TVD 3x05 Reaction Post
Okay, so 2x05 kind of wrecked me. I mean, WHAT WAS THAT. WHAT WAS THAT. I don’t expect this kind of emotional wallop until the finale or November sweeps and then they sneak it up on me five episodes into the new season.
But this is where I break rank with the rest of fandom, I don’t mind that Klaus compelled Stefan to turn it off? (And I'm choosing to read it as less of him using the magical switch on his emotions and more the fact that he was literally compelled to give up his humanity because goddamnit I refuse to believe in that switch). This gives us a chance to explore dark!Stefan while still providing a way "out" if they want to make Stefan a hero again - though tbh I think he killed enough people even before the compelling that his "good brother" status is and forever will be in doubt. Plus it could lead to an interesting exploration of free will and personal responsibility - how much of Stefan is still responsible for his actions without ~feelings? What does it really mean to not have feelings anyway? Will Damon and Elena be able to reach him at all ~deep down? I am okay with that exploration! Also the angst! And Stefan trolling Damon/Elena! I want to see where it goes.
On a personal note, I like Stefan so much because he does try so hard to fight against the part of him that is the monster - he WANTS so badly to be human and be the “good brother” and have the perfect girlfriend on the sheep farm in Scotland. And while I am 100 percent onboard with all of his fantasies/delusions being shattered, it also makes sense to me that Stefan would cling with everything he had to what remained of his humanity (i.e. Elena because Elena is his literal link to humanity). And just that scene, where Klaus is telling him to turn it off and Stefan stumbles to his feet and he says no and then Klaus takes it from him anyway.... WHAT WAS THAT SCENE. It was tragic, shattering, haunting. I kind of loved it? I have a masochistic love for tragic things.
-ALSO AN UNPOPULAR OPINION: I WAS ALL OVER IT WHEN STEFAN WAS RESISTING HIS COMPULSION BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR ELENA (HIS HUMANITY)?? Okay at first I thought that Elena’s grand plan of ~fight it with love~ was a bit dumb but then she started yelling at him about how he owed it to her and YEAH ELENA YOU GET ANGRY and then Stefan was throwing himself into lockers and HE ACTUALLY TRIED TO STAKE HIMSELF WTF and telling Klaus “NO” and just...
LITERAL RAINBOW VOMIT
And my kids, just look at them :
Such under-appreciated superstars who will never get the awards they deserve.
ALSO REMEMBER THIS MOMENT :
Lexi showed me that there was another way. And from that day forward, I started fighting for it. For my own survival. That’s all I want you to do. I just want you to fight for it.
-Stefan, 2x15 (art credit)
He just wanted her to fight for it. Ugh, this show. They do love their parallels.
-Anyway, I’m really interested in where they’re going to take this especially since 3x03 gave us a glimpse into just how bad Stefan can be when he shuts off his humanity (i.e. he makes men drink blood from their wives out of wine glasses wtf Stefan). Plus it’s a handy way to keep Stefan in Mystic Falls being an evil troll while having sexual tension with Elena and I am excited to see Stefan and Elena have sexual tension because we never really got that stage. I HOPE IT’S GOOD. PLEASE MAKE IT GOOD WRITERS AND DON’T DESTROY THIS WEIRD FAITH I HAVE IN YOU.
-Other things that happened this episode: Katherine and Damon made out! I probably should have been more excited by this but I was weirdly upset that Damon was focusing more on kissing than on keeping his eyes on the road. IDK it is probably very Hermione Grangerish of me because you know fine if Damon wants to kill and eat people and all that but how dare he not have proper highway safety.
-LOL @ Rebecca running Stefan through with a pipe (or metal poker or something??). I approve of Stefan getting stabbed in the stomach by his crazy ex-girlfriends.
-It was so good to see Elena smiling and having fun like a normal teenager at the beginning of this episode but tbh I was going NO ELENA STOP SMILING AND BEING HAPPY, IT WILL ONLY GET RUINED and then sure enough Klaus showed up.
-Klaus was so properly villainy and creepy and even a little pathetic in this episode, A+ Joseph Morgan. My heart stopped when he killed Tyler before the 15 minute mark. JESUS SHOW, DON’T YOU EVER STOP WITH THE TRAUMA.
-Rebecca was also great. Her “vomit” at Stefan and Elena’s picture made me lol really hard.
-I like that they gave Matt a storyline but he was still boring to me, sorry Matt.
-I loled @ how petulant Damon was with Katherine this whole episode. “I would never have done it for you.” O RLY, what exactly do you call pining around for 145 years hoping to rescue her from a tomb then Damon. That is not devoted at all. I did blink a little at him casually leaving Jeremy behind with Katherine, though. Okay then? So we’re just hoping really hard that Katherine won’t kill Jeremy because of his connection to Anna’s ghost?
-Tyler/Caroline are super cute. THEY ARE MY NEW STEFAN/ELENA. I mean, not that I don’t still have Stefan/Elena, but Stefan/Elena used to bring me sunshine and happiness and sunlight and now they mostly just bring me pain and angst. I’m not exactly sure when I started shipping Tyler and Caroline together but they are so precious.
-That was a nice quiet moment between Damon and Elena at the end (Elena’s sad little faaaaace :|) though Damon’s promise to never leave Elena again made me immediately picture him like, still following her around when she’s 86 and using a walker. Poor Elena. But the scene was made infinitely better because of this:
STEFAN: THE TROLL. mrv3000 will understand.
But this is where I break rank with the rest of fandom, I don’t mind that Klaus compelled Stefan to turn it off? (And I'm choosing to read it as less of him using the magical switch on his emotions and more the fact that he was literally compelled to give up his humanity because goddamnit I refuse to believe in that switch). This gives us a chance to explore dark!Stefan while still providing a way "out" if they want to make Stefan a hero again - though tbh I think he killed enough people even before the compelling that his "good brother" status is and forever will be in doubt. Plus it could lead to an interesting exploration of free will and personal responsibility - how much of Stefan is still responsible for his actions without ~feelings? What does it really mean to not have feelings anyway? Will Damon and Elena be able to reach him at all ~deep down? I am okay with that exploration! Also the angst! And Stefan trolling Damon/Elena! I want to see where it goes.
On a personal note, I like Stefan so much because he does try so hard to fight against the part of him that is the monster - he WANTS so badly to be human and be the “good brother” and have the perfect girlfriend on the sheep farm in Scotland. And while I am 100 percent onboard with all of his fantasies/delusions being shattered, it also makes sense to me that Stefan would cling with everything he had to what remained of his humanity (i.e. Elena because Elena is his literal link to humanity). And just that scene, where Klaus is telling him to turn it off and Stefan stumbles to his feet and he says no and then Klaus takes it from him anyway.... WHAT WAS THAT SCENE. It was tragic, shattering, haunting. I kind of loved it? I have a masochistic love for tragic things.
-ALSO AN UNPOPULAR OPINION: I WAS ALL OVER IT WHEN STEFAN WAS RESISTING HIS COMPULSION BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR ELENA (HIS HUMANITY)?? Okay at first I thought that Elena’s grand plan of ~fight it with love~ was a bit dumb but then she started yelling at him about how he owed it to her and YEAH ELENA YOU GET ANGRY and then Stefan was throwing himself into lockers and HE ACTUALLY TRIED TO STAKE HIMSELF WTF and telling Klaus “NO” and just...
LITERAL RAINBOW VOMIT
And my kids, just look at them :
Such under-appreciated superstars who will never get the awards they deserve.
ALSO REMEMBER THIS MOMENT :
Lexi showed me that there was another way. And from that day forward, I started fighting for it. For my own survival. That’s all I want you to do. I just want you to fight for it.
-Stefan, 2x15 (art credit)
He just wanted her to fight for it. Ugh, this show. They do love their parallels.
-Anyway, I’m really interested in where they’re going to take this especially since 3x03 gave us a glimpse into just how bad Stefan can be when he shuts off his humanity (i.e. he makes men drink blood from their wives out of wine glasses wtf Stefan). Plus it’s a handy way to keep Stefan in Mystic Falls being an evil troll while having sexual tension with Elena and I am excited to see Stefan and Elena have sexual tension because we never really got that stage. I HOPE IT’S GOOD. PLEASE MAKE IT GOOD WRITERS AND DON’T DESTROY THIS WEIRD FAITH I HAVE IN YOU.
-Other things that happened this episode: Katherine and Damon made out! I probably should have been more excited by this but I was weirdly upset that Damon was focusing more on kissing than on keeping his eyes on the road. IDK it is probably very Hermione Grangerish of me because you know fine if Damon wants to kill and eat people and all that but how dare he not have proper highway safety.
-LOL @ Rebecca running Stefan through with a pipe (or metal poker or something??). I approve of Stefan getting stabbed in the stomach by his crazy ex-girlfriends.
-It was so good to see Elena smiling and having fun like a normal teenager at the beginning of this episode but tbh I was going NO ELENA STOP SMILING AND BEING HAPPY, IT WILL ONLY GET RUINED and then sure enough Klaus showed up.
-Klaus was so properly villainy and creepy and even a little pathetic in this episode, A+ Joseph Morgan. My heart stopped when he killed Tyler before the 15 minute mark. JESUS SHOW, DON’T YOU EVER STOP WITH THE TRAUMA.
-Rebecca was also great. Her “vomit” at Stefan and Elena’s picture made me lol really hard.
-I like that they gave Matt a storyline but he was still boring to me, sorry Matt.
-I loled @ how petulant Damon was with Katherine this whole episode. “I would never have done it for you.” O RLY, what exactly do you call pining around for 145 years hoping to rescue her from a tomb then Damon. That is not devoted at all. I did blink a little at him casually leaving Jeremy behind with Katherine, though. Okay then? So we’re just hoping really hard that Katherine won’t kill Jeremy because of his connection to Anna’s ghost?
-Tyler/Caroline are super cute. THEY ARE MY NEW STEFAN/ELENA. I mean, not that I don’t still have Stefan/Elena, but Stefan/Elena used to bring me sunshine and happiness and sunlight and now they mostly just bring me pain and angst. I’m not exactly sure when I started shipping Tyler and Caroline together but they are so precious.
-That was a nice quiet moment between Damon and Elena at the end (Elena’s sad little faaaaace :|) though Damon’s promise to never leave Elena again made me immediately picture him like, still following her around when she’s 86 and using a walker. Poor Elena. But the scene was made infinitely better because of this:
STEFAN: THE TROLL. mrv3000 will understand.