I'm off to Mystic Falls (I'm bringing SO MUCH VERVEIN)...also, TVD 3x12.
This post will be short-ish (seriously, I mean it this time), because I am heading down south in about 2 hours. Yes, it's true. I am going to Georgia. It has absolutely nothing to do with stalking the TVD set, and I'm not even going to be in actual Mystic Falls (though, ngl, I google maps-ed the distance between the towns, and it's about a 43 minute drive). But for all intents and purposes, I'm going to Mystic Falls, because this will be my first time in the South, and there's nothing more important about the American South than TVD, right? ...right?
So I will be late to respond to all your episode recaps, which causes me all manner of undue anxiety. But I will only be away for about 36 hours, so once I get over the confusion of two cross-country flights in two days, I will be back to react. Meanwhile, I will forgo any chance of sleep tonight to get a few initial thoughts out into the interwebs.
Truth be told, this episode didn't do much for me. Though I should mention that I have recently lost the ability to feel (sounds overly dramatic, but I'm legit a little concerned about my recent lack of any emotion - HAVE I FLIPPED THE SWITCH???), so that probably has something to do with it. It wasn't a bad episode, it just didn't give me much to flail about. Still.
~So Bonnie had a storyline. I didn't NOT care. It was interesting to get a little background on Bonnie's childhood (but seriously, WHERE is her dad? Does she even have a legal guardian? Why are there NO parents in this town?). I did like how business-like Bonnie was. She wasn't out to regain her mom, and she was pretty steely yet reasonable when facing a woman who abandoned her. I like seeing Bonnie's strength when it's not being aggressively channeled toward my favorite vampires.
The new love interest is, well, there. He could be good, I guess. I do wish he weren't so clearly just a Bonnie Love Interest Yay! In case you hadn't noticed, I like build-up in my ships (two and a half years of build-up...just saying). So whenever someone appears just to be a love interest, I find it hard to care too much. But Bonnie getting with her almost sort of adoptive brother is ALMOST incest, which means I'm probably a lot more predisposed to ship it.
~I'd seen the Bonnie/Elena/Damon scene before it aired, which I almost never do, but I'd been spoiled that Damon mentions the kiss, and the idea of it made me cringe. But then I watched the scene, and of course, could only think, "wait, this is perfect, why did I ever doubt this show?" It was SO Damon, and that always makes me gleeful. He's just such a dick. I love him dearly. "We kissed. Now it's weird. Kbye." THE BEST. And such a good way of revealing it to other characters while NOT making it a huge game-changing oh-no-Elena-what-are-you-doing deal. Though I know I'm not alone in being surprised with just how NOT upset Bonnie was. Seriously, Bonnie? You spend years hating this guy, and when your best friend sort of gets with him, you're just "Hmm. Sexytimes? Fun stuff." Weird.
~Ok, Tyler and Caroline. And Bill Forbes. Here's my thing about this whole storyline. I'm all for Tyler emancipating himself from his clearly abusive relationship. That is a given. BUT. But. I can't help it - I don't like that he's doing it all for Caroline (and that Michael Trevino keeps giving interviews about how much EVERYTHING Tyler does is about Caroline). Yes, Ty, you should feel terrible about biting her. You should strive to fix it so you never hurt your friends. But I just really want him to be doing this for himself. I've just never liked the whole Love Can Conquer All/Save You trope. One of my favorite things about Damon/Elena is that loving Elena ISN'T saving Damon (and that's not what he's looking for). Basically, I keep wishing Tyler/Caroline were more like the secondary Damon/Elena alterna-ship I thought they would be, and every time they're not I get a little sad.
Essentially, I think I've lost interest in Tyler/Caroline partially because I don't like how Tyler's stopped being a character beyond his relationship with Caroline. The whole "everything good about me is you" thing? Doesn't work for me. I want Tyler to want to fix himself, to want to be himself - and THEN get with Caroline. But that's me.
I do find the Bill Forbes strategy interesting. Well, I found it interesting by the end, when Bill insists that Tyler has to transition over and over again until it's painless. That actually makes some sense to me, and it's just twisted and horrifying enough to work for me. #issues, I have them - I don't even care.
~And now for the best part of the episode: DAMON/ALARIC. THEY ARE SO AMAZING. Damon being all Concerned Bro about Alaric's new lady friend will never not be wonderful. And basically everything Damon ever says to Alaric is the greatest. Case in point:
Alaric: I wonder what my exes would say about me.
Damon: Nothing. They're all dead.
THIS IS WHY DAMON SALVATORE IS MY FAVORITE FOREVER.
~Klefan happened, with less eye-sex this time (it was sorely missed). I loved Klaus just laughing at Stefan's Evil Act. Partially because I like it whenever Joseph Morgan laughs. But also because it is sort of funny, this persona that Stefan's adopted. He has his character, he has his catchphrases (ok, we get it, the ocean, it is vast, but can you at least vary your threat locations? How about Antarctica? The Sahara? That warehouse where they keep the Ark of the Covenant?), and sometimes he overplays. And Klaus, for all his ridiculousness, is smart, and he sees through it. I love Klaus, basically.
But the greatest part of this scene was "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys in the background. OBVIOUS SONG CHOICE IS OBVIOUS. I LOLed. But it's also a totally excellent song (that was in my head for the rest of the episode), which totally has Klefan undertones. "I've got a love that keeps me waiting?" KLEFAN, obviously.
~Guys! Bonnie drives a hybrid car! A HYBRID!!! Did anyone else find this hilarious?
~If Elena didn't want to be followed, she probably shouldn't have left all the information on her kitchen table. Ah, Team Mystic Falls. Miraculously and Inexplicably Avoiding Death Since 2009.
~Damon vs. Meredith Fell was pretty enjoyable. I liked Meredith more this episode. I'm intrigued by the vampire blood cheating, though where has she been getting her supply before? Regardless, the entire exchange was made worth it for this:
"I think psychopaths are incredibly high maintenance."
Oh, Damon and his self-awareness. No way is he not talking about himself (and probably Katherine). My beautiful psychopath. ♥
Though, it was fairly atypical of Damon to be so easy to take down. Her reasoning was not so convincing that he should have dropped his guard so swiftly. Usually Damon is smarter than that (reference: the end of the episode). But I also kind of like it when Damon gets knocked unconscious, so whatever. #i seriously don't know what's wrong with me
~Elena was so fantastic! She was clever, grilling that guy (Jaime? Something like that.) about his orders for her. And then she manipulated him and broke free and took him down with a shotgun. THAT'S MY GIRL.
~Ok, the Stefan/Elena of it all. I continue to be deficient in my utter inability to ship these two, especially since this episode made it SO CLEAR that we are already heading back aboard the Stefan/Elena Train (which I never doubted, but still.). I hate that I can't be into them, but I just can't. They were too 'tortured lovers torn asunder' for me here. And I'm not sure how to understand Elena's need to tell Stefan about the kiss. Is it a feeling of responsibility toward him, is it the desire to prove he still cares about her, what? Not to mention that I'm not sure that I buy that she doesn't feel guilty about the kiss in the first place. Of course she would tell Stefan that she doesn't, but...doesn't she?
Stefan was really terrible at pretending he doesn't care in this episode. Not that he was trying, really, but it is a rather sharp turnaround from the utter cruelty of 3x11 to the clearly still in love and emotionally attached Stefan of 3x12. Maybe that's part of what jarred me about it. As much as I approve of his "you're better than both of us" (I was JUST ranting about this today...TVD, reading my mind), it just seemed a little out of place given how hard Stefan's been trying to seem switched off.
That being said, is it weird that I found it hot when Stefan punched Damon? Like, BOTH of them were hot? Why do I like seeing Damon get hurt so much? Seriously, it's a problem.
~Oh my god, THE KLAMON. I love scenes between these two so much. They're the best planners on either side (Katherine doesn't count because she doesn't have a side), and it's just fun to see them go head to head. Plus, you know, Klamon. I like that Damon doesn't beat Klaus, but he doesn't lose either. Klaus is in another league of evil (The Evil League of Evil, perhaps), but Damon is clever, and he will keep David-ing Goliath until it works for good. Plus THEY'RE JUST SO HOT TOGETHER WHAT EVEN I CAN'T.
~Alaric/Meredith is. It just is. I'm all for Alaric moving on, but I don't know, I'm just squicked out by the idea of him getting it on in Jenna's room. I know Elena basically ok-ed the whole thing, but just, no. Ew. No.
Also, DO NOT TRUST that girl with the fiddling around with his ring. Suspicious behavior. I will be watching you, Meredith. So will Damon. Bros gonna bro.
~Big reveal: Elijah. Guys. Here's another one of my major deficiencies: I don't care that much about Elijah? I KNOW IT'S SO BAD. I want to love him so so so much, but he just never gave me *tingles.* I feel so lacking. I appreciate him, don't get me wrong, and Daniel Gillies is made of win, but I just don't feel Elijah like I feel Klaus. I know, it doesn't even make any sense. So he's back, and I'm cool with it. But I'm not flailing. WHY AREN'T I FLAILING? (Though now that Elijah's back maybe we can get a heart-ripping off/the rekindling of that sexual tension between Elijah and Damon and WHY AM I LIKE THIS???)
I do really want to see Klaus and Elijah be dysfunctional together. You all know how I feel about fucked up brothers. But I also want Rebekah back so badly. I want to see Elijah and Rebekah together! I want the Original OT3!!!
~Side note: how obscene was Damon 'handling' that dagger and looking at Stefan just so? These brothers, just. Absurd.
In conclusion: this episode was ok. Some things happened. It was enjoyable. I'm not exactly flailing, but I'm not displeased with the episode. I am NOT OK with having to wait 2 weeks for a new one. What will we do next Thursday? (Answer: memes.)
Wish me luck in Mystic Falls, friends. I'll be sure to both drink AND wear vervein, because I have a learning curve. TAKE NOTE, Team Mystic Falls. Or I'll just tell them. Off to TVD country!