A cure for vampirism and other monsters [BH/TVD/BTVS/OUAT Ramblings]
Let me tell you about my hated plot device: a cure for vampirism. The Vampire Diaries currently have this story going on, but the further we get, the more I'm becoming convinced that it's bullshit. Which is good because I don't want them to be cured. But let me rant about vampires in general and their attitude to being human.
This post contains spoilers for Being Human series 5, The Vampire Diaries season 4 and Once Upon a Time season 2.
Humanity Is Not an Excuse
WHY would a vampire want to be human? Why would anyone want to be human for that matter? Why would a bloody mermaid want to be human? O_o
It's kind of traditional that an angsty vampire is supposed to... not want to be a vampire. When Angel was infected by demon blood in the eponymous show and got turned into a human, it was the happiest day of his life. The whole of Angel 2-5 is basically about Angel (and later Spike, which is a major WTF for me) chasing the Shanshu prophecy, which is about becoming human. Currently on TVD only two vampires seem to not want to turn back into humans. Everyone else is elated at the idea of finding a cure. Moreover, my beloved Being Human also managed to freak me out by saying "It's the end of the bloodline" in the latest trailer. This had better not mean what I suspect it might mean. No cure and no vampires going extinct, please.
That said, the reason I hate the cure storylines is simple: it's like a cheat code. It enforces the idea that I really hate: that only supernatural creatures (in such shows, I mean) are evil. Stefan says in the latest TVD episode that he's been wrecked by guilt for 147 years and once he becomes human again, it'll all be gone. Excuse you, but WHY? Turning into a different species doesn't erase the past. Bloodlust will be gone, but not guilt. What's done is done, and the people he's killed are dead anyway, so how does becoming human make it better?
The glorification of being human is a complete mystery to me. Humans do everything that vampires can do: they can be murders, sadists, addicts - the same as vampires can be gentle, sweet and caring. I understand wanting to get rid of an addiction but maybe it's better to first have a look at where it's coming from? F.ex. Damon and Stefan became vampires at the same time via the same blood; yet Stefan became a brutal monster and spiraled down into the addiction that he couldn't control on his own and Damon learned to manage. He was a bad guy when he chose to be and a good guy when he chose to be. Is it me, or does vampirism have fuck-all to do with that!? The same thing with Angel and Spike: all vampires on BtVS are soulless, yet Angel could only be decent when cursed by the gypsies, but Spike started evolving before he made a conscious choice to take his soul back. Again, stop blaming all your personality defects on vampirism. One of favourite quotes on the subject will forever be what Herrick says in Being Human 2x06: that being a vampire doesn't change your personality; it liberates it.
Grow Senile Together
Then, there's this supposedly "happy" direction, in which things are going for humans:
(c) defan-queen
Imho, asking somebody to throw away their immortality for a chance to grow old is even worse than asking it for a chance to actually die. What is so good about growing old? Why do people romanticize growing old? I understand that it's the "together" part that matters, but that's because humans have limited time. But if there is a choice, why would someone consciously choose to turn into a decrepit old ruin? And if a body decaying is not a good enough example, what about the mind? WHY would you want to risk seeing your loved one losing their memory, losing their sense of self, failing to recognize you and/or your children, becoming a danger to themselves and others? Of course it doesn't happen to everyone, but it happens often enough. I may understand not wanting to be a vampire. But I don't understand thinking that everybody else would think the same way.
I've often been wondering if Hal and Mitchell would take a cure if they had it. Being Human shows werewolves and ghosts actively suffering from their supernatural condition. In my opinion, they are far more justified than vampires. Werewolves are an actual danger, albeit only once a month, and ghosts suffer from an epic sensory deprivation.
(c) jeromeclarker
Vampires can actually control themselves - and no matter what Mitchell says in series 1, they can survive off bottled blood. Either way you look at it, being a vampire is not the worst thing ever. Hal himself points out in 4x02 that humans do a lot of bad stuff too. So the way I look it, vampire angst is just one huge entitlement issue.
Soul Purpose
I guess this is why I hate the devil storyline on Being Human so much. It's also sort of a cheat code. In 5x01 Hal tells Fugly (aka Crumb) that when the vampires are recruited the devil takes their soul. I find this stupid for two reasons: 1) they don't actually display any soulless behaviour whatsoever. What a soul is is a subject for a serious philosophic discussion, which I don't want to start, but I quite like the idea that a soul accounts for the intensity of emotion. It doesn't make you good or bad but it's sort of an inhibitor that nudges you in the right direction. RoboSam in SPN season 6 wasn't a bad guy per se, but he didn't have any guilt or ethical reservations. Vampires on BtVS/Angel can be decent beings even without a soul as proved by Spike and, surprising as it is, Harmony, to an extent. But the vampires on BH have always been realistically human. They have the same intensity of feelings as anybody else, be it guilt, love, friendship or anything, really. So what's the point of stating that they have or don't have a soul? What does not having a soul do to them? And how exactly can one repent without a soul? 2) Not having a soul may potentially be still used as an excuse to do horrible things. Which is, as I said, a cheat code.
True Love's Kiss
By the way, let's talk about love. Whose brilliant idea is it that love is a prerogative of a human being? If you love someone, it makes you human. Even more so, if you are "capable" of love, it makes you a good person deep inside. Sometimes it's so deep, even you can't see it. But it's there because wow, you're in love.
(c) thevampirediariesfangatic
I'm not going to talk about this scene specifically (because in my opinion, she was half-lying anyway and this is not a purely TVD post), but can I just say that this is bullshit? True, love can be a beautiful, but it can also be dark, twisted and downright evil. Those who argue that it's not love in this case are probably inexorable optimists. A brutal killer can love. Shocking, I know. You can love a person and hate them at the same time. You can love them and want to hurt them. There are so many kinds of love that simplifying it by saying that love makes you good is childish. Sure, we all want to believe in pure, unselfish, fairy tale love the way Disney presents it. But it's so seldom true. And it doesn't always survive real life issues.
It's wonderful when love makes you want to change, makes you grow and evolve. F.ex. Buffy and Spike. It started as a really dark thing, but don't you dare tell me for one second that he could not have real feelings for her before he gained a soul! It started as an obsession and it hit rock bottom in Crush - but nobody made Spike keep Dawn's secret in Intervention, which, in my opinion, is the biggest proof of soulless Spike's decency and his feelings for Buffy. By this episode, he's got nothing to lose and nothing to gain with Buffy: he's uninvited to her house, she doesn't want to have any dealings with him and he can be pretty sure she will never reciprocate his feelings. He does, however, have a chance to maybe stay alive if he betrays Dawn to Glory; yet he consciously chooses not to. Because he loves Buffy. He's a soulless, evil monster who has done and will still do terrible things, but he is in love with a girl and he rather unselfishly wants to protect her sister. I can't hear you over the sound of how stupid the idea that love is a human thing is.
(c) scooby-gang
And of course, there's that summer after season 5 when Spike actively helps the Scoobies and looks after Dawn. One might argue that he just has nowhere to go. But that's not true, is it? He is free to go anywhere he wants. Technically he could go L.A., offer his services up to Wolfram & Hart and they would most definitely find a way to remove his chip. That's a logical thing for an evil guy who wants to continue being evil to do (and Spike obviously wouldn't mind at this point, seeing as when he believes for a moment in season 6 that his chip has stopped working, he tries to get a drink). And yet, he remains in the town he doesn't like, with a bunch of people he doesn't like, all because of a promise to a dead woman who never even loved him back. If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Ultimately, his love for Buffy turns him into a champion of good. Spike says so himself: he never knew self-loathing before he got a soul, so obviously his desire to change was related to her and what he did (or could do) to her. He goes a long way and even reaches the truly unselfish heights when he chooses to remain in L.A. instead of going after Buffy. This will forever be one of my favourite character development storylines and one of my favourite love stories in all its screwed-up glory. And I shall reiterate: it originates in the heart of an evil, soulless monster. (While we're still on the subject, nothing will convince me he didn't love Dru as much as he loved Buffy, and there was certainly no hope for redemption there.)
(c) oliviadunhamed
BUT it's not always like this. Sometimes love doesn't change you - and it's okay. Because people don't always have to change. Even if they are evil bastards. It still doesn't mean they can't love. Let me make an example of Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time, admittedly not a vampire, but a very powerful, immortal sorcerer mostly cast by everyone (including himself) in the role of a bad guy. People keep wanting to change him. He gains his Dark One powers in order to protect his son (and some other children). Having been a harrassed peasant all his life (I assume), he goes a little nuts at first. But he still loves his son. Maybe he's being selfish by not wanting to give his power up - but look at it from his side! He was weak, he ran the risk of losing the only family he had, so he did a very dangerous thing, reinvented himself and now he's powerful enough to do whatever he likes, but moreover, he is powerful to keep his son safe. So it makes sense he wouldn't want to change.
(c) the-halfbloodprince
Being naturally concerned for his father's sanity (and the well-being of the people that Rumple may dislike XD), Bae makes a deal with his father. A deal that Rumple breaks, which leads to him losing Bae after all. After that, all of his actions (including the worst ones, such as: turning Cora into an evil witch; turning humane and compassionate Regina into a ruthless wicked Queen; coming up with a curse that fucked up the Enchanted forest, etc.) are governed by his desire to find Bae. There must be guilt in the mix, but mostly love, I think. Once again: a non-human, non-good person who didn't want to change what he was but loved someone anyway. Enough to destroy worlds. It's a selfish kind of love, but love nonetheless.
Speaking of that, Rumple gets a romantic love story too. Admittedly even more messed up than his family story. It starts as a Stockholm syndrome thing - a Beauty and the Beast type of story, except the Beast in this case is quite content to remain a beast. Belle doesn't make a secret out of wanting him to change. Which is understandable, what with him killing people occasionally and generally being "a difficult man to love" (in his own words). A lot of people are mad about how he treats her. True, the relationship is kind of... unhealthy. But he does love her, and guess what? Love can be a very unhealthy thing. Love can be stupid, illogical, cruel and dangerous. (While we're at it, Bella loves Edward - it's a lousy love story, but a love story nonetheless.) Understandably, he still doesn't want to change. When she kisses him the first time around, he freaks because he can feel his curse falling apart. But he can't let it happen b/c he hasn't found his son yet. In season 2, he continues doing bad things (among which his attempt to kill Hook, who's admittedly come to Storybrooke to kill Rumple, so it's sort of a valid self-defence things). I'm not justifying his actions in any way. My point is exactly the opposite: he is evil (arguably), he is immoral, he kills people and he is the reason a lot of fairy tale denizens have lost their world and memory - BUT he loves his son and he loves Belle. His love for them is no different than the Charmings' love for one another. Perhaps it's more selfish, but it's no less real. (While we're at it, Regina is evil, but her love for Henry is no less strong than Emma's love for him.) So please stop giving me that crap that only humans can love and only love can lead to salvation. Some people don't want to be human and don't think they must be saved.
(c) theladybelle
Like I said, I'm not trying to justify murderers and madmen. A desire to see your loved one change for the better is natural. But it can never be achieved simply via pointing out said crazy murder's evil ways. A person should want to change for themselves, not because someone else tells them they have to.
Superpowers
Finally, there's one really shallow aspect to being a supernatural creature. Vampires (it started with them, so let's get back to them) are immortal, generally more enduring than humans and some of them have extra perks (like the power of compulsion in TVD). Something tells me that if you cure someone who's been living like that for over a century (or even longer), adjusting to human life would be kind of difficult for them.
The Blame Game
To sum it all up, I am really fed up of characters who blame their inability to adjust to life on their supernatural condition. It was getting old with Angel and it's getting even older now.
(c) watchtowerhere
Being human is not a cure-all. It's the same murky swamp, with almost the same issues, but of course we can't have a good character who wants to be a vampire. Apparently humans are just so miserable that they need at least some justification for their existence, so they write every other species as being envious of our humanity: angels, demons, ghosts, werewolves, vampires. Instead of trying to find some advantages to their existence, they look sorrowfully upon ours and sigh for their inability to [insert whatever a human can do]. And if a character doesn't want to be human, then he must be a bad guy. Or not a very good guy. Or he's just confused and will see the error of his ways eventually.
It was very refreshing to hear this from Damon in the latest TVD ep:
(c) shantelss
I just wonder how long this attitude will last.
We still don't know if there is a possibility of changing back into human in Being Human. There was a chance for the werewolves and it didn't work. I guess we'll see where "the bloodline will end".
This post contains spoilers for Being Human series 5, The Vampire Diaries season 4 and Once Upon a Time season 2.
Humanity Is Not an Excuse
WHY would a vampire want to be human? Why would anyone want to be human for that matter? Why would a bloody mermaid want to be human? O_o
It's kind of traditional that an angsty vampire is supposed to... not want to be a vampire. When Angel was infected by demon blood in the eponymous show and got turned into a human, it was the happiest day of his life. The whole of Angel 2-5 is basically about Angel (and later Spike, which is a major WTF for me) chasing the Shanshu prophecy, which is about becoming human. Currently on TVD only two vampires seem to not want to turn back into humans. Everyone else is elated at the idea of finding a cure. Moreover, my beloved Being Human also managed to freak me out by saying "It's the end of the bloodline" in the latest trailer. This had better not mean what I suspect it might mean. No cure and no vampires going extinct, please.
That said, the reason I hate the cure storylines is simple: it's like a cheat code. It enforces the idea that I really hate: that only supernatural creatures (in such shows, I mean) are evil. Stefan says in the latest TVD episode that he's been wrecked by guilt for 147 years and once he becomes human again, it'll all be gone. Excuse you, but WHY? Turning into a different species doesn't erase the past. Bloodlust will be gone, but not guilt. What's done is done, and the people he's killed are dead anyway, so how does becoming human make it better?
The glorification of being human is a complete mystery to me. Humans do everything that vampires can do: they can be murders, sadists, addicts - the same as vampires can be gentle, sweet and caring. I understand wanting to get rid of an addiction but maybe it's better to first have a look at where it's coming from? F.ex. Damon and Stefan became vampires at the same time via the same blood; yet Stefan became a brutal monster and spiraled down into the addiction that he couldn't control on his own and Damon learned to manage. He was a bad guy when he chose to be and a good guy when he chose to be. Is it me, or does vampirism have fuck-all to do with that!? The same thing with Angel and Spike: all vampires on BtVS are soulless, yet Angel could only be decent when cursed by the gypsies, but Spike started evolving before he made a conscious choice to take his soul back. Again, stop blaming all your personality defects on vampirism. One of favourite quotes on the subject will forever be what Herrick says in Being Human 2x06: that being a vampire doesn't change your personality; it liberates it.
Grow Senile Together
Then, there's this supposedly "happy" direction, in which things are going for humans:
(c) defan-queen
Imho, asking somebody to throw away their immortality for a chance to grow old is even worse than asking it for a chance to actually die. What is so good about growing old? Why do people romanticize growing old? I understand that it's the "together" part that matters, but that's because humans have limited time. But if there is a choice, why would someone consciously choose to turn into a decrepit old ruin? And if a body decaying is not a good enough example, what about the mind? WHY would you want to risk seeing your loved one losing their memory, losing their sense of self, failing to recognize you and/or your children, becoming a danger to themselves and others? Of course it doesn't happen to everyone, but it happens often enough. I may understand not wanting to be a vampire. But I don't understand thinking that everybody else would think the same way.
I've often been wondering if Hal and Mitchell would take a cure if they had it. Being Human shows werewolves and ghosts actively suffering from their supernatural condition. In my opinion, they are far more justified than vampires. Werewolves are an actual danger, albeit only once a month, and ghosts suffer from an epic sensory deprivation.
(c) jeromeclarker
Vampires can actually control themselves - and no matter what Mitchell says in series 1, they can survive off bottled blood. Either way you look at it, being a vampire is not the worst thing ever. Hal himself points out in 4x02 that humans do a lot of bad stuff too. So the way I look it, vampire angst is just one huge entitlement issue.
Soul Purpose
I guess this is why I hate the devil storyline on Being Human so much. It's also sort of a cheat code. In 5x01 Hal tells Fugly (aka Crumb) that when the vampires are recruited the devil takes their soul. I find this stupid for two reasons: 1) they don't actually display any soulless behaviour whatsoever. What a soul is is a subject for a serious philosophic discussion, which I don't want to start, but I quite like the idea that a soul accounts for the intensity of emotion. It doesn't make you good or bad but it's sort of an inhibitor that nudges you in the right direction. RoboSam in SPN season 6 wasn't a bad guy per se, but he didn't have any guilt or ethical reservations. Vampires on BtVS/Angel can be decent beings even without a soul as proved by Spike and, surprising as it is, Harmony, to an extent. But the vampires on BH have always been realistically human. They have the same intensity of feelings as anybody else, be it guilt, love, friendship or anything, really. So what's the point of stating that they have or don't have a soul? What does not having a soul do to them? And how exactly can one repent without a soul? 2) Not having a soul may potentially be still used as an excuse to do horrible things. Which is, as I said, a cheat code.
True Love's Kiss
By the way, let's talk about love. Whose brilliant idea is it that love is a prerogative of a human being? If you love someone, it makes you human. Even more so, if you are "capable" of love, it makes you a good person deep inside. Sometimes it's so deep, even you can't see it. But it's there because wow, you're in love.
(c) thevampirediariesfangatic
I'm not going to talk about this scene specifically (because in my opinion, she was half-lying anyway and this is not a purely TVD post), but can I just say that this is bullshit? True, love can be a beautiful, but it can also be dark, twisted and downright evil. Those who argue that it's not love in this case are probably inexorable optimists. A brutal killer can love. Shocking, I know. You can love a person and hate them at the same time. You can love them and want to hurt them. There are so many kinds of love that simplifying it by saying that love makes you good is childish. Sure, we all want to believe in pure, unselfish, fairy tale love the way Disney presents it. But it's so seldom true. And it doesn't always survive real life issues.
It's wonderful when love makes you want to change, makes you grow and evolve. F.ex. Buffy and Spike. It started as a really dark thing, but don't you dare tell me for one second that he could not have real feelings for her before he gained a soul! It started as an obsession and it hit rock bottom in Crush - but nobody made Spike keep Dawn's secret in Intervention, which, in my opinion, is the biggest proof of soulless Spike's decency and his feelings for Buffy. By this episode, he's got nothing to lose and nothing to gain with Buffy: he's uninvited to her house, she doesn't want to have any dealings with him and he can be pretty sure she will never reciprocate his feelings. He does, however, have a chance to maybe stay alive if he betrays Dawn to Glory; yet he consciously chooses not to. Because he loves Buffy. He's a soulless, evil monster who has done and will still do terrible things, but he is in love with a girl and he rather unselfishly wants to protect her sister. I can't hear you over the sound of how stupid the idea that love is a human thing is.
(c) scooby-gang
And of course, there's that summer after season 5 when Spike actively helps the Scoobies and looks after Dawn. One might argue that he just has nowhere to go. But that's not true, is it? He is free to go anywhere he wants. Technically he could go L.A., offer his services up to Wolfram & Hart and they would most definitely find a way to remove his chip. That's a logical thing for an evil guy who wants to continue being evil to do (and Spike obviously wouldn't mind at this point, seeing as when he believes for a moment in season 6 that his chip has stopped working, he tries to get a drink). And yet, he remains in the town he doesn't like, with a bunch of people he doesn't like, all because of a promise to a dead woman who never even loved him back. If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Ultimately, his love for Buffy turns him into a champion of good. Spike says so himself: he never knew self-loathing before he got a soul, so obviously his desire to change was related to her and what he did (or could do) to her. He goes a long way and even reaches the truly unselfish heights when he chooses to remain in L.A. instead of going after Buffy. This will forever be one of my favourite character development storylines and one of my favourite love stories in all its screwed-up glory. And I shall reiterate: it originates in the heart of an evil, soulless monster. (While we're still on the subject, nothing will convince me he didn't love Dru as much as he loved Buffy, and there was certainly no hope for redemption there.)
(c) oliviadunhamed
BUT it's not always like this. Sometimes love doesn't change you - and it's okay. Because people don't always have to change. Even if they are evil bastards. It still doesn't mean they can't love. Let me make an example of Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time, admittedly not a vampire, but a very powerful, immortal sorcerer mostly cast by everyone (including himself) in the role of a bad guy. People keep wanting to change him. He gains his Dark One powers in order to protect his son (and some other children). Having been a harrassed peasant all his life (I assume), he goes a little nuts at first. But he still loves his son. Maybe he's being selfish by not wanting to give his power up - but look at it from his side! He was weak, he ran the risk of losing the only family he had, so he did a very dangerous thing, reinvented himself and now he's powerful enough to do whatever he likes, but moreover, he is powerful to keep his son safe. So it makes sense he wouldn't want to change.
(c) the-halfbloodprince
Being naturally concerned for his father's sanity (and the well-being of the people that Rumple may dislike XD), Bae makes a deal with his father. A deal that Rumple breaks, which leads to him losing Bae after all. After that, all of his actions (including the worst ones, such as: turning Cora into an evil witch; turning humane and compassionate Regina into a ruthless wicked Queen; coming up with a curse that fucked up the Enchanted forest, etc.) are governed by his desire to find Bae. There must be guilt in the mix, but mostly love, I think. Once again: a non-human, non-good person who didn't want to change what he was but loved someone anyway. Enough to destroy worlds. It's a selfish kind of love, but love nonetheless.
Speaking of that, Rumple gets a romantic love story too. Admittedly even more messed up than his family story. It starts as a Stockholm syndrome thing - a Beauty and the Beast type of story, except the Beast in this case is quite content to remain a beast. Belle doesn't make a secret out of wanting him to change. Which is understandable, what with him killing people occasionally and generally being "a difficult man to love" (in his own words). A lot of people are mad about how he treats her. True, the relationship is kind of... unhealthy. But he does love her, and guess what? Love can be a very unhealthy thing. Love can be stupid, illogical, cruel and dangerous. (While we're at it, Bella loves Edward - it's a lousy love story, but a love story nonetheless.) Understandably, he still doesn't want to change. When she kisses him the first time around, he freaks because he can feel his curse falling apart. But he can't let it happen b/c he hasn't found his son yet. In season 2, he continues doing bad things (among which his attempt to kill Hook, who's admittedly come to Storybrooke to kill Rumple, so it's sort of a valid self-defence things). I'm not justifying his actions in any way. My point is exactly the opposite: he is evil (arguably), he is immoral, he kills people and he is the reason a lot of fairy tale denizens have lost their world and memory - BUT he loves his son and he loves Belle. His love for them is no different than the Charmings' love for one another. Perhaps it's more selfish, but it's no less real. (While we're at it, Regina is evil, but her love for Henry is no less strong than Emma's love for him.) So please stop giving me that crap that only humans can love and only love can lead to salvation. Some people don't want to be human and don't think they must be saved.
(c) theladybelle
Like I said, I'm not trying to justify murderers and madmen. A desire to see your loved one change for the better is natural. But it can never be achieved simply via pointing out said crazy murder's evil ways. A person should want to change for themselves, not because someone else tells them they have to.
Superpowers
Finally, there's one really shallow aspect to being a supernatural creature. Vampires (it started with them, so let's get back to them) are immortal, generally more enduring than humans and some of them have extra perks (like the power of compulsion in TVD). Something tells me that if you cure someone who's been living like that for over a century (or even longer), adjusting to human life would be kind of difficult for them.
The Blame Game
To sum it all up, I am really fed up of characters who blame their inability to adjust to life on their supernatural condition. It was getting old with Angel and it's getting even older now.
(c) watchtowerhere
Being human is not a cure-all. It's the same murky swamp, with almost the same issues, but of course we can't have a good character who wants to be a vampire. Apparently humans are just so miserable that they need at least some justification for their existence, so they write every other species as being envious of our humanity: angels, demons, ghosts, werewolves, vampires. Instead of trying to find some advantages to their existence, they look sorrowfully upon ours and sigh for their inability to [insert whatever a human can do]. And if a character doesn't want to be human, then he must be a bad guy. Or not a very good guy. Or he's just confused and will see the error of his ways eventually.
It was very refreshing to hear this from Damon in the latest TVD ep:
(c) shantelss
I just wonder how long this attitude will last.
We still don't know if there is a possibility of changing back into human in Being Human. There was a chance for the werewolves and it didn't work. I guess we'll see where "the bloodline will end".