only way he could win back control was through Lexi teaching him to contain himself, to hate the part of him that drank human blood, to avoid human blood at all costs. That isn't self-control. It's self-immolation.
Word. I think this also ties in with the idea of Stefan's blood issues being an eating disorder rather than an addiction? II can't remember who first came up with that, but I love it.) It's a facade of self-control - Stefan can abstain from blood and deny his hunger and it feels like he's in control because he's deciding what goes in his mouth and what doesn't, but what kind of control is that, really? It's such a miniscule victory, and yet he makes it out to be all-important because it's all he has. Because it's actually the shame and self-loathing and warped sense of himself as a monster that's in control, and if he can't channel his self-loathing into this narrow form of restraint, then he loses his grasp completely.
Ironically, Klaus' compulsion becomes the means for Stefan to win back his control, just as the
( ... )
Word to all your thoughts on Stefan's bloodlust = eating disorder. Thinking about Stefan like this makes my heart hurt.
I was so happy to find MIRRORS. :P There does seem to be a lot of intent in the structure of the season. Even Ric's self-loathing plays into his Othering himself. The show really is about how everyone hates themselves too much to function /o\
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I mentioned in my post last night how Stefan and Klaus are so similar in the 1920s. Both have father issues, fathers who saw them as abominations.YES. Klaus was always the unfavorite. Mikael was the worst to everyone, for sure, but he seems to have singled out Klaus (it's my headcanon that he had his suspicions about Klaus' biological parentage way before the werewolf curse manifested, and he took out those insecurities on the kid). And then those issues haunted Klaus for centuries, with Mikael still alive and stalking him all over the world. Whereas it's fairly clear that Damon was the Salvatore problem child, and Stefan had a much better relationship with Guiseppe. So when Daddy Dearest rejected and killed him, that was a sudden trauma, reflected in Stefan's tendency to swing wildly back and forth from Friendly Neighborhood Vampire to Ripper of Monterey. But that crucial emotional turmoil is a huge part of why they latched on to each other ( ... )
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I guess if Stefan had submitted to it willingly, I don't think he would've had so many issues afterwards
I could go either way on that as causation, though - someone would have to have an awful lot of issues to begin with to sign on for that.
where does ghost Lexi get the power to do that? Unless I view it as the symbolic manifestation of her control over him -- it more dramatically presents her as the one who can physically compel his body in order to reshape his mindI can accept the dependence as entirely psychological, since no other vampire shows signs of intoxication from blood. Stefan's pretty run-down at this point, and he's fairly suggestible under the best of circumstances. It makes the ( ... )
Reply
Reply
What's more, while Klaus is literally running from his father, Stefan's running from his father, too, by diving into his Ripper days. That's what getting lost in the bloodlust is about. That's where it came from in the beginning. Drinking from his father.
Oooooooh, this is such a good and obvious point that I don't think I've ever seen anyone articulate so clearly.
Stefan can't fight Lexi, can't defeat her and win back his control through self-acceptance because, as she reminds him in "Ghost World", she's "dead" just like his father*.
!!!!!!!!!!!
How much do I love that no one could see that the humanity that would endanger the plan to kill Klaus in "Homecoming" came from Katherine and Stefan, the two people who everyone ( ... )
Reply
I have my (tremendous) issues with Stefan's S3 arc, but actually not so much with the Klaus/Stefan arc?
Would you mind recapping? It's a bit hard for me to parse Stefan's arc from the Klaus/Stefan of it all because I think Klaus mostly exists to clarify Stefan's psychological state/history. I guess I see the interpersonal arc of K/S working in conjunction to help define the personal arc for Stefan. Idk, I think I just missed the meta train deconstructing the problems with Stefan's arc, so I can't really think of the main points. Please halp. :)
ETA: or maybe if there's a good meta I could read about the problems with Stefan's arc? I'm le clueless, as per.
This is so interesting. I'm so used to conceiving of Damon as the one who "cares too much", but clearly Stefan is simply better at controlling his emotions.I think maybe Stefan's just better at repressing his emotions vs. Damon unleashing them. Stefan lashes inwardly, Damon lashes out (in order to lash in). I think they both ~feel and care just as much ( ... )
Reply
I agree. Where I think Stefan's arc completely falls down is just re: Elena. Which, like, I'm always gonna be more concerned about Elena than Stefan. And I've talked about how problematic and gross the Elena/Stefan S3 arc was elsewhere, so I'll spare your comments section the bile? /o\
Tangent: I love how Damon rips out hybrid hearts while Stefan cuts off their heads. A commentary on what they can't control.
HAHA, great catch.
Tho, I think being forced to drink blood, the turning, Damon seems to associate it less with blood and more with Stefan. So, it's not the same sort of blood association = BAD that Stefan has where human blood is linked to the trauma surrounding his killing his father.
Yep, I can agree.
I think part of the show's mission, especially with ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Word. I think this also ties in with the idea of Stefan's blood issues being an eating disorder rather than an addiction? II can't remember who first came up with that, but I love it.) It's a facade of self-control - Stefan can abstain from blood and deny his hunger and it feels like he's in control because he's deciding what goes in his mouth and what doesn't, but what kind of control is that, really? It's such a miniscule victory, and yet he makes it out to be all-important because it's all he has. Because it's actually the shame and self-loathing and warped sense of himself as a monster that's in control, and if he can't channel his self-loathing into this narrow form of restraint, then he loses his grasp completely.
Ironically, Klaus' compulsion becomes the means for Stefan to win back his control, just as the ( ... )
Reply
I was so happy to find MIRRORS. :P There does seem to be a lot of intent in the structure of the season. Even Ric's self-loathing plays into his Othering himself. The show really is about how everyone hates themselves too much to function /o\
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