TVD - 4x18 - "American Gothic"
I thought this episode was great. My opinions on Elijah have always been “Yep, you’re a character,” so I was surprised how much I enjoyed having him back in this context, as an observer who harbors a fondness for Elena, but who is also not so slavishly devoted to his own fuzzy feelings about the “Old Elena” that he insists on behaving like an ignoramus poophead. (*cough* Salvatores *cough* Salvatores).
Because of this we actually got to hear Elena talk in their interactions, something that finally carried over into the end confrontation with Damon and Stefan at the diner. I mean, that ended badly-I knew that waitress was a goner the second she said “Feel free to sit anywhere”… Maybe next time you will keep your laissez-faire seating philosophy to yourself, Midwestern Waitress!-but at least was a step forward from the Salvabros’ previous MO, which was “Let’s go behind Elena’s back to fix her and then tell her she has no choice when she confronts you about your truly dickhead behavior.” At least this method involves, I dunno, trying to engage with her.
Weirdly, despite his “stone-cold bitch” comment, I wasn’t as mad at Damon this episode. I think it’s because his “weak moment” with Rebekah and the cure actually proved he still had a few rogue glimmers of hope about a relationship with Elena, and dammit, I’ll take it. I like it better than all the forced distance he’s been trying to put between them in the last few episodes as he preps himself for Elena Factory Settings. There is a Loves Damon lever in that factory, sir! Maybe it doesn’t do anything productive, and just drops confetti or releases the disco ball from the ceiling, but never doubt that it is there.
Still, I was annoyed at him for impulsively throwing the letter opener at Rebekah when they thought she might be be-humaned. Although I guess this would make sense if we go along with what he shared in the last episode, is that he likes to kill things that make him feel guilty. If she actually had turned human, and she was walking around as a reminder of that time that he didn’t try hard to stop her from taking it because he didn’t want to lose Elena, that would have probably sucked. A lot.
Also, A+ for his banter with Katherine (“Katherine-ing” heee), and him still always failing to get one step ahead of her.
I honestly can’t say whether I trust that she really is trying to change, or not. I honestly expected her to kill the girl who had been holding the real cure for her, considering how she is on record as hating “loose ends,” and was surprised when she didn’t (or I guess we weren’t shown that she did). I would be intrigued to see a Katherine who no longer has to place self-preservation quite so high. And I love, love, love the new dynamic between her and Evil!Elena. This episode really made me think back to 2x03, when the doppelganger mythology was first introduced, and how in legend a doppelganger is a body double whose destined to haunt their copy for all eternity. The cool thing is that in the relationship between Katherine and Elena, this works both ways. Katherine strips Elena of her family, the same way she was stripped of hers. But here we saw the mirror of that, too, where Katherine was so enraged that Elena wanted to turn Elijah against her by sharing what she had done. And the existence of Elena means that the Salvatores are always dogging her steps, too, even when she (seemingly) is trying to move forward.
I didn’t hate Stefan in this episode (progress!), although I did raise my eyebrows a bit about how Mr. Have I Shared How I Let the Third Sacrifice Happen was ragging Damon for letting Elena and Rebekah get the best of him. I’m mixed on his plan to ride away once Elena has been ~restored, although it does seem perfectly Stefan-like to think that a big gesture like that will fix everything. Obvs, he won’t end up doing it, but not because I think he and Elena are going to mend romance fences anytime soon. [Speculation](I’m guessing Damon gets humanized, and Stefan sticks around to help his brother adjust. If he has to stick around, can I have this? Please? I HAVE BEEN SO GOOD).
I also mostly enjoyed the Caroline/Klaus interactions, although I would like them more if they maybe dialed down the romantic bits and didn’t try to stretch the moments quite so far. He did look quite pitiful at the end when he said “Friends?” My heart is not made of stone. Sometimes ridiculous monsters sneak their way in.
What did yoouuuuuuuuu think? I plan on doing no work today. #priorities.
Because of this we actually got to hear Elena talk in their interactions, something that finally carried over into the end confrontation with Damon and Stefan at the diner. I mean, that ended badly-I knew that waitress was a goner the second she said “Feel free to sit anywhere”… Maybe next time you will keep your laissez-faire seating philosophy to yourself, Midwestern Waitress!-but at least was a step forward from the Salvabros’ previous MO, which was “Let’s go behind Elena’s back to fix her and then tell her she has no choice when she confronts you about your truly dickhead behavior.” At least this method involves, I dunno, trying to engage with her.
Weirdly, despite his “stone-cold bitch” comment, I wasn’t as mad at Damon this episode. I think it’s because his “weak moment” with Rebekah and the cure actually proved he still had a few rogue glimmers of hope about a relationship with Elena, and dammit, I’ll take it. I like it better than all the forced distance he’s been trying to put between them in the last few episodes as he preps himself for Elena Factory Settings. There is a Loves Damon lever in that factory, sir! Maybe it doesn’t do anything productive, and just drops confetti or releases the disco ball from the ceiling, but never doubt that it is there.
Still, I was annoyed at him for impulsively throwing the letter opener at Rebekah when they thought she might be be-humaned. Although I guess this would make sense if we go along with what he shared in the last episode, is that he likes to kill things that make him feel guilty. If she actually had turned human, and she was walking around as a reminder of that time that he didn’t try hard to stop her from taking it because he didn’t want to lose Elena, that would have probably sucked. A lot.
Also, A+ for his banter with Katherine (“Katherine-ing” heee), and him still always failing to get one step ahead of her.
I honestly can’t say whether I trust that she really is trying to change, or not. I honestly expected her to kill the girl who had been holding the real cure for her, considering how she is on record as hating “loose ends,” and was surprised when she didn’t (or I guess we weren’t shown that she did). I would be intrigued to see a Katherine who no longer has to place self-preservation quite so high. And I love, love, love the new dynamic between her and Evil!Elena. This episode really made me think back to 2x03, when the doppelganger mythology was first introduced, and how in legend a doppelganger is a body double whose destined to haunt their copy for all eternity. The cool thing is that in the relationship between Katherine and Elena, this works both ways. Katherine strips Elena of her family, the same way she was stripped of hers. But here we saw the mirror of that, too, where Katherine was so enraged that Elena wanted to turn Elijah against her by sharing what she had done. And the existence of Elena means that the Salvatores are always dogging her steps, too, even when she (seemingly) is trying to move forward.
I didn’t hate Stefan in this episode (progress!), although I did raise my eyebrows a bit about how Mr. Have I Shared How I Let the Third Sacrifice Happen was ragging Damon for letting Elena and Rebekah get the best of him. I’m mixed on his plan to ride away once Elena has been ~restored, although it does seem perfectly Stefan-like to think that a big gesture like that will fix everything. Obvs, he won’t end up doing it, but not because I think he and Elena are going to mend romance fences anytime soon. [Speculation](I’m guessing Damon gets humanized, and Stefan sticks around to help his brother adjust. If he has to stick around, can I have this? Please? I HAVE BEEN SO GOOD).
I also mostly enjoyed the Caroline/Klaus interactions, although I would like them more if they maybe dialed down the romantic bits and didn’t try to stretch the moments quite so far. He did look quite pitiful at the end when he said “Friends?” My heart is not made of stone. Sometimes ridiculous monsters sneak their way in.
What did yoouuuuuuuuu think? I plan on doing no work today. #priorities.