tvd, spn
SPN
I'm enjoying this. I ship Amelia/Sam so much. And I love it when my OTPs fight so I'm good here!
TVD
Now, let us talk about what this episode did pretty much flawlessly (well Lexi's character is always shaky because they retconned her place in Stefan's life): Damon, Stefan, and Lexi.
First off: Lexi and Damon bicker about Stefan and are both very possessive of him. THIS IS BASICALLY ALL I EVER WANT WITH THEM. NO SHAME.
I also hated the idea of Stefan going to ww2, and I still do, but the way it was handled could have been worse. I'm pretty sure that it was Lexi's idea and Stefan did it because she told him to - that he needed to do it in order to repent. And Stefan is nothing but a person who thrives when submitting to someone else.
Damon's confession that maybe he just needed his little brother and then walked away for Stefan's own good broke my heart in a good way. Damon is a terrible person who sometimes chooses to act in love instead of violent self-interest AND IT'S WHY HE'S SUCH AN INTERESTING CHARACTER.
And Damon and Stefan's good cop/bad cop was fun. These boys can work very well. The whole good brother/bad brother thing tends to limit both of them, but sometimes they're so good at the roles they can and will use that to their advantage.
And my precious Stefan. His heart was not totally into hating Damon. He knows he should be angry and resent Damon. But he's never been all that good at resenting Damon and it's not Damon's fault Elena is sired to him. So he lashes out and then apologizes very quickly when he sees that Damon is hurt. And my favorite thing: when Damon told him about not coming with him in ww2 for Stefan's sake, Stefan quickly fell back into Damon. And Stefan is still Elena's, he'll respect her choices.
I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT'S INTENDED. BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS TERRIFYING AND SO INTERESTING TO ME. As soon as Damon revealed an act of love, Stefan instantly let go of any anger and resentment he had. And Stefan was happy and bubbly after Damon agreed to bury the hatchet and come to Egypt with him.
The two of them just follow a circle of abusive behavior to the fucking letter. Honeymoon, tension, and then violence. We've had the violence and tension this season (Damon tries to unpack Stefan's clothes, reads his diaries which Stefan had six locks on, and later shoves his hand into Stefan's heart and tortures him until Stefan gives him the information he wants. Now they're back in a honeymoon phase with Stefan being happy and trusty and just delighted to have his big brother doing the right thing.)
Here's the thing about the power dynamics between them: Damon almost always in control (Stefan warily submits all over this place to Damon). Sometimes, however, Stefan lashes out (killing Andie, locking Damon down in season one). And, of course, the one totally unforgivable thing in Stefan's mind: making Damon turn. And, of course, the motives. Let me be clear: Stefan killing Andie was wrong period, even if he was doing it to protect Damon (and not have to come back and face the things he'd done over the summer). If Stefan wanted Damon gone, he should have killed him instead of torturing him - but Stefan's motive was to protect Mystic Falls. Neither of these things are okay, but Stefan needs a motive beyond his own feelings in order to actually hurt Damon because Stefan doesn't know how to act simply for his own selfish need for his brother. With two major exceptions: he turned Damon because he needed him and blaming Damon for becoming a ripper in the '20s was easier than putting the blame on himself (which he seems to have at least started to with Lexi, realizing it was on Stefan.)
The ways in which Damon and Stefan love each other are codependent as hell. They literally define themselves around each other. Stefan and Damon often blame each other for things the other is not at fault for. And, of course, the deal with Klaus. Codependence is not always abusive, though it's always dysfunctional.
Abuse is about someone (or society in the case of things like racism or sexism) using their power over someone else to hurt them. Abusers often love the person they are abusing. One of the reasons a lot of abused people have trouble getting out of an abusive situation is because love is intermixed with the abuse. I doubt Stefan would call Damon's treatment (or Lexi's) abusive. That doesn't change the fact that it is.
And, thus, Stefan's last scene with Caroline was terrifying. Stefan has his big brother and his big brother will do the right thing and they are on good term again. And Caroline is freaked out and it's perfect that it's Caroline because Caroline has also suffered under Damon's abuse. And I think Caroline has a good idea of Damon's abuse to Stefan (and Elena) and if the text was cared about abuse victims more, Caroline's interactions with Stefan and Elena wrt Damon could be fascinating (and her finding out all of what Stefan did to Elena could go so many ways).
AND I JUST HATE THIS STUPID SHOW FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH OF WHAT I WANT THEN FUCKING IT OVER AND MAKING IT EVERYTHING I HATE.
so here I am, planning to write a fic about Caroline struggling to watch Damon abuse Elena and Stefan and then learning what Stefan did and hating the fuck out of him (but still loving him, because he's a friend and Caroline always loves her friends) and just dealing with all the things that Caroline is never allowed to in the text. ALSO STEFAN WILL TALK TO CAROLING ABOUT LEXI AND CAROLINE WILL BE HORRIFIED THAT STEFAN IS HAPPILY REMINDED OF HIS BFF20EVA WHEN HE'S AROUND HER AND THAT BEST FRIEND CHAINED HIM UP, STARVED AND BEAT HIM IN ORDER TO FIX HIM. ONCE IN THE SAME EXACT SPOT HER DAD DID THE SAME THING TO HER FOR.
I'm enjoying this. I ship Amelia/Sam so much. And I love it when my OTPs fight so I'm good here!
TVD
- I don't mind alphas being in control of their pack werewolf fiction - so long as it's probelmized. Actual fact wolf packs do not work like that. And it was creepy how Tyler shoved his hand in Kim's heart and forced her to submit. Literally. But, you know, it's TVD land where abuse and violence is everything. I don't have hope that the text will deal with it well, but I do have fic feels, which is all my canon feels these days.
- If we got a dark Bonnie storyline, I wanted her to go to it on her own terms. Her body being used again against her will is frustrating. She never really gets to react and grow. BUT I'LL GIVE IT TO HER IN FICTION.
- I liked the marketing in this ep becauseGIRL'S NIGHT WAS AWESOME. Until the bathroom scene. Where Caroline was a mouth piece for slut shaming (REMEMBER HER IN SEASON ONE? WHO DIDN'T SHAME WOMEN FOR LIKING SEX. GIVE HER BACK TO ME.) but most importantly, Elena and Caroline and the text forgetting that DAMON ABUSED AND RAPED CAROLINE. AND HOLY FUCK WHY DID YOU REDUCE IT TO JUST CAROLINE SLEEPING WITH HIM. I'm fanwanking Carolin's reaction to the fact she doesn't want to draw attention to the abuse she faced but, man, I hate everything about how she's not allowed to react.
- Hello, writers! Tyler's feelings were, in fact, changed by the sire bond. Tyler thought Klaus was a great guy until Klaus used him to hurt Jeremy and Caroline. I really wished we could have had a moment for Elena and Tyler TALKING about the sire bond.
All of that said, they can tell us Elena's feelings aren't being affected, just her actions. But they cannot be neatly separated. Elena's feelings for Damon were magnified in a way her feelings for everyone around her WEREN'T. And Charolet's feelings were obviously affected by Damon. - Vampire sire bonds can only happen as long as the feelings were already there. Which was established. But when Elena was human, she chose not to be with Damon. How much she consent, how much free will she has over her life is in question. I'm glad the text is at least making it clear that the right thing to do is for Damon to let her go because Elena's control over herself is in question.
- I kinda liked how Elena dug her nails into Damon. Creepy imagery within the giggly happiness (WHICH I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO ENJOY, BUT THE SIRE BOND TAKES AWAY ELENA'S CONSENT, WHICH IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE.)
- Does Elena know Stefan is staying with Caroline? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
- I just love Caroline and Stefan's relationship okay. Talking about feelings. I demand a scene where they cook together (or, rather, Stefan cooks while Caroline orders him around.) BFF6EVA.
- THE WITCH DIDN'T DIE. I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
- Most of the sire bond stuff was around the brothers, but we better get Elena development surrounding it.
- Elena was a little off center - but it was sort of perfect in context of the shitty choices this stupid show made. Everything is heightened, she's so glad to be happy, and she feels like she's falling in love with Damon. But there are still things that are her - she wants to talk to Stefan on her own terms, she's possessive of the house, and she is aggressive about not losing something good that she finally feels she has in her life. It's just not real. And I think Nina sort of played it that way - it's hard for me to describe, but it was almost like Elena wasn't there. It's not that she was a pod person (lol no) but she also wasn't quite herself.
- If Caroline doesn't try and knock off Damon's head when Damon chooses not to let Elena go (which spoilers seem to be saying) I will call bullshit.
Now, let us talk about what this episode did pretty much flawlessly (well Lexi's character is always shaky because they retconned her place in Stefan's life): Damon, Stefan, and Lexi.
First off: Lexi and Damon bicker about Stefan and are both very possessive of him. THIS IS BASICALLY ALL I EVER WANT WITH THEM. NO SHAME.
I also hated the idea of Stefan going to ww2, and I still do, but the way it was handled could have been worse. I'm pretty sure that it was Lexi's idea and Stefan did it because she told him to - that he needed to do it in order to repent. And Stefan is nothing but a person who thrives when submitting to someone else.
Damon's confession that maybe he just needed his little brother and then walked away for Stefan's own good broke my heart in a good way. Damon is a terrible person who sometimes chooses to act in love instead of violent self-interest AND IT'S WHY HE'S SUCH AN INTERESTING CHARACTER.
And Damon and Stefan's good cop/bad cop was fun. These boys can work very well. The whole good brother/bad brother thing tends to limit both of them, but sometimes they're so good at the roles they can and will use that to their advantage.
And my precious Stefan. His heart was not totally into hating Damon. He knows he should be angry and resent Damon. But he's never been all that good at resenting Damon and it's not Damon's fault Elena is sired to him. So he lashes out and then apologizes very quickly when he sees that Damon is hurt. And my favorite thing: when Damon told him about not coming with him in ww2 for Stefan's sake, Stefan quickly fell back into Damon. And Stefan is still Elena's, he'll respect her choices.
I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT'S INTENDED. BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS TERRIFYING AND SO INTERESTING TO ME. As soon as Damon revealed an act of love, Stefan instantly let go of any anger and resentment he had. And Stefan was happy and bubbly after Damon agreed to bury the hatchet and come to Egypt with him.
The two of them just follow a circle of abusive behavior to the fucking letter. Honeymoon, tension, and then violence. We've had the violence and tension this season (Damon tries to unpack Stefan's clothes, reads his diaries which Stefan had six locks on, and later shoves his hand into Stefan's heart and tortures him until Stefan gives him the information he wants. Now they're back in a honeymoon phase with Stefan being happy and trusty and just delighted to have his big brother doing the right thing.)
Here's the thing about the power dynamics between them: Damon almost always in control (Stefan warily submits all over this place to Damon). Sometimes, however, Stefan lashes out (killing Andie, locking Damon down in season one). And, of course, the one totally unforgivable thing in Stefan's mind: making Damon turn. And, of course, the motives. Let me be clear: Stefan killing Andie was wrong period, even if he was doing it to protect Damon (and not have to come back and face the things he'd done over the summer). If Stefan wanted Damon gone, he should have killed him instead of torturing him - but Stefan's motive was to protect Mystic Falls. Neither of these things are okay, but Stefan needs a motive beyond his own feelings in order to actually hurt Damon because Stefan doesn't know how to act simply for his own selfish need for his brother. With two major exceptions: he turned Damon because he needed him and blaming Damon for becoming a ripper in the '20s was easier than putting the blame on himself (which he seems to have at least started to with Lexi, realizing it was on Stefan.)
The ways in which Damon and Stefan love each other are codependent as hell. They literally define themselves around each other. Stefan and Damon often blame each other for things the other is not at fault for. And, of course, the deal with Klaus. Codependence is not always abusive, though it's always dysfunctional.
Abuse is about someone (or society in the case of things like racism or sexism) using their power over someone else to hurt them. Abusers often love the person they are abusing. One of the reasons a lot of abused people have trouble getting out of an abusive situation is because love is intermixed with the abuse. I doubt Stefan would call Damon's treatment (or Lexi's) abusive. That doesn't change the fact that it is.
And, thus, Stefan's last scene with Caroline was terrifying. Stefan has his big brother and his big brother will do the right thing and they are on good term again. And Caroline is freaked out and it's perfect that it's Caroline because Caroline has also suffered under Damon's abuse. And I think Caroline has a good idea of Damon's abuse to Stefan (and Elena) and if the text was cared about abuse victims more, Caroline's interactions with Stefan and Elena wrt Damon could be fascinating (and her finding out all of what Stefan did to Elena could go so many ways).
AND I JUST HATE THIS STUPID SHOW FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH OF WHAT I WANT THEN FUCKING IT OVER AND MAKING IT EVERYTHING I HATE.
so here I am, planning to write a fic about Caroline struggling to watch Damon abuse Elena and Stefan and then learning what Stefan did and hating the fuck out of him (but still loving him, because he's a friend and Caroline always loves her friends) and just dealing with all the things that Caroline is never allowed to in the text. ALSO STEFAN WILL TALK TO CAROLING ABOUT LEXI AND CAROLINE WILL BE HORRIFIED THAT STEFAN IS HAPPILY REMINDED OF HIS BFF20EVA WHEN HE'S AROUND HER AND THAT BEST FRIEND CHAINED HIM UP, STARVED AND BEAT HIM IN ORDER TO FIX HIM. ONCE IN THE SAME EXACT SPOT HER DAD DID THE SAME THING TO HER FOR.