Thank you for your analysis of Jeremy! I always liked him and found him really sympathetic but that all makes a lot of sense out of him, too.
I love the complicated relationship of Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena as well. Because that kind of friendship, where you grow up together like that, it's not always all wonderful and supportive. But there's a very deep understanding and care they have for each other. It's a realistically complicated friendship.
CARE-BEAR! I love her!
OMG, YOU GET DAMON. YOU REALLY DO.
Plus, in a story that is amuck with hormonal teenagers - these two were the only "adults" that know what is going on. Which often just means that they get drunk together. But how hard would that be - to be the adult, in this bizarre situation, and the only other person remotely near your own age is someone you love to hate = best friendship ever.
THEIR LOVE IS SO REAL OKAY.
have you noticed what he does with his dolls (besides rape and manipulate them?) - he plays fucking house.
YES. And the first time around, when he does it to Caroline, he's very much in the antagonist position and it's how we get to know him and it's wrong, but it's the second time around with Andie that really made my spine tingle. Teen relationships are usually about roles in some way, but the story he created with Andie was so adult, you know? If I were an outsider and met them, I'd buy them as the couple of the year.
women bear meaning. Literally. They bear the meaning of what he is
YES. I actually think this is very conscious. Because this is the way female characters are generally treated by narratives with ostensible romantic leads, you know? But Damon is a deconstruction of the romantic hero generally, and I think the show is very consciously exaggerating and examining that as an ugly character trait rather than...disappearing it with the presumption that it's how female characters (and women) should be treated. It's an extension of his literally inhuman tendencies, as you say so well.
I really liked your thoughts on The Descent as well, particularly coming right after the analysis of his dolls - I really love Damon/Rose because she is so real to him and on his level in a lot of ways, and they understand each other and accept each other anyway.
Damon as the feminine element to Stefan's masculine element
Those girls are pretty awesomely... real and it's endearing because too often teen-dramas don't portray female relationships as being a good thing at all. It's almost better for the heroine when she throws herself into the new guy b/c then at least she's not dealing with her backstabbing friends. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline - these girls behave like real girls.
CARE-BEAR! I love her! She OWNS MY SOUL. There is nothing else to say.
THEIR LOVE IS SO REAL OKAY. OMG SO MUCH LOVE IN THEIR LOVE.
but the story he created with Andie was so adult YES!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING! He mimics the narrative that HE HIMSELF IS IN! It's so self-reflective and amazing! And he totally knows that he's playing the role - playing the role - playing the role. Gah. Usually postmodernism rubs me the wrong way - but I'd rather have a self-aware, postmodern vampire than a brooding and angsty vampire. (Stefan is SO unaware of himself.... ugh)
If I were an outsider and met them, I'd buy them as the couple of the year. There's something really, really important going on with Damon and his dolls. I'd almost like to see another one/more - or flashbacks to old dolls ... or a run-in with a past doll who has aged and has a family/life ... make this happen!
I really love all of Damon's friendships. I just got a txt from a RL friend with a negative response to Caroline's mom (I'm assuming that she just watched the "big reveal" episode) and my return was: "Don't underestimate the people Damon calls 'friend'" ... and it's so true. There's something really poignant about Damon's friendships, he does not use the term lightly.
Damon as the feminine element to Stefan's masculine element
RIGHT? EXACTLY.
I don't know what's going on there - but I LOVE it - once I get my paper proposals done I'll be investigating this dynamic. I think it's ridiculously awesome.
Thank you for your analysis of Jeremy! I always liked him and found him really sympathetic but that all makes a lot of sense out of him, too.
I have it in my head that flashbacks of their parents will ruin the dynamic of the show - but I also think that it would also be interesting for someone to explore/explain why Elena and Jeremy are both so self-sacrificing....
I love the complicated relationship of Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena as well. Because that kind of friendship, where you grow up together like that, it's not always all wonderful and supportive. But there's a very deep understanding and care they have for each other. It's a realistically complicated friendship.
CARE-BEAR! I love her!
OMG, YOU GET DAMON. YOU REALLY DO.
Plus, in a story that is amuck with hormonal teenagers - these two were the only "adults" that know what is going on. Which often just means that they get drunk together. But how hard would that be - to be the adult, in this bizarre situation, and the only other person remotely near your own age is someone you love to hate = best friendship ever.
THEIR LOVE IS SO REAL OKAY.
have you noticed what he does with his dolls (besides rape and manipulate them?) - he plays fucking house.
YES. And the first time around, when he does it to Caroline, he's very much in the antagonist position and it's how we get to know him and it's wrong, but it's the second time around with Andie that really made my spine tingle. Teen relationships are usually about roles in some way, but the story he created with Andie was so adult, you know? If I were an outsider and met them, I'd buy them as the couple of the year.
women bear meaning. Literally. They bear the meaning of what he is
YES. I actually think this is very conscious. Because this is the way female characters are generally treated by narratives with ostensible romantic leads, you know? But Damon is a deconstruction of the romantic hero generally, and I think the show is very consciously exaggerating and examining that as an ugly character trait rather than...disappearing it with the presumption that it's how female characters (and women) should be treated. It's an extension of his literally inhuman tendencies, as you say so well.
I really liked your thoughts on The Descent as well, particularly coming right after the analysis of his dolls - I really love Damon/Rose because she is so real to him and on his level in a lot of ways, and they understand each other and accept each other anyway.
Damon as the feminine element to Stefan's masculine element
RIGHT? EXACTLY.
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Those girls are pretty awesomely... real and it's endearing because too often teen-dramas don't portray female relationships as being a good thing at all. It's almost better for the heroine when she throws herself into the new guy b/c then at least she's not dealing with her backstabbing friends. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline - these girls behave like real girls.
CARE-BEAR! I love her!
She OWNS MY SOUL. There is nothing else to say.
THEIR LOVE IS SO REAL OKAY.
OMG SO MUCH LOVE IN THEIR LOVE.
but the story he created with Andie was so adult
YES!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING! He mimics the narrative that HE HIMSELF IS IN! It's so self-reflective and amazing! And he totally knows that he's playing the role - playing the role - playing the role. Gah. Usually postmodernism rubs me the wrong way - but I'd rather have a self-aware, postmodern vampire than a brooding and angsty vampire. (Stefan is SO unaware of himself.... ugh)
If I were an outsider and met them, I'd buy them as the couple of the year.
There's something really, really important going on with Damon and his dolls. I'd almost like to see another one/more - or flashbacks to old dolls ... or a run-in with a past doll who has aged and has a family/life ... make this happen!
I really love all of Damon's friendships. I just got a txt from a RL friend with a negative response to Caroline's mom (I'm assuming that she just watched the "big reveal" episode) and my return was: "Don't underestimate the people Damon calls 'friend'" ... and it's so true. There's something really poignant about Damon's friendships, he does not use the term lightly.
Damon as the feminine element to Stefan's masculine element
RIGHT? EXACTLY.
I don't know what's going on there - but I LOVE it - once I get my paper proposals done I'll be investigating this dynamic. I think it's ridiculously awesome.
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I have it in my head that flashbacks of their parents will ruin the dynamic of the show - but I also think that it would also be interesting for someone to explore/explain why Elena and Jeremy are both so self-sacrificing....
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