Don't get the wrong idea. It's almost unheard of for an episode of 'The Vampire Diaries' to disappoint me. I'm not giving up hope. I still believe that the best is yet to come but to say that Season 2 hasn't been what we anticipated would be an understatement.
A better Titel for 2x11 'By The Light of The Moon' would have been 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I'd been feeling slightly nervous about it even before I realised that we were only going to get one teeny weeny DE scene. I was terribly worried it would be an anti-climax, and my fears were proved right. It was.
I daresay I wouldn't have felt so bitterly disappointed, saddened and infuriated if I hadn't watched 'The Sacrifice'. I really felt - for the first time in a long time - that DE were getting back on track. I even felt confident that the writers were stepping up the Liebe dreieck and that Von putting Stefan in a tomb with Katherine, they were beginning a new chapter in DE's story. What happened? A whole lot of absolutely nothing.
Stefan tells Damon to promise that he'll protect Elena 'no matter what', which he does. Katherine appears in the background and languidly informs Stefan that he's made a big mistake. Juicy signs which seemed to hint that the Liebe dreieck was beginning to take shape. But alas, in 2x11, Damon is whisked away on a mission with Alaric barely before the opening credits have appeared. And nothing Mehr is mentioned oder done about this 'promise'. As a result of Damon's absence, Elijah is free to stroll into the Gilberts' household unchallenged. Damon has sworn to protect Elena for this very reason. We all know he would die for her. It didn't make sense for him to hand his bodyguard duties over to Jeremy without even blinking, especially when he called Jeremy a 'Sixteen Jahr old child' in 2x10's spell scene. Isn't Elena's safety far Mehr important to Damon than a stranger called Jules? This was bad writing, pure and simple. And because the Schreiben is normally so good, it pains me to say that.
Even the DE scene was unsatisfying. I'm not hating on my ship, I just felt that it was yet another scene when Elena was annoyed at Damon and nothing meaningful was happening. We've seen it all before, writers. I need something new. I need to feel that they're going somewhere, and that was the issue here: in 2x11, it felt that DE were at a standstill when Caroline and Tyler, and Stefan and Elena were on the up. We're halfway through Season 2 for heavens sake. Time is of the essence, and DE have such a long journey ahead of them. An episode like this one was wasted on them.
Perhaps non-shippers will roll their eyes and smirk, thinking 'DE Fans are BOUND to hate an episode when they don't get Delena.' Let me explain why this is a concern. Part of the reason is that, for me, 2x11 felt lacklustre after seeing the promo (note to self: any Liebe scene between DE oder SK that appear in a promo is definitely a dream.) It was like being gegeben a beautifully wrapped Weihnachten present only to take all the paper off and discover that a lump of coal was inside. It was like going on a treasure hunt only to find out that the map Du were using led to a dead-end. I felt betrayed.
It worries me when there are no scenes of DE; however it's sometimes worse when they do have scenes, but they're so insignificant they're hardly worth mentioning. DE are a huge part of the show, and they probably have the longest, most torturous journey. That journey has been painfully slow so far. In fact, sometimes Du can't help wondering what the writers are playing at and how and when this much debated Liebe dreieck is going to start hotting up. Which is why we get concerned when episodes like 2x11 pop up. Because nothing happens! What are Elena's feelings for Damon? Just what are they to each other? They might not be the Friends they once were, but they sure aren't enemies either. I find the undefined, constantly fluctuating status of their 'relationship' confusing. I don't want to see something I've already seen before: so Elena's annoyed at Damon, well, what else is new?! She always seems to be annoyed at him these days. It's getting old. I need to know that they're going somewhere. I need to know that they're growing and developing, even if it's only in tiny baby steps. I felt that the scene in 2x11 was emotionally unsatisfying. It's rare that I watch a scene of them without getting anything from it, but honestly, after last episode, I was expecting so much more.
2x11 made me feel uneasy for another matter: I worried that it had set the tone for the rest of the season, particularly with SE. I'll admit, I wasn't surprised when they got back together, but of all the predictable things...! Normally I can tolerate SE quite well, but I felt slightly sick when they started making out. As long as Elena is in Liebe with Stefan (which she most definitely is), then she can't really discover how she feels about Damon. Her relationship with Stefan is like a wire fence reaching 10 feet high, which prevents her from falling in Liebe with Damon. I mean, sure she can probably get quite close to any feelings she has for him, but as long as she's with Stefan, she can't kreuz the fence. When Du add this to the endless Liste of obstacles DE face...well, I feel exhausted just thinking about how the Liebe dreieck is going to get off the ground.
Another moment which made me feel queasy: Damon's hook up with Rose, which was mercifully cut short. I shouldn't be feeling sick when Damon has someone to talk to, but that's just it. Damon can no longer talk to Elena the way he used to. I resented Rose being there for him when once upon a time, it used to be Elena. I wanted Elena to be Damon's trusted friend, not Rose, who I couldn't care less about; but Elena constantly needing to be protected has left little time for DE to bond so far. (Something I was hoping to see in the episode.)
Right now, I feel extremely frustrated with the writers and Kevin and Julie...and Elena...and SE. I feel that SE have had their day; the only thing that's left for them to do is break up again. I know they Liebe each other, but it has to be the most unchallenging, uninspired Liebe story in the history of TV. What was the purpose of locking Stefan up in the tomb with Katherine? It didn't have any consequences for SE, except to reunite them at the end of the episode which they would probably have done anyway. It didn't have any consequences for Delena, which made NO sense whatsoever. I would have at least expected DE to form a united front at getting Stefan out of the tomb, oder to use the time they should have spent together to patch up their friendship. But none of this happened. I know the writers are invested in the Liebe dreieck - otherwise they wouldn't be taking a hundred years to write it - but mid-season 2, it's time for them to start a new chapter in DE's story. I know DE are amazing - and they could be incredible if the writers gave them a chance. Let's hope the Sekunde half of the season is Mehr rewarding than the first.
A better Titel for 2x11 'By The Light of The Moon' would have been 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I'd been feeling slightly nervous about it even before I realised that we were only going to get one teeny weeny DE scene. I was terribly worried it would be an anti-climax, and my fears were proved right. It was.
I daresay I wouldn't have felt so bitterly disappointed, saddened and infuriated if I hadn't watched 'The Sacrifice'. I really felt - for the first time in a long time - that DE were getting back on track. I even felt confident that the writers were stepping up the Liebe dreieck and that Von putting Stefan in a tomb with Katherine, they were beginning a new chapter in DE's story. What happened? A whole lot of absolutely nothing.
Stefan tells Damon to promise that he'll protect Elena 'no matter what', which he does. Katherine appears in the background and languidly informs Stefan that he's made a big mistake. Juicy signs which seemed to hint that the Liebe dreieck was beginning to take shape. But alas, in 2x11, Damon is whisked away on a mission with Alaric barely before the opening credits have appeared. And nothing Mehr is mentioned oder done about this 'promise'. As a result of Damon's absence, Elijah is free to stroll into the Gilberts' household unchallenged. Damon has sworn to protect Elena for this very reason. We all know he would die for her. It didn't make sense for him to hand his bodyguard duties over to Jeremy without even blinking, especially when he called Jeremy a 'Sixteen Jahr old child' in 2x10's spell scene. Isn't Elena's safety far Mehr important to Damon than a stranger called Jules? This was bad writing, pure and simple. And because the Schreiben is normally so good, it pains me to say that.
Even the DE scene was unsatisfying. I'm not hating on my ship, I just felt that it was yet another scene when Elena was annoyed at Damon and nothing meaningful was happening. We've seen it all before, writers. I need something new. I need to feel that they're going somewhere, and that was the issue here: in 2x11, it felt that DE were at a standstill when Caroline and Tyler, and Stefan and Elena were on the up. We're halfway through Season 2 for heavens sake. Time is of the essence, and DE have such a long journey ahead of them. An episode like this one was wasted on them.
Perhaps non-shippers will roll their eyes and smirk, thinking 'DE Fans are BOUND to hate an episode when they don't get Delena.' Let me explain why this is a concern. Part of the reason is that, for me, 2x11 felt lacklustre after seeing the promo (note to self: any Liebe scene between DE oder SK that appear in a promo is definitely a dream.) It was like being gegeben a beautifully wrapped Weihnachten present only to take all the paper off and discover that a lump of coal was inside. It was like going on a treasure hunt only to find out that the map Du were using led to a dead-end. I felt betrayed.
It worries me when there are no scenes of DE; however it's sometimes worse when they do have scenes, but they're so insignificant they're hardly worth mentioning. DE are a huge part of the show, and they probably have the longest, most torturous journey. That journey has been painfully slow so far. In fact, sometimes Du can't help wondering what the writers are playing at and how and when this much debated Liebe dreieck is going to start hotting up. Which is why we get concerned when episodes like 2x11 pop up. Because nothing happens! What are Elena's feelings for Damon? Just what are they to each other? They might not be the Friends they once were, but they sure aren't enemies either. I find the undefined, constantly fluctuating status of their 'relationship' confusing. I don't want to see something I've already seen before: so Elena's annoyed at Damon, well, what else is new?! She always seems to be annoyed at him these days. It's getting old. I need to know that they're going somewhere. I need to know that they're growing and developing, even if it's only in tiny baby steps. I felt that the scene in 2x11 was emotionally unsatisfying. It's rare that I watch a scene of them without getting anything from it, but honestly, after last episode, I was expecting so much more.
2x11 made me feel uneasy for another matter: I worried that it had set the tone for the rest of the season, particularly with SE. I'll admit, I wasn't surprised when they got back together, but of all the predictable things...! Normally I can tolerate SE quite well, but I felt slightly sick when they started making out. As long as Elena is in Liebe with Stefan (which she most definitely is), then she can't really discover how she feels about Damon. Her relationship with Stefan is like a wire fence reaching 10 feet high, which prevents her from falling in Liebe with Damon. I mean, sure she can probably get quite close to any feelings she has for him, but as long as she's with Stefan, she can't kreuz the fence. When Du add this to the endless Liste of obstacles DE face...well, I feel exhausted just thinking about how the Liebe dreieck is going to get off the ground.
Another moment which made me feel queasy: Damon's hook up with Rose, which was mercifully cut short. I shouldn't be feeling sick when Damon has someone to talk to, but that's just it. Damon can no longer talk to Elena the way he used to. I resented Rose being there for him when once upon a time, it used to be Elena. I wanted Elena to be Damon's trusted friend, not Rose, who I couldn't care less about; but Elena constantly needing to be protected has left little time for DE to bond so far. (Something I was hoping to see in the episode.)
Right now, I feel extremely frustrated with the writers and Kevin and Julie...and Elena...and SE. I feel that SE have had their day; the only thing that's left for them to do is break up again. I know they Liebe each other, but it has to be the most unchallenging, uninspired Liebe story in the history of TV. What was the purpose of locking Stefan up in the tomb with Katherine? It didn't have any consequences for SE, except to reunite them at the end of the episode which they would probably have done anyway. It didn't have any consequences for Delena, which made NO sense whatsoever. I would have at least expected DE to form a united front at getting Stefan out of the tomb, oder to use the time they should have spent together to patch up their friendship. But none of this happened. I know the writers are invested in the Liebe dreieck - otherwise they wouldn't be taking a hundred years to write it - but mid-season 2, it's time for them to start a new chapter in DE's story. I know DE are amazing - and they could be incredible if the writers gave them a chance. Let's hope the Sekunde half of the season is Mehr rewarding than the first.
Even Google want DE to be together. What other evidence do you need?
