Thoughts on TVD 2.12 - The Descent
Aaaaaannnnd… we’re back, baby!
This week’s episode of Vampire Diaries reminds me that I should never lose faith in this show, and that Kevin Williamson continues to reign supreme as the Master of Scream.
Before I get into my scene-by-scene breakdown, I just wanna give a quick, heartfelt RIP to poor Rose. Honestly, it’s almost sadistic the way this show made me go from utterly despising her for four episodes to actually sympathizing with her throughout her “descent” into madness, only to leave me bawling buckets over her inevitable demise. You made me cry over ROSE, show! WTF?! You are evil.
This episode was perfection in so many ways. Not only did we get to see an Emmy-worthy performance by Mr. Somerhalder (seriously, who gives a crap if it’s on the CW… that was better acting than I’ve ever seen on TV), but the pace was so whip-fast that I actually needed the commercials just to breathe. Plus, there was a bare minimum of Stefan, and no Bonnie! (I kid, I kid…)
So here we go -
- It’s so nice to see that the werewolves aren’t being presented as some sort of good guys against the “evil” vampires. They’re just as deadly a threat to the humans of Mystic Falls as the vamps. And it seemed pretty clear that Jules has killed innocent people before. She looked like she was used to cleaning up after herself. Also, it was interesting that she seemed to regret what she did, yet had no qualms killing the deputy to keep her secret. (I LOL’d when, upon second viewing, my mom pointed out that she’d bludgeoned him with one of the severed limbs.)
- SE scene… *yawn*. Seriously, these two, together, are the only thing that bore me on this show (well, okay, also Bonnie/Luka, but…). Separately, I love each of their characters. Case in point, just watch Elena in this episode. She absolutely shines when she gets to be a kick-ass girl, and Stefan can be compelling when he’s a man on a mission. But they’re both so bland and boring in scenes like this. It’s always the same. Turn around, kiss, “I love you so much, Stefan,” “We need to be careful, Elena.” Again, I say *yawn*. It is funny that Elena finally seems to be getting used to the Stealth Salvatore, though. And it’s interesting to see them both sipping vervain. Guess neither will be compellable. (I’m still calling Damon to play Manchurian Candidate once the other Originals roll in.)
- Even though Damon’s fake lack of concern for Rose was super obvious to everyone, I was really glad he was at least trying to keep up appearances. I know that he does care about her, but it would’ve rung false to me if he had acted like it was super important to him that she lives - not false that he did care, but because it would be OOC for him to let everyone see him that vulnerable. So this surface deflection of his conflicted emotions worked perfectly for me.
- I didn’t think I’d care about Forwood as much as I do, but it snuck up on me. They’re now probably my second fave ship. Caroline and Tyler have some serious chemistry, and Tyler is so damn sincere and grateful. They’re adorable. Plus, Matt’s never apologized to Caroline about all the times he’s called her neurotic and insecure, so he remains on my shit list.
- Yay! Liz is back!
- I love Stefan’s little RAWR! hand motion for werewolf. Hee! But boo to him calling Alaric Damon’s lackey. :(
- Alaric: “So this isn’t about Rose. It’s about Elena.”
Do you even watch this show, Ric?
- Damon’s room = PERFECTION!!! I was convinced they’d go the sleek, ultra-modern route, but like always, TVD surprises me. Rich mahogany, well-lit art, minimalistic. Just a TV, a pile of books, and a huge ass bed. Honestly, it suits Damon perfectly. And the bathroom is goooooorgeous. (Btw, how awesome is it that A) Damon reads! and B) DAMON READS GONE WITH THE WIND!!! So perfect. And it made me flash back to my Lost days and my love for bibliophile Sawyer.)
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #1 - Elena has thought about Damon’s bed!!! WITH SILK SHEETS!!1!1
- Um, show… why the fuck do you beat us over the head with the same 30 second clip for the past two months, and then cut out the most anticipated piece of dialogue from said clip from the actual episode? WTF? The only thing that intrigued me about the promo was Elena and Rose’s convo about the brothers, and they completely removed it. Not cool.
- If I’m seeing this right, I’m really liking the parallel they’re drawing between Elena and Damon, ie. they both take the easy way out. Damon is terrified about letting his humanity show, so he becomes a monster. Elena doesn’t know how to protect those she loves, so she martyrs herself. In the end, it’s Damon (and Rose) who make Elena realize that she’d given up, and it’s Elena who pushes Damon by telling him she sees how close he is to regaining his humanity, which he believes is impossible.
- Random thought - I wanna see an episode with the Salvatore brothers doing their laundry. Damon’s bathroom is complete with neatly rolled bath towels, and Elena seems to have found a fully stocked linen cupboard.
- Jules makes a very good unsympathetic bitch. I don’t think I’m gonna warm to her. But at least she’s an interesting bitch.
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #2 - Elena has Damon on speed dial!!! Squeeeee!
- It’s episodes like this that make me remember that, not 15 years ago, Kevin Williamson DEFINED the slasher horror genre with Scream. The chase scenes with Elena and Rose were classic Scream, down to the yell-at-the-screen frustration, like, “What the hell are you doing, girl?! Why are you going upstairs and not outside into the sunlight? And what the hell good is it gonna do locking Stefan’s door?!” At the same time, Elena was insanely kick-ass. When she grabbed Rose’s bite wound, I physically couldn’t un-cringe for over a minute.
- Matt, I don’t know why, but I find you incredibly annoying this episode. Sorry for the hate, but it’s true. PS. Do you ever think that maybe it’s a bit odd when you’re talking to someone and turn away for a split second, and they’re gone when you look back? ‘Cause that’s not normal, FYI.
- I missed the whole Elena-turns-around-and-is-scared-by-Damon thing. Nice to see it back. Also, is it just me or did that loud burst of reveal! music before Elena even noticed the open boardinghouse door seem very oddly misplaced?
- And another black man is killed on this show. At least he wasn’t a witch.
- Another thing I missed on TVD? Blissfully unaware couples getting brutally murdered.
- Way to make suffering palpable, Lauren Cohen. Damn, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I almost want a Rose flashback episode now, just to understand her history, how she got turned, etc…
- I got the feeling several times in this episode that Elena is going to be turned at the end of the season. Now, more often than not my feelings are wrong, so I’m probably way off on this. But the way Rose was telling her, “You can never forget it, what it’s like to be human,” seemed almost like she was warning Elena. Yes, it was leading up to Damon’s revelation later on, but it also felt like it was really directed at Elena. Again, I’m probably wrong.
- Awww! Forwood kiss! It was perfect. Tyler needs someone who wants to take care of him, and Caroline needs someone who really accepts her. Plus - “Everyone needs to stop kissing me!” Priceless.
- Damon/Rose dream sequence - You know, my first instinct as a DE fan was that I should hate this, this intimacy between Damon and someone who isn’t Elena. But in all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever loved Damon more. The fact that he cares this much about someone who isn’t Elena, who he doesn’t have romantic feelings for, makes me respect Damon in a way I never have before. Here, more clearly than we’ve ever been shown, it is made obvious that DAMON IS A GOOD MAN. Regardless of how hard he fights it (and good Lord does he fight it), it is his basic nature and he’ll never escape it. If tonight’s episode proved anything to me, it’s that Damon truly is the one on the hero’s journey. To me, this entire series is no longer about a human girl and her love for two vampire brothers. This show is about DAMON and his journey to reclaim his humanity. Of course, his epic love story with Elena still plays a major part. But Damon’s journey is the impetus that drives the entire show. I only hope that, in the end, Damon’s redemption will be everything he truly deserves it to be.
- Back off, bitch! Don’t get in between Tyler and Caroline! I will cut you!!
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #3 - She had a glass of scotch waiting for him! SQUEE!!!!
- Delena MUST be endgame. There is no alternative. No two other characters can read each other so well and so easily pierce each other’s defenses. Regardless of how he deflects and misdirects, Elena will never give up on him. Despite the fact that she may have stopped fighting for herself, Damon will never give up fighting for her. These two are the definition of soul mates. I love how easily she says that they’re friends again, like nothing in the past matters (even if it still does), and he isn’t surprised by it because he already knows. I’m sorry if I’m rambling, but I’m just so excited to watch their journey to each other.
- Uncle John’s back. Meh.
- I was terrified of how this final scene would unfold. When I’d first seen spoilers of Damon’s roadside encounter with Jessica (hee… that’s my name), I feared the worst - that the writers were gonna go for the cheap shock of reverting Damon back to his wicked ways.
NOT. AT. ALL.
This scene was so horribly, tragically, beautifully in character that it physically hurt. THIS IS DAMON - yes, he’s drunker than we’ve ever seen him, but he’s also more honest. Who would’ve thought a year and a half ago, watching Damon taunt his little brother about embracing humanity, that his deepest darkest secret was that it’s what he covets more than anything else in the whole world? And the best part is that it makes so much sense. Damon never asked for eternity… only love. The thing he rejected is forced upon him, while the thing he seeks so desperately constantly eludes him. He’s been shaped by all the pain and misery he’s suffered over the past century and a half, creating a new persona for himself to finally feel empowered and in control of his un-life.
So right now, Damon stands at a crossroads. He can either continue to suffer with the things he can’t control… his emotions, his caring about others… or he can take control again by being what he knows, the killer/user/manipulator he was for 145 years. And he made the perfect choice for where he is right now in the show. As Julie Plec said, he’s not there… yet. Damon’s biggest mistake is thinking that he’ll never be able to reclaim his humanity, that he’ll never be capable of being good. So, of course, when confronted with an existential crisis, it makes complete sense that he would choose the easier path, the path he could control.
This is by far my favorite episode of the season, and my favorite Damon-episode ever. If Ian Somerhalder doesn’t get an Emmy, I will riot.
I will never lose faith in you again, Vampire Diaries.
This week’s episode of Vampire Diaries reminds me that I should never lose faith in this show, and that Kevin Williamson continues to reign supreme as the Master of Scream.
Before I get into my scene-by-scene breakdown, I just wanna give a quick, heartfelt RIP to poor Rose. Honestly, it’s almost sadistic the way this show made me go from utterly despising her for four episodes to actually sympathizing with her throughout her “descent” into madness, only to leave me bawling buckets over her inevitable demise. You made me cry over ROSE, show! WTF?! You are evil.
This episode was perfection in so many ways. Not only did we get to see an Emmy-worthy performance by Mr. Somerhalder (seriously, who gives a crap if it’s on the CW… that was better acting than I’ve ever seen on TV), but the pace was so whip-fast that I actually needed the commercials just to breathe. Plus, there was a bare minimum of Stefan, and no Bonnie! (I kid, I kid…)
So here we go -
- It’s so nice to see that the werewolves aren’t being presented as some sort of good guys against the “evil” vampires. They’re just as deadly a threat to the humans of Mystic Falls as the vamps. And it seemed pretty clear that Jules has killed innocent people before. She looked like she was used to cleaning up after herself. Also, it was interesting that she seemed to regret what she did, yet had no qualms killing the deputy to keep her secret. (I LOL’d when, upon second viewing, my mom pointed out that she’d bludgeoned him with one of the severed limbs.)
- SE scene… *yawn*. Seriously, these two, together, are the only thing that bore me on this show (well, okay, also Bonnie/Luka, but…). Separately, I love each of their characters. Case in point, just watch Elena in this episode. She absolutely shines when she gets to be a kick-ass girl, and Stefan can be compelling when he’s a man on a mission. But they’re both so bland and boring in scenes like this. It’s always the same. Turn around, kiss, “I love you so much, Stefan,” “We need to be careful, Elena.” Again, I say *yawn*. It is funny that Elena finally seems to be getting used to the Stealth Salvatore, though. And it’s interesting to see them both sipping vervain. Guess neither will be compellable. (I’m still calling Damon to play Manchurian Candidate once the other Originals roll in.)
- Even though Damon’s fake lack of concern for Rose was super obvious to everyone, I was really glad he was at least trying to keep up appearances. I know that he does care about her, but it would’ve rung false to me if he had acted like it was super important to him that she lives - not false that he did care, but because it would be OOC for him to let everyone see him that vulnerable. So this surface deflection of his conflicted emotions worked perfectly for me.
- I didn’t think I’d care about Forwood as much as I do, but it snuck up on me. They’re now probably my second fave ship. Caroline and Tyler have some serious chemistry, and Tyler is so damn sincere and grateful. They’re adorable. Plus, Matt’s never apologized to Caroline about all the times he’s called her neurotic and insecure, so he remains on my shit list.
- Yay! Liz is back!
- I love Stefan’s little RAWR! hand motion for werewolf. Hee! But boo to him calling Alaric Damon’s lackey. :(
- Alaric: “So this isn’t about Rose. It’s about Elena.”
Do you even watch this show, Ric?
- Damon’s room = PERFECTION!!! I was convinced they’d go the sleek, ultra-modern route, but like always, TVD surprises me. Rich mahogany, well-lit art, minimalistic. Just a TV, a pile of books, and a huge ass bed. Honestly, it suits Damon perfectly. And the bathroom is goooooorgeous. (Btw, how awesome is it that A) Damon reads! and B) DAMON READS GONE WITH THE WIND!!! So perfect. And it made me flash back to my Lost days and my love for bibliophile Sawyer.)
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #1 - Elena has thought about Damon’s bed!!! WITH SILK SHEETS!!1!1
- Um, show… why the fuck do you beat us over the head with the same 30 second clip for the past two months, and then cut out the most anticipated piece of dialogue from said clip from the actual episode? WTF? The only thing that intrigued me about the promo was Elena and Rose’s convo about the brothers, and they completely removed it. Not cool.
- If I’m seeing this right, I’m really liking the parallel they’re drawing between Elena and Damon, ie. they both take the easy way out. Damon is terrified about letting his humanity show, so he becomes a monster. Elena doesn’t know how to protect those she loves, so she martyrs herself. In the end, it’s Damon (and Rose) who make Elena realize that she’d given up, and it’s Elena who pushes Damon by telling him she sees how close he is to regaining his humanity, which he believes is impossible.
- Random thought - I wanna see an episode with the Salvatore brothers doing their laundry. Damon’s bathroom is complete with neatly rolled bath towels, and Elena seems to have found a fully stocked linen cupboard.
- Jules makes a very good unsympathetic bitch. I don’t think I’m gonna warm to her. But at least she’s an interesting bitch.
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #2 - Elena has Damon on speed dial!!! Squeeeee!
- It’s episodes like this that make me remember that, not 15 years ago, Kevin Williamson DEFINED the slasher horror genre with Scream. The chase scenes with Elena and Rose were classic Scream, down to the yell-at-the-screen frustration, like, “What the hell are you doing, girl?! Why are you going upstairs and not outside into the sunlight? And what the hell good is it gonna do locking Stefan’s door?!” At the same time, Elena was insanely kick-ass. When she grabbed Rose’s bite wound, I physically couldn’t un-cringe for over a minute.
- Matt, I don’t know why, but I find you incredibly annoying this episode. Sorry for the hate, but it’s true. PS. Do you ever think that maybe it’s a bit odd when you’re talking to someone and turn away for a split second, and they’re gone when you look back? ‘Cause that’s not normal, FYI.
- I missed the whole Elena-turns-around-and-is-scared-by-Damon thing. Nice to see it back. Also, is it just me or did that loud burst of reveal! music before Elena even noticed the open boardinghouse door seem very oddly misplaced?
- And another black man is killed on this show. At least he wasn’t a witch.
- Another thing I missed on TVD? Blissfully unaware couples getting brutally murdered.
- Way to make suffering palpable, Lauren Cohen. Damn, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I almost want a Rose flashback episode now, just to understand her history, how she got turned, etc…
- I got the feeling several times in this episode that Elena is going to be turned at the end of the season. Now, more often than not my feelings are wrong, so I’m probably way off on this. But the way Rose was telling her, “You can never forget it, what it’s like to be human,” seemed almost like she was warning Elena. Yes, it was leading up to Damon’s revelation later on, but it also felt like it was really directed at Elena. Again, I’m probably wrong.
- Awww! Forwood kiss! It was perfect. Tyler needs someone who wants to take care of him, and Caroline needs someone who really accepts her. Plus - “Everyone needs to stop kissing me!” Priceless.
- Damon/Rose dream sequence - You know, my first instinct as a DE fan was that I should hate this, this intimacy between Damon and someone who isn’t Elena. But in all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever loved Damon more. The fact that he cares this much about someone who isn’t Elena, who he doesn’t have romantic feelings for, makes me respect Damon in a way I never have before. Here, more clearly than we’ve ever been shown, it is made obvious that DAMON IS A GOOD MAN. Regardless of how hard he fights it (and good Lord does he fight it), it is his basic nature and he’ll never escape it. If tonight’s episode proved anything to me, it’s that Damon truly is the one on the hero’s journey. To me, this entire series is no longer about a human girl and her love for two vampire brothers. This show is about DAMON and his journey to reclaim his humanity. Of course, his epic love story with Elena still plays a major part. But Damon’s journey is the impetus that drives the entire show. I only hope that, in the end, Damon’s redemption will be everything he truly deserves it to be.
- Back off, bitch! Don’t get in between Tyler and Caroline! I will cut you!!
- STUPID FANGIRL SQUEE MOMENT #3 - She had a glass of scotch waiting for him! SQUEE!!!!
- Delena MUST be endgame. There is no alternative. No two other characters can read each other so well and so easily pierce each other’s defenses. Regardless of how he deflects and misdirects, Elena will never give up on him. Despite the fact that she may have stopped fighting for herself, Damon will never give up fighting for her. These two are the definition of soul mates. I love how easily she says that they’re friends again, like nothing in the past matters (even if it still does), and he isn’t surprised by it because he already knows. I’m sorry if I’m rambling, but I’m just so excited to watch their journey to each other.
- Uncle John’s back. Meh.
- I was terrified of how this final scene would unfold. When I’d first seen spoilers of Damon’s roadside encounter with Jessica (hee… that’s my name), I feared the worst - that the writers were gonna go for the cheap shock of reverting Damon back to his wicked ways.
NOT. AT. ALL.
This scene was so horribly, tragically, beautifully in character that it physically hurt. THIS IS DAMON - yes, he’s drunker than we’ve ever seen him, but he’s also more honest. Who would’ve thought a year and a half ago, watching Damon taunt his little brother about embracing humanity, that his deepest darkest secret was that it’s what he covets more than anything else in the whole world? And the best part is that it makes so much sense. Damon never asked for eternity… only love. The thing he rejected is forced upon him, while the thing he seeks so desperately constantly eludes him. He’s been shaped by all the pain and misery he’s suffered over the past century and a half, creating a new persona for himself to finally feel empowered and in control of his un-life.
So right now, Damon stands at a crossroads. He can either continue to suffer with the things he can’t control… his emotions, his caring about others… or he can take control again by being what he knows, the killer/user/manipulator he was for 145 years. And he made the perfect choice for where he is right now in the show. As Julie Plec said, he’s not there… yet. Damon’s biggest mistake is thinking that he’ll never be able to reclaim his humanity, that he’ll never be capable of being good. So, of course, when confronted with an existential crisis, it makes complete sense that he would choose the easier path, the path he could control.
This is by far my favorite episode of the season, and my favorite Damon-episode ever. If Ian Somerhalder doesn’t get an Emmy, I will riot.
I will never lose faith in you again, Vampire Diaries.