It's that time again - yes, the Vamp Diaries Review!

[shadowkat]

This episode wasn't as good as last week's. But entertaining all the same. Guilty Pleasure TV at its best, well if you ignore a certain romance...




So, brief recap - Elena reveals to everyone Elijah's brilliant plan. Which is basically to go through with breaking the curse and kill Klaus afterwards. This makes no sense to me. Unless Klaus is somehow weakened by breakage - but if that were the case, why would he want to break it?
You'd think it would be the opposite?

Also the plan...I don't know it doesn't sound all that self-sacrificing to me, Elena would be the only one to survive it, assuming Elijah is on the level and this magical elixir he's created and has never been used before actually works. Elijah, a master manipulator? Nah. It's not like he hasn't been around over 1000 years, plotting and manipulating people or killing willy-nilly, is it?
Quite trustworthy in fact. After all he bared his soul to Elena last week...

Here's the brilliant plan: Klaus sacrifices a vampire and a werewolf, unleashes the power of the moonstone, and drinks all the blood of the doppleganger. After he does this, Elijah gives her an elixir which will revive her, then Bonnie kills Klaus.

The reason for this plan - they can't have Bonnie try to kill Klaus now because it would kill Bonnie to channel that much power - which she would require to kill an original.

Damon: How do we know the elixir will work? Wouldn't it make more sense for Bonnie to do it now?
Isn't it going to kill her anyway? Why are we trusting Elijah?

Everyone: Because Saint!Elena does. And we trust and respect Saint!Elena's judgment.

Damon: Huh? (right there with you, buddy. You know there's a problem with the plan and possibly the plot when you are agreeing with the impulsive vampire who doesn't plan anything. And well, its not like Elena doesn't have a history of trusting the wrong people or anything. Note television Saints aren't exactly known for their cognitive abilities sort of gets in the way of being saintly. )

I agree with Damon. Damon granted is a bit self-serving, he wants Elena to live, he can't survive without her living. Stefan explains why - that grief, loss, etc are more painful for a vampire, they feel it more. Damon actually comes up with the one idea that I kept wondering why no one had tried - which is having Elena drink some of his blood - so that when she's drained she comes back as a vampire. Wait, they had come up with it - but apparently Elena doesn't want to be a vampire, because....it would be icky? Bad!Damon makes her drink his blood anyhow. To ensure she'll come back. She hates him for it of course. Seriously? You'd think the guy turned her into one the way she carries on. Elijah, manipulative bastard that he is, tells Damon that he screwed up royally and Elena will never forgive him for it - and never is a long time for a vampire, something like eternity. This of course results in giving Damon a death wish coupled with a desperate need to postpone the sacrifice so that Elena won't become a vampire - because apparently that is now the worst fate ever. (It's as if Caroline hasn't been one all season.)

Does Saint!Elena worry about anyone else during this episode? No. She spends the entire episode whining and angsting about becoming a vampire, which I'd understand if it weren't for the fact that she's spent the last year hanging out with mostly vampires and they've been shown to be anything but evil - this isn't Buffy after-all, being a vampire on Vamp Diaries isn't that bad - you can fly, wonder about in daylight, and you have a soul. Clearly not the worst fate ever in this show (that would be a werewolf - far more painful). Also she doesn't think it through - who are the vampire and werewolf going to be??? Klaus has to sacrifice a werewolf and a vampire after all. Not like the town is swimming with them. But hey, Saint!Elena is sacrificing herself so that Saint!Bonnie won't die.

Saint!Stefan who is standing by his gal and got a rifle stuck in the stomach by Bad!Damon, who he fought and tried to strangle for forcing Elena to drink his blood, decides to go along with Saint!Elena's plan and instead of finding a way to postpone the sacrifice or change events, good little fatalist that he is - Stefan takes Elena out on a romantic hike right out of one of the Twilight novels - so close to the Twilight novels in fact that I'm guessing if you accidentally hit upon this show tonight you'd have thought you were watching the film version, granted Elena is prettier than Kristen Stewart...but other than that. They declare their undying love for each other again. Stefan attempts to defend Damon stating that he did what he did because he loves Elena. But Elena doesn't consider that love. (Oh Elena...just wait. You are so going to eat your words.)

Meanwhile - Alaric decides to help Damon. Partly because he's thinks it's a stupid plan too.

Damon to Klaus: I don't suppose you'd consider postponing, maybe another month?
Klaus: why would I do that? I finally have everything I need. I have a werewolf and a vampire.
The moonstone. All I need is Elena. It's happening tonight. Don't do anything to screw it up or you'll be dead.
Alaric to Damon after Klaus leaves: You're going to screw it up aren't you.
Damon: Yep. Want to help me?
Alaric: But you'll be dead?
Damon: Are you going to help me or not?

So Damon gets Katrina to tell him where Klaus is keeping Caroline and Tyler (who Elena has completely forgotten about...granted she has been distracted lately). And goes off to rescue them, sending Alaric back to Stefan and Elena who are off hiking in the woods on their romantic interlude courtesy of Stephanie Meyer. This is where Matt suddenly stops being useless, go Matt.
Actually, I prefer the Matt/Caroline/Tyler love triangle to the Stefan/Elena/Damon one, for a lot reasons. Matt to Damon's shock as well as mine, saves Damon and helps him defeat and kill
Klaus witch henchman (who was about due - he'd been around five episodes...it was time). Damon then knocks out Matt, informing him that he should consider himself lucky that Damon had already screwed up once today...otherwise he'd be dead. Then off he goes to save Caroline.

Caroline: What about Tyler?
Damon: What about him?
Caroline: We can't leave him here to die!
Damon (groans): It's almost nightfall, he'll change.
Tyler: I have enough time to get to the Lockwood mansion and chain myself up.
Damon (sighs): Don't make me regret this. (Ohhh Damon, you will.)

Damon apparently has decided to be the self-sacrificing one this week. Who knew he had it in him?
Because he lets Caroline stop to tend to Matt, and aids her with Matt and Tyler, instead of just taking off. He also saves Matt and Caroline from Tyler - after Tyler turns into a werewolf (Again instead of just taking off) and as a result is bitten by Tyler. The deadly werewolf bite - that is the worst death ever. It's sort of like rabies for vampires. (I knew he was bitten.)

Damon then goes to Klaus. Who tells him that he failed, that he has a backup werewolf (Jules) and a backup vampire (who Damon believes is well Damon.) But no, he sends Katrina off on an errand, because Damon is as good as dead. Damon asks Katrina what that is supposed to mean? And she askes what that mark is - which is unhealed? Damon says - werewolf bite. Damn. He's dead man walking.
So, Damon asks - what did you do? What vampire did he call? Thinking maybe Stefan. Like I said Elena didn't think this through.

Meanwhile Elena has willingly given herself to Klaus in a sense that is grotesquely and offensively similar to Buffy - so much so that I winced during it. (Elena to Stefan - close your eyes...she lets go of his hand...and he opens them and she's gone. In Buffy, she says close your eyes and sends him to hell - I preferred that version, of course in Buffy, the Stefan character became Klaus. It subverted the cliche as opposed to playing into it - like they do here.)

But no such luck. It's Jenna. Yes, Jenna has been turned into a vampire. Elena has been whining all day long about becoming a vampire and how she must sacrifice herself, and because of her own actions - she sentences Jenna to this fate (could be worse, it could have been Caroline, worse for me that is). Elena so deserved that. Not sure Jenna did - well maybe, for being incredibly clueless.

And the poor sister that Luca and his dad were intent on saving, turns out to be quite happy doing what she's doing. Assuming she's not compelled. Although doesn't appear to be.

Curious to see how the show saves Damon - because I can't imagine the show killing off its biggest draw - that would be, well akin to killing off Spike. You don't kill off your sex symbol. Not if you want to stay on the air for another two years. Personally, after this episode, I don't really care what happens to Elena and Stefan - I'd be more than happy to watch the Katrina/Damon/Caroline/Tyler/Matt/Sheriff Forbes/Alaric/Jenna/Elijah/Klaus show. In short, keep everyone but the two romantic leads! (Which of course they aren't going to do. Elena and Stefan will survive to angst another day. They'll kill off half the characters I mentioned above - although I think Tyler, Caroline and Matt may actually be safe, assuming Caroline doesn't get bitten - then she and Damon can commiserate. Assuming Damon doesn't sacrifice himself for Elena.)

As an aside, is it just me or are all the sacrifices female? And under a moon? Female symbol.
And the witches - female. So to break the curse - Klaus is sacrificing - Tyler's mother figure werewolf, Elena's mother-figure human aunt Jenna, Elena (who is the doppleganger of someone from his past - I hope not his mother), and under the mother moon - with a female witch/lover doing the magic? See? Analyzing Vamp Diaries leads you into areas that you really do not wish to go.

Speculation: I'm guessing Katrina and Damon may end up saving the day along with Bonnie. Katrina does look like Elena and could do a last minute switch. Damon who has absolutely nothing left to lose right now - he was bitten by a werewolf, and Elena hates him for forcing her to drink his blood (Bad!Damon), and Stefan hates him for well ...forcing Elena to drink his blood and not trusting Elena's dumb plan. Also there is Elijah - who wasn't doing much today. Does he still want Klaus dead? What's his agenda?



Sigh. Gotta go to bed. Late and must get up early tomorrow morning - to go to work, not watch the Royal Wedding.

Comments

[ubi4soft]

How I missed your snark!

Damon being bitten made me think that Rose (I hope I remembered her name correctly, the other vampire bit by a werewolf), so Rose died because?? the curse was fake also when she died. Did Damon staked her for nothing?

[shadowkat]

No, no...you've confused the werewolf bite with the werewolf curse. Damon staked Rose because the werewolf bite was killing her painfully, she'd eventually lose her mind, all sanity, and be pure rabid vampire then die. He staked her out of kindness.
The other death was far far worse.

Damon and Elena both know what being bitten by a werewolf means - since they were up close and personal with what happened with Rose and how ill she got.

It remains to be seen if Klaus's ability to break his curse would affect Damon's bite - either curing Damon or turning Damon into a hybrid. Both are possible, I guess.

[ubi4soft]

Oh, thanks. I'm not patient enough to wait until "smart boys" will upload the appropriate subtitles, so obviously I didn't understand how it works.

[shadowkat]

I thought it might be an issue of translation.
No worries - I had troubles following a plot line in Justified the other night - because I misheard an important portion of the dialogue, and it was in my own language - English. I couldn't begin to understand something in another language, best I can do is French and my French is sketchy.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's no way on earth that Damon is going to be sacrificed so I'm not even remotely worried about him. But Klaus using Jenna is brilliant, because now Elena and her big sacrifice plan is all for nothing.

Now we have to wait for what the showrunners call "The Blood Bath".

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm just curious as to how they plan on saving him? There's several possibilites:

1. Klaus breaking the curse on himself causes a chain reaction, so that any vampire infected by a werewolf bit instead of dying becomes part werewolf. Easy way of creating a new race. Also great plot twist.

2. The Elixir would heal him.

3.Klaus breaking the curse on himself renders werewolf bites on vampires ineffective - lame can't see them doing that, also not really logical.

But Klaus using Jenna is brilliant, because now Elena and her big sacrifice plan is all for nothing.

Agreed. Using Stefan or Damon wouldn't have been effective. This is far more powerful and so karmic in so many ways.


Now we have to wait for what the showrunners call "The Blood Bath".

Or how we cut our production costs by getting rid of characters we've run out ideas for.

Who will they kill? I vote for Alaric (who I like because I'm an Alaric/Damon friendship shipper, but I get the feeling they've run out of ideas for him), Jeremy, John, Jenna,
Luca's sister, Jules, Katrina, Elijah and possibly Bonnie.

There's an outside chance Jenna, Bonnie, Jeremy, and John will survive - because angst value is high. But we know Jules is toast. There's also an outside chance that Alaric will make it.

Stefan, Elena, and Damon are safe. So are Caroline, Tyler and Matt (I'm guessing) - too much untapped potential there. And hello love-triangels!

Klaus will most likely survive...but then again, possible they'll kill him and Elijah both off - they tend to do that with supporting bad-guy characters who aren't related directly to Elena. But, there's so much story potential for letting them live...

I think Katrina may sacrifice herself - I really hope not. Rather like Katrina and she's cheap, so if I were the writer's I'd keep her around. Get two characters for the price of one.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming the core three are safe as well so : John, Jenna, Greta, Jules, maybe Alaric and/or Bonnie and IMO Katherine.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee, we both think Katherine is toast! Yeah, I think they've gone as far as they can with that character...also, if they make Elena a vampire, it's going to be really hard to tell the two characters apart. (Shame, Katherine is actually more interesting.)

They'll either kill Bonnie or Jeremy - because those two always lose their significant other - gee, Elena thinks she has it bad.
Poor Bonnie and Jeremy are perpetually losing the person they love. They probably thought getting together would be the best option? I'm guessing Bonnie - because the most angst, but I'd rather they took out Jeremy for a lot of reasons. (Another person Elena hasn't been paying much attention to lately and forgotten.)

And I'm guessing Greta is the name of Luca's sister, the witch working for Klaus?

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

And I'm guessing Greta is the name of Luca's sister, the witch working for Klaus?

Yes.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

You can't let Klaus live, because he's too powerful a villain.

His goal is to break his curse, which if it failed tonight, he would just do over and over again - which is boring. Or kill all of the characters, which is no good unless you re-tool it as "Klaus". So, I think Klaus necessarily must die.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Or you could have him succeed and break the curse...we don't know if he would be too powerful or not after that. There's speculation out there that he'll suceed and next season they'll be hunting a way of stopping him.

(Which means Jenna is basically toast and Elena is a vampire. I guess that could be interesting. Personally - I think they'll kill Klaus. It's easier. And there's far too much they can do with Jenna as a vampire, and leaving Elena human. Depends on what they want to go with the mythos or the human flailing.
It's Vamp Diaries - so, most likely they'll go with the mythos.)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

And yes, I know, I just contradicted myself on that last sentence. Not sure which way they'll go. Both ways could be interesting. There's a third possibility - kill Jenna, Klaus dies, and Elena becomes a vampire. (ie. Elena's dumb plan except Aunt Jenna is the unexpected casuality) I really, really hope is not the route they go but most likely will - this show has a tendency to kill off characters the moment they become really interesting.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Wait...there's a fourth and fifth possibility:

Katrina takes Jenna's place and dies as the vampire sacrifice,
Elena dies and becomes a vampire, Klaus succeeds, Bonnie either dies trying to kill him, dies and does kill him, Jeremy dies aiding Bonnie in killing him. Actually I like Jeremy dying instead of Bonnie in trying to kill him - another angle neither Elena nor Bonnie considered in their self-sacrificing acts.

Or

Katrina does a switcheroo and instead of drinking the blood of Elena, Klaus drinks Katrina's blood..(which is laced with vervaine and I think he'd notice so maybe not.)

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

After a point, I generally do not try to stop outguessing the show - because it has been so good at finding new twists. They'll kill or save characters regardless of what potential we do or don't think they have.

What I do expect are state changes and prices. If Jenna pr Elena somehow escape being killed or Vamped, if (ha!) Damon survives his werewolf bite... there will generally be major costs for that. (It's a requirement for any good mythos that these powers not be without major cost.)

I do think they need to retain at least some human characters. Some popular speculation is they'll turn Damon human. (He'll spend Season 3 on trial for about 600 capital felonies)

Given renewal and contracts, we know Dobrev and Somerhalder aren't going anywhere, so I'm sure the show will find some sort of clever way to pull off whatever twisting they've got to do with their various characters.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

From what I've read - via the show-runners, courtesy of someone on my flist who likes to post them, they'll probably break the curse.
They are teasing about killing Damon. Stating anyone can die here.
(Yeah, right).

If Jenna pr Elena somehow escape being killed or Vamped, if (ha!) Damon survives his werewolf bite... there will generally be major costs for that. (It's a requirement for any good mythos that these powers not be without major cost.)

Respectfully, I think this is the wrong show for such high expectations. It is Vamp Diaries on the CW! You really can't apply the same standards, okay you can, but you will be disappointed.

Have you tried the British show Being Human - not to be confused with the American version (which sucks)? In that show they do explore the consequences of killing 20 innocent people and the realization that no matter how remorseful you might be, if you keep doing it...It is the only gothic horror series I've seen that really explores that. Game of Thrones is another fantasy series that explores in depth the moral choices people make each day and the consequences and prices of those choices. There are shows out there that do this quite well.

Vamp Diaries - I don't take that seriously. It's campy fun! I go into it with low expectations.