TVD 3x18: "Did you learn nothing from the moonstone in the soap dish?"

[dante_kent]

So a lot of this episode was basically a massive love letter to me. The rest...was basically a massive fuck you. Show, the things you do to me.

Comments

Ridiculous comment, part 1

[upupa_epops]

WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING IN THERE, SALVATORE?

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! Seriously, guys, we all know what you two do after vampire hunting.

EVERYTHING WAS DAMON/ELENA AND NOTHING HURT!!!!!!!!!!!

The writers should read your brain. I like your brain.

And I may or may not have spoken to my screen "with this ring, I thee wed." Damon WOULD use a serial killer generator as an engagement ring.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to marry your brain. No pun intended.

For Elena to blame anyone in her circle would be a betrayal - she has to have complete faith in her people, because that's who she is and that's how she loves. But Damon doesn't let her gloss over his actions - he is awful, and he knows it, and he MAKES her know it too. This is how their relationship works. So Elena doesn't categorize him as a victim who can be saved. He's not. But she loves him anyway. THIS!!!!!!!!! Because, yes, for Elena, believing in her loved ones is an act of loyalty. Which is why she keeps believing in Stefan - THIS IS HER TRIAL BY FIRE! But

Re: Ridiculous comment, part 1

[dante_kent]

I want to marry your brain.

My brain accepts. It's thinking a June wedding.

Damon is awful by definition.

Why I love him so fucking much, really.

Klaus could take over the world just by fucking hiring Veronica Mars to bug everybody's phones.

LOLOLOL WRITE IT.

I usually just say "Fuck you, life-ruiner".

That works. FYLR for short (can't resist an acronym).

Sort of like Pinky and Brain. Rebekah is Brain.

AAAAAAAHHHHHH THE ACTUAL BEST.

I'm mostly on board with your Original family tree. I'd probably put Elijah as the oldest, just because he seems to have authority over the rest. And maybe that way we can pretend to explain why he has a different accent from everyone else (including his parents, just.).

The only thing I missed from the forest training session was a family of squirrels watching Team Originalcide with polite curiosity. YOU KNOW THEY WERE THERE!What do I need to do to get you to write this fic? I want their POV on everybody. I want to see who they think is dating, who they think is attractive, and of course,

Re: Ridiculous comment, part 1

[upupa_epops]

I have always wanted a June wedding!

And maybe that way we can pretend to explain why he has a different accent from everyone else (including his parents, just.).

But, you know, this is actually possible if you move around a lot ;). My grandfather's siblings have different accents (or, rather, different mixtures of an old regional accent and standard language), so it can happen ;).

I agree, Elijah's authority points to him as the oldest. But he could've got it during the 900 years when Finn was in the coffin. So I'm conflicted with those two.

What do I need to do to get you to write this fic?

I'll see what I can do. My brain works totally at random lately :(.

[badboy_fangirl]

I can't really comment on any of this beyond: WORD. I haven't written an episode review because this is how I feel, and I just can't rant about it cohesively. I loved this episode and I fucking hated it, too, and the only thing that is making that okay is the promos for the next one, but I'm telling you, if Elena can't admit something to Damon, I'm going to stake her myself, but them both out of their misery, because seriously. STOP DESTROYING DAMON, I CANNOT HANDLE IT.

*ahem*

So, I thought I might be a little PMSy, but then I read this review and I thought, well, even if I am looking at this through rage glasses, at least you're seeing it the same way. So, the end.

[linsell_farm]

Thanks so much for the link in your post, bb. This is an awesome post.

Also, I'm totally with you in "STOP DESTROYING DAMON!!!". I'm certainly not handling it, either.

[dante_kent]

This episode was tricky, because I loved almost all of it, but was also crushed by it in a way that I hadn't been in a while. So, I get what you mean about loving and hating it at the same time. But OMFG the promo for 3x19. I can't even. I cannot wait. JUST. CAN'T.

Though, brace yourself, my dear. I'm fairly sure that the writers love nothing more than destroying Damon. It's a Mystic Falls town-wide hobby, really.

Ridiculous comment, part 2

[upupa_epops]

Ugh, talking to family about TVD. How unfortunate.

Can we all agree that Damon looked phenomenally hot all strung up like that? And that he only got hotter as he got more wounded and bloodied? Tell me I'm not alone in this. It was UNBEARABLY HOT.

Re: Ridiculous comment, part 2

[dante_kent]

What is that gif even. I don't understand. How can that be so hot. HOW, MARTA. JUST. HOW.

I love that Spike quote! I remember that episode quite well. Super creepy, and fucking awesome. And I love the idea that being a victim doesn't absolve what you do in the aftermath. This is why I love vampire shows (well, the good ones).

Elena openly tells Stefan she doesn't give a fuck about Damon's agency. In the episode in which Damon gets symbolically punished by all his violations of free will, Elena says that she would violate Damon's free will without blinking.YES YES YES. Wasn't this the best? I loved that scene so much because it was Elena acting EXACTLY like Damon, making the call about someone else's fate because of how SHE feels. Maybe that's why I was so disappointed when this scene turned out to be entirely irrelevant. Elena going along with the Kill Klaus plan because it's for the greater good was just...less interesting? Not that I wanted her to run off and rescue Damon, but at least if she had talked about it a little more we

Re: Ridiculous comment, part 2

[upupa_epops]

I gave up on comprehending this gif. I just embrace it. FYLR :(.

I keep wondering if there even could've been a D/E conversation after the torture without ruining the narrative power of Damon's hallucination... I mean, if they talked, Elena would have to express SOME concern. Anything. And that, together with Damon's hallucination, would actually validate at least a part of his delusions? While now it stands clear that the whole romantic setting is in his head. Elena has feelings for him, but not like this. No epic romance will happen in this bar.

RIGHT? I spent an unhealthy amount of my time this weekend thinking about it. I'm back to writing scenes in my head, because I can't fucking wait for the episode. Just. Dying.

IKR? I don't even try writing things that aren't D/E. I also spend unhealthy amount of time talking to Alex about possible D/E scenarios for the next episode. The theories we already have could fill a book :(.

Re: Ridiculous comment, part 2

[dante_kent]

While now it stands clear that the whole romantic setting is in his head. Elena has feelings for him, but not like this. No epic romance will happen in this bar.

Again, I love this. Bit by bit, you're wearing me down. ;) At this point, I think the thing that most bothers me is that Elena was checking up on Stefan, so clearly more concerned for his emotional well-being than Damon's actual physical existence. It's probably the same reason why I loved the D/E in 3x14 and hated the S/E (though I didn't actually hate the S/E in this episode, if that makes any sense). I know it's in character for Elena to care more about Stefan than she does about Damon, at least outwardly. But at a certain point seeing Elena treat Stefan like this entire season hasn't happened has become frustrating to me. But again, I'll get over it.

I also spend unhealthy amount of time talking to Alex about possible D/E scenarios for the next episode. The theories we already have could fill a book :(.

My only question: WHY have I not seen these theories???

[ever_neutral]

What if the ring makes you into a murderer as a way to reassert balance? Because the ring helps you cheat death, which is against the natural order of things. So what if it makes you take lives as compensation for the death(s) you should have had?

I LOVE IT. All the awards to you. The writers should subscribe to your newsletter.

And the little look she gives him after he says it, it's a very brief flash of panic, because he knows. He can see right through her, and she can't stop him.

Amen. I love, of course, that this is one way in which their relationship is 100% mutual.

I have always, always adored that moment with Damon and Jeremy (can we have more of those two? Oh wait we will next week! Forgive my stream of consciousness rambling. This is why my recaps are so long. I don't delete. I just correct. With more words.) when Little Gilbert comes to kill Damon and talks himself out of it. YES TO ALL YOUR FEELS. Forever pressed they dropped the Damon-Jeremy Stockholm Syndrome bromance in S2. May this be rectified in episodes

[ever_neutral]

Also, the darkness, holy excellence, the darkness. Klaus gives Bonnie the choice to save Damon, of all people, Damon, this man that she hates, who she blames so much of the tragedy of her life on. She stares at the horror, sees how utterly fucked up this is, and she leaves him.

UGH, YES YES YES. SOMETIMES THIS SHOW GIVES ME EVERYTHING I WANT FOR BONNIE BENNETT? And you know what, I don't even think Bonnie DOES hate Damon's guts anymore. She was genuinely horrified and viscerally worried over how bad he looked. But that doesn't mean she should put aside her own anger and trauma to help him. Fantastic storytelling decision. AND I LOVED THAT DAMON *KNEW* THAT SHE WOULD LEAVE HIM THERE AND THAT HE ABSOLUTELY DESERVED IT.

There is a good and an evil, and it is her purpose in life to uphold the good. And now she's looking around her and it's all wrong. She's just done something wrong - so many things, really. And they were all for the right reasons, but since when does that matter?ALL OF YOUR FEELINGS, LIZ. ALL OF THEM. PLEASE TALK

[ever_neutral]

But in terms of Elena's characterization? This was just WRONG. Her utter lack of concern for Damon's well-being was just absurd.Hmmmmmmm, you're not the only person to complain about this. Full disclosure: I am actually not viscerally bothered by this, as much as I agree that it was dodgy writing. I think I'm not so bugged because the episode (and every episode, basically) hammered home how much Elena wants to ~save everybody, and then you get to Damon, and she's actually NOT killing herself over this. I just appreciate that. Also, I kind of dig the trolling of expectations. You would THINK that Damon's life being threatened like this would signal a SHIFT in their relationship, but… it's just business as usual. Because Damon and Elena just don't really get those big!epic moments. No big ~revelations~ to a swelling musical score will occur. So… I guess I liked how anticlimactic it was? Because I am predictable

[dante_kent]

I've been thinking about my frustration with the D/E of the episode, and I think it's partially because we got that scene with Stefan when Elena WAS concerned, and then she just...stopped being concerned. Like, it was too much of a turnaround to go from "We have to save Damon, never mind about this plan!" to basically not caring at all and letting it all happen, nbd. I could've bought Elena being all mission is what matters from the start, but having her take a total 180 on the matter jarred me. I suppose I thought that when she WAS worried they were laying groundwork, and when nothing came of it I felt like the storyline was unfinished. She was just so detached from the entire storyline after that first scene, and it got to me in a way I wasn't expecting.

Because Damon and Elena just don't really get those big!epic moments. No big ~revelations~ to a swelling musical score will occur. So… I guess I liked how anticlimactic it was? See, I love that too. So I really don't know why this episode bothered me so much. I'll get over it. It

[x5vale]

No much time to properly comment but thank you for your take on Damon refusing to be a victim. I was trying to explain that Damon did not choose to be a vampire, but he chose to live after a while he turned and you perfectly explained why.

He refuses to be a victim.

Own it, live it, love it. Don't be ashamed of who you are.

That's our boy!

[dante_kent]

Own it, live it, love it. Don't be ashamed of who you are.

This is pretty much the quintessential Damon Salvatore quote, and I love it. Our boy is the best.

[x5vale]

He really is :)