so show me family, all the blood that i would bleed

[rose_marie_rose]

I haven't posted in FOREVER because real life is kicking my ass (stage managing two plays at the same time will do that to a gal), but after last night's TVD and all the reactions I've been reading to the episode online, I had to weigh in with a brief thought.

Comments

[rose_marie_rose]

There were aspects of 3x20 that were disturbing to me as well, trust me. Like, when does Elena get to bitch out Stefan? Like truly blow up and give him some shit? She always does that when Damon fucks up! THEN she can forgive him (because let's face it, that's what Elena does, she forgives).

I'm slowly losing faith that that blow up is ever going to happen, though. I don't understand why, because it would be such a good pay off and so cathartic! And I say this as a Stefan fan! It doesn't even have to be a blow up, it could be a frank, sympathetic speech from Elena to Stefan that his actions have consequences, and they can't just go back.

All I'm asking for is equal treatment of both brothers. And also for Elena to stand up for her right to feel whatever the hell she wants to feel.

But as far as the triangle, there were other things, small touches, that in my opinion, showed where the writers are going, and that's either Damon/Elena or Elena/Elena (although I guess Matt/Elena could sneak in there like a ninja).

Yeah, I love my mom, she cracks me up, and we have amazing TV analysis convos all the time. She's the actual best :)

[upupa_epops]

See, this unequal treatment of the brothers this week sent so much mixed signals that I honestly have no idea if those people know what they're doing. TVD is a doppelganger show that openly declares parallel as its dominant aesthetic and narrative device. And I see how the brothers' sins are paralleled. Damon breaks Jeremy's neck - Stefan refuses to help Elena save Jeremy from Klaus. Damon feeds Elena his blood - Stefan feeds Elena his blood. Damon victimizes Andie - Stefan compels her to kill herself. I read this parallel as a message that the Good Brother vs Bad Brother dichotomy is just a hoax. And now suddenly Stefan is The One, his love is pure, he deserves a chance, the brothers are contrasted in every possible way. The writers spent the whole season constructing a very elaborate parallel, and they they blew. And this is why I feel justified to ask if they actually read their own scripts. Not just because it's offensive, disturbing and sends the wrong message, but because it's a rookie mistake in constructing the text.

[rose_marie_rose]

Yeah, there's for sure some problematic stuff going on, I totally agree. I'm willing to give them the last 2 episodes of the season to fix this shit, and I think they will, or at least they'll fix/address some of it.

[upupa_epops]

Amen. I really hope you're right :).

[rose_marie_rose]

Me too! Despite all the fuckery that was in last night's episode, I still feel like the end of the season will be about Elena loving both Salvatores, and the Salvatores loving each other as brothers. I actually think she's going to have a problem making her decision because she doesn't want to cause a rift in their relationship, she doesn't want to be Katherine. And she doesn't want to lose either of them, even if her heart's telling her she wants Damon and that she and Stefan can't go back.

I really feel like the last two episodes are going to focus on the brothership, and for that to happen, Stefan has to acknowledge that there is no good brother/bad brother, that they're the same, and that Damon is an ok choice for Elena, as much as he might hate it. And he has to acknowledge that his journey back to himself can't be dependent on Elena choosing him, otherwise he'll throw out all his growth when she doesn't choose him, and if he's learned anything this season, he has to know that isn't an option.

I feel like the whole season has been building towards this, and last episode was no different, with Damon asserting his brotherhood with Stefan to Klaus, and with Klaus taunting them about their bond being shaken. As Rebekah asserted a couple episodes ago, Stefan and Damon aren't the originals, they love each other and will subvert all these dire warnings from the villains about their relationship being broken forever.

In short, I have faith!