The Vampire Diaries 2x10 Review, Part 1
Dec. 5th, 2010 08:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Sacrifice
Oh, this show. I’ve missed it. This was an enjoyable episode.
I spent the episode going ‘huh’ or shaking my head at various characters and their actions. It’s like everyone collectively lost their sense. (Let’s see: Elena = tried to sacrifice herself, Jeremy = tried to get the moonstone himself, Bonnie = used Luca’s power without permission, Stefan = saved Jeremy and trapped himself, Damon = didn’t tell Stefan about Elena...). I’m not necessarily against what various characters did (well, some I am) but it seemed like everyone was being impulsive or doing something unexpected (though not out of character.)
My favourite thing from this episode (not necessarily moment) was Stefan being trapped in the tomb with Katherine – HOLY CRAP! That is awesome! ♥ That was a great twist and I didn’t see it coming. I love this twist and I am very excited to see what’s going to happen next. My least favourite thing was Caroline once again being separated from the main action and sent off into a C storyline. I love her so much and she’s been so awesome this season, and has become very much a part of the main group, the A team if you will, and to have her suddenly sidelined from it feels weird and OOC to me.
• “Promise me, no whatever happens, we’ll protect her.” – Stefan
“Promise.” – Damon
♥ God, I love my OT3 so much. One thing – did Stefan say “we’ll” or “you’ll”? I listened to it, loud, with headphones but I still couldn’t tell. Both work but I love the idea that Stefan said “we’ll” more so that’s what I’m going to assume. I loved this Damon/Stefan interaction. Damon’s chiding ‘Stefan’ and Stefan’s wry unspoken ‘yeah, I know’.
The other OT3 moment of love was Elena telling the boys: “Is that before or after he kills everyone I care about including the two of you?” I figured it would take at least till the second half of the season for Elena to admit out loud that she still cares about Damon. I've always known she does but now he knows it and more importantly now she knows it.
• Damon: (shoves Elena against the wall) Don’t you dare.
Elena: Stefan’s in there, Damon! How could you let this happen?!
Damon: What are you talking about? I was too busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission!
♥ Stefan listening to Elena and Damon arguing was amazing. I really loved that scene. I love the three of them.
• “Yup. We’re awesome.” – Damon Heh. Also I have to say I think I love most of all when Stefan/Damon and Elena all come together to discuss and plan and scheme.
• I love that Elena immediately went running for Stefan and that Damon stuck with her. It just makes me happy the idea of them running for Stefan.
• I loved Elena so much this episode. She surprised me because she was being devious and manipulative and I actually found myself thinking at one point that she’d clearly been spending too much time with Katherine. But I love that she was taking baby steps into... well, into Katherine’s territory. I love compassionate Elena but I'm really digging manipulative Elena as well.
• The Elena/Rose conversation was excellent. I loved how Elena played that scene. She used everything she could to get Rose to agree with her – she gave a viable reason for what she wanted and started with logic as her opening shot (they needed to find information), then she brings up Rose’s debt to her (one word and Damon/Stefan would have killed her); then she appealed to wanting to protect family (something they share, something Elena disagrees with the Salvatore’s right now), mentions Rose lack of care for her (she has no emotional reason to say no), and then as a the crowning argument she offers bribery (ability to walk in the sun) [... and bingo!]
• Elena's interactions with Alice really stuck out. There's this moment where Elena is questioning her and Alice calls her on being interrogated after just seeing her boyfriend's body and instead of apologising as expected Elena just goes "I understand that" and then keeps questioning her. Then when that doesn't work she does what she did with Rose and tempts Alice with what she wants most.
• “You know that she’s not going anywhere near my blood, right?” – Rose
“I know. She doesn’t.” – Elena, Rose slowly smiles.
... And this is where Rose gets a crush on Elena. I loved her slow smile and the way she looked at Elena after she walked away. Rose totally likes Elena now. This is also the moment where I found myself shipping Elena/Rose.
• I liked the moment when Elena told Rose she was sorry about Slater and Rose changed the subject because it showed so much about who these two characters are. Elena can’t help but empathise with others, Rose cuts things off as soon as they get emotionally close to her. I also liked that Elena defending Rose to Damon. I want them to become friends.
• “The only thing that was stupid was that I got caught.” – Elena. I loved that. But at the same time it feels like a very Damon thing to say.
• I’ve been having a serious issue with the Elena/Damon scenes in this episode and it’s left me fairly perplexed. I’ve finally decided it’s because I find them both really hot and engaging while also finding them disturbing and problematic and that’s just kind of had me flailing in confusing. I loved them but they also made me a bit uncomfortable. And it’s not even one aspect making me feel one thing and another making me feel the other; it’s all tangled up.
First, there’s the fact that Elena is clearly scared of him especially after she tries to hit him and he uses some of his strength on her. Elena is a smart girl, despite her empathy leading her to possibly stupid places (ie> making friends with a sociopath), and she knows that Damon is dangerous and unpredictable. She’s always known that she had reason to fear him and she has.
Second, Damon is more physical than usual and he uses it against Elena in a way he doesn’t usually. He grabs her arm harshly when she refuses to leave and doesn’t let go when she tries to pull away. He catches her fist and then forces her fist back as he learns into her. When Cory arrives Damon grabs her arm, enough that it clearly pains her, and threatens to break her arm if she continues talking. Then when Damon takes Elena home he once again grabs her arm to stop her from going in – though this time there isn’t the violence and he allows her to pull her arm away. And finally there is the final scene where he stops Elena from entering the tomb, certainly the right idea, but it’s very much a part of the physicality of Damon towards Elena this episode. He slams her against the entrance. Then he refuses to let her go when she struggles until she calms down.
Third, he ignores what she’s saying and refuses to listen to her point of view. Of course, her point of view is that she wants to sacrifice herself to an evil vampire but still. Plus he pretty much bullies her in every way into doing what he wants.
On a reality level this is very disturbing. A real relationship where the woman (or the man) sincerely feared their partner and where the physically stronger person uses that strength against them is horrible and they clearly shouldn’t be together. Even in fiction I can be very against it. But... but it also hits a kink of mine – the power deferential, the implied violence, Damon’s intensity, Elena’s intensity, the way that Elena is afraid but doesn’t back down for a second, and Elena’s emotional power over Damon equalling his physical power over her – god, it all just works for me so very much. I feel like I should be disgusted, that I should find it problematic but honestly I find it so very hot.
Elena is a force that meets Damon/Stefan and not an object to be moved around by them. She knew that attacking him would do nothing, that it was pointless, but she did it anyway because she was just as angry as Damon and she won’t just give in. Elena refusing to back down is definitely a necessary part of this love/kink and if she had been cowed in her fear, if she’d let him take over... well, then she wouldn’t be Elena, and I wouldn’t love Elena/Damon (Elena/Damon/Stefan) and their interactions this episode wouldn’t have worked for me. But she does, and it does, and my final thoughts on these scenes is that I love them. I found that first one in particular scorching. I’ve watched it a number of times and when he catches her fist, and then forces it back and learns in... wow. The way that Damon looks at Elena...
• “Don’t ever do that again.” – Damon He is so intense, so calm (but it’s a calm that covers raging emotions). I love how softly he says this.
• “You do not get to make decisions anymore.” – Damon
“When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me now. This – this is my decision.” – Elena
Um. Hmm. Okay, I get that she is feeling like she isn’t in control of her life right now but one of the things I do love about Elena is that she does make decisions. I have to think about this. I mean if this is how Elena feels than it’s definitely something that needs to be dealt with and I really hope it’s brought up again. Elena needs to be the brothers’ equal and for her to be that she has to have an equal say in group decisions, she needs to be a part of decisions not just told about them after the fact, and she needs to have her choices respected. A part of me though is going – ‘but she does make decisions!’ – I think because Elena being so independent is one of the reasons why I love her, she leads in her own life, and this feels like a criticism against her and that aspect of her, as if it doesn’t exist, even though she is the one who said it.
• Why the hell wouldn’t Damon have told Stefan and Bonnie about what’s going on with Elena? Of everyone they would be the most likely to change her mind, or at the least, they could only help the situation since Elena is still mad at Damon. It would have taken a second to tell Stefan what was going on but instead he just left. Oh, Damon.
• “I’m starving Damon, and dirty, and above all I’m bored.” – Katherine That just makes me smile. I love Katherine. She has her priorities – she’s starving, sure, and she’s dirty but more importantly she’s bored.
• Stefan saving Jeremy, and in the process trapping himself, was amazing. Oh, Stefan. I love him. I wonder if he’d have done the same thing if it wasn’t Jeremy, Elena’s beloved baby brother? I adored Katherine’s smile when she looked at him. I guess she no longer needs to worry about starving (there is no way Elena, Damon or Caroline will allow Stefan to starve and there’s no way Katherine won’t force him to share) or boredom (not with Stefan to play with and work on). I’m guessing Katherine suddenly doesn’t mind her prison as much.
Oh, this show. I’ve missed it. This was an enjoyable episode.
I spent the episode going ‘huh’ or shaking my head at various characters and their actions. It’s like everyone collectively lost their sense. (Let’s see: Elena = tried to sacrifice herself, Jeremy = tried to get the moonstone himself, Bonnie = used Luca’s power without permission, Stefan = saved Jeremy and trapped himself, Damon = didn’t tell Stefan about Elena...). I’m not necessarily against what various characters did (well, some I am) but it seemed like everyone was being impulsive or doing something unexpected (though not out of character.)
My favourite thing from this episode (not necessarily moment) was Stefan being trapped in the tomb with Katherine – HOLY CRAP! That is awesome! ♥ That was a great twist and I didn’t see it coming. I love this twist and I am very excited to see what’s going to happen next. My least favourite thing was Caroline once again being separated from the main action and sent off into a C storyline. I love her so much and she’s been so awesome this season, and has become very much a part of the main group, the A team if you will, and to have her suddenly sidelined from it feels weird and OOC to me.
• “Promise me, no whatever happens, we’ll protect her.” – Stefan
“Promise.” – Damon
♥ God, I love my OT3 so much. One thing – did Stefan say “we’ll” or “you’ll”? I listened to it, loud, with headphones but I still couldn’t tell. Both work but I love the idea that Stefan said “we’ll” more so that’s what I’m going to assume. I loved this Damon/Stefan interaction. Damon’s chiding ‘Stefan’ and Stefan’s wry unspoken ‘yeah, I know’.
The other OT3 moment of love was Elena telling the boys: “Is that before or after he kills everyone I care about including the two of you?” I figured it would take at least till the second half of the season for Elena to admit out loud that she still cares about Damon. I've always known she does but now he knows it and more importantly now she knows it.
• Damon: (shoves Elena against the wall) Don’t you dare.
Elena: Stefan’s in there, Damon! How could you let this happen?!
Damon: What are you talking about? I was too busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission!
♥ Stefan listening to Elena and Damon arguing was amazing. I really loved that scene. I love the three of them.
• “Yup. We’re awesome.” – Damon Heh. Also I have to say I think I love most of all when Stefan/Damon and Elena all come together to discuss and plan and scheme.
• I love that Elena immediately went running for Stefan and that Damon stuck with her. It just makes me happy the idea of them running for Stefan.
• I loved Elena so much this episode. She surprised me because she was being devious and manipulative and I actually found myself thinking at one point that she’d clearly been spending too much time with Katherine. But I love that she was taking baby steps into... well, into Katherine’s territory. I love compassionate Elena but I'm really digging manipulative Elena as well.
• The Elena/Rose conversation was excellent. I loved how Elena played that scene. She used everything she could to get Rose to agree with her – she gave a viable reason for what she wanted and started with logic as her opening shot (they needed to find information), then she brings up Rose’s debt to her (one word and Damon/Stefan would have killed her); then she appealed to wanting to protect family (something they share, something Elena disagrees with the Salvatore’s right now), mentions Rose lack of care for her (she has no emotional reason to say no), and then as a the crowning argument she offers bribery (ability to walk in the sun) [... and bingo!]
• Elena's interactions with Alice really stuck out. There's this moment where Elena is questioning her and Alice calls her on being interrogated after just seeing her boyfriend's body and instead of apologising as expected Elena just goes "I understand that" and then keeps questioning her. Then when that doesn't work she does what she did with Rose and tempts Alice with what she wants most.
• “You know that she’s not going anywhere near my blood, right?” – Rose
“I know. She doesn’t.” – Elena, Rose slowly smiles.
... And this is where Rose gets a crush on Elena. I loved her slow smile and the way she looked at Elena after she walked away. Rose totally likes Elena now. This is also the moment where I found myself shipping Elena/Rose.
• I liked the moment when Elena told Rose she was sorry about Slater and Rose changed the subject because it showed so much about who these two characters are. Elena can’t help but empathise with others, Rose cuts things off as soon as they get emotionally close to her. I also liked that Elena defending Rose to Damon. I want them to become friends.
• “The only thing that was stupid was that I got caught.” – Elena. I loved that. But at the same time it feels like a very Damon thing to say.
• I’ve been having a serious issue with the Elena/Damon scenes in this episode and it’s left me fairly perplexed. I’ve finally decided it’s because I find them both really hot and engaging while also finding them disturbing and problematic and that’s just kind of had me flailing in confusing. I loved them but they also made me a bit uncomfortable. And it’s not even one aspect making me feel one thing and another making me feel the other; it’s all tangled up.
First, there’s the fact that Elena is clearly scared of him especially after she tries to hit him and he uses some of his strength on her. Elena is a smart girl, despite her empathy leading her to possibly stupid places (ie> making friends with a sociopath), and she knows that Damon is dangerous and unpredictable. She’s always known that she had reason to fear him and she has.
Second, Damon is more physical than usual and he uses it against Elena in a way he doesn’t usually. He grabs her arm harshly when she refuses to leave and doesn’t let go when she tries to pull away. He catches her fist and then forces her fist back as he learns into her. When Cory arrives Damon grabs her arm, enough that it clearly pains her, and threatens to break her arm if she continues talking. Then when Damon takes Elena home he once again grabs her arm to stop her from going in – though this time there isn’t the violence and he allows her to pull her arm away. And finally there is the final scene where he stops Elena from entering the tomb, certainly the right idea, but it’s very much a part of the physicality of Damon towards Elena this episode. He slams her against the entrance. Then he refuses to let her go when she struggles until she calms down.
Third, he ignores what she’s saying and refuses to listen to her point of view. Of course, her point of view is that she wants to sacrifice herself to an evil vampire but still. Plus he pretty much bullies her in every way into doing what he wants.
On a reality level this is very disturbing. A real relationship where the woman (or the man) sincerely feared their partner and where the physically stronger person uses that strength against them is horrible and they clearly shouldn’t be together. Even in fiction I can be very against it. But... but it also hits a kink of mine – the power deferential, the implied violence, Damon’s intensity, Elena’s intensity, the way that Elena is afraid but doesn’t back down for a second, and Elena’s emotional power over Damon equalling his physical power over her – god, it all just works for me so very much. I feel like I should be disgusted, that I should find it problematic but honestly I find it so very hot.
Elena is a force that meets Damon/Stefan and not an object to be moved around by them. She knew that attacking him would do nothing, that it was pointless, but she did it anyway because she was just as angry as Damon and she won’t just give in. Elena refusing to back down is definitely a necessary part of this love/kink and if she had been cowed in her fear, if she’d let him take over... well, then she wouldn’t be Elena, and I wouldn’t love Elena/Damon (Elena/Damon/Stefan) and their interactions this episode wouldn’t have worked for me. But she does, and it does, and my final thoughts on these scenes is that I love them. I found that first one in particular scorching. I’ve watched it a number of times and when he catches her fist, and then forces it back and learns in... wow. The way that Damon looks at Elena...
• “Don’t ever do that again.” – Damon He is so intense, so calm (but it’s a calm that covers raging emotions). I love how softly he says this.
• “You do not get to make decisions anymore.” – Damon
“When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me now. This – this is my decision.” – Elena
Um. Hmm. Okay, I get that she is feeling like she isn’t in control of her life right now but one of the things I do love about Elena is that she does make decisions. I have to think about this. I mean if this is how Elena feels than it’s definitely something that needs to be dealt with and I really hope it’s brought up again. Elena needs to be the brothers’ equal and for her to be that she has to have an equal say in group decisions, she needs to be a part of decisions not just told about them after the fact, and she needs to have her choices respected. A part of me though is going – ‘but she does make decisions!’ – I think because Elena being so independent is one of the reasons why I love her, she leads in her own life, and this feels like a criticism against her and that aspect of her, as if it doesn’t exist, even though she is the one who said it.
• Why the hell wouldn’t Damon have told Stefan and Bonnie about what’s going on with Elena? Of everyone they would be the most likely to change her mind, or at the least, they could only help the situation since Elena is still mad at Damon. It would have taken a second to tell Stefan what was going on but instead he just left. Oh, Damon.
• “I’m starving Damon, and dirty, and above all I’m bored.” – Katherine That just makes me smile. I love Katherine. She has her priorities – she’s starving, sure, and she’s dirty but more importantly she’s bored.
• Stefan saving Jeremy, and in the process trapping himself, was amazing. Oh, Stefan. I love him. I wonder if he’d have done the same thing if it wasn’t Jeremy, Elena’s beloved baby brother? I adored Katherine’s smile when she looked at him. I guess she no longer needs to worry about starving (there is no way Elena, Damon or Caroline will allow Stefan to starve and there’s no way Katherine won’t force him to share) or boredom (not with Stefan to play with and work on). I’m guessing Katherine suddenly doesn’t mind her prison as much.
