TVD 4x17: Because the night...what? Does anyone get this title?

[dante_kent]

Hi, kids! Apologies for missing last week. I was out of town and couldn't watch the new ep until Sunday night, and by that time it felt too awkwardly late to say anything. Not to mention I was a bit confused about how I felt last week, and wanted to wait for this week's ep to clear it all up. Turns out that was futile, because I'm still pretty

Comments

[bogwitch]

Because the Night... belongs to lovers. (http://youtu.be/px__SsVXX_0)

It's a Patti Smith song, hence relating to the punk setting.

[dante_kent]

Ah, good call! My 70s music knowledge is not strong. Thanks for the link!

[wheatear]

Because lately, I feel like every time EITHER of these characters shows up on screen, I have to brace myself for yet another Klaroline reference. And its frustrating relentlessness is making me even less tolerant. Because I've said it before, and I'll say it again: IT MAKES NO SENSE. For EITHER character.

I'm with you there 100%.

But how about you kill ONE of the witches on the sidelines? How about you do anything you can to distract that main witch?

Distraction might have worked, but killing one of the witches on the sidelines would have killed them all too. They were all linked. I don't think Caroline realised that they were all going to die. She thought killing one would stop them.

Let's be real, every single time Lexi appears the show completely contradicts everything it said before.

Yes. At this point, I'm just like... why. Why do they keep bringing her back. What purpose does it serve?

[dante_kent]

Ugh, at this point just thinking about what they're doing with Klaroline frustrates me. Which sucks, because it really didn't have to be this way.

Distraction might have worked, but killing one of the witches on the sidelines would have killed them all too. They were all linked.

Oh man, this makes so much more sense. I totally should have realized that. Thank you! This was really bothering me, but it turns out that I'm the dumb one. But seriously, I feel better knowing that Caro wasn't just being a complete idiot.

Why do they keep bringing her back. What purpose does it serve?

I REALLY DON'T KNOW. Not gonna lie, I enjoyed her more in this episode than I have in ages, but I really don't get why the show feels the need to bring her back now once or twice a season. If we really need to bring back our murdered friends, well, there are plenty of characters who have more relevance and storyline potential who should be brought back. I don't get what Lexi is adding at this point.

[eowyn_315]

LOL OVER THE CHARACTER LIMIT.

I just...don't feel Elena right now?

LOL. She doesn't feel you either, bro.

But if we're being serious, a lot of Elena's behavior to me feels like ~performance. Like she's trying too hard to be bad. (How much of what she does is solely to get under Damon's skin? lol) And so there is that disconnect, where what we're seeing is not "what would Elena be like without emotions?" so much as it's "what does Elena think she should be like without emotions?"

IDK, I'm just really looking forward to a face-to-face with Katherine, because I think that's when we'll see what flipped-switch Elena is really like.

It just feels like the show is trying so damn hard, and even if I DID ship this, this kind of storytelling would take me out of it completely. A ship should happen organically or not at all, and it's very clear to me that the show realizes that this ship cannot happen organically.THIS, basically. Nothing turns me off a ship quicker than feeling like the show is TELLING me to ship it. If you're doing a

[eowyn_315]

continued...

Damon and Elena both seemed to be vying for the title of Least Sneaky.

LOL! I give Elena a bit of a handicap because of the no-emotions thing, though. Think about it: ALL of her power comes from being able to emotionally appeal to and manipulate people. It's something that comes naturally to her - so naturally that she probably doesn't even know exactly how she does it. But if she has no emotions, she's flying blind. She can't read Damon the way she used to, and she flubs it because it's not a skill she consciously learned. (Unlike Damon, who learned from the best, and Katherine would be supremely disappointed to learn how easily Elena saw through him. Though, to be fair, Elena didn't actually beat him at this game. She only came out on top because Rebekah got the jump on him.)

[dante_kent]

ALL of her power comes from being able to emotionally appeal to and manipulate people. It's something that comes naturally to her - so naturally that she probably doesn't even know exactly how she does it. But if she has no emotions, she's flying blind.

Ooooh, I like this. My favourite Elena is emotionally manipulative Elena, so it makes sense that part of the reason I found this Elena so unsettling was that she was all bluntness and no subtlety. That's a nifty idea, that she tried to be sneaky but couldn't manage it because she no longer had that emotional intuition that makes her so lethal.

Though, to be fair, Elena didn't actually beat him at this game. She only came out on top because Rebekah got the jump on him.Yeah, that. Much as Damon is an idiot, he didn't actually fuck this one up. Stefan's already giving him tons of grief about it, but to be absolutely fair, Damon actually didn't screw up too badly. He could totally have handled Elena. But he never had a shot with Rebekah around, even if Elena hadn't been conspiring with

[ever_neutral]

But if we're being serious, a lot of Elena's behavior to me feels like ~performance. Like she's trying too hard to be bad. (How much of what she does is solely to get under Damon's skin? lol) And so there is that disconnect, where what we're seeing is not "what would Elena be like without emotions?" so much as it's "what does Elena think she should be like without emotions?"
Yep, this.

LMAO, every time Lexi shows up, I hate her a little bit more, tbh, so I shrieked with glee when I realized he was playing her.
lmao you're terrible

[ever_neutral]

Alex tried to talk me down, but even now I'm trying to sort it out.
There there.

Something about this combination of people just DOES NOT do it for me. Every time they showed up on screen, I was just like, "Ugh, this again." Did anyone else find them dead boring as well as terribly irritating?LMFAO your hate is precious to me

[ever_neutral]

(cont...)

While I do think that the writers have been very inconsistent with Lexi, both in her characterization and in regards to her role in the Salvatores' lives, I will say: this set of flashbacks is actually what I originally managed for them.
LOL CRYING BECAUSE REMEMBER WHEN I WROTE THIS DAMON/LEXI BACKSTORY BEFORE THE SHOW DID?

But Damon is not the sort to FIX Elena. That's Stefan's thing. I understand why Damon would want the old Elena back, why he wouldn't even particularly like this version, but his adamant insistence that Elena get cured kind of felt off to me?This is precisely why I was so enraged after the episode. E said on AIM that it was like the writers confused the Salvatores AND SHE WAS NOT WRONG BECAUSE THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS LIKE

[dante_kent]

LOL CRYING BECAUSE REMEMBER WHEN I WROTE THIS DAMON/LEXI BACKSTORY BEFORE THE SHOW DID?

NO I DON'T REMEMBER THIS WHERE IS THIS WHY DON'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS.

E said on AIM that it was like the writers confused the Salvatores AND SHE WAS NOT WRONG BECAUSE THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS LIKE.

Yep, this. Same with Stefan figuring things out lately. Since when does that fool do that. #sorry stefan salvatore but not really

When Elena’s feeding on the girl in the club, and she looks up at Damon in sheer ecstasy, and DAMON’S FACE IN THAT MOMENT.

Ughhhhh vomiting. H8 them.

LMFAO THIS WAS KIND OF MY FAVOURITE THING? They’re not Stelena. Even when they’re manipulating each other they can’t help but be ridiculously honest about it.YES THIS. Fucking loved this. Ughhhh D/E honesty. But also, it makes sense, because neither of them have any real interest in conning each other. They're both in it as a means to an end, but they're not out for personal benefit. Not to mention, their very relationship is built around their ability to deal with

[ever_neutral]

NO I DON'T REMEMBER THIS WHERE IS THIS WHY DON'T I KNOW ABOUT THIS.
lol because I HAD YOU BETA-READ THAT FIC. It was the Salvabros-centric one with Damon projecting his desire to fuck his brother onto his relationships with all the women around him.

Same with Stefan figuring things out lately. Since when does that fool do that. #sorry stefan salvatore but not really
Your Stefan shade gives me so much life.