Finale Thoughts....Is That All You've Got?

I'll admit that when the finale first aired, I was a mess.  Annoyed at Elena being forced to choose. Grief-stricken from the loss of Alaric.  Saddened that we've lost human Elena.  I didn't really have time to analyze the events of the last fifteen minutes or so, and, to be honest - I didn't want to.  Before I had the chance to really change my mind, someone in my family deleted the episode from my DVR and I never really thought about it again.

But, I bought the DVD series.  I love the song that plays as the truck goes under the water, the visuals are so striking, I decided to give the finale another go.

So...JP's recent tweets still echoing in the back of my mind, I remembered her comment about Family Ties.  It showed us the Damon who once was - and gave us a glimpse at the Damon we'd later see (my paraphrase).

As I was eating my pizza, I heard Damon's question to Alaric.  "Is that all you've got?"  He was challenging Ric - the new hunter.  Unable to kill him, both because of Evilaric's physical strength and his tie to Elena's life, directly after the flashback, Damon taunts him....but why?

Just like so many other scenes in the show, this memory isn't about Damon and Elena's relationship - not really....it's about Damon and his choices.

Elena didn't realize that the choice she just made had the impact it did - no one told her about the brothers' agreement, of that I'm certain.  She believes she'll see Damon in just an hour or so.  She wouldn't have made the choice if she'd realized she'd lose Damon.  In her closing words, she says the phrase that triggers Damon's later memory.  "Maybe if I'd met you first."

Damon knows she did.

Somehow, in that brief moment, they connected - after all, she didn't end up as his dinner.  For whatever reason, she intrigued him, but he couldn't let her remember him.

Damon's always had to live with the knowledge that he did meet her first.  But he also knows that it'll always be Stefan (insert my "sloppy compulsion" theory here) - even if Elena's not ready for always....

The flashback was for Damon's benefit - one more example of when an action had an unintended consequence.  If he'd left her memory intact, would she have been so easily swayed by Stefan's opinion of his brother?  He doesn't have the answer, but he's already fallen for Katherine and Elena.  He loves fully, completely, and recklessly....while I don't think he's trying to martyr himself, I do think he's aware he's about to die.  The memory gave him a chance to say goodbye to the Elena he could have known.

About That Scene....

Since I've seen a few people virtually rolling eyes about comments in regard to the Matt/Elena scene, let me explain why seeing comments from Julie Plec implying that there may have been an issue with the writing in that scene concern me.

I loved that scene. I won't lie. In the midst of what felt like a largely over-hyped episode (which, I think I would have really enjoyed if it hadn't been a victim of promising too much), the quiet honesty of that scene was beautifully done. (And, I'm not saying that as someone who prefers the DE dynamic to the SE dynamic.)

In Elena's comments to Matt, the viewer can see that Elena has taken this time when she's "between Salvatores" to stop and think about what each brother means to her. She's examined her feelings for both - and isn't just blindly following her emotions. We seldom get to see inside Elena's head beyond points of self-incrimination and the desire to be a martyr. Having a scene where we see Elena's perspective on her own life was really so badly needed (and a real treat for those of us who value Team Elena above all else on the show).

Stefan represents safety. In the wake of devastation that rocked Elena's world to its very core, Stefan was her emotional savior. He was her anchor and kept her from feeling completely adrift and alone...because he would never leave her like her parents did. His immortality gave her the certainty that she wouldn't lose him - at least not until he made a deal with her mortal enemy and went on Stefan and Klaus' Not-Excellent Adventure.

And then there's Damon... The bad boy. The brother that, as Elena admitted to Caroline, having feelings for would make her question what that said about herself. And yet, there they are. He's gotten under her skin - no matter what Elena wants. If Elena could walk away from her feelings about Damon, she could, but she can't.

Who is Elena spilling all this self-awareness to? Matt. Elena's currently somewhat estranged with both of her best girlfriends, so Matt's there for her. This guy, who was Elena's first love, and obviously still carries those feelings for her - puts those feelings aside to give her a safe place to reflect. Everyone deserves a Matt in their life, but Elena especially needs one. She's been through so much over the last 18 months or so.... Matt ties her to the person she used to be, and that gives her the strength to truly admit those things about herself that she's discovered but has also kept deeply buried.

And that's why I loved the scene. It showcases both Elena and Matt's strength and the depth of their relationship. If the brothers had never entered Elena's life, scenes like these show why Klaus' plan of Elena and Matt having lots of little Donovans to carry out the Petrova bloodline made sense. But the brothers ARE here...and Elena has to deal with that.

Now Elena has to move on - knowing where she stands with each.