In which you reckon this post should be knifed [3x05]
Okay, I'm already sorry about the length. REALLY. I promise that next time onwards, I'll stick to 200 words or less D:
First things first.
THEY KILLED OFF “NOT NOW, DANA”? WHAT THE FUCK, SHOW?
Yes, we’re all very glad I have my priorities right.
- This episode had the best opening scene ever. Although initially I was all ‘G’bye Matt, nice knowing you, mate. You might have survived a couple more episodes if you watched a few horror flicks now and then and knew the golden rule of following shadowy things in deserted high school corridors. But, alas.” But then the Senior Prank preparations? Epic. Honestly, it was such a genuine glance at life before the supernatural, before the Salvatore brothers, before everything. There was Caroline being all bossy and control freaky and adorable (GUH, THAT GIRL) and Elena and Bonnie teasing her from the sidelines (Bonnie’s ‘srsly’ look at “Caroline’s making us do it” was A++++). ELENA WAS LAUGHING AND AMUSED AND SEVENTEEN (and when she repeated what Caroline’s obviously been badgering into their heads, I literally went ‘awww’). Tyler was all jock arrogance and ‘don’t tell anyone I hang out with you guys’ and Matt was actually chill about the whole thing. No being mad at Tyler/Caroline, no getting moony-eyed over Elena’s “if I’m doing this, you’re doing this”. It’s just like what it was probably like before everything went to hell. And I absolutely adored it.
- And I was rather pissed at Klaus for interrupting it. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A SPIN-OFF OF THESE GUYS FROM, LIKE, MIDDLE SCHOOL ONWARDS, SO WE CAN HAVE SCENES LIKES THIS THAT LAST LONGER THAN THREE SECONDS?
- However Klaus was awesome. AWESOME. He’s actually like a child who’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And that’s scary because, as Marquez said in Chronicle, only children are capable of anything (they can be unbelievably cruel, trufax). Although I LOL-ed really hard at him dragging Elena through the school in this super pissed-off manner. Ooooh, such a Big Bad Hybrid my bb is. Really, he and his sister are such spoilt brats, they totally deserve each other. Not saying this because I ship them, nope, not at all. Really. And all through I was like, ‘man, how are they going to make Elena still being alive at the end of this episode believable?’ …Oh wait, that’s how. Well, that’s convenient.
- Klaus/Elena was hot, ngl. Just, really good chemistry there. sandrine would be so happy :D
- Hahaha, Damon/Katherine is hysterical. I absolutely adore how passive-aggressive Damon is. He really does NOT know how to handle Katherine and her pouts and her deliberate seduction techniques. And him pushing her away after that scorching kiss (Ian/Nina in ALL THEIR FORMS) was so epic, because he totally kicked her exactly where it hurts, her ego. THEIR BANTER IS A+. Also, I can believe “you don’t do it for me anymore”, but his “I wouldn’t have done it for you” literally made me LOL. I know it was some sort of an Elena vs. Katherine on Damon’s Love Scale reference, but I don’t buy that at all. He would have done it for Katherine. That’s the thing with Damon; he loves with an intensity that is almost frightening sometimes. And if the show is now trying to say he never really loved Katherine- uh, one more time with feeling plz. But I do understand, that’s a hundred and fifty years of his life he ain’t never getting back; boy needs to get out of this thing with some dignity y’know.
- Also, in the same vein (…or not), IAN WAS GORGEOUS. PAUL WAS GORGEOUS, MICHAEL WAS GORGEOUS, EVEN ZACH WAS GORGEOUS (Matty Blue Eyes has stunning eyes, rly), AND ALL THE GIRLS WERE FLAWLESS LOOKING (Vicki is actually ethereal in soft lighting). I could watch on mute. *nods*
- TYLER’S A HYBRID, WHAT? Like, always knew that Klaus would try to turn him, but I never thought it would actually happen, and this early on in the season?! I can’t imagine that there’ll be huge repercussions to this, so no wonder Tyler and Care are apparently going to totally be going through WWIII. I’m so conflicted here, because at one end it’ll be the end of the fluffy make-out scenes and adorableness (those kids go at it ANYWHERE, not even kidding), but on the other, conflict is always what makes TV relationships compelling. I think that’d be good if we get some outside-Triangle-interactions which I seem to have been going on about since FOREVER now (and we still haven’t got them, js.)
- But, speaking of, HOW AWESOME WAS BONNIE/MATT. And I don’t even mean it in a shippy way. Although I can imagine there are fics in the work already somewhere :D But still, the fact that it was just this random couple interacting (seriously, have they ever spoken before? I don’t even remember) and this sense that they have history (Matt was a bad lifeguard? OH COME ON, HE LOOKS LIKE THE POSTER BOY FOR LIFE GUARDSHIP DD:) I loved Bonnie so much this episode. I don’t even know what it was, she was just so understanding and sympathetic and smart and just…idek, something about her was just so awesome and believable.
- NGL, I literally got a little teary-eyed (only a VERY little) over that last scene with these two (which was the only part in this episode that that happened, mostly I was just gasping with shock or laughing through it all for some odd reason) where she tells him that he’s the only one who can live a normal life. Because it’s true. It seems to be this little special island of misfit supernatural toys, which is all cool and ~living forever and awesome, but it’s really, really not. It’s just this group of people who can barely relate to each other and can’t stand to look in a mirror most days. It’s about people who hate who they are and can’t change who they are.
I’ve said it before (well, at least I’ve thought it before), but vampirism is the easy choice. I’m not referring to people getting turned against their will, that just sucks for them. It’s about seeing these powerful vampires all around you and knowing you could have that. That you can be wildly attractive, stop feeling when you want to, be with people you love, do everything you’ve EVER wanted to do, be practically unbreakable, live forever. It’s all very, very seductive. There’s could be an initial ‘omg, drink blood, be a monster, etc etc’ but there will always be that niggling thought that you wouldn’t ‘have’ to do it, that there are always blood bags or even animals. That it’s still possible to be one of the good guys. Damon, Isobel, Jeremy; they all wanted it desperately, even if it didn’t work out for them at all.
It might take something to fall in love with a vampire and say ‘I want to spend eternity with you, I don’t care about anything else, turn me’ but it takes a whole lot more, while being aware of this mode of existence, to choose to live a normal life. Walking away, towards growing up and all the mundane, horrible stuff that comes with it (including post-high school, post-college blues), growing old, dying, all the while knowing that it could be different, that is the hard decision.
Not that the easy choice works out, because once it’s done, then there’s that realization of OMFG, WHAT HAVE I DONE? The hunger, watching everyone you love die, the inability to build a home, a family, anything. But in the moment? It’s an easy choice. If Elena chooses to give up both Salvatores and go to college and takes up a job and finds some guy who makes her laugh and settles down, I will literally cheer her on.
- However, till now, the being-human thing is causing issues for Elena all on its own. The obvious problem being that the storyline has a tendency to get written around her, rather than with her at the moment. She’s the central concern of whatever is happening, but she’s not in it, if that makes any sense. Like, every episode till now this season has almost always been about Elena’s reactions; even in The Hybrid or The End of the Affair where she tries to take active agential roles, she mostly ends up being rather dependent, and they have more of Damon doing the actual work, while she sort of…just stands. And obviously I don’t fault her for this because in between all the hardcore supernatural, she can’t do anything, literally. But Elena is such a bamf, I DO NOT want her character getting to shift even the slightest bit on the token side. (The only reason I’m not waxing lyrical with #rage about this is because I’ve seen the promo and it IS being addressed and this show takes care of my concerns even before I’ve voiced them *hearts in my eyes*).
- Btw, this is also why the whole Damon-is-a-vampire thing and will-always-be-a-vampire with volatile reactions need to be addressed if Damon/Elena is going to happen. The worst part in it all is not Damon himself doing psycho things (which, let’s face it, is never NOT awesome), BUT THE FACT THAT ELENA IS BASICALLY POWERLESS THERE WHILE HE DOES THESE THINGS. And I don’t see how it’s not terrifying for her. That ALL she can do while Damon tries to Kill Bill (heh), snaps Ric’s neck, snaps Jeremy’s neck, is just stand there and let it happen. The power relation is very, very obvious. Elena can never have a status equal to that of Damon’s in a relationship unless he stops snapping like this, or she gets turned. She might have the emotional power, but physically, he’s the one in charge whenever he wants to be. And it’s VERY IMPORTANT to tackle this head on. Which also sucks in a way because I really, really do not want Damon to stop snapping DDD: AND I WANT DAMON/ELENA TO HAPPEN (non-epic way only plz).
- Also, in relationships that need to happen: NO CURR WHAT ANY1 SAY, KLAUS’ “My Girl” WAS FOR REBEKAH IN MAH BOOK. So much chemistry. SO MUCH CHEMISTRY. And all he needs is love, you guys DD: (I laughed there).
- AND THESE TWO NEED SOMEONE TO CONTROL THEM, ‘K? WHERE BE ELIJAH? (And no hot Alaric the Vampire Slayer this episode either D:)
- Caroline/Candice has the most beautiful smile ever. It’s actually so bright and oddly innocent that it always makes me smile as well.
- - JEREMY/KATHERINE, THE SHIP THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU WANTED TO BOARD TILL NOW.
- Oh hello there Mikael, Vampire, the Vampire Hunter. Nice to meet you!
- Damon/Elena, GUH. Elena looked so weak in the hospital, it made me DDDD: And then Damon carries her off with this particularly ‘in love’ look and OH MAN, Damon has the best expressions EVER. Ian does vulnerability insanely well, it just strikes you hard. I love how Damon is absolutely unable to pretend as much as he wants to with all the snark and one-liners. His face just gives him away every time. And I thought it was extremely lovely that they had this quiet moment after everything had happened. I LOVED that Damon didn’t ‘save’ Elena, and returned after everything was over, I think that’s excellent story-telling. I want Damon and Elena to be as far from Epic as possible. And I liked the symbolism of not wearing the necklace this time. (Although I really hope Stefan/Elena isn’t done with. I want a love triangle, goddammit, show, deliver D:) And the fact that she didn’t want to forget. These are her memories and she’s damn well going to remember every single thing.
And of course she’s all broken up over “where were you?” because Damon is always there. She can push him away, be awful to him, blame him for everything but he’s the one person who never leaves. And she’s come to rely on that without consciously realizing it- everything sort of fell apart when he wasn’t there. Not that it fell apart because he wasn’t there, but in her state, that’s most probably how it felt to her. Actually, he’s just as powerless as she is in this whole scenario, but it’s adorable how safe she feels with him after everything that’s happened, everything he’s done. It might be a little selfish on her part (I don’t think so, though), but his love for her is practically the only constant in her life right now and she can’t let that go. “Where were you?” as if he could’ve possibly done anything at all, but she believes so hard that he could. That somehow things could have been different if he’d just been there. Oh, Elena. <333
- And of course Damon firmly believes when life offers you lemons, you kick it where the sun don’t shine and make it give you some Bourbon instead. *nods*
(But Stefan cockblocking Damon/Elena? Best. Thing. Ever. STEFAN IS NOW FIRST SEASON DAMON, I don’t even.)
NOW, THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART: LET’S TALK STEFAN.
- I’m guessing lots of people are really disappointed with the cop-out? I haven’t yet read the reactions (mostly to avoid just stealing phrases from everyone), but it’s not hard to imagine that the whole ‘RIPPER STEFAN GOES THE FULL WAY… jk, Klaus compels him and he has no choice in the issue’ didn’t sit well with anyone, considering how awesome this arc could have been.
Oddly enough I’m not very disappointed? (Also possibly because I was spoiled for this arc and had time to adjust). Like, I AM because this could’ve been a REALLY good opportunity for TVD to prove that it’s streets ahead of every other show ever (related digression: COMMUNITY WAS SO, SO EPIC THIS WEEK. SUCH A MIND-FUCK.) Because the overt romantic-lead-turned-mass-murderer? WHO DOES THAT? NO ONE, THAT’S WHO, and it would be awesome.
- But I can also, I don’t know, sort of understand? Like, romantic-lead-turned-mass-murderer, who does that? No one, that’s who. It’s not something that’s done on television. Because TV works on its own skewered logic; obviously there are people who must think that Damon killing all the people we’ve seen him kill is just as terrible as Stefan killing a whole lot more people. Like, it isn’t a comparison, you kill people, you’re bad. But in fiction, mostly every person is redeemable because circumstances create character and if you know the circumstances you can forgive characters; they invite sympathy rather than censure. So if Stefan deliberately set out to kill a whole bunch of people WHOM THE AUDIENCE KNOWS because he’s ‘out of control’ then that would be unforgivable. There would be no way that this guy could possibly be redeemed. Which is again a ridiculous tv rule; killing a whole bunch of unknown people is always forgivable; killing/hurting even one or two people the audience knows and god forbid, likes? Not so much.
- In fact, the only characters that develop this way are Super Villains. Not even kidding. This is a regular betrayal trope that most fiction runs away with; Loki, Lucifer, Darth Vader, SCAR (FUCK YOU, SCAR, YOU WEREN’T EVEN NICE AND THEN YOU KILLED MUFASA). Good guys who turn bad, for whatever reason, in this way are always the main antagonists. Betrayal is always, always the most alienating factor in every narrative. And Stefan, as far as I know, is not being set up to be the main antagonist.
- Also, we know that it took him thirty years to recover from his ripper ways, which is just an impossible time-span (especially in a show that hasn’t even completed a year narrativistically). And anything else would just be really unbelievable. The character has to retain audience sympathy if he wants to be one of the protagonists. Obviously there’ll be those who believe it doesn’t matter, he’s still killing. But there’ll also be those who will be able to justify and say ‘it’s just the compulsion’. He has to be given an out.
- But just because I understand it doesn’t mean I like it AT ALL. Because I’d been waiting for Stefan to totally lose it and I would’ve stanned him every step. Now, it’s just, ‘yeah, yeah, he doesn’t mean it; he has no choice, etc. etc.’ And if he’s not going to get anything out of being good (including the ‘girl’), I’d rather he just become all out ‘bad’. SERIOUSLY.
- Also, I really thought he should’ve killed Dana (THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE KILLED HER AT ALL) and Random Guy immediately. Not hurting Elena I’m down with, fine, I understand he loves her and it’s completely different. But NOT killing those other two people without excessively trying to resist Klaus just didn’t sit well with me. In context of those whom they love, THESE PEOPLE ARE SELFISH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. I think we’ve already established that. So, to protect Elena, because of course Klaus would hurt her, I think he should’ve just acquiesced. The hesitation just struck me as too quasi-heroic.
- Also, AFTER EVERYTHING, I still hope Stefan isn’t actually compelled, that either:
a. The button doesn’t exist for him anymore. After all, Rose made it sound like it was something that new vampires constructed to make themselves feel better about all the killing and everything. Otherwise, it just…disappears when you get older? DOES NOT COMPUTE. I say there’s no switch for Stefan anymore.
b. He’s was on vervain in the scene (whatever, it’s my theory, I’m sticking to it). Katherine could resist Klaus on vervain (although he knew about that), so Stefan, if he wanted to save Elena, he should’ve known exactly what Klaus would do. And HE SHOULD HAVE PLANNED. Although obviously this is shot by how much he seems to have struggled to resist. So idek D:
This show so rarely disappoints in a manner like this that I find it hard to believe that they wouldn’t know it’s a cop-out. AND I HOPE IT GETS RECTIFIED (OR REVEALED ASAP.)
Ooh, look, interesting [Show Elena vs. Book Elena]
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I hope the icons make up for this, sorry D:
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+ Please comment and credit if taking.
+ Please do not edit or hotlink.
+ Enjoy :D
First things first.
THEY KILLED OFF “NOT NOW, DANA”? WHAT THE FUCK, SHOW?
Yes, we’re all very glad I have my priorities right.
- This episode had the best opening scene ever. Although initially I was all ‘G’bye Matt, nice knowing you, mate. You might have survived a couple more episodes if you watched a few horror flicks now and then and knew the golden rule of following shadowy things in deserted high school corridors. But, alas.” But then the Senior Prank preparations? Epic. Honestly, it was such a genuine glance at life before the supernatural, before the Salvatore brothers, before everything. There was Caroline being all bossy and control freaky and adorable (GUH, THAT GIRL) and Elena and Bonnie teasing her from the sidelines (Bonnie’s ‘srsly’ look at “Caroline’s making us do it” was A++++). ELENA WAS LAUGHING AND AMUSED AND SEVENTEEN (and when she repeated what Caroline’s obviously been badgering into their heads, I literally went ‘awww’). Tyler was all jock arrogance and ‘don’t tell anyone I hang out with you guys’ and Matt was actually chill about the whole thing. No being mad at Tyler/Caroline, no getting moony-eyed over Elena’s “if I’m doing this, you’re doing this”. It’s just like what it was probably like before everything went to hell. And I absolutely adored it.
- And I was rather pissed at Klaus for interrupting it. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A SPIN-OFF OF THESE GUYS FROM, LIKE, MIDDLE SCHOOL ONWARDS, SO WE CAN HAVE SCENES LIKES THIS THAT LAST LONGER THAN THREE SECONDS?
- However Klaus was awesome. AWESOME. He’s actually like a child who’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And that’s scary because, as Marquez said in Chronicle, only children are capable of anything (they can be unbelievably cruel, trufax). Although I LOL-ed really hard at him dragging Elena through the school in this super pissed-off manner. Ooooh, such a Big Bad Hybrid my bb is. Really, he and his sister are such spoilt brats, they totally deserve each other. Not saying this because I ship them, nope, not at all. Really. And all through I was like, ‘man, how are they going to make Elena still being alive at the end of this episode believable?’ …Oh wait, that’s how. Well, that’s convenient.
- Klaus/Elena was hot, ngl. Just, really good chemistry there. sandrine would be so happy :D
- Hahaha, Damon/Katherine is hysterical. I absolutely adore how passive-aggressive Damon is. He really does NOT know how to handle Katherine and her pouts and her deliberate seduction techniques. And him pushing her away after that scorching kiss (Ian/Nina in ALL THEIR FORMS) was so epic, because he totally kicked her exactly where it hurts, her ego. THEIR BANTER IS A+. Also, I can believe “you don’t do it for me anymore”, but his “I wouldn’t have done it for you” literally made me LOL. I know it was some sort of an Elena vs. Katherine on Damon’s Love Scale reference, but I don’t buy that at all. He would have done it for Katherine. That’s the thing with Damon; he loves with an intensity that is almost frightening sometimes. And if the show is now trying to say he never really loved Katherine- uh, one more time with feeling plz. But I do understand, that’s a hundred and fifty years of his life he ain’t never getting back; boy needs to get out of this thing with some dignity y’know.
- Also, in the same vein (…or not), IAN WAS GORGEOUS. PAUL WAS GORGEOUS, MICHAEL WAS GORGEOUS, EVEN ZACH WAS GORGEOUS (Matty Blue Eyes has stunning eyes, rly), AND ALL THE GIRLS WERE FLAWLESS LOOKING (Vicki is actually ethereal in soft lighting). I could watch on mute. *nods*
- TYLER’S A HYBRID, WHAT? Like, always knew that Klaus would try to turn him, but I never thought it would actually happen, and this early on in the season?! I can’t imagine that there’ll be huge repercussions to this, so no wonder Tyler and Care are apparently going to totally be going through WWIII. I’m so conflicted here, because at one end it’ll be the end of the fluffy make-out scenes and adorableness (those kids go at it ANYWHERE, not even kidding), but on the other, conflict is always what makes TV relationships compelling. I think that’d be good if we get some outside-Triangle-interactions which I seem to have been going on about since FOREVER now (and we still haven’t got them, js.)
- But, speaking of, HOW AWESOME WAS BONNIE/MATT. And I don’t even mean it in a shippy way. Although I can imagine there are fics in the work already somewhere :D But still, the fact that it was just this random couple interacting (seriously, have they ever spoken before? I don’t even remember) and this sense that they have history (Matt was a bad lifeguard? OH COME ON, HE LOOKS LIKE THE POSTER BOY FOR LIFE GUARDSHIP DD:) I loved Bonnie so much this episode. I don’t even know what it was, she was just so understanding and sympathetic and smart and just…idek, something about her was just so awesome and believable.
- NGL, I literally got a little teary-eyed (only a VERY little) over that last scene with these two (which was the only part in this episode that that happened, mostly I was just gasping with shock or laughing through it all for some odd reason) where she tells him that he’s the only one who can live a normal life. Because it’s true. It seems to be this little special island of misfit supernatural toys, which is all cool and ~living forever and awesome, but it’s really, really not. It’s just this group of people who can barely relate to each other and can’t stand to look in a mirror most days. It’s about people who hate who they are and can’t change who they are.
I’ve said it before (well, at least I’ve thought it before), but vampirism is the easy choice. I’m not referring to people getting turned against their will, that just sucks for them. It’s about seeing these powerful vampires all around you and knowing you could have that. That you can be wildly attractive, stop feeling when you want to, be with people you love, do everything you’ve EVER wanted to do, be practically unbreakable, live forever. It’s all very, very seductive. There’s could be an initial ‘omg, drink blood, be a monster, etc etc’ but there will always be that niggling thought that you wouldn’t ‘have’ to do it, that there are always blood bags or even animals. That it’s still possible to be one of the good guys. Damon, Isobel, Jeremy; they all wanted it desperately, even if it didn’t work out for them at all.
It might take something to fall in love with a vampire and say ‘I want to spend eternity with you, I don’t care about anything else, turn me’ but it takes a whole lot more, while being aware of this mode of existence, to choose to live a normal life. Walking away, towards growing up and all the mundane, horrible stuff that comes with it (including post-high school, post-college blues), growing old, dying, all the while knowing that it could be different, that is the hard decision.
Not that the easy choice works out, because once it’s done, then there’s that realization of OMFG, WHAT HAVE I DONE? The hunger, watching everyone you love die, the inability to build a home, a family, anything. But in the moment? It’s an easy choice. If Elena chooses to give up both Salvatores and go to college and takes up a job and finds some guy who makes her laugh and settles down, I will literally cheer her on.
- However, till now, the being-human thing is causing issues for Elena all on its own. The obvious problem being that the storyline has a tendency to get written around her, rather than with her at the moment. She’s the central concern of whatever is happening, but she’s not in it, if that makes any sense. Like, every episode till now this season has almost always been about Elena’s reactions; even in The Hybrid or The End of the Affair where she tries to take active agential roles, she mostly ends up being rather dependent, and they have more of Damon doing the actual work, while she sort of…just stands. And obviously I don’t fault her for this because in between all the hardcore supernatural, she can’t do anything, literally. But Elena is such a bamf, I DO NOT want her character getting to shift even the slightest bit on the token side. (The only reason I’m not waxing lyrical with #rage about this is because I’ve seen the promo and it IS being addressed and this show takes care of my concerns even before I’ve voiced them *hearts in my eyes*).
- Btw, this is also why the whole Damon-is-a-vampire thing and will-always-be-a-vampire with volatile reactions need to be addressed if Damon/Elena is going to happen. The worst part in it all is not Damon himself doing psycho things (which, let’s face it, is never NOT awesome), BUT THE FACT THAT ELENA IS BASICALLY POWERLESS THERE WHILE HE DOES THESE THINGS. And I don’t see how it’s not terrifying for her. That ALL she can do while Damon tries to Kill Bill (heh), snaps Ric’s neck, snaps Jeremy’s neck, is just stand there and let it happen. The power relation is very, very obvious. Elena can never have a status equal to that of Damon’s in a relationship unless he stops snapping like this, or she gets turned. She might have the emotional power, but physically, he’s the one in charge whenever he wants to be. And it’s VERY IMPORTANT to tackle this head on. Which also sucks in a way because I really, really do not want Damon to stop snapping DDD: AND I WANT DAMON/ELENA TO HAPPEN (non-epic way only plz).
- Also, in relationships that need to happen: NO CURR WHAT ANY1 SAY, KLAUS’ “My Girl” WAS FOR REBEKAH IN MAH BOOK. So much chemistry. SO MUCH CHEMISTRY. And all he needs is love, you guys DD: (I laughed there).
- AND THESE TWO NEED SOMEONE TO CONTROL THEM, ‘K? WHERE BE ELIJAH? (And no hot Alaric the Vampire Slayer this episode either D:)
- Caroline/Candice has the most beautiful smile ever. It’s actually so bright and oddly innocent that it always makes me smile as well.
- - JEREMY/KATHERINE, THE SHIP THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU WANTED TO BOARD TILL NOW.
- Oh hello there Mikael, Vampire, the Vampire Hunter. Nice to meet you!
- Damon/Elena, GUH. Elena looked so weak in the hospital, it made me DDDD: And then Damon carries her off with this particularly ‘in love’ look and OH MAN, Damon has the best expressions EVER. Ian does vulnerability insanely well, it just strikes you hard. I love how Damon is absolutely unable to pretend as much as he wants to with all the snark and one-liners. His face just gives him away every time. And I thought it was extremely lovely that they had this quiet moment after everything had happened. I LOVED that Damon didn’t ‘save’ Elena, and returned after everything was over, I think that’s excellent story-telling. I want Damon and Elena to be as far from Epic as possible. And I liked the symbolism of not wearing the necklace this time. (Although I really hope Stefan/Elena isn’t done with. I want a love triangle, goddammit, show, deliver D:) And the fact that she didn’t want to forget. These are her memories and she’s damn well going to remember every single thing.
And of course she’s all broken up over “where were you?” because Damon is always there. She can push him away, be awful to him, blame him for everything but he’s the one person who never leaves. And she’s come to rely on that without consciously realizing it- everything sort of fell apart when he wasn’t there. Not that it fell apart because he wasn’t there, but in her state, that’s most probably how it felt to her. Actually, he’s just as powerless as she is in this whole scenario, but it’s adorable how safe she feels with him after everything that’s happened, everything he’s done. It might be a little selfish on her part (I don’t think so, though), but his love for her is practically the only constant in her life right now and she can’t let that go. “Where were you?” as if he could’ve possibly done anything at all, but she believes so hard that he could. That somehow things could have been different if he’d just been there. Oh, Elena. <333
- And of course Damon firmly believes when life offers you lemons, you kick it where the sun don’t shine and make it give you some Bourbon instead. *nods*
(But Stefan cockblocking Damon/Elena? Best. Thing. Ever. STEFAN IS NOW FIRST SEASON DAMON, I don’t even.)
NOW, THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART: LET’S TALK STEFAN.
- I’m guessing lots of people are really disappointed with the cop-out? I haven’t yet read the reactions (mostly to avoid just stealing phrases from everyone), but it’s not hard to imagine that the whole ‘RIPPER STEFAN GOES THE FULL WAY… jk, Klaus compels him and he has no choice in the issue’ didn’t sit well with anyone, considering how awesome this arc could have been.
Oddly enough I’m not very disappointed? (Also possibly because I was spoiled for this arc and had time to adjust). Like, I AM because this could’ve been a REALLY good opportunity for TVD to prove that it’s streets ahead of every other show ever (related digression: COMMUNITY WAS SO, SO EPIC THIS WEEK. SUCH A MIND-FUCK.) Because the overt romantic-lead-turned-mass-murderer? WHO DOES THAT? NO ONE, THAT’S WHO, and it would be awesome.
- But I can also, I don’t know, sort of understand? Like, romantic-lead-turned-mass-murderer, who does that? No one, that’s who. It’s not something that’s done on television. Because TV works on its own skewered logic; obviously there are people who must think that Damon killing all the people we’ve seen him kill is just as terrible as Stefan killing a whole lot more people. Like, it isn’t a comparison, you kill people, you’re bad. But in fiction, mostly every person is redeemable because circumstances create character and if you know the circumstances you can forgive characters; they invite sympathy rather than censure. So if Stefan deliberately set out to kill a whole bunch of people WHOM THE AUDIENCE KNOWS because he’s ‘out of control’ then that would be unforgivable. There would be no way that this guy could possibly be redeemed. Which is again a ridiculous tv rule; killing a whole bunch of unknown people is always forgivable; killing/hurting even one or two people the audience knows and god forbid, likes? Not so much.
- In fact, the only characters that develop this way are Super Villains. Not even kidding. This is a regular betrayal trope that most fiction runs away with; Loki, Lucifer, Darth Vader, SCAR (FUCK YOU, SCAR, YOU WEREN’T EVEN NICE AND THEN YOU KILLED MUFASA). Good guys who turn bad, for whatever reason, in this way are always the main antagonists. Betrayal is always, always the most alienating factor in every narrative. And Stefan, as far as I know, is not being set up to be the main antagonist.
- Also, we know that it took him thirty years to recover from his ripper ways, which is just an impossible time-span (especially in a show that hasn’t even completed a year narrativistically). And anything else would just be really unbelievable. The character has to retain audience sympathy if he wants to be one of the protagonists. Obviously there’ll be those who believe it doesn’t matter, he’s still killing. But there’ll also be those who will be able to justify and say ‘it’s just the compulsion’. He has to be given an out.
- But just because I understand it doesn’t mean I like it AT ALL. Because I’d been waiting for Stefan to totally lose it and I would’ve stanned him every step. Now, it’s just, ‘yeah, yeah, he doesn’t mean it; he has no choice, etc. etc.’ And if he’s not going to get anything out of being good (including the ‘girl’), I’d rather he just become all out ‘bad’. SERIOUSLY.
- Also, I really thought he should’ve killed Dana (THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE KILLED HER AT ALL) and Random Guy immediately. Not hurting Elena I’m down with, fine, I understand he loves her and it’s completely different. But NOT killing those other two people without excessively trying to resist Klaus just didn’t sit well with me. In context of those whom they love, THESE PEOPLE ARE SELFISH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. I think we’ve already established that. So, to protect Elena, because of course Klaus would hurt her, I think he should’ve just acquiesced. The hesitation just struck me as too quasi-heroic.
- Also, AFTER EVERYTHING, I still hope Stefan isn’t actually compelled, that either:
a. The button doesn’t exist for him anymore. After all, Rose made it sound like it was something that new vampires constructed to make themselves feel better about all the killing and everything. Otherwise, it just…disappears when you get older? DOES NOT COMPUTE. I say there’s no switch for Stefan anymore.
b. He’s was on vervain in the scene (whatever, it’s my theory, I’m sticking to it). Katherine could resist Klaus on vervain (although he knew about that), so Stefan, if he wanted to save Elena, he should’ve known exactly what Klaus would do. And HE SHOULD HAVE PLANNED. Although obviously this is shot by how much he seems to have struggled to resist. So idek D:
This show so rarely disappoints in a manner like this that I find it hard to believe that they wouldn’t know it’s a cop-out. AND I HOPE IT GETS RECTIFIED (OR REVEALED ASAP.)
Ooh, look, interesting [Show Elena vs. Book Elena]
source
I hope the icons make up for this, sorry D:
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+ Please comment and credit if taking.
+ Please do not edit or hotlink.
+ Enjoy :D