In which you reckon this post should be knifed [3x05]

[youcallitwinter]

Okay, I'm already sorry about the length. REALLY. I promise that next time onwards, I'll stick to 200 words or less D:

Comments

[aerintine]

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.

Great insight. They also need to address the emotional power imbalance between Elena and either of the Salvatores - which they have been getting better at over the seasons. Both brothers can control Elena's mind and emotions if they so choose (unless of course, she takes to ingesting vervain, which perhaps she has and Show hasn't commented on it). Show has been unflinching about its vampires manipulating and controlling people's thoughts, emotions, and actions - as well as always retaining the ability to overcome humans physically. It's a very hard task to get past all that without becoming incredibly problematic. I've liked where they're going with it so far.

Caroline/Candice has the most beautiful smile ever. It’s actually so bright and oddly innocent that it always makes me smile as well.

YES YES YES! I can't help but smile whenever Caroline does. It's such a pure, joyful expression. And Elena's playful smiles at the beginning of this episode made me so happy. We hardly ever see that girl smile.

Agree with all your D/E thoughts - they were each so fantastic in their little scenes together. Their FACES killed me. Destroyed. so perfect.

And, STEFAN. Oh, Stefan. He is the man of the hour, however anyone felt about his story this episode.

For all the reasons you cite for it making sense that the show isn't going to GO THERE with him, I am so very disappoint. You of course make oodles of sense in your analysis. But frankly I thought this show was braver than that, and would take risks like no other show has before. It's a major let-down for me that they backed down and went with the status quo on this metaphor. It's just more of the same in romantic storytelling tropes. I will deal with it, but I'm very disillusioned with Stefan's whole arc, and with the writers. I trusted them to do better by Stefan, and do better by their storytelling. Others who have gone before them fell into the same traps and tropes, and the characters (and fandom!) suffered for it. I wish it had been different this time. Cuz, THIS AIN'T MY FIRST RODEO.

I really hope he's faking it. It's a theory I saw petitebelette put forth yesterday. There's a tiny part of me that believes Stefan could be faking the whole thing and acting his ass off right now. If that's the case, I will probably have an ecstatic fit of delirium. But it's a very tiny hope, amidst a lot of evidence that what happened is exactly what we saw happen: Klaus took away Stefan's autonomy, thereby ending the epic journey we were all so excited about him completing to the very end, of him making choices and dealing with the consequences. SIGH.

Your review is EPIC and I LOVED IT. DO IT AGAIN.

[youcallitwinter]

Show has been unflinching about its vampires manipulating and controlling people's thoughts, emotions, and actions - as well as always retaining the ability to overcome humans physically. It's a very hard task to get past all that without becoming incredibly problematic. I've liked where they're going with it so far.

Oh, exactly!! It’s like, yes, they love her and they’d do anything for her, but the possibility that things might change someday still remains. I never pay close attention whenever someone on this show uses the words ‘never’, ‘forever’ or ‘always’, because if their life experiences haven’t taught them yet that forever is TOTALLY relative and subjective, then they haven’t learned anything at all. Like, I’m not going to go crazy over Damon’s “I will never leave you again” or Stefan’s “I will always protect you” to Caroline, because they can’t. And I like that, it shouldn’t BE about the guys being there for the girls, but about the girls being able to handle themselves. That’s always a good message to take from a show whose target audience is teenage girls.

I can't help but smile whenever Caroline does. It's such a pure, joyful expression.

WORD ON CAROLINE. But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone smile that wide :DD She looks so genuinely happy (as does Elena in the two moments that the show gives her to smile :s) Honestly, she’s possibly the only one out of the cast who makes you feel like she really is seventeen <333

It's a major let-down for me that they backed down and went with the status quo on this metaphor. It's just more of the same in romantic storytelling tropes. I will deal with it, but I'm very disillusioned with Stefan's whole arc, and with the writers. I trusted them to do better by Stefan, and do better by their storytelling.

OH, ABSOLUTELY. And as lots of people have told me, it’s not like it’s not been done, it HAS been done and it CAN be done. And killing lots of people, I mean, they’re still dead, right? Regardless of compulsion, regardless of anything else, they still lost their lives. And the show NEEDS to bring that out. It shouldn’t be about love saving people (and neither should this arc be used to fuel D/E) or whatever. By now I’m sort of convinced Stefan is acting (FOR NO REASON, WHATSOEVER, I JUST PLACE TOO MUCH FAITH IN THE WRITERS AND THEN THEY GIVE ME DAMON/ANDIE D:) his heart out. This switch business is dicey anyway; it’s just so much a plot device because no one really knows how it works.

JACKASS!STEFAN FTW THOUGH. I love how he’s season one Damon, and I totally want to go with the ‘faking it’ theory. (HEY, MAYBE THAT’S ALREADY BEEN SAID IN THIS EPISODE WHICH I HAVEN’T SEEN. Stupid time differences DDD:)

MY REVIEW LOVES YOU TOO. But not as much as me. Back off, review.