jedi_of_urth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jedi_of_urth) wrote2012-06-23 12:21 am
jedi_of_urth) wrote2012-06-23 12:21 am
Entry tags:
100 Reviews: 9
I settled on more TVD this time around, cataloging some more Elijah time.
TVD: 2x09: Katerina
This episode is pretty much all character development, which is why I’ve always loved it. It’s one of the best flashback episodes the show has managed (although since 2x19 exists it cannot be the best, though that’s more like the best episode that happens to involve flashbacks), but all the plots are about characters talking to each other.
One of the benefits of hindsight is you can basically pinpoint this as the episode that started Elena the martyr, which really has never ended. Up to this point we hadn’t really seen her playing that role, but from here on out, and particularly for the next half dozen episodes, that’s pretty much the mode she’s in. It’s also pretty much when Elena sets herself up as the anti-Katherine, she WILL NOT allow anyone to get hurt for her (that yes, she misses the fact that going through with the sacrifice will get others killed along with her). Even before Katherine mentions the Klaus vengeance part of it Elena’s pretty much decided that she’s not going do to anyone what Kat did to Rose and Trevor (and these are people Elena isn’t overly fond of, she’s just determined that what Katherine did was WRONG); of course it’s also tied in with the fact that Elena doesn’t want to be a vampire but it is tied into her not wanting to be Kat.
Amusing in hindsight is how Klaus is built up as like a million times worse than Elijah, and well Rose, having spent a bit over a season with Klaus now I don’t really agree. You can deal with Elijah, if you know how and are really careful, but Klaus just isn’t scary like Elijah is. In these episodes Elijah comes off as almost magical, when he throws quarters it seems almost like he’s casting a spell to make it work, him compelling Slater is something wholly unheard of at this point. When Elijah does these things it’s *still* scary, even if some of the mystic is gone, when Klaus does them...it’s not just the lack of mystic that undercuts it, it’s the fact that it’s Klaus. I think it’s because Elijah is so precise, the others it comes off as more just another random action (Mikael was able to pull it off though come to think of it).
I’ve never really given a lot of thought to Bonnie’s story in s2 before, but this time around I find myself paying more attention to it (probably has something to do with just how badly she was treated in the back end of s3). And while I wouldn’t say she’s well served by the plot of s2, I think the problem is that her personal arc got tied around another love triangle. Her search for understanding her role in the world, for some connection with someone that could help and understand her, her need for *any* kind of supernatural connection besides vampires got taken over by Luka’s role as romantic prospect, instead of being someone she connected with that maybe grew into a romantic prospect as they got closer.
It’s weird to go back to likable Stefan at this point. Stefan may not be the most complex character in s2, but at least he was consistent in it. Season 3 has done such a number on...not him, and that’s the problem. It’s proven that the writers don’t know how to write him as a complex character, aren’t willing to actually explore Stefan as his own character, just want to slot him back into his role around the others as if stuff that should have changed him never happened. Hmm, I don’t mean for this to turn into a s3 rant, so just leave it at Stefan is likable here, and I’m willing to like him in that role here.
The Damon-Rose-Slater scenes aren’t bad, I’m just mostly interested in them for Elijah (how does a guy like Slater not know that Originals are unkillable?) and the Damon/Rose (which is about the only Damon ship I’ve ever liked). They’re not even uninteresting, I just don’t have much to say.
This is one of those episodes where I have to keep reminding myself Nina is playing both Elena and Kat because they are just so different that I come close to forgetting that. I thought that would be a good note to end on.
Next time:
I kind of want to get to more TVD, but I might break it up with something else
Want to request something?
TVD: 2x09: Katerina
This episode is pretty much all character development, which is why I’ve always loved it. It’s one of the best flashback episodes the show has managed (although since 2x19 exists it cannot be the best, though that’s more like the best episode that happens to involve flashbacks), but all the plots are about characters talking to each other.
One of the benefits of hindsight is you can basically pinpoint this as the episode that started Elena the martyr, which really has never ended. Up to this point we hadn’t really seen her playing that role, but from here on out, and particularly for the next half dozen episodes, that’s pretty much the mode she’s in. It’s also pretty much when Elena sets herself up as the anti-Katherine, she WILL NOT allow anyone to get hurt for her (that yes, she misses the fact that going through with the sacrifice will get others killed along with her). Even before Katherine mentions the Klaus vengeance part of it Elena’s pretty much decided that she’s not going do to anyone what Kat did to Rose and Trevor (and these are people Elena isn’t overly fond of, she’s just determined that what Katherine did was WRONG); of course it’s also tied in with the fact that Elena doesn’t want to be a vampire but it is tied into her not wanting to be Kat.
Amusing in hindsight is how Klaus is built up as like a million times worse than Elijah, and well Rose, having spent a bit over a season with Klaus now I don’t really agree. You can deal with Elijah, if you know how and are really careful, but Klaus just isn’t scary like Elijah is. In these episodes Elijah comes off as almost magical, when he throws quarters it seems almost like he’s casting a spell to make it work, him compelling Slater is something wholly unheard of at this point. When Elijah does these things it’s *still* scary, even if some of the mystic is gone, when Klaus does them...it’s not just the lack of mystic that undercuts it, it’s the fact that it’s Klaus. I think it’s because Elijah is so precise, the others it comes off as more just another random action (Mikael was able to pull it off though come to think of it).
I’ve never really given a lot of thought to Bonnie’s story in s2 before, but this time around I find myself paying more attention to it (probably has something to do with just how badly she was treated in the back end of s3). And while I wouldn’t say she’s well served by the plot of s2, I think the problem is that her personal arc got tied around another love triangle. Her search for understanding her role in the world, for some connection with someone that could help and understand her, her need for *any* kind of supernatural connection besides vampires got taken over by Luka’s role as romantic prospect, instead of being someone she connected with that maybe grew into a romantic prospect as they got closer.
It’s weird to go back to likable Stefan at this point. Stefan may not be the most complex character in s2, but at least he was consistent in it. Season 3 has done such a number on...not him, and that’s the problem. It’s proven that the writers don’t know how to write him as a complex character, aren’t willing to actually explore Stefan as his own character, just want to slot him back into his role around the others as if stuff that should have changed him never happened. Hmm, I don’t mean for this to turn into a s3 rant, so just leave it at Stefan is likable here, and I’m willing to like him in that role here.
The Damon-Rose-Slater scenes aren’t bad, I’m just mostly interested in them for Elijah (how does a guy like Slater not know that Originals are unkillable?) and the Damon/Rose (which is about the only Damon ship I’ve ever liked). They’re not even uninteresting, I just don’t have much to say.
This is one of those episodes where I have to keep reminding myself Nina is playing both Elena and Kat because they are just so different that I come close to forgetting that. I thought that would be a good note to end on.
Next time:
I kind of want to get to more TVD, but I might break it up with something else
Want to request something?