Vampire Diaries. Dude? Really? DUDE?

Alright, I know it took me a little while to get to this episode, but I really wanted to give it another watch before I wrote it up, which is not my usual and customary.  I just couldn’t make up my mind what I thought about this episode.  I’m actually still a little bit torn.

As I was telling Kath (of GMMR fame), I can’t seem to just watch this show like a normal person.  On the one hand, I just purely ENJOY this show.  I like watching it, I get excited to see it, and it’s not the first time I’ve had a repeat viewing.  So on some level, I just LIKE it, just the way it is, Mark Darcy-style.  On the other hand, though, I want this to be a really high quality show as well as an entertaining show and that keeps me from letting up on it entirely.  I have criticisms for it that I would probably just dismiss if I weren’t so into it, if that makes any sense. 

This all makes me think of my love for Chuck, which has always been a good show but came on in season two as a great show.  Anyone who followed my recaps at GMMR knows that I was hard on it that first year, always wanting things to improve or pointing out what I considered flaws in the show.  I’m still not sorry about that, but it hurt a little to have to do it.  However, I felt like it made my love of Chuck more genuine when the kinks got ironed out, because I wasn’t just falling all over myself from the get go.  Am I making any sort of sense at all right now?  It’s always so hard for me to tell. :)

Anyway, bad news first, I think this show is suffering from really strange pacing.  Some storylines positively CRAWL (i.e. Bonnie), where others fly by so fast I don’t know whether I’m coming or going (Stefan and Elena, Vampire Vicki).  I feel like there has to be a happy medium somewhere, because right now Bonnie is just boring me, and I don’t think I should be bored by witches.  Plus, I think I’d be more able to overlook the boredom if it were somehow tying into the main story, but it’s just really not.  I have no doubt that it eventually will, but right now, it just seems like a snail’s pace storyline robbing me of Stefan and Elena Damon time. 

Meanwhile, it’s pretty obvious that this show is going to get picked up for at LEAST a second season, and they’re going to want to have some stories left to tell.  How far are we into this season?  Not even halfway, right?  So far, Stefan and Elena have had an epic relationship, had a major fight because he won’t tell her stuff, kissed and made up over a big garlicky carbalicious dinner (my fave, by the way), discussed how Stefan is a vampire, hung out all day discussing Stefan’s vampy past, broke up, and had a “I still have feelings for you” talk.  Dudes, that is a LOT of back and forth.  Which I’m fine with–I know that shows, especially teen romance shows, need that.  But it all happened in such a short period of time!  There’s nothing wrong with drawing this stuff out a little longer, because it’s not that it isn’t good stuff–it totally is.  It’s just that I wonder if I’m having enough time to build up emotional investment in these storylines and consequently to really feel what the writers want me to feel as a result.

Alright, last thing and then it’s on to the good, I promise.  Vampire Vicki.  Y’all, I liked her so much.  She added some serious drama to the show and I liked the idea of having a new (and female!) vampire on the scene.  Just look at the cattiness she showed Elena–vampire bitchitude is so much better than regular bitchitude, and that’s why I love Pam on True Blood (which, I know, is a bit of a non-sequitur here but I do).  And it created a lot of drama to have her want to interact with people she cared about but that it was dangerous to do so.  My real hope here is that in helping Stefan “clean up the mess” of Vicki (now THAT’S a visual, right?), he does something to pin the blame on her that makes her early death worth it, because otherwise, it just seems like a waste.  But I can totally reserve judgment on that.

On the other hand, I’m glad to have Stefan out from under that storyline.  I think I was getting as tired of his preachy lectures as Vicki was, and it was making him a real drag this episode.  (Also, sometimes I sound old when I write these recaps, and sometimes I say things like that, and I feel like, yeah, I’m kind of cool still!  I just got all “Parents Just Don’t Understand” on this recap’s ass–and then I realize that thinking that makes me uncool again.)  I feel sort of the same way about Jeremy–there’s a part of me who feels like they cheaped out by using the plot device of compulsion to make him forget about Vicki rather than deal with the consequences, but I’m ready for Jeremy to move onto something else too if he can’t be with Vicki.  Plus, I’m reserving judgment on that too, because I want to know what the price is for Elena now being indebted to Damon.

So now onto the good, and there was PLENTY of good.  I am rapidly turning Team Damon because I find that my favorite parts of the show are the ones that he’s on, but I could easily return to Team Stefan at any moment, because the look he gave Elena on the porch was so sweet, and I loved his little choked up moment of how he wanted to help Vicki but instead he staked her, which was not as sexy as it may sound.

But Damon flirting with the mayor’s wife the cougar?  Totally sexy!  And before you start throwing around accusations, I don’t qualify for cougar status yet.  YET!  But someday I will rock it out and then watch out, perpetually youthful Damon–you’re mine!  The best part though was all the useful information he got from her, including my favorite part, that they eliminated everyone who goes out during the day from the suspects list.  And that definitely wasn’t lost on Damon, either.  And I like that he managed to weasel his way into the Founders’ Council too.  ALSO–did you guys notice how compelling didn’t work on her?  Was she wearing vervain, or was it something else?  Also, nice cover with the “I’ve got something in my eye.”  Hee!

Also liked, now that I think of it, bringing Damon and Bonnie together.  Loved how shocked they both looked at the necklace, and that moment has some sweet potential for action.

This episode really worked for me though with Damon and Elena’s interactions.  I admit that I was REALLY not fond of her slapping him for the second time this season, since I just think … I don’t know, slapping his hitting, which ain’t cool, man.  This from the girl who thinks spanking kids is okay.  But it’s totally different when you’re hitting a person in the heat of the moment and there are actual words that you can both understand to communicate your feelings.  It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth toward Elena, which is a bummer because her feelings are totally justified, you know?

Still, I love when we see actual emotions from Damon, who is always so flippant about things on the surface.  So to see him get actually angry with Elena was both awesome and a little scary.  He says that nothing matters to him, but it obviously does, and I liked when he showed up on the porch and offered to take Jeremy’s memories, because it does leave you wondering what his ulterior motive is, but you also get the feeling that he might want to step in and save the day for Elena.  I’m glad that earlier in the season we got that one little scene of him watching her sleep, because otherwise you wouldn’t get the more tender side of his feelings for her at all, and I think that the one scene combined with how harsh he is toward her gives you a good mix of insight and ambiguity.

In addition to Damon, the porch scene was my favorite for Stefan and Elena’s conversation.  I think that what Elena was saying about wanting to forget everything but not wanting to lose the way she feels about Stefan is something that’s very relatable, and it did get all Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind there for a minute (which is a total compliment–I love that movie).  I loved Stefan’s reaction, which was subtle but also very Stefan, and it makes me VERY excited for the next episode, when we see Elena possibly getting a little jealous and Stefan–GASP!–smiling!  What?!?!

And finally (yes, FINALLY–I know this is long but I’ve been storing it up, okay?), loved the opening when Ty called Damon dude, and the disgust on his face as he said, “Dude?  Really?  DUDE?”  HILARIOUS.  Ian Somerhalder is my fave in the whole wide world for that.

And finally finally (I SWEAR!) … more Caroline!  That is all.

What did everyone else think?  Was it as good for you as Lost Girls?  How do you feel about Vicki being killed so quickly?  Do you think it was a good story choice to make Jeremy forget about the whole thing?  And how about those hot costumes?  Share your thoughts in the comments!