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The Vampire Diaries – Can Damon bounce back from this mistake?

Tonight's episode of 'The Vampire Diaries' showcased all of the intertwining couples of the season. It's like a giant roulette wheel with all of the combinations of the couples listed around the wheel and the writers spin it before they write every episode ... who knows where that ball's going to land. ...

- Season 3, Episode 14 - "Dangerous Liaisons"

Holy couples alert! Carla’s Vampire Diaries‘ hottest dream couples poll was posted just last week, and already there are some new couples that could be added: Damon and Rebekah, Matt and Rebekah, Elena and Elijah (yes, it’s true — Julie Plec was teasing about this in her interview at EW). I’d vote down for anyone with Rebekah, though the idea of Elena and Elijah has me intrigued. How could she lie to his good heart like that? I’m hoping she switched out the champagne or something. …

But I am compelled (pun intended) to discuss The Vampire Diaries‘ most famous triad, Elena and the Salvatore brothers. Do you like the photo accompanying this post? I had to have that shot because it was one of the most entertaining moments of the episode. The looks on all of their faces were so telling: Elena both pleased and repelled at the same time; Stefan so desperate to appear nonchalant about how he felt about escorting Elena into the ball; and Damon, jealous that he didn’t offer his arm first. That one scene says it all.

The dynamics between Stefan and Elena were wonderful tonight, and finally he’s starting to creep out of his impervious non-feeling shell. She’s got to know he still loves her. Their conversation about trust was such a nice juxtaposition to Damon’s controlling nature. Stefan really gets the whole “if you love something, set it free” cliche, while Damon’s love for Elena is a liability, as he said. I’m kind of glad he turned to Rebekah; that’s going to push Elena away for a bit and that’s good, because they really shouldn’t be together right now for all the reasons highlighted in this episode. Set her free, Damon, set her free … if she flies back to you … yeah.

Stefan: “If I let myself care, all I feel is pain.” Whoa. Pain for all of the hurt he caused Elena, for his bad actions, for saying things he doesn’t mean, for pretending he doesn’t love Elena. Stefan, Elena will forgive you, but you need to forgive yourself.

Back to Rebekah for a moment … before she was daggered by Elena, I was feeling sympathy toward her, she was just a “human” girl with a broken heart, trying to connect. Now, I feel about her the way I did when she was first introduced: she’s a nasty, pig-faced, pouty bitch (you don’t want to get on my bad side) and I cannot abide by her being near any of my Mystic Falls boys. She had a moment where she was vulnerable to Matt, for which I am eternally grateful, but unless they start writing her with several more redeeming qualities, I’m not on board with her. And that’s OK, because this show has a tendency to make the bad guys turn good (Katherine, Uncle John, Damon, Klaus, etc.) so it’s fine with me if one stays bad and unlikable.

OK … rethinking the bad guys turning good thing. What they are really doing is creating three-dimensional characters, another thing for which I am eternally grateful. It’s not the same as the leviathans in Supernatural or Glory in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Vampire Diaries does not have Big Bads, and I get that. But I still hate Rebekah at the moment.

Caroline is stronger than I gave her credit for being. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that she’d fall for Klaus and his riches and worldliness and promises, but she really held her own with him tonight. If she falls for Klaus, it’s going to be for his sensitive, artistic heart and his genuine wooing of her. He was so, so smart not to give her the princess bracelet back. Replacing it with the sketch of her and the horse was a stroke of genius.

This and that:

  • It’s time to discuss theories: who is trying to kill off the council members? The shadowy figure at the hospital makes us all think of Meredith again, doesn’t it? Probably it won’t be her … but who? Katherine is a theory floating around the interwebs, but I’m not sure what motive she’d have.
  • We got the explanation about why Bonnie and her mom were the only ones who could open the coffin and let out Esther (because it was their ancestor who preserved Esther’s body with a spell), but what this episode didn’t do well is make the connection to how Esther tried to kill Elena recently. Esther was the one who made the deal with Vicki that she could go back to the human side if she killed Elena, because Esther didn’t want Elena’s blood to be around to help Klaus build his hybrid army.
  • Caroline and Tyler managed to melt my heart with voicemail messages. C’mon!
  • Esther’s spell makes her seem … heartless. I get that she feels responsible for the abominations that are her children, but why does it have to be all of them? Has she really searched for another way, a way that spares Elijah’s life?

Photo Credit: The CW

9 Responses to “The Vampire Diaries – Can Damon bounce back from this mistake?”

February 9, 2012 at 11:06 PM

Fabulous post Debbie, once again! :)

I have to mention, since we discussed it last week, looks as though there is possible bad news on the horizon–and maybe you’ve heard. The series may not go on much longer according to a press-release from the network. Producers have stated that they are, quote, “…becoming concerned with the ages of several of the main cast members and the affect it could potentially have on the show.” (Nina is 23, Paul 29, and Ian 34) They are considering focusing all their efforts on The Secret Circle, which is produced and written by the same group of people. They stated, “Secret Circle was cast much younger and could sustain a longer life”. They also discussed the possibly of a Vampire Diaries spin-off about paranormal investigators.

:( I’m worried again. Though I will admit, I had no idea that Nina and Paul were that old. Paul especially does not look to be almost 30!

February 9, 2012 at 11:54 PM

I heard that too, but at the very least, they know they might be coming to an end so they can plan for it and work towards it, and not leave us all hanging. I guess that’s good.

I love the romance roulette reference, that was great and so on point! The only thing I have been missing lately is the small town feel over all. I love the intricacy of all the plots and characters, but I miss the smaller scope of the show over all. I liked how in the first and even second season how so much of what was going on had to do with the town itself and the history there. I thought they could have done so much more with that, but it has kind of ended. Now it seems to be more about the histories of all the different people, which is interesting, but takes away something I think. I liked the idea of this really old town with all this history and magical beings and goings-on. Losing that takes away some of the mystery. I think, anyway.

Also really starting to feel bad for Damon. It’s kinda hard to root for him when somehow you know he is always going to lose. :-/

February 10, 2012 at 9:17 AM

Do you have a link to that? I haven’t seen anything like that and can’t find it, either. I’d like to read between the lines! ;-)

I’m not concerned with the ages of the people; they are all over 18 now anyway, so they will be going with more adult storylines / settings. I can’t imagine that will effect the length of the series.

And the producers are nuts if they think Secret Circle is anywhere near what TVD is as a series … the fans will not just be content watching SC. I don’t even watch that show, it was so inferior to TVD. So I guess to be fair it could have gotten better.

February 10, 2012 at 10:41 AM

It not only hasn’t gotten better, it’s actually gotten worse, both in terms of content and ratings. As for this supposed press release: the idea a TV network (even the CW) would issue a press release saying the actors on their highest rated show (number 2 isn’t even in the same ballpark, fyi)are too old to continue the roles much longer so they need to focus on the floundering Secret Circle makes me laugh. Laugh, I tell you!

February 10, 2012 at 9:42 AM

I heard it on ETV, but I am in the UK.

February 10, 2012 at 10:30 AM

No offense, but I’m calling BS on that. I follow the show pretty religiously and have heard no such (ridiculous) statement from the network. They would never say something like that even if they believed it, which I’m sure they don’t. The show is far and away their highest rated show and is going nowhere anytime soon, especially for such a silly reason. As for Secret Circle, its ratings continue to plummet and it will be lucky if it gets a second season.

February 10, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Ian is 33. Plus it is public knowledge that the trio have 5 yr contracts…..or is it 6? Either way, it’s one or the other.

February 12, 2012 at 4:38 PM

Pretty sure it’s 6 yr contracts.

February 10, 2012 at 1:20 PM

I have’t heard anything about ages as issues, but I did hear about a possible spin-off. Is that actually happening?

BTW, Contracts have nothing to do with anything. All a 5 or 6 year contract means is that the actor can’t choose to leave the show, not that the show can’t be canceled. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it won’t be, but contract lengths have nothing to do with it.

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