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Vamp Dairies...Goes to Nova Scotia and a little grousing over Oppressive Love Triangles and fan boar
I rather adore Nova Scotia...not sure that was it or not. Actually my favorite place is Cape Breton...which if I could afford it, I'd buy a summer cottage in. But alas, that is only if I ever win the Lottery. Which ain't going to happen in this lifetime, but we keep hoping.
This week's Vamp Diaries actually did surprise me once or twice, granted it is a supernatural soap opera, plots in those series are by nature unpredictable and twisty, which is why they are so much fun. Vamp Diaries is my favorite guilty pleasure next to General Hospital and they are more alike then one would think...now that GH has a vampire and a slayer. Except GH takes itself a little less seriously.
Also, we are moving a bit away from the Oppressive Love Triangle of Doom. My problem with Love Triangles - is regardless of the pairing, I'm always going to root for the underdog, which more often than not is the politically incorrect one. ;-)
Well not always. But most of the time. In this case the underdog is Damon. So I'm rooting for Damon. It helps that he's hot and snarky. But I have feeling I'd do it anyway. What?
I also root for the NY Mets. The Yankees annoy me. Although I do have a fondness for the Kansas Jayhawks, but that's only because that's my alumni.
As an aside...what used to annoy me on Buffy fan boards was comments along these lines ( the stuff in italics was what I always wanted to say in response but never did, because, well, who wants a flame war? But it was hard at times. I almost said this stuff at a meetup once, but wisely bit my tongue and wandered off.)
Poster: Why do you want Spike (Damon) (Eric) with Buffy (Elena) (Sookie) ? Don't you want her to be happy?
[ Uh, you realize Buffy (Elena) (Sookie) isn't a real person, right?]
Poster: But what type of moral message does it send to put her with Spike (Damon) (Eric)?
[ Last time I checked this is a supernatural soap opera on television not a very special episode of Blossum or the ABC Afterschool Special - wait do they still do those? ]
Poster: But she's the hero...and he's the villain.
[Well, lately he's been saving people...so that's debatable. But honestly? I don't care.
It's actually more interesting the other way around. If I wanted morally upright and message oriented tv - I'd watch Seventh Heaven or Star Trek.]
To be honest I don't care if the protagonist's love interest is worthy of her or sends a strong moral message to impressionable tweens (I read my mother's Rosemary Rodgers/Jackie Collins/Katheleen Woodwiss/Laurie McBain boddice ripper romance novels and my father's Harold Robbins, Ian Fleming, John MacDonald novels amongst over things as a tween and I've turned out better than people who didn't. Also Luke and Laura was a hit romance when I was kid that sort of makes Buffy/Spike and Damon/Elena look relatively sane in comparison.). All I care about is if it is interesting and not eye-rollingly sentimental, sappy, and boring. You bore me? I'm gone. This is mindless fun. I'm not going to go out and hunt down a real-life version of Spike. Yes, I know there are people who do, but seriously you know they would anyway, right? A TV show or a romance novel isn't going to spur that action any more than a James Bond movie is going to make you want to become a spy. People are so annoyingly weird about this online.
Yes, I'm in one of those moods tonight. I blame work and the weather. They are predicting a nasty nor-easter tomorrow, which they've named "NEMO" of all things. Yes, now they are naming winter storms. I've known about it for a while - because of where I work. They already have a work order out for snow removal and storm precautions - and it hasn't even started yet.
Sigh. Bad case of the February uglies where you just want to smack with people. Today lost my patience with a vendor who didn't know what "in lieu of" meant.
Addendum - "Attachment D should be used in lieu of Schedule V Contract Price."
Vendor: So is Schedule V Contract Price required.
Me: Did you read the Addendum? Attachment D should be used in lieu of Schedule V Contract Price.
(You know if you don't know what it means - you can always google it or look it up in the dictionary...)
Am debating taking a trip to Costa Rica with one of my many meetup groups (this one is Fun with Strangers) in May.
* The selfless vampire of the week award goes to...it's a draw between Caroline and Damon.
Damon for being the only one wise enough to know that the cure could cause more problems, and is almost too easy. Although he also doesn't quite want it because he knows he'll lose Elena - once she gets the cure. He doesn't want to take it. And he doesn't see a life with human Elena. Unlike Stefan, he isn't romanticizing it. He also appears to see that Shane isn't trust-worthy and wherever this is going is not worth the cure.
Caroline for putting herself in the line of danger for Tyler and getting bitten for her troubles...although how selfless that is, is rather debatable.
This actually surprised me. Caroline is chewing out Klaus, and whoops...you might not want to stand that close to the imprisoned vamp. He stakes her and bits down. Now he's the only one who can save her. And it is a rather interesting scene...because Caroline states a theme of these sorts of shows...if you can love, you can be redeemed, you are not lost. It's true, you aren't a soulless sociopath if you have the capacity for love. The question is - is Klaus in love with Caroline? Same question was asked of Damon - is Damon in love with Elena?
Does he love Stefan. Yes, to both...hence the path to redemption. It's through love that we redeem ourselves. The ability to see past ourselves...and love something other than ourself is the path to redemption. Self-loathing will get in the way of that, of course.
* Elena/Stefan/Rebekkah. The character I care about the most and feel the most compassion for in this group is oddly Rebekkah. All three are incurably whiny and somewhat dull. But Rebekkah had cause. Stefan says a 140 years as a vampire just isn't that much fun and he'd much rather be human, that all his pain and suffering can be attributed to being a vampire.
(Ah come on Stefan...you didn't have any fun in all that time?? )
Rebekkah wants to be human - in part because of her parents. Who turned her into a monster and then rejected her. She also has romanticized it a bit, but that makes sense.
Elena wants to be human - so she can be with Damon, and with Jeremy.
Stefan - so he can be with Rebekkah or Elena and not have to deal with the guilt, the blood cravings, and the horror of being a monster. Uh, Stefan, the guilt ain't going to go away after you become human. He reminds me of Angel in that respect. It's not a get out of jail free card.
* Shane has become wickedly interesting, helped greatly by the actor playing him who I've seen somewhere before. Apparently he wants to bring back Silas so he can resurrect his wife and son. The wife got into his head and twisted him a bit - or used his grief much as he used April's father's grief against him. I don't think it was his wife though, but Silas speaking through his wife.
What was chilling to me and made Damon decide to kill Shane, and forget the cure - was when Shane mentioned three sacrifices had to be made. Not just two - and did not disclose what the 3rd would be. I think Damon was right to want to kill on the spot. Worry about Bonnie later. He was also right in thinking that Shane had taken Jeremy. He figured out Shane was up to no good. But through Shane and his friend, we found out that the guy who saved Jeremy in the woods, wasn't with Shane. Damon stumbles upon him - aka hachet man, who turns out to be another vampire hunter like Jeremy. Curious.
We know what game Shane is playing at - he's more or less told us. He wants to rise his wife and son and doesn't really care who he has to kill to do it, or rather manipulate to do the killing for him, as long he doesn't have to do it...it's not his fault, right? Yeah, right, dude, keep telling yourself that. Also listening to ghosts who used to be your insane wife, not a good idea.
Poor Bonnie has gotten herself trapped in it along with Jeremy - although this is really as much Elena/Stefan/and Rebekkah's fault as anyone's. Dudes - next time you decide to go on a scavenger hunt for a vampire cure - keep the untrustworthy mass killer within your sights at all times, particularly when he tells you to. Also, a little skepticism is healthy for the soul folks.
The people who want the cure the most are the three who are not in jeopardy at the moment - Elena, Stefan and Rebekkah. Damon has been captured by a vampire hunter. Bonnie and Jeremy captured by Shane. Caroline almost killed by Klaus, then saved, because she's right, he does love her - although clearly not enough not to cause her intense pain and suffering?
* So who will be the big death? It's not Damon - well not if the show wants to have another season and keep its ratings up. Which leaves...Bonnie, Jeremy, and Rebekka. For a bit I thought Caroline was going to die...was relieved they didn't kill her. I like the character, for the most part. She's rather interesting with Tyler and Klaus and that's an entertaining love triangle. I'm thinking right now Bonnie and Jeremy. Although makes more sense for it to just be Jeremy - since that would kill Elena. She's put her own needs above her brother's.
Not thought about him at all or what this is doing to him - it's all about finding her cure.
Stefan is somewhat the same way - so if he were to lose someone, it would be fitting. Actually I think it would be interesting if Damon ended up with cure and was the only one.
Ironic, that. Would break the sire bond. And put Elena and Stefan in an odd position. They want, he doesn't. And have Rebekka get it - only to die. That's what I'd do. But the writers won't do it. Damon is too cool as a vampire, I'm not sure they'd know what to do with him as a human. Can't imagine them going that route...too risky. Elena might get cured, but no one else will.
Okay, it's late. I'm off.
Hopefully the storm will hold off until 8pm tomorrow night.
This week's Vamp Diaries actually did surprise me once or twice, granted it is a supernatural soap opera, plots in those series are by nature unpredictable and twisty, which is why they are so much fun. Vamp Diaries is my favorite guilty pleasure next to General Hospital and they are more alike then one would think...now that GH has a vampire and a slayer. Except GH takes itself a little less seriously.
Also, we are moving a bit away from the Oppressive Love Triangle of Doom. My problem with Love Triangles - is regardless of the pairing, I'm always going to root for the underdog, which more often than not is the politically incorrect one. ;-)
Well not always. But most of the time. In this case the underdog is Damon. So I'm rooting for Damon. It helps that he's hot and snarky. But I have feeling I'd do it anyway. What?
I also root for the NY Mets. The Yankees annoy me. Although I do have a fondness for the Kansas Jayhawks, but that's only because that's my alumni.
As an aside...what used to annoy me on Buffy fan boards was comments along these lines ( the stuff in italics was what I always wanted to say in response but never did, because, well, who wants a flame war? But it was hard at times. I almost said this stuff at a meetup once, but wisely bit my tongue and wandered off.)
Poster: Why do you want Spike (Damon) (Eric) with Buffy (Elena) (Sookie) ? Don't you want her to be happy?
[ Uh, you realize Buffy (Elena) (Sookie) isn't a real person, right?]
Poster: But what type of moral message does it send to put her with Spike (Damon) (Eric)?
[ Last time I checked this is a supernatural soap opera on television not a very special episode of Blossum or the ABC Afterschool Special - wait do they still do those? ]
Poster: But she's the hero...and he's the villain.
[Well, lately he's been saving people...so that's debatable. But honestly? I don't care.
It's actually more interesting the other way around. If I wanted morally upright and message oriented tv - I'd watch Seventh Heaven or Star Trek.]
To be honest I don't care if the protagonist's love interest is worthy of her or sends a strong moral message to impressionable tweens (I read my mother's Rosemary Rodgers/Jackie Collins/Katheleen Woodwiss/Laurie McBain boddice ripper romance novels and my father's Harold Robbins, Ian Fleming, John MacDonald novels amongst over things as a tween and I've turned out better than people who didn't. Also Luke and Laura was a hit romance when I was kid that sort of makes Buffy/Spike and Damon/Elena look relatively sane in comparison.). All I care about is if it is interesting and not eye-rollingly sentimental, sappy, and boring. You bore me? I'm gone. This is mindless fun. I'm not going to go out and hunt down a real-life version of Spike. Yes, I know there are people who do, but seriously you know they would anyway, right? A TV show or a romance novel isn't going to spur that action any more than a James Bond movie is going to make you want to become a spy. People are so annoyingly weird about this online.
Yes, I'm in one of those moods tonight. I blame work and the weather. They are predicting a nasty nor-easter tomorrow, which they've named "NEMO" of all things. Yes, now they are naming winter storms. I've known about it for a while - because of where I work. They already have a work order out for snow removal and storm precautions - and it hasn't even started yet.
Sigh. Bad case of the February uglies where you just want to smack with people. Today lost my patience with a vendor who didn't know what "in lieu of" meant.
Addendum - "Attachment D should be used in lieu of Schedule V Contract Price."
Vendor: So is Schedule V Contract Price required.
Me: Did you read the Addendum? Attachment D should be used in lieu of Schedule V Contract Price.
(You know if you don't know what it means - you can always google it or look it up in the dictionary...)
Am debating taking a trip to Costa Rica with one of my many meetup groups (this one is Fun with Strangers) in May.
* The selfless vampire of the week award goes to...it's a draw between Caroline and Damon.
Damon for being the only one wise enough to know that the cure could cause more problems, and is almost too easy. Although he also doesn't quite want it because he knows he'll lose Elena - once she gets the cure. He doesn't want to take it. And he doesn't see a life with human Elena. Unlike Stefan, he isn't romanticizing it. He also appears to see that Shane isn't trust-worthy and wherever this is going is not worth the cure.
Caroline for putting herself in the line of danger for Tyler and getting bitten for her troubles...although how selfless that is, is rather debatable.
This actually surprised me. Caroline is chewing out Klaus, and whoops...you might not want to stand that close to the imprisoned vamp. He stakes her and bits down. Now he's the only one who can save her. And it is a rather interesting scene...because Caroline states a theme of these sorts of shows...if you can love, you can be redeemed, you are not lost. It's true, you aren't a soulless sociopath if you have the capacity for love. The question is - is Klaus in love with Caroline? Same question was asked of Damon - is Damon in love with Elena?
Does he love Stefan. Yes, to both...hence the path to redemption. It's through love that we redeem ourselves. The ability to see past ourselves...and love something other than ourself is the path to redemption. Self-loathing will get in the way of that, of course.
* Elena/Stefan/Rebekkah. The character I care about the most and feel the most compassion for in this group is oddly Rebekkah. All three are incurably whiny and somewhat dull. But Rebekkah had cause. Stefan says a 140 years as a vampire just isn't that much fun and he'd much rather be human, that all his pain and suffering can be attributed to being a vampire.
(Ah come on Stefan...you didn't have any fun in all that time?? )
Rebekkah wants to be human - in part because of her parents. Who turned her into a monster and then rejected her. She also has romanticized it a bit, but that makes sense.
Elena wants to be human - so she can be with Damon, and with Jeremy.
Stefan - so he can be with Rebekkah or Elena and not have to deal with the guilt, the blood cravings, and the horror of being a monster. Uh, Stefan, the guilt ain't going to go away after you become human. He reminds me of Angel in that respect. It's not a get out of jail free card.
* Shane has become wickedly interesting, helped greatly by the actor playing him who I've seen somewhere before. Apparently he wants to bring back Silas so he can resurrect his wife and son. The wife got into his head and twisted him a bit - or used his grief much as he used April's father's grief against him. I don't think it was his wife though, but Silas speaking through his wife.
What was chilling to me and made Damon decide to kill Shane, and forget the cure - was when Shane mentioned three sacrifices had to be made. Not just two - and did not disclose what the 3rd would be. I think Damon was right to want to kill on the spot. Worry about Bonnie later. He was also right in thinking that Shane had taken Jeremy. He figured out Shane was up to no good. But through Shane and his friend, we found out that the guy who saved Jeremy in the woods, wasn't with Shane. Damon stumbles upon him - aka hachet man, who turns out to be another vampire hunter like Jeremy. Curious.
We know what game Shane is playing at - he's more or less told us. He wants to rise his wife and son and doesn't really care who he has to kill to do it, or rather manipulate to do the killing for him, as long he doesn't have to do it...it's not his fault, right? Yeah, right, dude, keep telling yourself that. Also listening to ghosts who used to be your insane wife, not a good idea.
Poor Bonnie has gotten herself trapped in it along with Jeremy - although this is really as much Elena/Stefan/and Rebekkah's fault as anyone's. Dudes - next time you decide to go on a scavenger hunt for a vampire cure - keep the untrustworthy mass killer within your sights at all times, particularly when he tells you to. Also, a little skepticism is healthy for the soul folks.
The people who want the cure the most are the three who are not in jeopardy at the moment - Elena, Stefan and Rebekkah. Damon has been captured by a vampire hunter. Bonnie and Jeremy captured by Shane. Caroline almost killed by Klaus, then saved, because she's right, he does love her - although clearly not enough not to cause her intense pain and suffering?
* So who will be the big death? It's not Damon - well not if the show wants to have another season and keep its ratings up. Which leaves...Bonnie, Jeremy, and Rebekka. For a bit I thought Caroline was going to die...was relieved they didn't kill her. I like the character, for the most part. She's rather interesting with Tyler and Klaus and that's an entertaining love triangle. I'm thinking right now Bonnie and Jeremy. Although makes more sense for it to just be Jeremy - since that would kill Elena. She's put her own needs above her brother's.
Not thought about him at all or what this is doing to him - it's all about finding her cure.
Stefan is somewhat the same way - so if he were to lose someone, it would be fitting. Actually I think it would be interesting if Damon ended up with cure and was the only one.
Ironic, that. Would break the sire bond. And put Elena and Stefan in an odd position. They want, he doesn't. And have Rebekka get it - only to die. That's what I'd do. But the writers won't do it. Damon is too cool as a vampire, I'm not sure they'd know what to do with him as a human. Can't imagine them going that route...too risky. Elena might get cured, but no one else will.
Okay, it's late. I'm off.
Hopefully the storm will hold off until 8pm tomorrow night.