Thoughts on handling character screw-ups in TVD and BH
I'm so tired of stories that keep making excuses for a character just because he's the main character. Yes, The Vampire Diaries, I'm looking at you, mostly because it's the latest example, but pretty much any show does that. The main character is immune because he's the lead. Being Human sort of fell into that when they had Tom and Alex conveniently forget all of Hal's transgressions in the finale, but that could arguably be explained by the fact that it was a dream (at least if you take the DVD scene as canon, which of course I do. TVD keeps doing that pretty much with everyone, most of all Damon. How many times have we seen this scenario: some shit happens, Damon impulsively takes it out on some random person, everyone is mad, then Damon gets forgiven? I've lost count. I love Damon: he's funny, sassy, and deeply flawed. As a character, he is (or at least was) interesting; but he's been going in circles for ages! Damon kills people because that's just how Damon is. Let's forget for a second that murder is, you know, a bad thing. Character-wise, it's a totally IC thing for Damon to do because it's just easier for him to deal with his problems this way. I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with everyone's reactions. Now let's remember that murder is bad. Of course people would give Damon crap for that... but it's not something you can just forget about! Damon basically gets the in-verse slap on the wrist every time. Hell, he confesses in front of Elena that he's killed someone when they were together, secretly, as per his evil plan going back 50 years! Elena's reaction? Well, she's mostly okay with it because she loves him. Cool, right?
I shipped Damon/Elena originally because I thought they had more chemistry than Stefan/Elena plus Stefan was just insanely boring. As it turns out, I actually love Stefan - when he's NOT with Elena. Lately I find it very hard to stomach Damon/Elena: it's an unhealthy sequel to Damon's 150-year-old obsession with Katherine. As Damon himself puts it, he's been trying to be better for Elena or thinking that she needed to be worse in order to accept his love. Lolwut? I'm not saying Elena should approve of Damon's actions; I'm saying he needs someone who would either approve or not care. Because while Elena is supposed to be a kind and forgiving person, I'm not sure she's supposed to be totally okay with her boyfriend occasionally going on random killing sprees, be it in front of her or behind her back. (This is actually why I have a problem with Damon killing Aaron: she will find out about this and there will be more drama! And I can't relate to that drama because she says murder is bad but then she says: no, I love you, so it's okay, you're okay, we're okay.)
I am really sick of writers (any writers, not just TVD) using love drama as an excuse for the characters' bad behaviour. An example from 5x12: Elena thinks I'm a monster, might as well go be a monster. No, dude, you're a monster when you act like one, not when Elena thinks you are. Yes, I get it: break-ups are hard, people can act like total douchebags when they're depressed. Actually, here's an example from when BH didn't piss me off: Mitchell is pissed at Lucy for "betraying his trust" - Mitchell kills a lot of people on the train - the secret is out, and people don't forgive him. George is the only one who tries, but Mitchell brings him down to earth: this was an unforgivable act. I guess that's a pretty grim message since it proves that vampires can't really change, they're killers, etc. etc. etc. But it's a realistic approach. Because Mitchell is right: George is so forgiving only because those people on the train were strangers; but what if it had been Nina or George's parents or whoever? There's always some kind of an excuse: Damon kills Jeremy - Elena is mad but for, like, half a season (and that's a record imho) because Jeremy's fiiiine, he was wearing his ring; Katherine kills Jeremy - Jeremy actually dies, so of course that's unforgivable. Moreover, this show kind of paints people who can't forgive as utter dickbags. Take Tyler for instance. I actually dislike Tyler and would gladly see him leave the show for good. And the way he treated Caroline in 5x12 was absolutely abhorrent, but that's part of my point: Tyler is pissed at Klaus for killing his mother, his hybrid friends and some other people - and Tyler is portrayed as a crazy douche to whom people constantly tell he should let go (dude, how do you let go the murder of your mother!?). I don't agree with how Tyler acts (slut-shaming Caroline especially; I don't think there was anyone left at that party who didn't know, thanks to Tyler, that Caroline had slept with Klaus - even people who probably had no idea who Klaus was and why that was such a big deal O_o) but I can't say I blame him for his inability to just forgive and forget. Because the main message of his storyline has so far been: Klaus is just too cool and besides we need him for our two shows, so nah, you can't get revenge on him, which is why we'll just destroy what's left of you personality completely. Remember when Tyler actually had some character development and his entire arc wasn't revolving around Klaus/hybrids/Klaroline jealousy/revenge? I do, but the memories are getting dimmer by the minute.
Back to my original point. Just watched the promo for 5x13. I know promos can be misleading but if the show really does treat Enzo as Damon's evil friend and a bad influence, IDEK. That's another issue aside from the love crutch: there's always someone outside the main circle to blame. Blame the new guy, blame an old girlfriend, blame a father figure, blame anyone but the person themselves! Because the main character can do no wrong. If the main character does wrong, we'll fix it with oodles of love and forgiveness (also known as enabling but shush, we don't need that pesky logic here).
I shipped Damon/Elena originally because I thought they had more chemistry than Stefan/Elena plus Stefan was just insanely boring. As it turns out, I actually love Stefan - when he's NOT with Elena. Lately I find it very hard to stomach Damon/Elena: it's an unhealthy sequel to Damon's 150-year-old obsession with Katherine. As Damon himself puts it, he's been trying to be better for Elena or thinking that she needed to be worse in order to accept his love. Lolwut? I'm not saying Elena should approve of Damon's actions; I'm saying he needs someone who would either approve or not care. Because while Elena is supposed to be a kind and forgiving person, I'm not sure she's supposed to be totally okay with her boyfriend occasionally going on random killing sprees, be it in front of her or behind her back. (This is actually why I have a problem with Damon killing Aaron: she will find out about this and there will be more drama! And I can't relate to that drama because she says murder is bad but then she says: no, I love you, so it's okay, you're okay, we're okay.)
I am really sick of writers (any writers, not just TVD) using love drama as an excuse for the characters' bad behaviour. An example from 5x12: Elena thinks I'm a monster, might as well go be a monster. No, dude, you're a monster when you act like one, not when Elena thinks you are. Yes, I get it: break-ups are hard, people can act like total douchebags when they're depressed. Actually, here's an example from when BH didn't piss me off: Mitchell is pissed at Lucy for "betraying his trust" - Mitchell kills a lot of people on the train - the secret is out, and people don't forgive him. George is the only one who tries, but Mitchell brings him down to earth: this was an unforgivable act. I guess that's a pretty grim message since it proves that vampires can't really change, they're killers, etc. etc. etc. But it's a realistic approach. Because Mitchell is right: George is so forgiving only because those people on the train were strangers; but what if it had been Nina or George's parents or whoever? There's always some kind of an excuse: Damon kills Jeremy - Elena is mad but for, like, half a season (and that's a record imho) because Jeremy's fiiiine, he was wearing his ring; Katherine kills Jeremy - Jeremy actually dies, so of course that's unforgivable. Moreover, this show kind of paints people who can't forgive as utter dickbags. Take Tyler for instance. I actually dislike Tyler and would gladly see him leave the show for good. And the way he treated Caroline in 5x12 was absolutely abhorrent, but that's part of my point: Tyler is pissed at Klaus for killing his mother, his hybrid friends and some other people - and Tyler is portrayed as a crazy douche to whom people constantly tell he should let go (dude, how do you let go the murder of your mother!?). I don't agree with how Tyler acts (slut-shaming Caroline especially; I don't think there was anyone left at that party who didn't know, thanks to Tyler, that Caroline had slept with Klaus - even people who probably had no idea who Klaus was and why that was such a big deal O_o) but I can't say I blame him for his inability to just forgive and forget. Because the main message of his storyline has so far been: Klaus is just too cool and besides we need him for our two shows, so nah, you can't get revenge on him, which is why we'll just destroy what's left of you personality completely. Remember when Tyler actually had some character development and his entire arc wasn't revolving around Klaus/hybrids/Klaroline jealousy/revenge? I do, but the memories are getting dimmer by the minute.
Back to my original point. Just watched the promo for 5x13. I know promos can be misleading but if the show really does treat Enzo as Damon's evil friend and a bad influence, IDEK. That's another issue aside from the love crutch: there's always someone outside the main circle to blame. Blame the new guy, blame an old girlfriend, blame a father figure, blame anyone but the person themselves! Because the main character can do no wrong. If the main character does wrong, we'll fix it with oodles of love and forgiveness (also known as enabling but shush, we don't need that pesky logic here).