(the look of horror on Matt's face in that last scene was GREAT)
Yeah. I liked her so much in this episode, because those social coping mechanisms are collapsing and she doesn't care.
her subconscious appears to have gotten his usual tactics SPOT ON, in that he starts out by saying something that sounds like it's nice: "You're kind of amazing" and then immediately undercuts this with cruelty. It's the first time I've seen explicit acknowledgment on the show of the kind of guy Matt really is instead of the Good Guy they keep telling me he is.
Totally! I don't think it's coincidence, either, that this episode that shows Matt as being genuinely sympathetic as also being the one that's not afraid to show his flaws. He's self-destructing after being a victim of crime; he's also kind of a jerk. Which, I feel like when not much is going on with him is when there's a lot of justifying his presence by insisting he's such a nice guy he deserves to be around rather than killed off. But when we do get someone telling a story about him, they
( ... )
I also remember another scene from last week which supports your reading of Elena's good girl facade. When Stefan shoved the bourbon at her, she made a point of coughing when she drank it. But this time last year at her birthday party, she was filching Damon's whiskey and swigging with every evidence of being a hardened pro. Ha.
Ha. Yeah, after this episode I keep thinking of the S1 episode when Damon kidnapped her and brought her to Georgia (with nobody around to be a Good Girl for) and she jumped on the chance to be a party girl again. I don't think we're seeing a "changed" Elena. I think she's finally recovered from her grief and gotten back to herself. Which, it was clearly a coping mechanism, I can hardly commend or condemn her for it, but this Elena is so much more honest and enjoyable.
I agree with all your thoughts; ALL OF THEM. Seriously though, I loved the episode and I think you've articulated it better than I ever could, with excellent character analysis. I'm really looking forward to April/Rebekah because this show generally fails at platonic relationships, so I'm hoping it doesn't get shafted for Matt/Rebekah ~tension. And Elena's subtle manipulative tendencies that come through even in something as simple as compelling April, and making her her ~savior figure are glorious.
(And I totally thought that about Matt too, that they basically left all his survivor's guilt and then made him vulnerable to further incidents of the same kind --although it's highly strange that nobody is there with bb!vamp Elena to make sure that she doesn't kill Matt, esp since she's kind of out-of-control-- through the compulsion).
AND THANK GOD, SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOVED STEFAN/CAROLINE. Because I thought their dynamic felt very genuine, and I'm very D: that everyone else seems to have a different opinion.
This episode was so much fun! I feel like these episodes are all the pacing and chaos of S1, but with three seasons of character development backing it all up.
it's highly strange that nobody is there with bb!vamp Elena to make sure that she doesn't kill Matt, esp since she's kind of out-of-control-- through the compulsion
Yeah. I think the episode did a really neat thing, actually, with showing how using Matt's psychological state to uphold his blood-bag status is really only a few degrees off from compelling someone to open up a vein.
Awww, yeah, the scene between Stefan and Caroline was sweet. I love seeing Caroline get this relationship where someone is letting her know how much he respects her and wants her to like him. (I feel like now that there's a critical mass of people being on the same page about how Stefan is a manipulative little shit when he wants to be, we seem to be assuming he is that way ALL THE TIME? No, that's not how it has ever worked! And if it was it would be SO BORING!)
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Yeah. I liked her so much in this episode, because those social coping mechanisms are collapsing and she doesn't care.
her subconscious appears to have gotten his usual tactics SPOT ON, in that he starts out by saying something that sounds like it's nice: "You're kind of amazing" and then immediately undercuts this with cruelty. It's the first time I've seen explicit acknowledgment on the show of the kind of guy Matt really is instead of the Good Guy they keep telling me he is.
Totally! I don't think it's coincidence, either, that this episode that shows Matt as being genuinely sympathetic as also being the one that's not afraid to show his flaws. He's self-destructing after being a victim of crime; he's also kind of a jerk. Which, I feel like when not much is going on with him is when there's a lot of justifying his presence by insisting he's such a nice guy he deserves to be around rather than killed off. But when we do get someone telling a story about him, they ( ... )
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(And I totally thought that about Matt too, that they basically left all his survivor's guilt and then made him vulnerable to further incidents of the same kind --although it's highly strange that nobody is there with bb!vamp Elena to make sure that she doesn't kill Matt, esp since she's kind of out-of-control-- through the compulsion).
AND THANK GOD, SOMEONE ELSE WHO LOVED STEFAN/CAROLINE. Because I thought their dynamic felt very genuine, and I'm very D: that everyone else seems to have a different opinion.
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it's highly strange that nobody is there with bb!vamp Elena to make sure that she doesn't kill Matt, esp since she's kind of out-of-control-- through the compulsion
Yeah. I think the episode did a really neat thing, actually, with showing how using Matt's psychological state to uphold his blood-bag status is really only a few degrees off from compelling someone to open up a vein.
Awww, yeah, the scene between Stefan and Caroline was sweet. I love seeing Caroline get this relationship where someone is letting her know how much he respects her and wants her to like him. (I feel like now that there's a critical mass of people being on the same page about how Stefan is a manipulative little shit when he wants to be, we seem to be assuming he is that way ALL THE TIME? No, that's not how it has ever worked! And if it was it would be SO BORING!)
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