Elena reading journal flashback -
Elena is beyond surprised at what she learns from the journal. Apparently Stefan took out Honoraria Fell, Thomas ____ (Fell?), and the original Jonathan Gilbert. Jonathan already had his ring of anti-death at this point. Wonder if that’s why the Salvatores don’t get invited to the Founding Family stuff anymore (“Family Ties” reference)?
Stefan at the dock -
Stefan pensively looks back at Elena reading in the lakehouse. He knows she’s reading a Gilbert journal. Does he know what she’ll find?
His phone rings....Damon’s calling. One of this episode’s strengths is the way it looks at the relationship between the brothers. Stefan continues to watch Elena (is he judging her reaction?) while Damon brings him up to speed on his plan. (Just have to take a moment - Damon and I have the same phone - that is all.) I’ve seen a lot of comments scattered about Damon’s irresponsible plan. I do think we need to point out that Stefan is very much aware of what Damon’s planning to do. He only reminds Damon to be careful, though, he doesn’t try to talk him out of attempting to kill Elijah. He might not have been one to formulate the plan, but Stefan doesn’t disagree with what Damon’s about to do.
Jenna, Elijah, and Alaric -
This seems very random, but I believe this info about the witches coming to town earlier than the Founding Families will prove to be really important the the second half of the season. The werewolf chapter may be over, but the witch chapter is just beginning.
Love the interaction between Ric and Elijah here. Elijah points out to Ric that he’s on Elena’s list. Elijah’s so at ease with who he is...I’m really going to hate losing him.
Bonnie/Jeremy ... I don’t “do” witch stuff. This might be a long series of episodes for me.
Elena/Stefan -
Elena practically jumps out of her chair when Stefan comes in. You can cut the tension in the room with a knife. Stefan’s still angry about what he’s learned about Elena’s deal with Klaus. Elena’s equally upset, but she’s reacting to the information she’s learned from the journals.
It is interesting that Stefan has waited until this point to fill her in on “his side” of the story. Elena is so disappointed here. I think she’d assumed that Stefan had already filled her in on the truly important details of his life. Yes, she knew he had done some things he regretted - he hasn’t always been a non-HB vampire, but I don’t think she realized that he’d known the people he’d killed.
If he’d truly only wanted her to hear the story from him, why did he wait until she brought it up after reading the journal? My POV - I think he was waiting to see if he’d been mentioned in the journals. If he hadn’t been mentioned, I don’t think Elena would have ever gotten this section of the story. His wording was interesting here - “We were angry at the founding families....” Only one brother seemed to be eating them. One fact that really shows the depths that Stefan has descended to - he’s killing the people he’s known all his life - not just random people.
The brothers’ roles are reversed here. Stefan is killing with abandon. Damon is the brother trying to take the morally correct path - telling the girls to run and not think of the place again. I hope we get to see the moment that Damon shatters at some point. He’s still a reluctant vampire here. How does he become the monster we see in the pilot episode?
Back to the lakehouse -
Elena compares early Stefan to Damon. I DON’T think she means the “current” version of Damon. She’s using past tense here to describe Stefan, but I think she’s also going with the Pilot Version of Damon in her comparison. A year hasn’t passed in Mystic Falls since the opening of the series (or at least I can’t tell that a year has gone by). The “monster” Damon is still fresh in her mind. Yes, she’s aware how much he’s changed - we saw that in “Daddy Issues.” She wouldn’t still think of him now as the monster Stefan is describing.
Interesting that Stefan describes himself as “worse” than Damon. Stefan killed friends - people he knew all his life until that point.
Mystic Grill -
Alaric is having jealousy issues with Elijah’s relationship with Jenna. Interesting how far his relationship has come with Damon. He’s sitting there with the compelled Andie and Damon - he mentions it is weird, but he doesn’t say it is wrong.
I can’t help but wonder if Damon had already compelled her to suggest a dinner party if Elijah happened to show up.
The Tomb -
I had to laugh at Damon bringing Katherine a change of clothes. He thinks he knows her so well. Sadly, she knows him even better....
Her word choice is so specific here. Damon “can’t do it.” It would be a “suicide mission.” I haven’t figured out if Kat knew Damon would die if he used the stake. (I’m holding out for no - I think she has a plan for the brothers, but she almost seems to be trying to give Damon a message here. I truly don’t know if she was aware he’d die. If she’s getting part of her information from Uncle John - and the Gilbert journals - I can see where he might have kept that little piece of information to himself.)
Jenna will later mention what seems to be the “theme” for this episode - trust. If Damon is the heart of the series (and if he’s not, we wouldn’t always go “visit” him during every episode since the true main character is Elena), this episode highlights what is one of Damon’s big personality traits.
If everything is magnified when someone becomes a vampire, Damon’s rash decision making isn’t his only “big” trait. Damon is also EXTREMELY trusting. He might fight it, but blindly trusting people is a part of who he is.
- He truly believed Katherine loved him - despite watching her interact with Stefan.
- He doesn’t question Katherine’s fear of being stuck locked in the tomb.
Elena and Stefan have both said they don’t trust UJ. Damon believes UJ is there to protect Elena, and he doesn’t question why UJ gave HIM the dagger.
Elena was able to “play” Damon so early in the season to find out about “the ring” issue.
Back to lakehouse -
If Damon’s trusting, Elena’s forgiving.....
Elena’s really, really calm now. I’ll admit that I find her perspective on the whole “Stefan used to be really bad” kind of questionable. It is nice to see Lexi again, though.
Dinner Party -
Please don’t let a John/Jenna/Alaric triangle happen. There are too many triangles (or wanna be triangles) going already.
Love the fact that Andie makes the “Damon tells me everything” comment. Honestly, he really does. He just then compels her to forget what he told her.
Alaric seems to realize that something’s off with the dinner party. He’s been around Damon long enough to know that Damon has to have another motive for the party. He is trying to minimize the risk to Jenna and Andie, though. He’s planning on Andie keeping Jenna out of harm’s way.
Gilbert house - sorry, more witch stuff...
Elijah’s entry -
I have to stop and comment here because it ties in with the question I’ve seen raised about whether or not Damon was on Elena’s list. Every person in that house (except for Andie) is on Elena’s list. And yet, Elijah says he’ll kill them all if there’s any plan to hurt him that night. Elijah was very careful with his wording in his deal with Elena. His witches would protect the friends from the werewolves and Klaus. He never said a word about not hurting the friends and family himself. (Elena seems to realize this later during her re-negotiations.) He can make the comment about keeping Damon alive because he’s useful because HE hasn’t chosen to kill Damon yet either... He’s already injured Damon once. Elijah’s actions weren’t part of the deal - even though he does have to follow through and keep Damon safe when he’s threatened by the werewolves.
Dinner party again -
Elijah’s giving us more info on the plot for the rest of season 2. Book nerd moment - I love the idea of ghosts - thanks Uncle John. I’m sure Damon DOES know the location of these witch burnings. I think he talked more with Emily than we know about. Andie may very well prove helpful for the next little while - she probably has killer research skills.
Back at the lakehouse - again
Elena’s doing some more reading. Uncle John is trying to off Elijah and Damon at the same time. Now we know why UJ showed up at the party - he doesn’t want to miss the show.
Elena doesn’t look pleased that Stefan left her out of the loop again.
Dinner party -
Alaric and UJ - the person who once slept with Jenna and Isobel (and IS Elena’s dad) is facing off with the person who was married to Isobel, IS sleeping with Jenna (and acts like Elena’s dad). The writer in me loves the irony here.
Damon and Elijah are having a moment in the study/library. I think Damon could actually be helpful here. He knows more about the witches than he’s letting on. Way to go Alaric - glad you answered your phone so that Damon didn’t end up dead.
John/Damon/Elijah - Elijah’s comments confuse me a little bit here. Elijah is a man of his word, but does he only consider other vampires worthy of making a real agreement with. I know people have picked up on the “I only allow you to live” comment to Damon, but what about the “I let Elena live here as a courtesy” statement. He’d also said that when she made the agreement that she’d be allowed to go on living her normal life. I think he left his own actions out of the agreement. (Yes, I kind of contradicted myself here, but Elena’s agreement - and who/what is covered confuses me.) I totally believe that Damon’s on her “friends and family plan” since Tyler seemed to be as well.
Go Alaric! Really, words can’t describe how proud of him I was at that moment. He’s well aware of the threat to Elena. He also is afraid for Jenna, since she’s spending so much time with Elijah. He’s eliminating the threat when he has the opportunity to do so. (And yes, I love Damon’s surprised expression here.) Too bad Elena hadn’t had the chance to read on before this point.
Lakehouse part 4
I really do love annoyed Elena. In fact, I’m going to say she’s beyond annoyed and is outright mad. Yes, I realize she’s lumping Damon in with Stefan on the “lie to me” thing. I think she’s angry at the plan Damon set in motion that Stefan didn’t tell her about. She’s treating them as a unit here because they were working together in a way.
Yes, Elena, yes...I think Stefan was trying to distract you here - but not from what you think. Stefan is telling you the story to distract you from how angry you were at him that he didn’t tell you about his past with Mystic Falls before.
Lexi and Stefan -
I love this section of the flashback because it mirrors Stefan’s “in the woods” conversation with Caroline.
Back to the present -
Stefan wants Elena to fight for her life just like he fought for his humanity. I understand - I totally don’t want to lose Elena as a character. I adore her. Even though they’re not yelling at each other at this point, their relationship is clearly not back to normal. He kisses her head, and she doesn’t meet his eyes. When he walks away, tears are forming in her eyes, but I can’t really decide if they’re from frustration, confusion, or something else.
Salvatore dungeon -
Damon’s trying to make light of the fact he lied to Alaric. Alaric grabs his arm and challenges him. They truly are friends. Alaric isn’t afraid of Damon here. I love seeing them together.
Elena’s reading again -
Boy, that paragraph would have been so important about 30 minutes earlier. Once again, Stefan is truly freaked out at what’s potentially about to happen to Damon. (Also, I think it is interesting that Elijah didn’t immediately kill everyone at dinner party, despite what he told Damon. His priority is getting Elena into his hands.)
Jeremy/Bonnie
More witchy stuff, but this is actually really pretty important. Jonah shows up...throws Jeremy against the wall, and takes Bonnie’s powers. I think this is a big deal that it happens AFTER the agreement has apparently been violated. Jonah is now free to deal with people on Elena’s list....
Elijah visits the lakehouse
Elena’s proving to be a very good liar. Even though she’s desperately trying to renegotiate, she knows her plan is just to get close enough to stake him. (In her renegotiation, I think she’s adding some things in here. She wants him to honor his original agreement but also is adding the clause that HE won’t harm anyone on the list. I don’t think he was part of the original plan.)
Elena remembers her conversation with Katherine a little too well - she does the stomach stab - which is very effective, but not immediately fatal. Once she has his word, she seizes her opportunity. (I can’t help but wonder if the deal’s still in place after he’s unstaked...come on, you know that’s coming. She was very clear about not harming anyone who’s tried to hurt him.)
Elena stakes Elijah (the only part of the episode that surprised my husband). The plan works much more effectively when Elena’s actually “in” on what’s going on. No, Stefan didn’t vamp out when Elena was bleeding everywhere. He was totally freaked out by how close Elena came to dying. (Interesting that they’ve now had Elena voice the idea of turning herself as a way of defeating the curse.) There is also no make-out scene here. Stefan is holding Elena, but that’s to give her support since she was just almost passed out on the ground.
Gilbert house -
PLEASE someone let Jenna in on what’s going on. (Personally, I’m hoping that person is Isobel who clues her in....)
No! Alaric must not give up the ring. I can’t wait to see what Damon and Isobel think about Alaric being ring-less. I don’t think either of them want Alaric unprotected.
Salvatore dungeon
Elena wants to be in charge. Must be a Petrova thing. Stefan wraps his arm around her, but in the next shot, she’s pulled away. She may have decided to fight like Stefan wanted, but I don’t think their issues are over.
I hate this next section, although I think it is realistic. It hasn’t been that long since Damon killed Lexi - at least not in show time. They haven’t really dealt with the issue.
I wish Stefan knew that Damon asked Lexi to help Stefan. The brothers were too much at odds with each other for Lexi to try to work with Damon too. Damon made the choice to separate himself from Stefan. His issues weren’t about control, though, he seems to have been doing alright with that. He’s still dealing with the issue that Katherine turned Stefan as well. He wasn’t prepared for that.
Damon’s bathroom
As much as I hate the fact that Damon got played by Katherine, I love the fact that she knows the brothers so well. She knew Damon would trust her - his desire to protect Elena and kill Elijah would keep him from questioning anything she said.
She knows Stefan just as well. At some point, he’s going to trip up. Those feelings for Katherine are there - and they’re very, very real. I want Elena to see Stefan interacting with Katherine.
I have no problem with the fact that Katherine knew Elijah compelled her. He didn’t take the memories away. He just told her to “stay.”
I know there wasn’t a lot of DE in this episode, but I still really enjoyed it. I think Katherine will prove to be SE’s downfall. If Isobel is able to help them defeat Klaus, Stefan will have to deal with the fact that Katherine told him the truth in the tomb. That will have an impact on him - whether or not he wants to deal with it is another story. Elena will have to sort out the fact that Stefan, despite all the times he told Elena that Katherine is a liar, actually trusted Katherine enough that he did what she told him to.
I’m still content to look at the long story arc. KW described Damon’s journey to be a 100 episode arc. TVD is very much Damon’s story just as much as it is Elena’s. It is slow for us (but not when you look at time passing in Mystic Falls).
This week’s episode all boiled down to trust:
Jenna doesn’t think she can trust Alaric.
Damon trusted both John and Katherine.
And the million dollar question...has Stefan broken Elena’s trust? Yes, she listened to him. Yes, she was disturbed by Lexi’s loss. But will she remember what he DIDN’T tell her after their “no more secrets” discussion from last season? While it may not have come into play this week, I think we’ve seen another hint at what will eventually break Stefan and Elena apart. He trusted Katherine enough to go find Isobel. He didn’t trust Elena enough to think she could handle his past.
I liked this episode, but that’s mainly for what’s been set in motion for the future.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
SE or DE - Valentine's Day was Made for Shipping
Stefan and Elena or Damon and Elena?
Such an age old question. It definitely ranks right up there with Fermat’s Last Theorem.
As much as I’d love to be able to make light of it, the dynamics of the relationships - and the impact any changes would have on my favorite characters - are one of the most heated topics in the fandom for my favorite show. I'd really wanted this to be oh so much more eloquent, but I was up with a sick child till 4 this morning. Since we're talking about love, I thought this post still had to go up today.
Before I begin, though, I have to take a moment here to say that my first loyalty lies with the Brothers Salvatore. Like Elena in the third book, Stefan and Damon’s relationship is always at the forefront of my mind. While I don’t think that means Damon should turn his back on any feelings he has for Elena, I do want whatever happens on the “Elena front” to leave the brothers’ relationship intact. They’ve come too far - and we see too many glimmers of the relationship they had before Katherine entered their lives - for it to break apart again. I could literally watch Stefan and Damon banter back and forth all day long...but that’s the topic for another day.
I start with Stefan and Elena because they’re the pairing that actually is a couple at the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that Elena has chosen Stefan for now. I’ll admit that in the books, I’m a Stefan/Elena fan through and through. I love the fact that Elena sees her flaws more clearly when Stefan enters her life - even though she’s wrong about why he’s rejecting her at first.
In the show, it isn’t such an easy call for me. In the pilot, Elena was still reeling from the death of her parents. She’s trapped under the weight of her own sadness and the responsibility of trying to deal with Jeremy’s issues. The connection she makes with Stefan helps her to realize she can move on - even if her life has been forever changed.
Stefan is Elena’s harbor in the storm, and neither of them want to do anything that would endanger that very important safety net - even when they sometimes should. Elena and Stefan truly love each other, but it seems they’re afraid of looking at the hardest issues facing them.
They’ve skirted around the “what the future holds” issue.
Elena did get to ask Stefan her “vampire 20 questions” immediately after she found out what he was, but she’s held back other questions.
For those answers, she went to Damon. Yes, part of it was a matter of circumstance. Damon had “borrowed” her for a day off - even if she wasn’t really in on the plans. While they were in Georgia, she had some important questions to ask.
Why does she look like Katherine? (Of course, Elena had just discovered her similarity to Katherine at this point. She didn’t have a chance to ask Stefan because she’d run away.)
Does this mean she’s part vampire?
How do vampires eat? I really would have assumed she would have had a few of these “mechanics” conversations with Stefan (especially the “vampires can’t procreate” discussion considering what had happened the night before), but I think it is easier to examine from a distance.
She turned to Damon when she needed those answers.
Damon and Elena’s relationship is most easily described as “what could be.”
They each show such incredibly different sides of themselves when they’re with each other. Even Stefan and Katherine could hear the intensity in their exchange when Elena was fighting to get in to see Stefan.
Damon needed a Lexi in his life to help him realize who he could be. That person was Elena. She gave him a connection to his humanity he’d thought he’d lost forever. When he is with her, he’s no longer the vampire who kills with abandon - he’s the man who was trained to be the Southern gentleman. Recently, we’ve seen those two sides at war with themselves. However, when he’s with Elena, the better side seems to be winning.
Elena changed drastically when her parents died - even Caroline and Bonnie have spoken of the person Elena “used to be” - someone we don’t seem to see when she’s with Stefan. To be a cheerleader, Elena had to have the fire and the passion we see in her interactions with Damon - whether they’re arguing or she just happens to be highly intoxicated. Uncle John sensed the charged intensity between them when he found them discussing Caroline’s plight.
Elena brings out who Damon could be. Damon shows us the Elena that once was.
Such an age old question. It definitely ranks right up there with Fermat’s Last Theorem.
As much as I’d love to be able to make light of it, the dynamics of the relationships - and the impact any changes would have on my favorite characters - are one of the most heated topics in the fandom for my favorite show. I'd really wanted this to be oh so much more eloquent, but I was up with a sick child till 4 this morning. Since we're talking about love, I thought this post still had to go up today.
Before I begin, though, I have to take a moment here to say that my first loyalty lies with the Brothers Salvatore. Like Elena in the third book, Stefan and Damon’s relationship is always at the forefront of my mind. While I don’t think that means Damon should turn his back on any feelings he has for Elena, I do want whatever happens on the “Elena front” to leave the brothers’ relationship intact. They’ve come too far - and we see too many glimmers of the relationship they had before Katherine entered their lives - for it to break apart again. I could literally watch Stefan and Damon banter back and forth all day long...but that’s the topic for another day.
I start with Stefan and Elena because they’re the pairing that actually is a couple at the moment. It also doesn’t hurt that Elena has chosen Stefan for now. I’ll admit that in the books, I’m a Stefan/Elena fan through and through. I love the fact that Elena sees her flaws more clearly when Stefan enters her life - even though she’s wrong about why he’s rejecting her at first.
In the show, it isn’t such an easy call for me. In the pilot, Elena was still reeling from the death of her parents. She’s trapped under the weight of her own sadness and the responsibility of trying to deal with Jeremy’s issues. The connection she makes with Stefan helps her to realize she can move on - even if her life has been forever changed.
Stefan is Elena’s harbor in the storm, and neither of them want to do anything that would endanger that very important safety net - even when they sometimes should. Elena and Stefan truly love each other, but it seems they’re afraid of looking at the hardest issues facing them.
They’ve skirted around the “what the future holds” issue.
Elena did get to ask Stefan her “vampire 20 questions” immediately after she found out what he was, but she’s held back other questions.
For those answers, she went to Damon. Yes, part of it was a matter of circumstance. Damon had “borrowed” her for a day off - even if she wasn’t really in on the plans. While they were in Georgia, she had some important questions to ask.
Why does she look like Katherine? (Of course, Elena had just discovered her similarity to Katherine at this point. She didn’t have a chance to ask Stefan because she’d run away.)
Does this mean she’s part vampire?
How do vampires eat? I really would have assumed she would have had a few of these “mechanics” conversations with Stefan (especially the “vampires can’t procreate” discussion considering what had happened the night before), but I think it is easier to examine from a distance.
She turned to Damon when she needed those answers.
Damon and Elena’s relationship is most easily described as “what could be.”
They each show such incredibly different sides of themselves when they’re with each other. Even Stefan and Katherine could hear the intensity in their exchange when Elena was fighting to get in to see Stefan.
Damon needed a Lexi in his life to help him realize who he could be. That person was Elena. She gave him a connection to his humanity he’d thought he’d lost forever. When he is with her, he’s no longer the vampire who kills with abandon - he’s the man who was trained to be the Southern gentleman. Recently, we’ve seen those two sides at war with themselves. However, when he’s with Elena, the better side seems to be winning.
Elena changed drastically when her parents died - even Caroline and Bonnie have spoken of the person Elena “used to be” - someone we don’t seem to see when she’s with Stefan. To be a cheerleader, Elena had to have the fire and the passion we see in her interactions with Damon - whether they’re arguing or she just happens to be highly intoxicated. Uncle John sensed the charged intensity between them when he found them discussing Caroline’s plight.
Elena brings out who Damon could be. Damon shows us the Elena that once was.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Daddy Issues Recap
Okey dokey - due to the iceopocalypse last week, my typical viewing (or re-viewing) schedule was disrupted.
I didn’t want to totally skip commenting on “Daddy Issues,” though. So here we go...short, sweet, but making a few points. (And, I’m going from memory here - I may miss a few things.)
First, I have to say that I wasn’t prepared to enjoy this episode. I haven’t really been “into” the whole werewolf plotline this season, and I also really dislike Uncle John. Put the two things together, and I was ready to kind of write this one off.
I’ve never been so pleased to be wrong.
Tyler/Caroline.... Tyler, Tyler, Tyler - you’re so wrapped up in what you’re going through, you’re totally not looking at the bigger picture. Caroline stayed with you for the entirety of the most difficult night of your life. She lied when you killed someone. She could totally be ripping your heart out right now - but she is choosing not to. You could learn some anger management skills from your friend.
Damon in the shower - breathe in...breathe out
Damon in a towel - this is a different scene, right? Other than just repeating the fact that Damon is just wearing a towel, I think we have a HUGE glimpse of Damon’s inner struggle here. I’ve seen several comments about Elena pushing Damon beyond what he’s ready for, but watching him as he looks at Jessica’s picture on the news.... For the first time, I think he feels remorse for killing someone. He’s accustomed to killing with abandon, but now he’s questioning his actions.
Uncle John/Elena/Jenna/Alaric - much chatter, angst. Elena doesn’t like having UJ here. UJ doesn’t trust Elena. Wow, poor Jenna. She’s been in the dark about the supernatural stuff, but being hit by the “this guy’s my father card” - whoa.
Damon/Stefan - Stefan, you seriously need to listen to your brother. I’m not sure if bringing UJ into the picture was the best idea. Honestly, I could listen to these two banter all day long. The brother dynamic is one of my absolute favorite parts of the show.
Interesting side note - I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Elena pushing Damon too hard... He brings up the “I’m evolving” thing with Stefan.
Stefan/Caroline - Caroline is scared. She calls Tyler her friend. I think this makes his later indecision even harder to take.
Tyler/Jules - they’re werewolves. They talk. Moving on....
Damon/Elena - for me, this is one of the best DE scenes of the episode - if not the season. Damon, without Elena really saying anything to prompt it, asks Elena how she’s doing with the whole UJ thing. He is truly concerned for her. He’s also the first one to bring up the “I’m a good guy now” topic. Yes, Elena will later force him to act on those words, but he mentioned them to her first.
Jules/Brady - werewolf kisses
Stefan/Tyler - Stefan vamps out when he holds Tyler against the wall. My question...is he struggling with control or showing Tyler that he can be really scary if he wants to be?
Memorial Service - Mrs. Mayor Lockwood, UJ, Jeremy, Bonnie, Daddy Witch all in attendance
Alaric/Jenna - I pointed out the irony of Jenna’s niece being her sister’s brother’s daughter as well as her boyfriend’s wife’s daughter in my fanfic. (Christmas Day - Elena’s explaining her feelings for Damon to Jenna in “Bittersweet.”) Just had to point that out.... I think Jenna is going to feel beyond betrayed when she realizes that even Alaric was lying to her.
Stefan/Tyler - they talk some more. Actually, Stefan makes a lot of sense, but in typical Tyler fashion, he totally doesn’t hear what Stefan is saying and ends up acting like Stefan’s torturing him or something when Jules happens to call.
Damon/Elena - Drat the dark lighting. Is Elena holding onto Damon’s arm when they’re walking into the Grill? I’ve rewatched several times, and I just can’t tell. It almost looks like it....but I digress. They look very “couple-y” here. Elena has a level of comfort with Damon that UJ totally picks up on.
Damon/UJ - Damon telling UJ about the vervain thing will either really come back to haunt him or (if UJ is actually one of the good guys in this) is likely the reason that UJ seems to trust him later in the episode. It’s one thing for Stefan to be consuming vervain as a way to keep free from compulsion (and help protect Elena) - he’s her boyfriend. But for Damon to be subjecting himself to the same pain...that speaks volumes of his dedication to Elena (and just not wanting to be compelled in general). This brings up an interesting topic - Damon’s been very emotional lately. We also saw Stefan momentarily "go vamp" when he had Tyler pinned to the wall. Think that has anything to do with being moderately weakened by the vervain? Just a thought.... Moving on...
Matt/Caroline - Don’t hate me...I just can’t get emotionally invested in Matt/Caroline or Tyler/Caroline...sorry.
Caroline/Jules/Brady - OUCH!
Brady/Caroline - Sorry, can’t really watch the torture. I adore Caroline’s strength. Even through everything she’s going through, she doesn’t tell about Stefan or Damon.
Stefan/Tyler - more chatter. Stefan truly has the patience of a saint, but I don't think Tyler's listening to a word he has to say. I’m not sure about the “building a family” comment. I think this may be where we have a 150+ year old vampire dating a 17 year old. I don’t think Elena’s ready to go there quite yet.
Damon/Elena - I love this bathroom scene too. Elena’s honestly just echoing Damon’s comments to him, but the emotional level is really intense. I don’t think she even realized she’d grabbed his arm until he pointed it out.
Ok, this is the only time I like UJ. I loved the looks they exchanged when UJ walked it. It totally looked as if something else was going on in the bathroom. Damon’s “ground your daughter” lines was one of my favorites of the whole episode.
Vamps vs. Werewolves - Boy, there are a lot of werewolves. Loved Damon’s heart snatch. Stefan got to use a flamethrower again. TYLER! What on earth are you doing? Damon and Stefan are BOTH willing to risk their lives for Caroline at this moment and you can’t decide if you’re going to open the cage? REALLY? Caroline stayed with you when you could have KILLED her, and you totally won’t even open the door?
Oh no, the boys are DOWN! Someone has to help them. I know they shot scenes for later in the season, but still. I’m a little stressed.
Caroline’s out, but Jules is holding a gun to her head. Umm...Tyler, this is your cue. Tell Jules to let her go since Caroline’s his friend. Once again, he just stands there.
Daddy Witch - I totally didn’t expect him to come in and save our fanged friends. Woo hoo! Why is Tyler still standing, though? Was he part of Elena’s deal? Hmmm....
Stefan/Caroline - and they’re having a heartfelt conversation on a porch. Truly, I might not care about Matt/Caroline or Tyler/Caroline, but I could totally ship Stefan/Caroline. Their relationship is built on friendship first...it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold.
Damon/UJ - Interesting that UJ comes to Damon, not Stefan. Of course, UJ has been watching the interaction between Damon and his daughter all day. Oh, I want this to truly be the key to killing Klaus. I don’t want it to be the key to getting Damon very dead.
Caroline/Matt/Mirror - all I can say is ouch. Toothpick torture? Who thinks of these things?
UJ/Elena - Ummm, no. Go with your instincts Elena. DO NOT WEAR THE BRACELET. No way is that thing not charmed.
Caroline/Tyler - Tyler totally deseved every word she said to him.
Elena/Stefan - I love that Elena remembers Caroline’s issue, even if Stefan’s the one who planned the slumber party. (Hey Stefan, I think a slumber party would have been an excellent idea after the whole ordeal at the masquerade party. You know, Elena wasn’t really feeling her best then.)
Wolfie RV - Tyler came. He saw. He drank. He spilled news about the moonstone. Can’t wait for Jules and Brady to see Elena....
Slumber party - Oh, so sweet. I’ve missed seeing the girls hang out together. Stefan and Elena look a little uncertain as they exchange their I love yous...
Damon’s bubble bath - It’s really sad that Damon’s still in crisis mode - at least he’s not alone anymore. I think Andie’s very wise here. As much as Damon might be wanting to blame Elena for pushing him to be something he doesn’t want to be, it’s too late. He’s already tipped past the point of no return. He may want to be the bad guy, but he’s a bad guy with a conscience now...and that’s probably only making him more conflicted right now. Yes, he snacks on Andie after compelling her not to be afraid of him, but after she gets used to it, she doesn’t seem to be totally against the idea of being a snack.
I didn’t want to totally skip commenting on “Daddy Issues,” though. So here we go...short, sweet, but making a few points. (And, I’m going from memory here - I may miss a few things.)
First, I have to say that I wasn’t prepared to enjoy this episode. I haven’t really been “into” the whole werewolf plotline this season, and I also really dislike Uncle John. Put the two things together, and I was ready to kind of write this one off.
I’ve never been so pleased to be wrong.
Tyler/Caroline.... Tyler, Tyler, Tyler - you’re so wrapped up in what you’re going through, you’re totally not looking at the bigger picture. Caroline stayed with you for the entirety of the most difficult night of your life. She lied when you killed someone. She could totally be ripping your heart out right now - but she is choosing not to. You could learn some anger management skills from your friend.
Damon in the shower - breathe in...breathe out
Damon in a towel - this is a different scene, right? Other than just repeating the fact that Damon is just wearing a towel, I think we have a HUGE glimpse of Damon’s inner struggle here. I’ve seen several comments about Elena pushing Damon beyond what he’s ready for, but watching him as he looks at Jessica’s picture on the news.... For the first time, I think he feels remorse for killing someone. He’s accustomed to killing with abandon, but now he’s questioning his actions.
Uncle John/Elena/Jenna/Alaric - much chatter, angst. Elena doesn’t like having UJ here. UJ doesn’t trust Elena. Wow, poor Jenna. She’s been in the dark about the supernatural stuff, but being hit by the “this guy’s my father card” - whoa.
Damon/Stefan - Stefan, you seriously need to listen to your brother. I’m not sure if bringing UJ into the picture was the best idea. Honestly, I could listen to these two banter all day long. The brother dynamic is one of my absolute favorite parts of the show.
Interesting side note - I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Elena pushing Damon too hard... He brings up the “I’m evolving” thing with Stefan.
Stefan/Caroline - Caroline is scared. She calls Tyler her friend. I think this makes his later indecision even harder to take.
Tyler/Jules - they’re werewolves. They talk. Moving on....
Damon/Elena - for me, this is one of the best DE scenes of the episode - if not the season. Damon, without Elena really saying anything to prompt it, asks Elena how she’s doing with the whole UJ thing. He is truly concerned for her. He’s also the first one to bring up the “I’m a good guy now” topic. Yes, Elena will later force him to act on those words, but he mentioned them to her first.
Jules/Brady - werewolf kisses
Stefan/Tyler - Stefan vamps out when he holds Tyler against the wall. My question...is he struggling with control or showing Tyler that he can be really scary if he wants to be?
Memorial Service - Mrs. Mayor Lockwood, UJ, Jeremy, Bonnie, Daddy Witch all in attendance
Alaric/Jenna - I pointed out the irony of Jenna’s niece being her sister’s brother’s daughter as well as her boyfriend’s wife’s daughter in my fanfic. (Christmas Day - Elena’s explaining her feelings for Damon to Jenna in “Bittersweet.”) Just had to point that out.... I think Jenna is going to feel beyond betrayed when she realizes that even Alaric was lying to her.
Stefan/Tyler - they talk some more. Actually, Stefan makes a lot of sense, but in typical Tyler fashion, he totally doesn’t hear what Stefan is saying and ends up acting like Stefan’s torturing him or something when Jules happens to call.
Damon/Elena - Drat the dark lighting. Is Elena holding onto Damon’s arm when they’re walking into the Grill? I’ve rewatched several times, and I just can’t tell. It almost looks like it....but I digress. They look very “couple-y” here. Elena has a level of comfort with Damon that UJ totally picks up on.
Damon/UJ - Damon telling UJ about the vervain thing will either really come back to haunt him or (if UJ is actually one of the good guys in this) is likely the reason that UJ seems to trust him later in the episode. It’s one thing for Stefan to be consuming vervain as a way to keep free from compulsion (and help protect Elena) - he’s her boyfriend. But for Damon to be subjecting himself to the same pain...that speaks volumes of his dedication to Elena (and just not wanting to be compelled in general). This brings up an interesting topic - Damon’s been very emotional lately. We also saw Stefan momentarily "go vamp" when he had Tyler pinned to the wall. Think that has anything to do with being moderately weakened by the vervain? Just a thought.... Moving on...
Matt/Caroline - Don’t hate me...I just can’t get emotionally invested in Matt/Caroline or Tyler/Caroline...sorry.
Caroline/Jules/Brady - OUCH!
Brady/Caroline - Sorry, can’t really watch the torture. I adore Caroline’s strength. Even through everything she’s going through, she doesn’t tell about Stefan or Damon.
Stefan/Tyler - more chatter. Stefan truly has the patience of a saint, but I don't think Tyler's listening to a word he has to say. I’m not sure about the “building a family” comment. I think this may be where we have a 150+ year old vampire dating a 17 year old. I don’t think Elena’s ready to go there quite yet.
Damon/Elena - I love this bathroom scene too. Elena’s honestly just echoing Damon’s comments to him, but the emotional level is really intense. I don’t think she even realized she’d grabbed his arm until he pointed it out.
Ok, this is the only time I like UJ. I loved the looks they exchanged when UJ walked it. It totally looked as if something else was going on in the bathroom. Damon’s “ground your daughter” lines was one of my favorites of the whole episode.
Vamps vs. Werewolves - Boy, there are a lot of werewolves. Loved Damon’s heart snatch. Stefan got to use a flamethrower again. TYLER! What on earth are you doing? Damon and Stefan are BOTH willing to risk their lives for Caroline at this moment and you can’t decide if you’re going to open the cage? REALLY? Caroline stayed with you when you could have KILLED her, and you totally won’t even open the door?
Oh no, the boys are DOWN! Someone has to help them. I know they shot scenes for later in the season, but still. I’m a little stressed.
Caroline’s out, but Jules is holding a gun to her head. Umm...Tyler, this is your cue. Tell Jules to let her go since Caroline’s his friend. Once again, he just stands there.
Daddy Witch - I totally didn’t expect him to come in and save our fanged friends. Woo hoo! Why is Tyler still standing, though? Was he part of Elena’s deal? Hmmm....
Stefan/Caroline - and they’re having a heartfelt conversation on a porch. Truly, I might not care about Matt/Caroline or Tyler/Caroline, but I could totally ship Stefan/Caroline. Their relationship is built on friendship first...it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold.
Damon/UJ - Interesting that UJ comes to Damon, not Stefan. Of course, UJ has been watching the interaction between Damon and his daughter all day. Oh, I want this to truly be the key to killing Klaus. I don’t want it to be the key to getting Damon very dead.
Caroline/Matt/Mirror - all I can say is ouch. Toothpick torture? Who thinks of these things?
UJ/Elena - Ummm, no. Go with your instincts Elena. DO NOT WEAR THE BRACELET. No way is that thing not charmed.
Caroline/Tyler - Tyler totally deseved every word she said to him.
Elena/Stefan - I love that Elena remembers Caroline’s issue, even if Stefan’s the one who planned the slumber party. (Hey Stefan, I think a slumber party would have been an excellent idea after the whole ordeal at the masquerade party. You know, Elena wasn’t really feeling her best then.)
Wolfie RV - Tyler came. He saw. He drank. He spilled news about the moonstone. Can’t wait for Jules and Brady to see Elena....
Slumber party - Oh, so sweet. I’ve missed seeing the girls hang out together. Stefan and Elena look a little uncertain as they exchange their I love yous...
Damon’s bubble bath - It’s really sad that Damon’s still in crisis mode - at least he’s not alone anymore. I think Andie’s very wise here. As much as Damon might be wanting to blame Elena for pushing him to be something he doesn’t want to be, it’s too late. He’s already tipped past the point of no return. He may want to be the bad guy, but he’s a bad guy with a conscience now...and that’s probably only making him more conflicted right now. Yes, he snacks on Andie after compelling her not to be afraid of him, but after she gets used to it, she doesn’t seem to be totally against the idea of being a snack.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Descent - my take
I ended up having to trash my original review, because my “timeline-style” wasn’t working for this episode. Instead I’ve gone with a relationship-based outline for this episode. I think it worked better this way (at least for me). I do have a few general comments at the end that didn’t really tie into the rest of the review very well.
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Jules - I have to say that this opening scene was really unexpected. We’ve seen Mason as he tried to control himself, but she is totally not bothered at what she’s done overnight. (I’d be interested to find out if allowing herself to roam is her normal style or if she just did that to try to bite Damon.) I think because of the coolness that she killed the police officer, that’s her normal full moon style.
Elena and Stefan - If I had to pick a single scene that felt out of place in this episode, this was it. From the “good morning” (Really, is it morning? In just a few minutes, we’ll see Jules eating salad at the Grill...and Alaric’s drinking....I think it is much later in the day.) to Elena’s “I don’t want us to ever be apart” to the fact that Elena’s even out of her house, this section feels like a couple of days have passed post-Stefan-gets out of the tomb rather than the hours we discover during the Tyler/Caroline scene.
I don’t think Elena’s the “I don’t want us to be apart” kind of girl (this hints to a book scene in my opinion, but I don’t see Elena as clingy as book Elena was) - especially since they still have a lot of issues to work through. Also, when did they discuss all the Elijah compelling, Elena’s deal, the plan to drink vervain? Maybe they had a really long night and that’s why Stefan just called it morning? Who knows....
I think this whole scene exists to show the conflict between Elena and Stefan and his plan to go find Isobel. I wish they hadn’t rushed past it, but Stefan is TRUSTING KATHERINE HERE. After all the times he’s called her a liar and manipulative and told EVERYONE (including Damon and Elena) not to trust her...he is. That’s HUGE. I hope the writers build on this. (I know I did in my fanfic.)
Alaric and Stefan - Not too much to say here except for the fact that it is clear that Alaric is becomingly increasingly close to Elena. Even if he doesn’t want to, he’s becoming more fatherly to her. He wouldn’t look for Isobel’s number to help Rose, but when Stefan mentioned Elena, Alaric couldn’t say no. I can’t help but wonder if that will make things easier or harder when working with Uncle John....
Tyler/Caroline/Matt - My husband said it best...this trio was in this episode to break up the tension. Each scene was just long enough to give us a break from the sheer terror of Elena trying to escape Rose’s dementia (or the utter bleakness of later in the episode) before ending in some type of sweet or funny line. (I do have to say thank you to the writers, though, for giving us the “morning after” scene since it helped me keep my timeline straight.)
Elena and Rose - Rose hit this one on the head. Why is Elena being so nice to Rose? (Elena said it was because she was human.) That’s not why. Elena’s being nice to Rose because Rose is important to Damon. Right now, Elena may have misinterpreted Rose’s importance to Damon, but Damon asked her to take care of his friend...so she is. And, at her core, Elena’s a generally nice person. She wants to help. She has good intentions - even when they’re missing the point.
I like the fact that Rose is also challenging Elena here. Rose has pushed Damon to come to terms with the fact that he’s in love with Elena. I wish we’d had the “it’s ok to love them both,” but I think it may still be too early for that. Right now, the issue at the top of Elena’s issue list is the fact that she is prepared to sacrifice herself for everyone else (although she seems to think that once she’s bait, she’s going to be able to walk away unscathed...I’m thinking that’s a really bad assumption on her part). Rose is pushing Elena to fight - both for her life and her humanity.
Elena, Damon, and Rose - Watching the three “people” interact has given Elena a new insight on Damon and vice versa. Damon watched Elena reach out to someone she should be angry at in order to ease her pain. Elena saw a side of Damon that he desperately wanted to hide (so much so he made her leave at the end). She also heard some incredibly important words. “You went on a killing spree - it happens.” (Yes, I messed up the quote, but you remember the line.) That’s a fact of being a vampire. No matter how careful, how much they DON’T want to kill, sometimes it is going to happen. She’s seen the brutality of Katherine and Damon early in the series. If Damon and Bonnie hadn’t stepped in, Aimee Bradley would be dead as well due to Stefan’s actions. Vampires kill - especially when they’re out of control. (I hope Elena is able to remember this when she’s dealing with the implications of Damon’s actions.)
I wish we were able to see the conversation between Elena and Damon when she told him about Rose’s home. Somehow, I think she might have been nervously prattling on when they were on their way to the high school..but I don’t know.
When Damon made Elena leave, I truly believe she knew what he was about to do - that’s why she came back to check on him.
Damon/Rose - Wow. I’ll admit that the level of emotion Damon was dealing with confused me at first, but then I stopped to think about it. Rose really did seem to be Damon’s friend. She’d told him she’d help him protect Elena. In some odd way, she could see Damon as he truly was when so many others couldn’t. If she’d lived, I think she could have truly been his Lexi.
He felt guilty for her situation. His actions with Mason - and his carelessness with his words now had dire consequences for Rose (just like they did with Jenna).
He hated to see her suffering. She pleaded with him to make it stop (or something like that), my mind still blocks out some of those scenes. I think this shows the sweet, compassionate Damon that Katherine knew. When the time came, and he couldn’t stand by and watch Rose suffer any longer, he couldn’t let Elena see him at his most vulnerable. He was protecting both of them at that moment - not making Elena watch as Rose died but not letting her see his truest self....the one that he doesn’t like to admit exists because it causes him too much pain.
When Damon came back to discover Elena in the house, I like the fact she already had his drink ready for him. She knew he’d be having trouble dealing with the situation. Just like she was the one to get through to him in the tomb, his words seemed to be the only ones who’ve gotten through to her on the “sacrifice” issue. She constantly calls him on “giving up,” but he told her that’s what she was doing as well. For the first time, I think a hint of that began to sink in.
She was reaching out to him, but he’d already gone far beyond his emotional capacity for the evening. I think she almost kissed his cheek but caught herself in time.
Damon alone: Watching him break down in front of the random girl was heart-wrenching. For so many years, he was a monster because that was the antithesis of being human - his biggest regret. Now he’s trapped - he’s let people he cares about into his life. Potentially losing Elena (as in...she dies, not that she’s truly his to lose) is shaking him to his very core. He’s willing to make the biggest sacrifice - not acting on his feelings for her - because it would weaken his alliance with his brother and make her even more vulnerable.
Assorted musings:
-Elena must have talked with Bonnie at some point before arriving at the Salvatore house. She knows about Bonnie and Luka potentially breaking the moonstone curse. She’s smart enough not to believe it happened. (And, Bonnie had to let her leave the house.)
-Here’s my biggest area of speculation. Who did Elena call when Rose was freaking her out? My theory - Stefan.
If Damon had realized Elena was freaked out, he would have gone home. When he arrived, he seemed surprised that anything was out of the ordinary. She couldn’t have called him.
When Damon and Elena were at the school trying to find out-of-control Rose, Elena’s still trying to reach Stefan. She’s confused as to why he isn’t calling her back. She thinks something may have gone wrong while he’s looking for Isobel.
And then Elena goes home...fresh off what is probably one of the most emotional days she’s had since her parents died...and there’s Stefan. He hadn’t returned her calls. She needed him, and he ignored her.
She’s concerned about Damon and Rose. She KNOWS what Damon’s doing right now, and she’s worried that he’s there alone. And what has Stefan done? Brought home her dad - totally not the person she wants to see.
Well, that’s it. If you made it this long, congratulations!
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Jules - I have to say that this opening scene was really unexpected. We’ve seen Mason as he tried to control himself, but she is totally not bothered at what she’s done overnight. (I’d be interested to find out if allowing herself to roam is her normal style or if she just did that to try to bite Damon.) I think because of the coolness that she killed the police officer, that’s her normal full moon style.
Elena and Stefan - If I had to pick a single scene that felt out of place in this episode, this was it. From the “good morning” (Really, is it morning? In just a few minutes, we’ll see Jules eating salad at the Grill...and Alaric’s drinking....I think it is much later in the day.) to Elena’s “I don’t want us to ever be apart” to the fact that Elena’s even out of her house, this section feels like a couple of days have passed post-Stefan-gets out of the tomb rather than the hours we discover during the Tyler/Caroline scene.
I don’t think Elena’s the “I don’t want us to be apart” kind of girl (this hints to a book scene in my opinion, but I don’t see Elena as clingy as book Elena was) - especially since they still have a lot of issues to work through. Also, when did they discuss all the Elijah compelling, Elena’s deal, the plan to drink vervain? Maybe they had a really long night and that’s why Stefan just called it morning? Who knows....
I think this whole scene exists to show the conflict between Elena and Stefan and his plan to go find Isobel. I wish they hadn’t rushed past it, but Stefan is TRUSTING KATHERINE HERE. After all the times he’s called her a liar and manipulative and told EVERYONE (including Damon and Elena) not to trust her...he is. That’s HUGE. I hope the writers build on this. (I know I did in my fanfic.)
Alaric and Stefan - Not too much to say here except for the fact that it is clear that Alaric is becomingly increasingly close to Elena. Even if he doesn’t want to, he’s becoming more fatherly to her. He wouldn’t look for Isobel’s number to help Rose, but when Stefan mentioned Elena, Alaric couldn’t say no. I can’t help but wonder if that will make things easier or harder when working with Uncle John....
Tyler/Caroline/Matt - My husband said it best...this trio was in this episode to break up the tension. Each scene was just long enough to give us a break from the sheer terror of Elena trying to escape Rose’s dementia (or the utter bleakness of later in the episode) before ending in some type of sweet or funny line. (I do have to say thank you to the writers, though, for giving us the “morning after” scene since it helped me keep my timeline straight.)
Elena and Rose - Rose hit this one on the head. Why is Elena being so nice to Rose? (Elena said it was because she was human.) That’s not why. Elena’s being nice to Rose because Rose is important to Damon. Right now, Elena may have misinterpreted Rose’s importance to Damon, but Damon asked her to take care of his friend...so she is. And, at her core, Elena’s a generally nice person. She wants to help. She has good intentions - even when they’re missing the point.
I like the fact that Rose is also challenging Elena here. Rose has pushed Damon to come to terms with the fact that he’s in love with Elena. I wish we’d had the “it’s ok to love them both,” but I think it may still be too early for that. Right now, the issue at the top of Elena’s issue list is the fact that she is prepared to sacrifice herself for everyone else (although she seems to think that once she’s bait, she’s going to be able to walk away unscathed...I’m thinking that’s a really bad assumption on her part). Rose is pushing Elena to fight - both for her life and her humanity.
Elena, Damon, and Rose - Watching the three “people” interact has given Elena a new insight on Damon and vice versa. Damon watched Elena reach out to someone she should be angry at in order to ease her pain. Elena saw a side of Damon that he desperately wanted to hide (so much so he made her leave at the end). She also heard some incredibly important words. “You went on a killing spree - it happens.” (Yes, I messed up the quote, but you remember the line.) That’s a fact of being a vampire. No matter how careful, how much they DON’T want to kill, sometimes it is going to happen. She’s seen the brutality of Katherine and Damon early in the series. If Damon and Bonnie hadn’t stepped in, Aimee Bradley would be dead as well due to Stefan’s actions. Vampires kill - especially when they’re out of control. (I hope Elena is able to remember this when she’s dealing with the implications of Damon’s actions.)
I wish we were able to see the conversation between Elena and Damon when she told him about Rose’s home. Somehow, I think she might have been nervously prattling on when they were on their way to the high school..but I don’t know.
When Damon made Elena leave, I truly believe she knew what he was about to do - that’s why she came back to check on him.
Damon/Rose - Wow. I’ll admit that the level of emotion Damon was dealing with confused me at first, but then I stopped to think about it. Rose really did seem to be Damon’s friend. She’d told him she’d help him protect Elena. In some odd way, she could see Damon as he truly was when so many others couldn’t. If she’d lived, I think she could have truly been his Lexi.
He felt guilty for her situation. His actions with Mason - and his carelessness with his words now had dire consequences for Rose (just like they did with Jenna).
He hated to see her suffering. She pleaded with him to make it stop (or something like that), my mind still blocks out some of those scenes. I think this shows the sweet, compassionate Damon that Katherine knew. When the time came, and he couldn’t stand by and watch Rose suffer any longer, he couldn’t let Elena see him at his most vulnerable. He was protecting both of them at that moment - not making Elena watch as Rose died but not letting her see his truest self....the one that he doesn’t like to admit exists because it causes him too much pain.
When Damon came back to discover Elena in the house, I like the fact she already had his drink ready for him. She knew he’d be having trouble dealing with the situation. Just like she was the one to get through to him in the tomb, his words seemed to be the only ones who’ve gotten through to her on the “sacrifice” issue. She constantly calls him on “giving up,” but he told her that’s what she was doing as well. For the first time, I think a hint of that began to sink in.
She was reaching out to him, but he’d already gone far beyond his emotional capacity for the evening. I think she almost kissed his cheek but caught herself in time.
Damon alone: Watching him break down in front of the random girl was heart-wrenching. For so many years, he was a monster because that was the antithesis of being human - his biggest regret. Now he’s trapped - he’s let people he cares about into his life. Potentially losing Elena (as in...she dies, not that she’s truly his to lose) is shaking him to his very core. He’s willing to make the biggest sacrifice - not acting on his feelings for her - because it would weaken his alliance with his brother and make her even more vulnerable.
Assorted musings:
-Elena must have talked with Bonnie at some point before arriving at the Salvatore house. She knows about Bonnie and Luka potentially breaking the moonstone curse. She’s smart enough not to believe it happened. (And, Bonnie had to let her leave the house.)
-Here’s my biggest area of speculation. Who did Elena call when Rose was freaking her out? My theory - Stefan.
If Damon had realized Elena was freaked out, he would have gone home. When he arrived, he seemed surprised that anything was out of the ordinary. She couldn’t have called him.
When Damon and Elena were at the school trying to find out-of-control Rose, Elena’s still trying to reach Stefan. She’s confused as to why he isn’t calling her back. She thinks something may have gone wrong while he’s looking for Isobel.
And then Elena goes home...fresh off what is probably one of the most emotional days she’s had since her parents died...and there’s Stefan. He hadn’t returned her calls. She needed him, and he ignored her.
She’s concerned about Damon and Rose. She KNOWS what Damon’s doing right now, and she’s worried that he’s there alone. And what has Stefan done? Brought home her dad - totally not the person she wants to see.
Well, that’s it. If you made it this long, congratulations!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Chirp...chirp
Can you hear the crickets?
Yep, I just realized how long it has been since I've really taken a minute to sit down and blog. I have few excuses, although, I've quickly discovered being a theater mom seems to take up way more time than being a dance mom. I have to say, though, that Miss M had one of the most gorgeous Gertrude costumes I've ever seen - even if I was the one to make it.
The kids are out on break. That translates roughly into - hey, let's see how many doctors we can see in one week's time. On Friday, we're making a trip to a homestead farm. Can't wait to play with the goats!
I was reading Fallen - until I misplaced it. Hopefully, I'll be back to reading it again soon. I enjoyed the first several chapters. It really wasn't what I expected it to be...and I like that.
Finally, this is Thanksgiving morning, my time is at a premium so this entry will be short. I've ended up doing a fanfiction for NaNo instead of my original story. Miss M got sick and it lasted for 2 weeks. I can absently write fanfic, but working on my real story takes a little more brain power. I'm really pretty proud of the fanfic. I've never done a story quite like this before, and I think it really stretched me a lot outside my comfort zone.
Yep, I just realized how long it has been since I've really taken a minute to sit down and blog. I have few excuses, although, I've quickly discovered being a theater mom seems to take up way more time than being a dance mom. I have to say, though, that Miss M had one of the most gorgeous Gertrude costumes I've ever seen - even if I was the one to make it.
The kids are out on break. That translates roughly into - hey, let's see how many doctors we can see in one week's time. On Friday, we're making a trip to a homestead farm. Can't wait to play with the goats!
I was reading Fallen - until I misplaced it. Hopefully, I'll be back to reading it again soon. I enjoyed the first several chapters. It really wasn't what I expected it to be...and I like that.
Finally, this is Thanksgiving morning, my time is at a premium so this entry will be short. I've ended up doing a fanfiction for NaNo instead of my original story. Miss M got sick and it lasted for 2 weeks. I can absently write fanfic, but working on my real story takes a little more brain power. I'm really pretty proud of the fanfic. I've never done a story quite like this before, and I think it really stretched me a lot outside my comfort zone.
Katerina Recap
In the interest of my sanity (and keeping this as short as I can), I’m calling Katherine “Kat” throughout. I’ve also cut most of the Bonnie/Jeremy/Luka scenes.
Baby scene – No wonder Elijah thought Kat’s line ended with her…back then, babies out of wedlock were not common. Cool opening scene. Kat’s dad was so heartless. No wonder she started in with the “I can only trust myself” thing.
Salvatore house – whoa, you can tell just by the knock that Elena is not pleased. I’ve seen some questions about why was Elena so ticked off at Damon after the “thank you” after the rescue. I don’t think she’s mad at him specifically – just the situation. She’s trying to distance herself, and she just keeps getting pulled in over and over again. Interesting that Stefan keeps attempting to minimize what Rose is saying. He seems to be attempting to keep Elena from freaking out, but I really think that’s backfiring on him.
Elena’s comment about remembering where the school is…ouch! I know she doesn’t want to be babied, but I don’t know if she was annoyed at Stefan’s contradictions of Rose’s story or if she was simply venting.
Elena/Caroline in woods – Interesting that Elena has assigned Caroline to keep Stefan occupied. Funny that Elena called in the “girlfriend code.”
Katherine/Elena/Caroline – Caroline doesn’t seem overly pleased with Elena’s plan, but I’m happy Elena doesn’t back down here. She’s really thought this through.
Katherine/Elena – Elena’s like a Girl Scout – girl’s prepared – she has her blanket, lantern, reading material and snacks. Much more cutthroat Elena than we’ve seen in the past – this is obviously the Elena who was the high school cheerleader. I’ve always wondered where she was hiding out.
She’s not taking any chances, though. Using a stick to push the cup was cool. She knows how to make Kat talk… (I have to put a note in here about how creepy Kat looked here. I’d totally never have guessed that both of these characters are actually the same actress.)
This show loves parallels. I think it is interesting that Kat’s line continued because she had a baby out of wedlock….Elena was born out of wedlock as well.
Based on her retelling, Kat met Klaus in London. (I know several have mentioned the “is Elijah Klaus thing,” but I think Kat has actually met Klaus. Elijah is in the flashback – I think they’re different people.
Rose/Damon – Based on Rose’s comments about Damon being in love with Elena, I’m thinking there’s a scene that was cut that we’ve missed here – either that or being 500 years old makes you VERY intuitive. I’m leaning toward a scene that was cut or shortened.
Caroline/Stefan – interesting that Caroline distracts Stefan with a true story. I think she is worried because she told Tyler about who she is. Damon told her not to. That’s not going to go down well when he finds out she revealed herself.
Kat/Elena – Elena mispronounces Petrova, but Kat says it correctly. Nice way to add distinction between the characters. I wouldn’t have expected a teenager raised in Virginia to be able to pronounce it correctly without working on the pronunciation.
Rose/Damon/Slater – Damon doesn’t seem to realize Rose is WAY more powerful than he is. He’s used to threatening people to get his way. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work with Rose. Thankfully, Rose seems willing to help Damon. I still can’t figure out why, though. LOVE Slater… Cool that he’s the walking vampire encyclopedia. He’s who tipped Rose and Trevor off. What is it with Mystic Falls, though? It seems that some odd convergence is getting ready to happen. We have the werewolves, Katherine, the Bennett family, Luka’s family, etc…. There’s more to the story here. Even Elijah referenced the town last week, I feel like I’m not making a connection that I should be able to see.
Rose/Trevor/Kat (flashback)- Surprised that Rose inadvertently turned Kat while trying to heal her. Trevor reminds me of pre-vamp Damon, which, I think is why Rose helps Damon now. He’s so in love with her that he doesn’t care that she’s using him. Kat hung herself…didn’t expect that.
Kat/Elena – Kat offers to turn Elena because it was the same choice she made. The HUGE personality difference between Elena and Katherine is so evident here. Kat will use anyone (and destroy anyone) to keep herself alive. Elena’s going to take the other route.
Caroline/Stefan – Caroline is stuffing her face to stop “those killing some people urges” – too funny. Stefan is sooo interesting when interacting with Caroline. “You have a friend?” I’d already thought to myself how much Caroline and Lexie reminded me of each other. Glad Stefan agrees with me.
Bonnie/Luka/Luka’s Dad – yes, they’re warlocks - not a very subtle intro. I’m not sure about Luka here. The dad’s definitely evil…my jury’s still out on Luka.
Slater/Damon/Rose – Coffee shop meeting. Interesting that they have a vampire “Craig’s List.” How cool is Elijah? He makes change…
Caroline/Stefan – I KNEW the first place Stefan would go was the “she’s with Damon” route. He’s still insecure about the Elena/Damon thing. Just like their conversation post-saving-Damon from the fire, Stefan can’t move past the potential of Elena falling for his brother. I even mentioned this potential issue on the DE general thread earlier in the week. I see this as a major stumbling block if the SE relationship gets back on track. Stefan is going to have to deal with his insecurity about Damon and Elena.
ILOVE Caroline having Elena’s back. Even though she cares about Stefan’s friendship, Elena was her friend first, and her word to Elena takes priority.
Kat/Elena – Elena puts the pieces together. She realizes how many of her friends are in danger. Cool that she counts Tyler as a friend even though they don’t interact much, but she has grown up with the guy.
There’s NO WAY the curse is as simple as just letting vampires walk in the sun. Just like we discovered Damon’s plan to get Kat out of the tomb didn’t just save Katherine, there has to be more to the spell. I still think there’s an entire subplot we don’t know about yet. By the end of the reveal, we realize Tyler, Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena are all involved. (I’m thinking Bonnie is part of the sacrifice, not just the witch needed to perform the spell.) Kat’s line – better you than me. She’s still hoping providing all the elements to undo the spell will keep her alive.
Elena/Kat/Stefan – Stefan figured out where Elena is. Watching Stefan trying so hard to convince Elena not to believe Kat is really touching. Kat’s right – being in protective mode is such a part of Stefan’s make up. That’s a problem for Elena, though since Elena doesn’t want to watch Stefan die. It would be easier for her to be the one to make the sacrifice rather than being forced to see her friends and family killed to get to her.
Flashback – Help me, I’m feeling sorry for Kat. Klaus killed all Kat’s family.
Kat/Stefan/Elena – One lesson we’ve learned from Rose’s story combined with Kat’s … you can’t escape Klaus. Your friends, family, everyone will die so he can get to you. You can see Elena’s face hardening here. Elena has no plans for putting anyone else in danger to keep herself safe.
Kat is SO smart. She doesn’t want out. She’s safe in the tomb. As we get a glimpse at Elena before the scene ends, it seems clear that she is getting ready for a well-deserved breakdown.
Damon/Rose. Damon’s drinking straight out of the decanter. Rose is using reverse psychology here. Why does she seem to be trying to talk Damon into dealing with his feelings for Elena? Does she have regrets for never acting on her feelings for Trevor? Interesting line from Damon - Caring gets you dead.
Rose offers to flip the switch if Damon will too…more on this later.
Elena/Stefan – The girl totally can’t unlock doors when she’s upset. Remember the van door earlier in the season? This porch scene reminds me SO much of “Lost Girls” last season when Elena said she couldn’t be with Stefan. She’s finally having her nervous breakdown. She has no one else to blame for the danger to her friends and family than herself. (Actually, I blame whoever did the curse in the first place.)
Rose/Damon - A lot has been said about their chemistry, or lack thereof, but that’s not Rose’s purpose. She’s there to show him the level of his feelings for Elena. Casual hook-ups aren’t working for him now. For whatever reason, she’s there to force Damon to realize he’s NOT going to be able to move on. His feelings for Elena are too intense. He’s not going to be able to accept the “distant guardian” role.
Elijah/Slater – whoa, an original can compel a vamp.
Luka’s dad – how did I know he’d be working for Elijah? I don’t think they need just any witch to break the spell. Just like they need a Petrova, they need a Bennett.
My commentary:
-This episode raised as many questions as answers. Where did Kat’s baby go? (Please don’t say with a Gilbert.) Why is Rose so concerned with Damon’s relationship with Elena? What does Luka’s dad have to gain from unlocking the curse?
-Why is everyone converging in Mystic Falls?
-Ooooh , interesting promo. I think the “Elena’s against the wall” scene could be the one Nina was attempting not to reference during her MTV interview. When Elena realizes she has feelings for Damon, she’s initially going to be conflicted…I think we witnessed that scene in the promos.
Baby scene – No wonder Elijah thought Kat’s line ended with her…back then, babies out of wedlock were not common. Cool opening scene. Kat’s dad was so heartless. No wonder she started in with the “I can only trust myself” thing.
Salvatore house – whoa, you can tell just by the knock that Elena is not pleased. I’ve seen some questions about why was Elena so ticked off at Damon after the “thank you” after the rescue. I don’t think she’s mad at him specifically – just the situation. She’s trying to distance herself, and she just keeps getting pulled in over and over again. Interesting that Stefan keeps attempting to minimize what Rose is saying. He seems to be attempting to keep Elena from freaking out, but I really think that’s backfiring on him.
Elena’s comment about remembering where the school is…ouch! I know she doesn’t want to be babied, but I don’t know if she was annoyed at Stefan’s contradictions of Rose’s story or if she was simply venting.
Elena/Caroline in woods – Interesting that Elena has assigned Caroline to keep Stefan occupied. Funny that Elena called in the “girlfriend code.”
Katherine/Elena/Caroline – Caroline doesn’t seem overly pleased with Elena’s plan, but I’m happy Elena doesn’t back down here. She’s really thought this through.
Katherine/Elena – Elena’s like a Girl Scout – girl’s prepared – she has her blanket, lantern, reading material and snacks. Much more cutthroat Elena than we’ve seen in the past – this is obviously the Elena who was the high school cheerleader. I’ve always wondered where she was hiding out.
She’s not taking any chances, though. Using a stick to push the cup was cool. She knows how to make Kat talk… (I have to put a note in here about how creepy Kat looked here. I’d totally never have guessed that both of these characters are actually the same actress.)
This show loves parallels. I think it is interesting that Kat’s line continued because she had a baby out of wedlock….Elena was born out of wedlock as well.
Based on her retelling, Kat met Klaus in London. (I know several have mentioned the “is Elijah Klaus thing,” but I think Kat has actually met Klaus. Elijah is in the flashback – I think they’re different people.
Rose/Damon – Based on Rose’s comments about Damon being in love with Elena, I’m thinking there’s a scene that was cut that we’ve missed here – either that or being 500 years old makes you VERY intuitive. I’m leaning toward a scene that was cut or shortened.
Caroline/Stefan – interesting that Caroline distracts Stefan with a true story. I think she is worried because she told Tyler about who she is. Damon told her not to. That’s not going to go down well when he finds out she revealed herself.
Kat/Elena – Elena mispronounces Petrova, but Kat says it correctly. Nice way to add distinction between the characters. I wouldn’t have expected a teenager raised in Virginia to be able to pronounce it correctly without working on the pronunciation.
Rose/Damon/Slater – Damon doesn’t seem to realize Rose is WAY more powerful than he is. He’s used to threatening people to get his way. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work with Rose. Thankfully, Rose seems willing to help Damon. I still can’t figure out why, though. LOVE Slater… Cool that he’s the walking vampire encyclopedia. He’s who tipped Rose and Trevor off. What is it with Mystic Falls, though? It seems that some odd convergence is getting ready to happen. We have the werewolves, Katherine, the Bennett family, Luka’s family, etc…. There’s more to the story here. Even Elijah referenced the town last week, I feel like I’m not making a connection that I should be able to see.
Rose/Trevor/Kat (flashback)- Surprised that Rose inadvertently turned Kat while trying to heal her. Trevor reminds me of pre-vamp Damon, which, I think is why Rose helps Damon now. He’s so in love with her that he doesn’t care that she’s using him. Kat hung herself…didn’t expect that.
Kat/Elena – Kat offers to turn Elena because it was the same choice she made. The HUGE personality difference between Elena and Katherine is so evident here. Kat will use anyone (and destroy anyone) to keep herself alive. Elena’s going to take the other route.
Caroline/Stefan – Caroline is stuffing her face to stop “those killing some people urges” – too funny. Stefan is sooo interesting when interacting with Caroline. “You have a friend?” I’d already thought to myself how much Caroline and Lexie reminded me of each other. Glad Stefan agrees with me.
Bonnie/Luka/Luka’s Dad – yes, they’re warlocks - not a very subtle intro. I’m not sure about Luka here. The dad’s definitely evil…my jury’s still out on Luka.
Slater/Damon/Rose – Coffee shop meeting. Interesting that they have a vampire “Craig’s List.” How cool is Elijah? He makes change…
Caroline/Stefan – I KNEW the first place Stefan would go was the “she’s with Damon” route. He’s still insecure about the Elena/Damon thing. Just like their conversation post-saving-Damon from the fire, Stefan can’t move past the potential of Elena falling for his brother. I even mentioned this potential issue on the DE general thread earlier in the week. I see this as a major stumbling block if the SE relationship gets back on track. Stefan is going to have to deal with his insecurity about Damon and Elena.
ILOVE Caroline having Elena’s back. Even though she cares about Stefan’s friendship, Elena was her friend first, and her word to Elena takes priority.
Kat/Elena – Elena puts the pieces together. She realizes how many of her friends are in danger. Cool that she counts Tyler as a friend even though they don’t interact much, but she has grown up with the guy.
There’s NO WAY the curse is as simple as just letting vampires walk in the sun. Just like we discovered Damon’s plan to get Kat out of the tomb didn’t just save Katherine, there has to be more to the spell. I still think there’s an entire subplot we don’t know about yet. By the end of the reveal, we realize Tyler, Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena are all involved. (I’m thinking Bonnie is part of the sacrifice, not just the witch needed to perform the spell.) Kat’s line – better you than me. She’s still hoping providing all the elements to undo the spell will keep her alive.
Elena/Kat/Stefan – Stefan figured out where Elena is. Watching Stefan trying so hard to convince Elena not to believe Kat is really touching. Kat’s right – being in protective mode is such a part of Stefan’s make up. That’s a problem for Elena, though since Elena doesn’t want to watch Stefan die. It would be easier for her to be the one to make the sacrifice rather than being forced to see her friends and family killed to get to her.
Flashback – Help me, I’m feeling sorry for Kat. Klaus killed all Kat’s family.
Kat/Stefan/Elena – One lesson we’ve learned from Rose’s story combined with Kat’s … you can’t escape Klaus. Your friends, family, everyone will die so he can get to you. You can see Elena’s face hardening here. Elena has no plans for putting anyone else in danger to keep herself safe.
Kat is SO smart. She doesn’t want out. She’s safe in the tomb. As we get a glimpse at Elena before the scene ends, it seems clear that she is getting ready for a well-deserved breakdown.
Damon/Rose. Damon’s drinking straight out of the decanter. Rose is using reverse psychology here. Why does she seem to be trying to talk Damon into dealing with his feelings for Elena? Does she have regrets for never acting on her feelings for Trevor? Interesting line from Damon - Caring gets you dead.
Rose offers to flip the switch if Damon will too…more on this later.
Elena/Stefan – The girl totally can’t unlock doors when she’s upset. Remember the van door earlier in the season? This porch scene reminds me SO much of “Lost Girls” last season when Elena said she couldn’t be with Stefan. She’s finally having her nervous breakdown. She has no one else to blame for the danger to her friends and family than herself. (Actually, I blame whoever did the curse in the first place.)
Rose/Damon - A lot has been said about their chemistry, or lack thereof, but that’s not Rose’s purpose. She’s there to show him the level of his feelings for Elena. Casual hook-ups aren’t working for him now. For whatever reason, she’s there to force Damon to realize he’s NOT going to be able to move on. His feelings for Elena are too intense. He’s not going to be able to accept the “distant guardian” role.
Elijah/Slater – whoa, an original can compel a vamp.
Luka’s dad – how did I know he’d be working for Elijah? I don’t think they need just any witch to break the spell. Just like they need a Petrova, they need a Bennett.
My commentary:
-This episode raised as many questions as answers. Where did Kat’s baby go? (Please don’t say with a Gilbert.) Why is Rose so concerned with Damon’s relationship with Elena? What does Luka’s dad have to gain from unlocking the curse?
-Why is everyone converging in Mystic Falls?
-Ooooh , interesting promo. I think the “Elena’s against the wall” scene could be the one Nina was attempting not to reference during her MTV interview. When Elena realizes she has feelings for Damon, she’s initially going to be conflicted…I think we witnessed that scene in the promos.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Plan B
I was totally not expecting this opening scene. I’d been certain that we were going to open with the Katherine/Mason in the bed scene. Stefan and Elena - that was a total surprise. I really think that there’s a correlation to Stefan drinking Elena’s blood and the fact that we see them in bed together...he’d been intentionally distancing himself after his human blood issue - leading to less physical intimacy between the couple. Now that he’s drinking her blood, he’s not afraid of being overwhelmed by the need and losing control.
I did like the parallel scenes between Stefan with Elena and Mason with Katherine. (Book nerd moment - the fact they’re in Mrs. Flower’s house....so cute.) Katherine and Elena may be physically similar, but watching them with their significant others really shows their personality differences. Elena’s warm and tender when she’s with Stefan. Katherine’s possessive and dominant.
Jeremy’s arrival at the Salvatore house was also unexpected. He’s so isolated he’s willing to share his information with the vampire who tried to kill him. I haven’t decided if he’s just trying to be part of the team or if he’s trying to protect Elena here.
At party headquarters, Jenna shows she’s not as clueless of a guardian as I might have expected. She’s just cool with things that wouldn’t go down at my house.
Bonnie and Elena’s meeting seems really forced. (I do have to say that I really like Bonnie’s hair here - my favorite look for her out of all the looks she’s had.) Elena’s trying to help Caroline adjust to her new life. Bonnie’s out and out hate of all things vampire has left her alone.
Caroline and her mom’s initial chat was so much like I would have written it. (Hey, I did write that they bonded over Caroline taking dishes away.) For the first time, Sheriff Forbes doesn’t just see a creature she hates - she realizes that her daughter really did die. No mother could stay cold and indifferent after that realization.
Alaric arrives with more of Isobel’s research. He’s surprised to see Jeremy there, and he asks if Elena knows about Jeremy’s involvement. Ummm, that would be a no. Damon might not be a believer in the curse about the moonstone, but he’s not taking any chances. He wants the moonstone.
I’m surprised that Bonnie apparently didn’t know the story of how Caroline turned. She’s been more closed off from her friends than I realized.
Mason seeing Stefan at the Lockwood house has to be one of my favorite scenes in this episode. The look on his face...yeah, he wasn’t expecting to ever see Stefan again. Bonnie bumps into Mason and gets an unexpected vision. Interesting that she immediately thought it was Elena. Yes, Elena’s supposed to be having a rough patch with Stefan, but she wouldn’t be kissing Mason Lockwood. Is she blocking out the undead lady who bears such a striking resemblance to her best friend? Last time I saw the pair of them together, Katherine had Bonnie by the neck. I would have thought that would have left a lasting impression with her. Did she think Katherine had left? She does confide in Stefan, though. He makes the connection.
Jeremy and Elena discuss Jeremy’s involvement in Team Blood, Beer, and Cookies. As expected, she’s not a fan. He tells her that she hasn’t left him much choice. She doesn’t get to tell him what to do.
Damon and Stefan are surprised they missed Katherine’s connection to Mason. (Hey, guys, I called that a LONG time ago. They both got to town at the same time.) Stefan is unimpressed that Damon’s letting Jeremy be in on the anti-Katherine plan. He was so funny when he punched Damon’s shoulder in annoyance.
In the interest of length, I’m not commenting on the Tyler/Matt/Jeremy scene here.
Elena’s feeling out of the loop, so she’s texting Stefan to find out what’s going on. We know she’s big on texting - nice to see it here. When she discovers Stefan is with Bonnie and Damon, alarm bells ring. She calls him. (Nice point here...Stefan doesn’t want Elena to be calling him in a public place. That breaks the “we’re fighting” scenario they’re trying to keep.) Damon chats with Bonnie as Stefan talks with Elena. He says that Katherine and Mason are the bad guys. Last year, he would have said that about himself. He knows how to push Bonnie’s buttons...by helping him, she’ll be protecting Elena. She agrees.
Seizing on Mason’s nice guy image, Bonnie assists in ambushing Mason by giving him a now-famous witchy headache. When he goes down, Damon tosses Mason in the back of his truck.
Sheriff Forbes seems shocked that there’s an alternate to killing. Caroline is so cute when she says she’s better at controlling herself than Stefan. All that work for Miss Mystic Falls must have paid off. She’s been a control freak - now that nature is accentuated as well.
Bonnie tries to “read” an unconscious Mason. After discovering it is in a well, she bolts. As she’s leaving, Caroline comes to meet her - uncomfortable..... Bonnie has an idea of which well the moonstone is at, and she’s ready to go meet Stefan at the well. Thankfully, she reluctantly agrees to take Caroline with her.
Oh look! Matt and Elena have a scene together. He’s concerned about Elena, but he doesn’t press her on what’s going on.
Not gonna lie - the Damon torturing Mason scenes were really uncomfortable to watch. It was good to see a hint of the dark Damon - he may be a work in progress, but he’s still totally a vampire.
Stefan arrives at the well - mildly annoyed that Elena followed him. He jumps into the well only to discover that Mason has done an excellent job of hiding the stone from Katherine. The water’s full of vervain. His skin is literally boiling. Ew!
Elena totally freaks out. Caroline hears her and rushes to help, but Elena stops her before she jumps in. Thankfully, the huge metal chain is next to the well.
Damon continues his dealings with Mason. He’s mildly troubled when Jeremy arrives, but warms to his arrival when Jeremy explains about the wolfsbane. Damon strokes Mason’s cheek with the plant in much the same way Stefan taunted Katherine with the vervain back in “Memory Lane.” When he realizes Mason’s not going to talk, he force feeds the vervain to him.
Caroline lowers Elena into the well where she finds a severely injured Stefan. After securing the chains around him, Elena goes in search of the moonstone. Bonnie and Caroline lay Stefan on the ground as they encourage Elena to get out of the well. While surrounded by snakes, Elena finds the moonstone. Honestly, I expected her to react to the snakebites - glad I was wrong. Stefan is only semi-conscious. Elena slices her hand open (causing Caroline to turn away) and allows him to feed.
Damon clearly gets into his torture. He’s pressing on - determined to get the information out of Mason. Once he realizes Mason has no more to tell...time’s up. Damon tells Jeremy to take a walk. Mason knows what’s coming. He begs Jeremy to help Tyler - don’t let the curse happen to him - he’s not going to be around to help his nephew.
Jeremy stands his ground. He’s not going anywhere.
Damon throws Jeremy into a chair and explains - it is kill or be killed (actually, that was last week’s episode....). Thankfully, Jeremy chooses to leave.
Damon has a moment of shocking clarity at this point. He understands that Katherine has convinced Mason of her love for him. History isn’t just repeating for the brothers....Katherine has found a new man to manipulate as well. Damon realizes that Mason is truly burdened by the werewolf curse. He’s almost doing Mason a favor as he ends his life. Mason clearly hated what he’d become. He may have loved Katherine, but he wasn’t happy with his life and the potential to hurt others. Damon had to see a portion of himself in Mason - both turned into monsters by the woman who they thought loved them.
Awww - sweet Alaric and Jenna moment in the kitchen. On this show, nothing that tender lasts for too long. Elena comes home, and Alaric realizes something’s wrong.
Caroline excitedly tells her mother about rescuing Stefan, and Sheriff Forbes says what I’d been so hoping to hear. She loves the young woman that Caroline has become. She doesn’t want to lose those memories. Caroline knows, though, that her mom will never trust Damon and Stefan. She has to protect them. She compels her mother to think she’s been sick with the flu for the past three days.
A visibly drained Stefan meets Damon in the living room. When Damon makes a call to taunt Katherine, Stefan tries to stop him. Damon seriously should have listened to his brother. When he talks with Katherine, he realizes his mistake. He’d underestimated Katherine.
Jenna’s on the phone while Alaric and Elena talk. Katherine’s on the phone - she knows about Stefan and Elena sleeping together. Jenna’s been watching Elena and Stefan and reporting in to Katherine. Katherine makes good on her threat to Stefan. She’s compelled Jenna to stab herself, and she makes certain Elena is watching.
Elena comes to tell Jeremy that Jenna’s going to be alright. She’s as broken as we’ve seen her. She knows Katherine really can get to anyone. Jeremy takes his sister in his arms, and he gives a shockingly determined look as he strokes her hair. Katherine is going to pay. He’s going to make sure of it.
Insert Tyler scene here....
(Sorry - this next scene is brutal for me to recap. Nina and Paul do such a good job of visually showing their characters’ angst....words don’t accurately capture the emotion they’re conveying.) Elena walks into the Salvatore library. Stefan’s there...staring into the fire. When he turns, he’s already fighting back tears. He chokes out an apology as Elena says they’re the ones to blame. They didn’t listen to Katherine. There’s only one thing they can do. Stefan has no words. She has to say it. They have to end it. She’s so torn, and I really think she’s conflicted knowing just what he’s been through that day. The guy’s boiled in vervain water. On a different day, he might take her in his arms, but he’s simply spent. She gives him one more kiss and turns to leave.
She’s clutching her stomach as she speeds down the hall. Damon calls out to her as she reaches the door. In a moment of total maturity, he tries to take the blame for what’s happened. Elena dismisses him. It doesn’t matter. After all they’ve been through, a tearful Elena admits that Katherine won. Seeing the tears in Elena’s eyes seems to make something click in Damon’s expression. Katherine’s gone too far now.
Poor guy, Matt can’t catch a break. First Caroline breaks up with him...now Katherine needs a favor. She needs a new werewolf, and she needs Matt’s help. She compels Matt to attack Tyler. He can’t stop until Tyler kills him.
I did like the parallel scenes between Stefan with Elena and Mason with Katherine. (Book nerd moment - the fact they’re in Mrs. Flower’s house....so cute.) Katherine and Elena may be physically similar, but watching them with their significant others really shows their personality differences. Elena’s warm and tender when she’s with Stefan. Katherine’s possessive and dominant.
Jeremy’s arrival at the Salvatore house was also unexpected. He’s so isolated he’s willing to share his information with the vampire who tried to kill him. I haven’t decided if he’s just trying to be part of the team or if he’s trying to protect Elena here.
At party headquarters, Jenna shows she’s not as clueless of a guardian as I might have expected. She’s just cool with things that wouldn’t go down at my house.
Bonnie and Elena’s meeting seems really forced. (I do have to say that I really like Bonnie’s hair here - my favorite look for her out of all the looks she’s had.) Elena’s trying to help Caroline adjust to her new life. Bonnie’s out and out hate of all things vampire has left her alone.
Caroline and her mom’s initial chat was so much like I would have written it. (Hey, I did write that they bonded over Caroline taking dishes away.) For the first time, Sheriff Forbes doesn’t just see a creature she hates - she realizes that her daughter really did die. No mother could stay cold and indifferent after that realization.
Alaric arrives with more of Isobel’s research. He’s surprised to see Jeremy there, and he asks if Elena knows about Jeremy’s involvement. Ummm, that would be a no. Damon might not be a believer in the curse about the moonstone, but he’s not taking any chances. He wants the moonstone.
I’m surprised that Bonnie apparently didn’t know the story of how Caroline turned. She’s been more closed off from her friends than I realized.
Mason seeing Stefan at the Lockwood house has to be one of my favorite scenes in this episode. The look on his face...yeah, he wasn’t expecting to ever see Stefan again. Bonnie bumps into Mason and gets an unexpected vision. Interesting that she immediately thought it was Elena. Yes, Elena’s supposed to be having a rough patch with Stefan, but she wouldn’t be kissing Mason Lockwood. Is she blocking out the undead lady who bears such a striking resemblance to her best friend? Last time I saw the pair of them together, Katherine had Bonnie by the neck. I would have thought that would have left a lasting impression with her. Did she think Katherine had left? She does confide in Stefan, though. He makes the connection.
Jeremy and Elena discuss Jeremy’s involvement in Team Blood, Beer, and Cookies. As expected, she’s not a fan. He tells her that she hasn’t left him much choice. She doesn’t get to tell him what to do.
Damon and Stefan are surprised they missed Katherine’s connection to Mason. (Hey, guys, I called that a LONG time ago. They both got to town at the same time.) Stefan is unimpressed that Damon’s letting Jeremy be in on the anti-Katherine plan. He was so funny when he punched Damon’s shoulder in annoyance.
In the interest of length, I’m not commenting on the Tyler/Matt/Jeremy scene here.
Elena’s feeling out of the loop, so she’s texting Stefan to find out what’s going on. We know she’s big on texting - nice to see it here. When she discovers Stefan is with Bonnie and Damon, alarm bells ring. She calls him. (Nice point here...Stefan doesn’t want Elena to be calling him in a public place. That breaks the “we’re fighting” scenario they’re trying to keep.) Damon chats with Bonnie as Stefan talks with Elena. He says that Katherine and Mason are the bad guys. Last year, he would have said that about himself. He knows how to push Bonnie’s buttons...by helping him, she’ll be protecting Elena. She agrees.
Seizing on Mason’s nice guy image, Bonnie assists in ambushing Mason by giving him a now-famous witchy headache. When he goes down, Damon tosses Mason in the back of his truck.
Sheriff Forbes seems shocked that there’s an alternate to killing. Caroline is so cute when she says she’s better at controlling herself than Stefan. All that work for Miss Mystic Falls must have paid off. She’s been a control freak - now that nature is accentuated as well.
Bonnie tries to “read” an unconscious Mason. After discovering it is in a well, she bolts. As she’s leaving, Caroline comes to meet her - uncomfortable..... Bonnie has an idea of which well the moonstone is at, and she’s ready to go meet Stefan at the well. Thankfully, she reluctantly agrees to take Caroline with her.
Oh look! Matt and Elena have a scene together. He’s concerned about Elena, but he doesn’t press her on what’s going on.
Not gonna lie - the Damon torturing Mason scenes were really uncomfortable to watch. It was good to see a hint of the dark Damon - he may be a work in progress, but he’s still totally a vampire.
Stefan arrives at the well - mildly annoyed that Elena followed him. He jumps into the well only to discover that Mason has done an excellent job of hiding the stone from Katherine. The water’s full of vervain. His skin is literally boiling. Ew!
Elena totally freaks out. Caroline hears her and rushes to help, but Elena stops her before she jumps in. Thankfully, the huge metal chain is next to the well.
Damon continues his dealings with Mason. He’s mildly troubled when Jeremy arrives, but warms to his arrival when Jeremy explains about the wolfsbane. Damon strokes Mason’s cheek with the plant in much the same way Stefan taunted Katherine with the vervain back in “Memory Lane.” When he realizes Mason’s not going to talk, he force feeds the vervain to him.
Caroline lowers Elena into the well where she finds a severely injured Stefan. After securing the chains around him, Elena goes in search of the moonstone. Bonnie and Caroline lay Stefan on the ground as they encourage Elena to get out of the well. While surrounded by snakes, Elena finds the moonstone. Honestly, I expected her to react to the snakebites - glad I was wrong. Stefan is only semi-conscious. Elena slices her hand open (causing Caroline to turn away) and allows him to feed.
Damon clearly gets into his torture. He’s pressing on - determined to get the information out of Mason. Once he realizes Mason has no more to tell...time’s up. Damon tells Jeremy to take a walk. Mason knows what’s coming. He begs Jeremy to help Tyler - don’t let the curse happen to him - he’s not going to be around to help his nephew.
Jeremy stands his ground. He’s not going anywhere.
Damon throws Jeremy into a chair and explains - it is kill or be killed (actually, that was last week’s episode....). Thankfully, Jeremy chooses to leave.
Damon has a moment of shocking clarity at this point. He understands that Katherine has convinced Mason of her love for him. History isn’t just repeating for the brothers....Katherine has found a new man to manipulate as well. Damon realizes that Mason is truly burdened by the werewolf curse. He’s almost doing Mason a favor as he ends his life. Mason clearly hated what he’d become. He may have loved Katherine, but he wasn’t happy with his life and the potential to hurt others. Damon had to see a portion of himself in Mason - both turned into monsters by the woman who they thought loved them.
Awww - sweet Alaric and Jenna moment in the kitchen. On this show, nothing that tender lasts for too long. Elena comes home, and Alaric realizes something’s wrong.
Caroline excitedly tells her mother about rescuing Stefan, and Sheriff Forbes says what I’d been so hoping to hear. She loves the young woman that Caroline has become. She doesn’t want to lose those memories. Caroline knows, though, that her mom will never trust Damon and Stefan. She has to protect them. She compels her mother to think she’s been sick with the flu for the past three days.
A visibly drained Stefan meets Damon in the living room. When Damon makes a call to taunt Katherine, Stefan tries to stop him. Damon seriously should have listened to his brother. When he talks with Katherine, he realizes his mistake. He’d underestimated Katherine.
Jenna’s on the phone while Alaric and Elena talk. Katherine’s on the phone - she knows about Stefan and Elena sleeping together. Jenna’s been watching Elena and Stefan and reporting in to Katherine. Katherine makes good on her threat to Stefan. She’s compelled Jenna to stab herself, and she makes certain Elena is watching.
Elena comes to tell Jeremy that Jenna’s going to be alright. She’s as broken as we’ve seen her. She knows Katherine really can get to anyone. Jeremy takes his sister in his arms, and he gives a shockingly determined look as he strokes her hair. Katherine is going to pay. He’s going to make sure of it.
Insert Tyler scene here....
(Sorry - this next scene is brutal for me to recap. Nina and Paul do such a good job of visually showing their characters’ angst....words don’t accurately capture the emotion they’re conveying.) Elena walks into the Salvatore library. Stefan’s there...staring into the fire. When he turns, he’s already fighting back tears. He chokes out an apology as Elena says they’re the ones to blame. They didn’t listen to Katherine. There’s only one thing they can do. Stefan has no words. She has to say it. They have to end it. She’s so torn, and I really think she’s conflicted knowing just what he’s been through that day. The guy’s boiled in vervain water. On a different day, he might take her in his arms, but he’s simply spent. She gives him one more kiss and turns to leave.
She’s clutching her stomach as she speeds down the hall. Damon calls out to her as she reaches the door. In a moment of total maturity, he tries to take the blame for what’s happened. Elena dismisses him. It doesn’t matter. After all they’ve been through, a tearful Elena admits that Katherine won. Seeing the tears in Elena’s eyes seems to make something click in Damon’s expression. Katherine’s gone too far now.
Poor guy, Matt can’t catch a break. First Caroline breaks up with him...now Katherine needs a favor. She needs a new werewolf, and she needs Matt’s help. She compels Matt to attack Tyler. He can’t stop until Tyler kills him.
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