'The Vampire Diaries' Wrap-up Thoughts... 2/8 -- Minor Unresolved Issues

[arabian]

Continuing along with my Final Vampire Diaries series. Here are my five minor unresolved issues. They didn't affect the overall narrative, but matter enough though that they will probably always bother me just enough that I take note whenever I re-watch the series. Each section is listed in order of the most glaring (either in their egregiousness

Comments

[tj2013]

<>Then their conversation could begin with a mention of how Matt was visiting Penny's grave (bringing in a nice mention of her), the two of them looking at Caroline and Elena, and discussing the twins. Hey, here's some dialogue that would work perfectly, I think:<>
Ohh, that would have been perfect. I'll simply include that in my inner canon and pretend it happened, LOL!

I never thought that much about Rose, as a character, I mean. But I loved "her" episodes and what they triggered in Damon. And she had that interesting line about the humanity switch ... something along that line that it's not real anyway and only young vampires do it to protect their minds or so...

<> mentioned in number three, "Under Control," that Julie Plec's biggest flaw was inconsistency, I'm thinking now that such isn't the case, but it's rather cleaning up loose ends when logistics tear apart a story line. However, considering how well the overall series was, I think she did pretty damn good.... )

Part I

[arabian]

Ohh, that would have been perfect. I'll simply include that in my inner canon and pretend it happened, LOL!

I rather liked it myself.

I never thought that much about Rose, as a character, I mean. But I loved "her" episodes and what they triggered in Damon.

I do agree with that, I just think that the story arc overall would have been better had Rose as a character overall been better. There just would have been more resonance.

And she had that interesting line about the humanity switch ... something along that line that it's not real anyway and only young vampires do it to protect their minds or so...

Well, she didn't deny that it was real. The line was actually contradictory and really didn't make sense.Rose: It's a lie, you know. There's no switch you can turn off. Sure when you're a newbie but after a couple of hundred years...you just have to pretend.
This was from "Katerina," and the episode was written by Andrew Chambliss. First, she says that it is a lie and that there is no switch to turn off. And then right after that she

Part II

[arabian]

Didn't Damon call Stefan's humanity switch a dimmer switch? With Stefan humanity was never simply on or off.

Right, I grabbed the dialogue where the "dimmer" was mentioned (it was in two separate episodes), but both fit my theory about that.Alaric: I thought Stefan saved your life.
Damon: He did.
Alaric: And now he is willing to risk it just to see how far he can push Klaus?
Damon: It seems so.
Alaric: So is his humanity on or off?
Damon: I think there is another option at play, a dimmer switch, which is a huge problem.
Alaric: Why?
Damon: Because I can't predict how far he is willing to go until someone gets killed.

-- "Our Town" - Season 03, Episode 11
Damon: I don't feel anything anymore.
Sybil: Wrong. It is written all over your face. Your humanity is riding that dimmer switch, and right now it is pushing itself up. And it feels terrible, does it?
Damon: Shut up!
Sybil: Dimmer goes up, and you'll get your feelings back. Maybe your brother will love you again. But, boy, will it feel awful! And Elena's reaction to everything

Re: Minor Unresolved Issues (1/3)

[arabian]

“Continuing along with my Final Vampire Diaries series.” - AH Please don’t say final. I can’t deal with the idea of the end of your TVD posts *cries*

Well, I mean "final" in these bunch of posts after the series' run ended, but as you know I plan on rewatching the entire series and will be doing a rewrite of each episode with fresh eyes, so... yeah, so not the end of my TVD posts, LOL!

“Damon was blamed for something that he categorically did *not* do. Even worse, this was something that he actually stopped from happening.” - I wonder if maybe upon the re-watch we’ll be able to read some premeditated symbolism into it? Just grasping at straws here lol

I'd like to think so, but this is NOT something I'm expecting to see, but maybe.

“Damon was acting completely UN-Damon like, even humanity-flipped (especially humanity-flipped) Damon. He was all but begging the others to hate him at Tyler's funeral.” - That was so obvious it hurt. I was seriously stupefied by everyone not realizing *immediately* what was going on.All I can think of

Re: Minor Unresolved Issues (2/3)

[arabian]

I had conflicting thoughts and feelings in regard to Lily. First of all, initially, I was disappointed as soon as I realized she was rather going to be on the evil side.

I can understand this because in my head, Mama Salvatore loved her boys and would have been there for them... but as you know, I decided in the hiatus between season 03 and 04 that I would do my best to not let my expectations dictate how I felt about any storyline because it was their show, their story and I trusted them. With that said... I don't agree that this:

There was that severe, neurotic, unstable, cruel vibe to her that made her both scary but also somehow sympathetic because there were moments when you could see what she was like as a human. You could imagine her children thinking that she was loving, fragile and delicate.

A better actress (ahem, Claudia Black) could have pulled that off just as well, uhm, actually better, and still have given us every other shade, actually more shades of Lily. Like, oh...

Having said that, there *was* something

Re: Minor Unresolved Issues (2/3)

[arabian]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm happy. I'm very, very happy overall with what we did get. This is just me getting out of my system those issues that lingered despite 8 seasons of overall awesome. If this is all there were, that shows a heckuva lot of awesome.

Re: Minor Unresolved Issues (3/3)

[arabian]

“Personally, I feel that Cassidy Freeman-who was cast in season 03 as Sage-could have possibly done the role of Rose justice.” - It didn’t cross my mind before but as soon as you mentioned it… YES! That would’ve been so, so good!

Right?! So awesome. I thought of her as Rose as soon as we saw her as Sage.

“With that said, the seasons where Plec was sole showrunner, and those would be seasons 03, 04 and 08, all suffered from her one major flaw: inconsistency.” - Heh, I didn’t realize it before. Various issues aside, S3 and S4 were still my favorite seasons so it looks like I’m a fan ;)Ah, see seasons 04 through 06 were my favorites. 02, 03 and 08 were my least favorites probably. So that's 2 or 3 for Plec. Of course, I still madly loved those three seasons, but compared to seasons 04, 05 and 06.... If you're wondering, I would rank them... 05, 06, 04, 01, 07, 03, 08, 02. (Yes, season 02 is my least favorite. Sorry, I may understand that Stefan and Elena were a part of the journey, but an entire season of non-stop Stefan and Elena...

Re: Minor Unresolved Issues (3/3)

[arabian]

I think that when you do a rewatch with your anger issues now resolved season 06 will be higher, certainly higher than 8, possibly higher than 3, and even 5. My issue with 8 is that there were too many dropped threads. And doing these last three posts make it clear why now. Obviously when planning the season out, Julie & co. expected a full 22-episode length season and because they lost 6 episodes, planned arcs had to be dropped, thus... dropped threads. It's just really clear when watching the season as intently as I do. Season 06 doesn't suffer from that AT ALL. Season 03 and 04 (as much as I love that one) also suffer from the 'Joseph Morgan syndrome.' In both his departure, or lack thereof, clearly effected a planned major story line for each season. In season 03, he didn't depart and that caused a major shift and you can *see* that shift. In season 04, he *did* depart and *that* caused a major shift. Thus why I have ranked seasons 05 and 06 higher. :)

[ghidorah15]

Basically, my frustration lies with the fact that Damon never found out that it was Damon who made the deal to save the twins rather than Stefan.
Eheh, um, don't you meant that Alaric never found out? But yeah, that was so Goddamn frustrating and I wish they'd fixed it.

Heheh...I like the idea that Nadia was switched with another child at the orphanage, and thus the wrong woman grew up thinking she was Katerina Petrova's daughter and ultimately died as a vampire from werewolf venom, while the actual daughter had a happy human life unaware of her heritage. It would sure blunt the impact of Olga Fonda's awful acting. (And yeah, Phoebe Tonkin didn't pass the mustard, either. How do you think Adelaide Kane would've fared as Faye and, by extension, Hayley? I ask because I really like her from what little I've seen of her work, and she's much better at several accents.)

Hmm...I can't think of what else to add. You've covered it really well.

[arabian]

Eheh, um, don't you meant that Alaric never found out?

Ugh, I must have reread that a dozen times and never caught that. :smacks head: It's fixed now. Thanks.

But yeah, that was so Goddamn frustrating and I wish they'd fixed it.

*sigh* Me too, me too.

Heheh...I like the idea that Nadia was switched with another child at the orphanage, and thus the wrong woman grew up thinking she was Katerina Petrova's daughter and ultimately died as a vampire from werewolf venom, while the actual daughter had a happy human life unaware of her heritage. It would sure blunt the impact of Olga Fonda's awful acting.

So, so bad. florencia7 above suggested that could be a spin-off. The adventures of the REAL Nadia Petrova, LOL!

(And yeah, Phoebe Tonkin didn't pass the mustard, either. How do you think Adelaide Kane would've fared as Faye and, by extension, Hayley? I ask because I really like her from what little I've seen of her work, and she's much better at several accents.)

I watched the first two seasons of Reign, and yes, Adelaide Kane is quite the good

[ghidorah15]

I watched the first two seasons of Reign, and yes, Adelaide Kane is quite the good actress. She would have been MUCH better as Faye, and excellent as Hayley. I would have loved to have seen her on TVD.
Woohoo! It's good to know I'm not crazy for thinking that she would've been awesome in either role. ;)

[arabian]

She would have been both delightful and broken our hearts. Really good actress. And so beautiful. I don't know if she could have pulled off an American accent, but hey, it's not like Phoebe Tonkin really can, so...