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pocochina November 13 2012, 04:07:15 UTC
Because it's clear to me that Elena canonically wants to do X (i.e. gleefully feeding on people, murdering Connor, etc.), but if she rationalizes after the fact that she DIDN'T, then that shuts down the whole conversation in more ways than one.

Right. That, and it's a tough leap for me, because obviously feeding on someone is inherently predatory in a way that sex is not, and the possibility of compulsion creates a power dynamic that I'm not comfortable imputing to sex. But Elena's conflict about it, and the whole idea of the narrative needing to walk that balance of how much agency and wherewithal she can have around what she is emotionally and biologically driven to do, is a really interesting look at those traditional romance tropes. Because that's the narrative, right? As long as she can deny that she wants to do it, then she *has* to deny that she wants to do it, or the story falls apart. And I don't think I've seen quite this honest a take on the number all that can do to your head as Elena's guilt/shame conflation here.

this season for the most part has been remarkably on point about his horribleness.

Yeah. I mean, I may be overly charitable toward the writers, but I just can't imagine that something which has been consistent for what, 70 episodes is an accident? Stefan is slippery and manipulative and built on deception of self and others and has a truly terrifying relationship with interpersonal power dynamics, and this has always been the case. Whether or not he's always judged harshly enough for it by the narrative is...I guess a question of authorial intent that I can't muster the energy to care about because we know better than they do, obvs.

It struck me as really intentional, too, the way both Elena and Stefan are clinging to their old dynamics with their abusive exes. I'm pretty excited for Stefan's eventual meltdown when it sinks in that he will neverrrrrrrr be free of Klaus. I think denial of that fact is driving the deceptive behavior now as much as denial of Elena's vampirism. Which is not an excuse, obviously, it's actually a lot worse than it looks for him to be co-opting her issues to help him deal with his own. But from a characterization perspective, I think that's a pretty impressive move.

And yeah, with the crossbow: Damon's point when he picks up the crossbow is that it only takes the hunter a second to get the jump on her before it's game over. She doesn't get him in time to head off that killing shot, or even a few beats later. All she proves there is that she can get the jump on an antagonist who stops to give a Bond villain speech because they think she's incapacitated, but Damon's point in that lesson is that she can't depend on that happening.

I mean, I think the scene worked really well. The symbolism of her seizing her aggression and embracing Damon after she gets "killed" doesn't have to be subtle, obviously. And as a vampire, as was true when she was human, her strong suit isn't going to be heat-of-the-moment confrontations but setting up situations where she is in control. It just wasn't like "yeah, she Told Him! she's totally battle-ready!"

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ever_neutral November 13 2012, 06:25:06 UTC
All she proves there is that she can get the jump on an antagonist who stops to give a Bond villain speech because they think she's incapacitated, but Damon's point in that lesson is that she can't depend on that happening... And as a vampire, as was true when she was human, her strong suit isn't going to be heat-of-the-moment confrontations but setting up situations where she is in control.
Riiight, got it. That makes sense. Cheers.

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