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Vampire Diaries: As I Lay Dying
So before I get to tonight's TV, I must confess I actually burst into tears at one of the Smallville finale promos tonight, even though I'd seen it a zillion times. I am expecting to be a LEETLE emotional tomorrow night.
Anyway, on to the Vampire Diaries.
1. I am still pretty mad that they killed off Jenna in the last episode, but that's somewhat mitigated by the fact that JEREMY NOW SEES DEAD PEOPLE, which means anyone and everyone they've killed off in the past can return, which I think is a brilliant bit of plotting, and great fan service.
2. Also, this development means no one had to die to resurrect Jeremy, thank all the gods of television. I swear if Bonnie had died to save JEREMY, I would have quit watching the show. I wasn't really expecting that, though, since Bonnie is one of the five main characters. Instead I was expecting Alaric to die, which would have sucked very hard. So I'm glad they both survived.
3. And speaking of people who survived, I was really expecting Liz to bite it in this episode, what with the general theme at the end of this season of all possible parental figures dying, so I was REALLY happy that she didn't. And maybe accidentally killing Jeremy will help give her a sense of perspective on the supernatural? I really hope so, because that scene when Caroline told her "I'm still your little girl" made me cry like a baby. I love Liz, and I want her to get to have a real relationship with Caroline again.
4. Caroline was just generally awesome in this episode. The whole GWTW thing was kind of bizarre--albeit the type of bizarre this show loves--but I did love her determined effort to cheer up Jeremy and Elena, and her comparison of the various recent catastrophes in their lives to Atlanta burning. That actually worked for me.
5. Bonnie was also awesome in this episode. And even though I really was annoyed at what I thought might be her sacrificing her life for the lamest character on the show her boyfriend, I did actually think that skyping scene was kind of cute.
6. I don't for a minute think Elijah's death is permanent, but DAMN. Way to show not to trust your evil-ass brother. I wonder if that is foreshadowing? But given where Stefan's plotline seems to be heading for next year, I wonder which of the Salvatore brothers is going to turn out to be the untrustworthy one?
7. In general Klaus doesn't impress me either with his charisma or his evil--I find him more annoying than anything, and almost wish the casting of him and Elijah had been switched if he's going to be a major character for long--but I must say I approve of him completely perving out over Stefan. As![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
serrico said in her review, it's pretty hard to read his actions toward Stefan as anything other than wanting a psycho sex toy (to replace Elijah, I guess?)
8. I'm both impressed and incredulous at Stefan making the decision to do whatever was necessary to get the cure for Damon. Impressed because that's a high level of commitment to Damon's well-being, and incredulous because I really hoped Stefan wasn't dumb enough to think there was any point in keeping his word to a monster. Why stay once the cure had been delivered? Or is drinking 20 blood bags the Stefan equivalent of being dosed with heroin or something? I guess it may be.
8. I knew that from a plot perspective that Katherine was going to give Damon the cure, but they convinced me from a character perspective as well. It's nice to know she's not 100% self-serving (maybe just 99 and 44/100 percent?)
9. I honestly think Damon's near-death experience may have actually done a little improvement of his character, at least insofar as not blaming Stefan for turning him, and acknowledging it was his own choices in leading him to where he is. Not that I think he's really going to reform (he wouldn't be much fun as a character if he did), but he did have a little growth. And honest to god, that man suffers BEAUTIFULLY. I really loved both his opening scene asking Elena's forgiveness--and being willing to grant that she can't give it yet--and his attempted suicide scene, which really seemed in character to me.
10. I read a lot of reviews last week that talked about how Elena and company overlooked a lot of the collateral damage their plan would cause, and I think that was merited criticism, and yet I still am always struck at how incredibly loyal and generous Elena is when it comes to dealing with the people who are close to her. I loved her speech to Jeremy about how to get through grief, and how upset she was when she realized she had rejected Damon when he was dying, and how kickass she was at escaping from custody, and how amazing she was to Damon as he was dying. I mean, he has hurt her in more ways than pretty much anyone else in her life, and she still refused to leave him alone to die. Yes, sometimes her big heart leads her to put her trust in the wrong people, but I think that scene was really amazing.
11. I almost forgot to mention that I loved how even in the depths of his grief over Jenna, Alaric dropped everything to help when he heard Damon was dying. They are SO boyfriends.
12. Is it wrong that I am really, really looking forward to evil Stefan? It's pretty much the only thing that is making the prediction that next year is the "year of the originals" bearable to me, because as I said, I find Klaus BORING. (Elijah's a little better--and maybe "the originals" means the whole family wakes up, which could potentially be fun--but I can only take Klaus with evil Stefan at his side. Or if he possesses Alaric again. Or BOTH, because that would be slashy heaven.)
Anyway, on to the Vampire Diaries.
1. I am still pretty mad that they killed off Jenna in the last episode, but that's somewhat mitigated by the fact that JEREMY NOW SEES DEAD PEOPLE, which means anyone and everyone they've killed off in the past can return, which I think is a brilliant bit of plotting, and great fan service.
2. Also, this development means no one had to die to resurrect Jeremy, thank all the gods of television. I swear if Bonnie had died to save JEREMY, I would have quit watching the show. I wasn't really expecting that, though, since Bonnie is one of the five main characters. Instead I was expecting Alaric to die, which would have sucked very hard. So I'm glad they both survived.
3. And speaking of people who survived, I was really expecting Liz to bite it in this episode, what with the general theme at the end of this season of all possible parental figures dying, so I was REALLY happy that she didn't. And maybe accidentally killing Jeremy will help give her a sense of perspective on the supernatural? I really hope so, because that scene when Caroline told her "I'm still your little girl" made me cry like a baby. I love Liz, and I want her to get to have a real relationship with Caroline again.
4. Caroline was just generally awesome in this episode. The whole GWTW thing was kind of bizarre--albeit the type of bizarre this show loves--but I did love her determined effort to cheer up Jeremy and Elena, and her comparison of the various recent catastrophes in their lives to Atlanta burning. That actually worked for me.
5. Bonnie was also awesome in this episode. And even though I really was annoyed at what I thought might be her sacrificing her life for
6. I don't for a minute think Elijah's death is permanent, but DAMN. Way to show not to trust your evil-ass brother. I wonder if that is foreshadowing? But given where Stefan's plotline seems to be heading for next year, I wonder which of the Salvatore brothers is going to turn out to be the untrustworthy one?
7. In general Klaus doesn't impress me either with his charisma or his evil--I find him more annoying than anything, and almost wish the casting of him and Elijah had been switched if he's going to be a major character for long--but I must say I approve of him completely perving out over Stefan. As
serrico said in her review, it's pretty hard to read his actions toward Stefan as anything other than wanting a psycho sex toy (to replace Elijah, I guess?)8. I'm both impressed and incredulous at Stefan making the decision to do whatever was necessary to get the cure for Damon. Impressed because that's a high level of commitment to Damon's well-being, and incredulous because I really hoped Stefan wasn't dumb enough to think there was any point in keeping his word to a monster. Why stay once the cure had been delivered? Or is drinking 20 blood bags the Stefan equivalent of being dosed with heroin or something? I guess it may be.
8. I knew that from a plot perspective that Katherine was going to give Damon the cure, but they convinced me from a character perspective as well. It's nice to know she's not 100% self-serving (maybe just 99 and 44/100 percent?)
9. I honestly think Damon's near-death experience may have actually done a little improvement of his character, at least insofar as not blaming Stefan for turning him, and acknowledging it was his own choices in leading him to where he is. Not that I think he's really going to reform (he wouldn't be much fun as a character if he did), but he did have a little growth. And honest to god, that man suffers BEAUTIFULLY. I really loved both his opening scene asking Elena's forgiveness--and being willing to grant that she can't give it yet--and his attempted suicide scene, which really seemed in character to me.
10. I read a lot of reviews last week that talked about how Elena and company overlooked a lot of the collateral damage their plan would cause, and I think that was merited criticism, and yet I still am always struck at how incredibly loyal and generous Elena is when it comes to dealing with the people who are close to her. I loved her speech to Jeremy about how to get through grief, and how upset she was when she realized she had rejected Damon when he was dying, and how kickass she was at escaping from custody, and how amazing she was to Damon as he was dying. I mean, he has hurt her in more ways than pretty much anyone else in her life, and she still refused to leave him alone to die. Yes, sometimes her big heart leads her to put her trust in the wrong people, but I think that scene was really amazing.
11. I almost forgot to mention that I loved how even in the depths of his grief over Jenna, Alaric dropped everything to help when he heard Damon was dying. They are SO boyfriends.
12. Is it wrong that I am really, really looking forward to evil Stefan? It's pretty much the only thing that is making the prediction that next year is the "year of the originals" bearable to me, because as I said, I find Klaus BORING. (Elijah's a little better--and maybe "the originals" means the whole family wakes up, which could potentially be fun--but I can only take Klaus with evil Stefan at his side. Or if he possesses Alaric again. Or BOTH, because that would be slashy heaven.)
no subject
If it's wrong, I am wrong with you. I don't much care for Klaus *or* Elijah, but Stefan gone all Hammer Horror is always great fun, so I'm counting on his dark side to make suffering through lots more Klaus--and possibly other originals--tolerable.
The GWTW thing *was* weird. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least five ways they could've incorporated the movie more smoothly and more thoroughly; given that they had to pay for the rights to use those clips, it seems like a waste to have used them mostly as background.
no subject
Every review I've read that even talked about the GWTW clips was confused about what it was doing there.