Despite my perverse affection for bad boys, this show repeatedly reminds me why this couple is the heart of "TVD"
I’m liking how The Vampire Diaries keeps putting forth titles that refer to multiple characters. Some face death of a traditional sort. Others of a less traditional sort. But for many, it is their last day of something, as with Klaus, for whom it is the last day of waiting…after a very, very, very long time of waiting.
I’ve been thinking about this very, very good episode of TVD, and it has me contemplating what this show is not. It is not elegant—and don’t think I mean that in a really negative way. Some shows operate on a level of poetry—they are about balance, proportion, symmetry. For example, we have a number of character facing their last day here. If TVD was more elegant, it would develop layered stories, intercutting each character’s experience facing death, so each would comment on the next. Instead, the show runs in fits and starts. It acts impulsively, like Damon. TVD is all emotion, action. Often it is messy and somewhat erratic. Now, I like my shows messy, so again, this isn’t criticism. Rather, I think the show truly embodies the youthful energy of its main characters and its intended audience. Without great vision of the future, the characters move forward, following compulsions or passions. They are not embittered or despairing. For these characters, there is always some new plan, some new action. So they hurtle forward, always hoping for better, for salvation, for love. As with the characters, for TVD, the key to this show is the relationships.
A lot happens in this episode—let’s count the instances of impending carnage. Two friends return, a human faces a future as a vampire, a vampire is fatally bit, four trapped supernaturals await their fate, a witch dies, a human is turned, and a friend betrays another in an unforgiveable manner. I mightily enjoyed all of these happenings, but as I’ve often written, action is not enough–I want more–character development, depth, consequences. In “The Last Day,” TVD demonstrated that it can indeed give us this “more.” Despite being, largely, an action episode, two characters take time to process the enormity fo the changes ahead. I hope all the characters dealing with huge changes get such an opportunity to come to terms with these changes in the next two episodes, but for now, I am going to relish the rather sublime conversation we get to witness between Stefan and Elena to describe why this weeks TVD marks a high point–for its strengths (fast-paced action) and for overcoming its typical weakness (too fast to let characters react, change).
For me, the highlight of the episode was not any of the super exciting moments but rather the scene with Stefan and Elena atop the waterfall. Aside from the cheesiness of the setting and the inevitable ‘reveal’ by Elena, their conversation is mature, adult, honest. Of the many reasons why I like this show, the handling of Elena and Stefan’s relationship must be high on that list for the writers’ avoidance of the usual clichés. Elena and Stefan do not need each other desperately. They do not constantly swear a willingness to die for the other (though both would likely do so). They avoid discussions of the future rather than presume life will always remain exactly as it is right at this moment. My partner often comments about a fatal flaw in most vampire-human relationships—he cannot believe a creature that has lived for hundreds of years would be interested in the hobbies and priorities of a teenager. The life experience disparity is simply too great, in his mind. Yet here we saw Elena showing that her own sense of self runs deep, and that Stefan understands her, even when she does not speak her thoughts aloud. More details about this scene, and others, after the jump.
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