TVD 3x21: "How many desiccated hybrids does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

[dante_kent]

Here's the thing. I really enjoyed this episode. It was a good time. That being said? I don't really have much to say. I know, I know, I always have something to say, and I'm sure I'll find a way to make this recap as absurdly lengthy as ever. But...I don't know, guys. This episode was pretty good. The plot was consistently exciting (I know! Plot

Comments

[ever_neutral]

+ 1 to everything you say about Elena's ~choice. MAKE IT STOP.

Then it gets creepy, and they flash to some random Civil War pictures and models. Part of me wants to close-read this, and the far lazier, PESS-affected (that's Penultimate Episode of the Season Syndrome, for those of you watching at home) part of me just assumes it's supposed to be eerie and violent.

I NOTICED THAT TOO. I'm wondering now if the finale will have something to do with the Battle of Gettysburg. IDEK.

I had legitimate Forwood feelings! In the most unexpected of places. When Tyler just casually signs off with "I love you" and Caroline echoes it, like you do when you're hanging up with the people you love, like it's no big deal, cause it's just part of what you do - I liked this so much!

OMG ARE YOU ME? I HAD THE EXACT SAME FEELINGS TOO, OMFG. ::bro fist-bump::

So Esther's dead, then? Whatever. Can't say I'll miss her, and can't say I'll be surprised if she turns up again.

LOL. Let me point you in the direction of all the fucks I do not give.

[ever_neutral]

I couldn't care enough about Tyler's struggle, because it really seemed to me that he should just do as Klaus said and then call everyone to come rescue her. I suppose we were supposed to sympathize with him and his desire to help her. But it seemed so obvious that the better move was to bugger off and call for backup.

Yeah… What you said. I did (mostly) love the Klaus-Tyler scene later on, though, so I'll forgive it.

Can we NOT make this about Caroline? Can't we just have Tyler reclaiming ownership of himself, oh, I don't know, FOR himself? Do not want this to be about the love of a good woman saving him. Fuck that. And then he goes on about the strength of real love, and I *facepalm.* Tyler/Caroline, stop making yourselves into this.

Yeah, this. And this paragraph yet again confirms we are the same person, because I wrote one pretty much exactly like it in my review. :D

So here's the part when I confess that sometimes I am romantic: I have a thing for forehead touching (when done well). So I actually found this Bonnie/

[dante_kent]

I may have suffered feelings also.

This show does that to me sometimes, and I do not approve. How does it even work.

I say this with all the love in my cold black heart for D/E, but -- Damon being treated like an equal contender here is bizarre and nonsensical.

PRECISELY (except there's a gaping chasm where my heart ought to be, but that's just details). If Damon were an equal contender, there wouldn't really be a question. But it's the fact that he CAN'T be a contender, that she can't face the idea of being with him and what that would do to her, that makes her so conflicted in the first place. Trying to establish this triangle as a real triangle is actually going against the very nature of this OT3.

At this point, I wish Elena and Stefan would just hurry the fuck up ad get back together so we can be done with this artificial, hackneyed "conflict".

I feel you, bro. Let's just have it over and done with so we can move on with our lives.

If she chooses Stefan, I don't at all think Damon's gonna find it easy to leave. Oh, it

[dante_kent]

I'm wondering now if the finale will have something to do with the Battle of Gettysburg.

Flashbacks on top of flashbacks? How far back are we going here? ;)

I admit, the visual of Ric burning up with that evil expression was good.

Oh, it was totally awesome. You be crazy, Alterlaric. I will sit back and enjoy.

I sometimes ship Bonnie/Damon. I think they should have hate!sex.

I don't disagree. I genuinely enjoy their scenes together. My issue with Bonnie/Damon is that there were all these people clamoring about how they were THE ship to ship long before there was anything to even vaguely ship between them. I get frustrated when people jump the gun on ships before there is anything to see between them, and I got a bit *eye-roll* at the overeager Bamon shippers. Then things happened that actually DID make Bonnie/Damon an intriguing ship to ship, but it was too late for me. My counter-reactionary personality ruins so many things for me.

Damon's right though, sry2say.Yeah, he probably is (isn't he always?). But I was a bit o_O at

[badboy_fangirl]

I noticed Stefan's twitching fingers, too, which ironically, I last saw in 2x21 when Damon showed him his wolf-nip. So, yes, he just put his other brother in the ground, and that was his remorse over it.

And Elena saying, I'LL BE THE BAD GUY. Isn't this proof that this godawful 'choice' she has to make is to be with the only other person around willing to be the Bad Guy when really it somehow makes him the Good Guy?

GUH. IF I DON'T GET MY SHIP, I WILL BE LIKE STEFAN WHEN KLAUS COMPELLED HIM TO SHUT. IT. OFF.

[fluffyfrolicker]

*jumps into unexpectedly*

And Elena saying, I'LL BE THE BAD GUY. Isn't this proof that this godawful 'choice' she has to make is to be with the only other person around willing to be the Bad Guy when really it somehow makes him the Good Guy?

Just wanted to say I really loved that sentence, especially after reading it the 3rd time, which is the 1st time I understood what it said :D

I follow the logic, if a warrior princess is willing to do anything, than she needs a warrior prince by her side, willing to always back her up. Secret contingency plans and all that jazz.

What I really do have a problem with is the urgency of the choice making, and the making-Damon-an-option part. It makes no sense to me that he is so suddenly made a choice, equally viable as Stefan (her boyfriend for 2 seasons or so). But alas, we all await for flashback time. And the crowning moment of awesome, which I shall not spoil if you've not seen the promo.

[badboy_fangirl]

I follow the logic, if a warrior princess is willing to do anything, than she needs a warrior prince by her side, willing to always back her up. Secret contingency plans and all that jazz.
I love this sentence, and I read a couple times just because I love it so much. I honestly don't get how anyone sees Damon and Elena together and thinks, NOOOOOO, SHE BELONGS WITH STEFAN. It's just so apparent to me who the proper match is.

What I really do have a problem with is the urgency of the choice making, and the making-Damon-an-option part.The writers dropped the ball on this aspect, I agree. But the truth of it is he became viable the minute he forced her to admit she cared for him, and every moment after that. If Elena is going to date and love vampires, then Damon is just as viable (or just as NOT viable) as Stefan). In fact, Damon's the safer choice because he can control himself. I feel like they haven't fully explored Stefan's non-control either. So many things that need more depth to them. Woe

[fluffyfrolicker]

Damon and Elena, to me, are such an unusual story of love, and so many other things, very non cliche and I love them for it.

Hm, I see what you mean. Her "no feelings for Damon" campaign was recently put to a halt when she admitted both to Stefan and to Damon that some feelings do exist.

And if she's still ok with dating a vampire, then, as to which one is a better/safer choice, it's safe to say that in that aspect, season 3 Damon > season 3 Stefan.

And yes, I do like to thoroughly explore new Stefan, because he's far from being all hole and healed. It took him many years the last time, and I'm sure he's gotten himself all fixed in a month or so. That mention, Salvatore bromance in that car scene, my lord, these boys <3

[pocochina]

Alterlaric snaps her neck and drags her inside to catchy music, burning all the while. It was badass, and I dug it. But again...why wasn't he using vamp speed? He was literally burning up. You'd think he might want to hasten the dragging process along

This I do actually think makes sense, since the whole vampire vampire hunter thing (TURNING RIC INTO MIKAEL, SOB) involves a fair amount of self-harm. I think he's really reveling in the being scorched.

How many boxes of paintings do you think he has? Does he have an entire separate moving truck for his collected works of angry impressionism?

He goes to Paris a couple of times a decade and compels tourists to buy them from him. HE IS AN ARTISTE.

I seriously wish I could just enjoy any scene with Bonnie and Damon together without worrying that it would feed the hoard of crazed Bonnie/Damon shippers just waiting for a sign to pounce on their irrelevant ship.

AHAHAHA, TOO LATE, I HAVE POUNCED.

I really liked this line: "How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting

[dante_kent]

This I do actually think makes sense, since the whole vampire vampire hunter thing (TURNING RIC INTO MIKAEL, SOB) involves a fair amount of self-harm.

OOOH GOOD POINT. Alterlaric is now the very monster he hates, so of course that self-loathing would manifest itself in a penchant for corporal punishment. Messed up, and so awesome.

HE IS AN ARTISTE.

LOL OF COURSE HE IS. I bet he wrote his own entry on Wikipedia.

Klaus and Damon together make my heart sing.

Always. They are actually unbearably delightful.

I don't even think it's that she's making different choices than she would have. It seems more like, she doesn't need to rationalize it and frame those same courses of action as things that make her Good anymore, which I think is a big step.

Ooh, yes, this. I like what you say, friend. It's Elena becoming more comfortable with the darkness that was always there, with the survivor in her. It's growing up. I love this girl.

[ivyflores]

Hey, it's me again :) Last week TVD made me feel so much rage that I couldn't even write (or think) coherently. But I liked this episode. It wasn't great or amazing or anything like that, but I had a pretty good time watching it.

I had legitimate Forwood feelings! In the most unexpected of places. When Tyler just casually signs off with "I love you" and Caroline echoes it, like you do when you're hanging up with the people you love, like it's no big deal, cause it's just part of what you do - I liked this so much! I had actual shippy feelings! Me too! There was something so refreshing about this scene, so normal that I couldn't help having all kinds of feelings

[ivyflores]

Ok, moment of whinging: WHY oh why did Elena ask Tyler to get Stefan? Forgive my Damon bias, but shouldn't it at least have been Stefan AND Damon? Or really anyone? I do not care for the idea that Elena still thinks of Stefan as her most reliable saviour after EVERYTHING.

Because Stefan is her one true protector and it's not like he wasn't there for her during most of this season (but I guess I was imagining this part) and she doesn't need to worry about not having anyone because she has him? *Who knew? I'm still bitter about last week*

And Stefan? Can't take his eyes away from Klaus. He is LOCKED onto Klaus, in this horrible, dawning moment, when he realizes that he doesn't hate Klaus. He does hate Klaus, but he doesn't just hate Klaus. All these things Klaus has been saying about their connection, their bond, their friendship? They're all true. It doesn't change anything. Stefan wants to kill Klaus...but suddenly he's not sure he wants him dead. It's this awful, fantastic moment, when Stefan just feels, feels all these things

[dante_kent]

Because Stefan is her one true protector and it's not like he wasn't there for her during most of this season (but I guess I was imagining this part) and she doesn't need to worry about not having anyone because she has him?

Indeed. He has been the picture of a perfect boyfriend all season. How could anyone doubt him?

I'm still bitter about last week*

WHO ISN'T. Ugh.

The Gilbert family for all the wins. I love them so.

Never apologize for lengthy comments! I enjoy them immensely, and besides, clearly I am not one to judge. ;) Meanwhile, this season finale may very well be the death of me. Hope to see you on the other side...but my fate is no longer in my hands. TREAT ME WELL, SHOW.

[dante_kent]

Yes, last week's episode was...emotionally trying. I'm glad you survived it, though. ;) Welcome back!

I'm very much with you about Caroline/Tyler. I was so into them last season, but this season they became a bit cliche and overdone, and it just lost me.

I think it's because of the "epic love conquers all" thing the writers have been trying to do with them - I really don't think that they know how much I hate the entire 'epic love' concept, especially when they use it as a reason for everything

PREACH. There is nothing worse than the Epic Love trope.

These are things they're supposed to do for themselves, not for somebody else.

THIS THIS THIS x 10000000. I check out of a ship the second it starts to overpower the characters. I need for these people to exist beyond their love lives, and I think both Stefan and Tyler have seriously been suffering from a lack of storylines that don't revolve around their respective significant others.

THIS WAS A GOOD MINI-RANT. Carry on.

I try to not pay attention when something like this