TVD 4x03: "How about we just leave the murdering to Damon?"

[dante_kent]

I don't have anything particularly intelligent to say about this episode, tbh. It was pretty straightforward. It had its high points. But largely, it was an episode of TVD, which means crazy plot shenanigans and excessive bloodshed and pretty men taking their shirts off and then more ridiculous plot stuff. Aka the best show on television, yes?

So

Comments

[arabian]

I'm just not understanding your constant refrains about "Season 03 never happened" as if the show is acting like it didn't. Everything that is going on with Stefan/Elena and Damon/Elena is BECAUSE of what happened in Season 03. The problems that have always been there with S/E, but didn't seem to permeate their bubble of delusion, are doing so now because of the separation, because of Stefan's actions, because Elena started to grow up (and grow stronger) without Stefan holding her back. Elena beginning to realize that she needs Damon's help, accepting Damon's help is BECAUSE of their relationship growing and evolving in season 03. The others turning to Damon, telling him stuff is BECAUSE of everything Damon did in season 03.

Stefan separating "The Ripper" from who he is is a sign that the show gets that he doesn't get it. This is a six-year arc, it's not going to be resolved in a quick, tidy fashion. Stefan has a LOT of work to do. The fact that we got that comment from him showed me how much the show gets it, and how that journey is still continuing. It's just naturally going to take time.

As for Stefan/Caroline -- Caroline can't see how badly Stefan is handling Elena. She can only assume, and it's a perfectly natural assumption based on her experience, that Stefan is helping Elena as well as he did genuinely help her. She sees the outer image that S/E project and goes with it because that's how Caroline operates. And, of course, she's going to be rah-rah-rah Stefan. Again, that's how Caroline operates. She always forgives the guys in her life even when they do crappy things... until they go too far, (ie, Damon). And honestly, the only reason she didn't forgive him is because he DIDN'T get back together with her. Even after what happened in "Family Ties," the very next episode, Caroline was clearly just waiting for him to come back and apologize and all would be well.

She forgave Matt, Tyler, her dad all for crappy, crappy behavior. That's how Caroline operates. You're nice to her, and she falls at your feet. Was she not a part of his story last season? No, but she was very heavily involved in what she was going through, and Elena CLEARLY kept her and her Damon/Stefan issues at arm's length. So in Caroline's view, all she saw was a Stefan who took off to protect everybody (including his brother), was then compelled to turn his switch off by Klaus and then spent the last batch of episodes trying to make things right with Elena and make up for the horrible things he did while under Klaus' control. Of course, she's going to be team Stefan.

As for the show "capitalizing" on their popularity? If they were doing that, they would have done so after the storm of OOOH! Stefan/Caroline feels! after "Brave New World" -- the second episode of season TWO, or "Daddy Issues" -- the thirteenth episode of season TWO. We're a long way off from season 02. If they were going to capitalize, they would have done it last season.

Finally, obviously you feel nothing for Matt/Rebekah, but I ADORE them. And I'm not the only one. I am 100% rooting for them. "Dangerous Liaisons" captured my attention with them and "Heart of Darkness" completely hooked me. I totally believe that Matt, the sweet human in the midst of all of this, has gotten to Rebekah. I totally buy that she likes him and I can't wait to see their potential explored.

Damon/Elena, I agree with your thoughts completely, and I will never not adore any and every Jeremy/Damon moment. As for Stefan/Elena, the keg-headstand and the motorcycle ride were ridiculously awful and just prove once again how these two together are THE worst part of the show, hands down. Fortunately, I think we're supposed to think that.

[dante_kent]

While I think you raise a lot of good points here, I have to say, the way you delivered your thoughts in this comment actually made me feel a bit personally attacked. I'm more than happy to discuss our different points of view - I very much enjoy going back and forth about issues like these. But the tone of your comment brooks very little room for discussion. Rather, it feels like a teacher lecturing a naughty student. I had thought that I've been very clear on my journal that these are my personal opinions, more often than not come up with on a whim. I rewatch the episodes and write down my thoughts as they come to me, and I never claim to be speaking the gospel about this show. My recaps merely portray what I think when I think it, and I'm more than happy to be talked out of my current opinions, provided that it happens in an amiable, academic exchange. But I feel like you are basically telling me that I am 100% wrong and that your way of thinking is the way I SHOULD be thinking too. While I doubt that was your intention, I had to tell you that my initial reaction was to feel offended and attacked, and I thought I should warn you that your comments had that effect. Perhaps I'm the only person who has ever felt like that. But for my part, I felt personally attacked, and I thought it better to warn you that your comments could be taken thus. I don't mean to attack you in turn, and I hope you don't think I'm trying to offend you. I just needed to make my feelings clear, since I think we have a lot to talk about regarding this show, but in the future I'd rather not feel like I'm being talked down to.

I'm more than happy to discuss the topics you've mentioned, provided that we engage in an actual discourse with a proper back and forth. Please let me know if you'd like me to respond to your opinions with my own, since I think we could have some really compelling conversations about this show.

[arabian]

It was not my intention to make you feel that way, and I'm sorry that you did. Reading my response I can see why you'd feel that way, but it truly wasn't my intention. I just get very frustrated when I read so many complaints (and I'd just read a few other posts) against the show that don't seem to track with what is happening on the show in my opinion

. And I let that flower my phrasing. I'm sorry it came across that way. Feel free to delete my original post. It wasn't my intention, I was just completely blown away by your take on things. I wasn't trying to attack you, it was rather I was shocked and that's where my commentary was coming from. We obviously see the show very differently now and neither one of us has made practically any effort to comment in the other's journals -- probably because we see the show so differently now so we just don't 'know' each other well at all.