I was so nervous about watching 4x18. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised (for once).
I wasn't nervous exactly, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious to see what would happen. And ultimately, like you I thought it did better than I expected; my expectations were pretty low though.
I think both Nina and Daniel intentionally played up the intimacy between Elena/Elijah vs. Elijah/Kat.
Totally agreed. While Elijah/Kat scenes may allow for more...obvious intimacy, to me it was clear they were playing the real emotional intimacy as between Elena and Elijah. They're written that way to even though these days I hate giving credit to the writers. The Elena/Elijah scenes are written with heart and yearning and emotion beneath the surface of character who for one reason or another can't display much or any of it (that ND and DG perform beautifully); while the Elijah/Kat scenes are written as a shadow of something that maybe once could have been (and now is mainly about projection, I also very much agree with that).
The Originals need to adopt her.
I want Nina to go off to TO so badly, as much as I like Katherine schooling the Salvatores from time to time I still think all her characters have so much more potential with the Originals (and we'd probably get to meet Tatia); and if they were regulars on the same show we'd probably get some actual Elejah. That's what dreams and fanfic are for I guess.
Re: 4x18
I wasn't nervous exactly, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious to see what would happen. And ultimately, like you I thought it did better than I expected; my expectations were pretty low though.
I think both Nina and Daniel intentionally played up the intimacy between Elena/Elijah vs. Elijah/Kat.
Totally agreed. While Elijah/Kat scenes may allow for more...obvious intimacy, to me it was clear they were playing the real emotional intimacy as between Elena and Elijah. They're written that way to even though these days I hate giving credit to the writers. The Elena/Elijah scenes are written with heart and yearning and emotion beneath the surface of character who for one reason or another can't display much or any of it (that ND and DG perform beautifully); while the Elijah/Kat scenes are written as a shadow of something that maybe once could have been (and now is mainly about projection, I also very much agree with that).
The Originals need to adopt her.
I want Nina to go off to TO so badly, as much as I like Katherine schooling the Salvatores from time to time I still think all her characters have so much more potential with the Originals (and we'd probably get to meet Tatia); and if they were regulars on the same show we'd probably get some actual Elejah. That's what dreams and fanfic are for I guess.