Slightly off topic, but the one thing I am taking "logic" issues with at the moment is that Alaric is said to have been turned into an "Original". The "Originals" are called such because they were the ORIGINAL vampires. Plec should have written it/explained it as a powerful spell that makes him as strong as an Original. I love TVD, but sometimes I think the writers just don't think things through all the way... they let logic fail to make a story "work".
@BoredNow..when did Julie Plec say that Elena has an IQ of 150 and does not need to go to school??
Also, I have to put this out there for all the fans or critics that are "sick of the triangle". Julie Plec told a fan on her Twitter recently that the show is about a girl caught between to very different brothers. It is the main vein of the show. I'd say to get over your frustration with the triangle because it is the premise of the show and likely not going anywhere.
At some point, Damon. Dude needs to actually get the girl. Did everyone forget what Katherine did to him, and how she chose Stefan? Though, I think that's end game and I am starting to think she chooses herself. Especially if her choosing one means a brother leaving Mystic Falls, as was suggested by Ian Somerhalder in an interview (Stef and Damon apparently have a conversation of that nature next episode). Neither character will permanently leave the show, so she must not chose anyone right now. Or she becomes a vampire to stop Klaus from using her as a blood bag, which is what I would like to see happen :-)
Can't top Steve's, haha! Except it didn't stick. Which is my only gripe about this episode (besides several logic fails that really got to me).
Esther: Powerful and interesting or... just die already!
I agree with both Steve and Dan. She is too randomly powerful and she DOES push the issue that death is not permanent on TVD. I personally think she shouldn't have been introduced and that Klaus killing her should have stuck. There could have been a better way for the show to get Alaric dark and twisty.
Tie between the gathering of everyone outside the tombs, and Damon sitting with Alaric. I like the emotional, heartbreaking stuff the most...
Who looked best at the Decade Dance?
I know everyone is hating on Elena these days (I am starting to lose SOME sympathy for her..I mean, I don't see why everyone sacrifices everything for her at this point..the writers have got to make me believe she's worth it)...BUT, Nina Dobrev looked stunning.
@bored now, Caroline is never going to be the focus of the show. The triangle will not disappear. The show was conceived on the premise "A girl caught between two vampire brothers". The books have a similar tone. I don't think they can possibly stray enough to kill everyone and focus on Caroline!
@ Sanne, you said "Right now, realistic character development and character depth are suffering for the sake of twists and turns." And I think that is put perfectly. The best part of Season 1 was the way the characters were developing, how their emotions were playing out, there wasn't even a big twist until Katherine appeared really...and I LOVED that...sure some shock is great, but the writers need to go back to "writing base zero" and capture the greatness of the 1st season!
Finally (isn't it AMAZING what a beautifully placed song can do to a TV show or movie??):
Song: “Medicine”
Artist: Daughter
Music moment: Stefan and Elena share a moment in the gym after Alaric locks himself in the tomb
Lyrics:
Pick it up, pick it all up. And start again. You've got a second chance,. you could go home.. Escape it all. It's just irrelevant. It's just medicine. It's just medicine. You could still be what you want to. What you said you were when I met you. You've got a warm heart. You’ve got a beautiful brain. But it's disintegrating from all the medicine, from all the medicine, from all the medicine..
This was the best (as was Florence & The Machine last week):
Song: “Be Still”
Artist: The Fray
Music moment: Alaric says goodbye to Elena and Jeremy
Lyrics:
Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still and know that I am here, Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still, be still, and know, When darkness comes upon you, And sleep no longer finds your bed, Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, be still, If fear falls upon your bed and sleep no longer comes, Remember all the words I said, Be still be still and know, And if you go through the valley, And the shadow comes down from the hill, If morning never comes to be, Be still be still be still
Can I actually make one really positive comment? Whoever chooses the music for the show is incredible..always finding the perfect songs..so good, the lyrics to perfect, the tone creating/adding to such emotion. Here is some from last night:
Song: “You Do Something to Me”
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
Music moment: Elena and Stefan dance
Lyrics:
You do something to me. Something that simply mystifies me. Tell me, why should it be, You have the power to hypnotize me. Let me live 'neath your spell. Do do that voodoo that you do so well. For you do something to me
Finally (isn't it AMAZING what a beautifully placed song can do to a TV show or movie??):
Song: “Medicine”
Artist: Daughter
Music moment: Stefan and Elena share a moment in the gym after Alaric locks himself in the tomb
Lyrics:
Pick it up, pick it all up. And start again. You've got a second chance,. you could go home.. Escape it all. It's just irrelevant. It's just medicine. It's just medicine. You could still be what you want to. What you said you were when I met you. You've got a warm heart. You’ve got a beautiful brain. But it's disintegrating from all the medicine, from all the medicine, from all the medicine..
This was the best (as was Florence & The Machine last week):
Song: “Be Still”
Artist: The Fray
Music moment: Alaric says goodbye to Elena and Jeremy
Lyrics:
Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still and know that I am here, Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still, be still, and know, When darkness comes upon you, And sleep no longer finds your bed, Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, be still, If fear falls upon your bed and sleep no longer comes, Remember all the words I said, Be still be still and know, And if you go through the valley, And the shadow comes down from the hill, If morning never comes to be, Be still be still be still
Can I actually make one really positive comment? Whoever chooses the music for the show is incredible..always finding the perfect songs..so good, the lyrics to perfect, the tone creating/adding to such emotion. Here is some from last night:
Song: “You Do Something to Me”
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
Music moment: Elena and Stefan dance
Lyrics:
You do something to me. Something that simply mystifies me. Tell me, why should it be, You have the power to hypnotize me. Let me live 'neath your spell. Do do that voodoo that you do so well. For you do something to me
I liked when she said "It's what I do, apparently"..or something to that effect, regarding saving everyone. At least Bon-Bon recognizes that she is a plot device, lol!
And, am I the only one that thought the word "Crystals" was overused in this episode..it could have been made into a drinking game (drink every time someone says crystal!) with everyone who played getting very drunk!
Finally, logic fails: Who helped Cassie plan a funeral in ONE day?! Jane died the night before, no cops in the town are investigating the death of a somewhat burned woman, and her funeral is literally one day later...what?!?! And Cassie, the 16 year old, handled all the preparations herself? Come ON. And, what now, Cassie just gets to live in the house...will John move in? She's supposed to be 16!!!
Also, I am kind of baffled at the Nick storyline but, to speculate on the reviewers questions, I don't think he and Melissa have a chance at love as it seems that Nick is some kind of zombie resurrection...
me at times but they are acted well. I think the best actors on this show are the ones that play Charles, Adam and Diana. Everyone else is questionable, even Phoebe Tonkin, but mostly because her Aussie/American hybrid accent is distracting..
I think I am so complainy about this because I want the show to recapture the "magic" (forgive the pun) from the first 10 episodes or so...
I'm having issues with TSC, and I don't know why. I really loved it the first few episodes and I still kind of like it. But unlike it's "sister show", The Vampire Diaries, Season 1 is not as good. The first season should be amazing, no? Yet, too much is happening too quickly..the writers just don't seem to let any one story fully develop, or something.
I DID like how they kind of brought it all back to what happened 16 years ago, and that the situation then is mirrored by the situation now. Side note, they must have had an interesting circle back then..everyone was married to someone in the circle, which must have been huge..and the were all witches?? At least they remembered to tie things together for once!
I also ship Adam and Cassie...and I think maybe the elixir didn't work or is wearing off?
I think my biggest issue with the show is the somewhat wooden acting. I know I shouldn't keep comparing to TVD, but I can't help it...and least on TVD the stories might aggravate me at times but they are acted well. I think the best actors on this show are the ones that play Charles, Adam and Diana. Everyone else is questionable, even Phoebe Tonkin, but mostly because her Aussie/American hybrid accent is distracting..
I think I am so complainy about this because I want the show to recapture the "magic" (forgive the pun) from the first 10 episodes or so...
The scene Julie Plec fought for was my favorite of the episode and one of my favorite of the season. Now, if Alaric had just stayed dead, I wouldn't have left feeling so cheated...
Also, so the Elena chooses herself thing is off the table? Well, then I think she chooses Damon, as choosing Stefan would change nothing unless it made Damon really nasty again....
Final comment for now, really...but, can I also ask where the heck Bonnie's dad is all the time? And, the other thing I was baffled about, didn't Esther think, given that she knew real Alaric might appear before Evilaric...that he MIGHT just turn on her?? Sometimes, and I will repeat that I really do love TVD (though, not with the same gushy intensity as Season 1 and first half of 2), it seems as though I can picture the writers in a room, getting tired and frustrated, just throwing out plot devices or glossing over details to make their point. I just wish I could tell them that it's okay to make the shower simpler...it's okay to allow it to build more slowly like in the first season...we, the viewers, can handle ACTUALLY losing a character forever (no ghost reappearances or resurrections) and we can still love the show without a ton of confusing mythos and horrible villians..
Oh, one more logic fail/question: So, did Esther MAKE Alaric evil with her suggestions from the other side? And, if she did, does that mean she tried the same thing with the Gilbert that went crazy years ago?
One last thing...a logic fail or two that aggravated me: didn't anyone at the school see the salt being poured, and couldn't they have just kicked it away with their foot or something? And, does Tyler even go to school their anymore..or Stefan? Does the school just let random adults into their hs dances (Klaus, Damon)? And, Damon has seen possession...didn't he have any concerns over Bonnie walking barefoot in a graveyard...he just stands there?? I know it's unusual to watch a show like TVD and say "I don't buy it", but that was all TOO illogical...
And, even though I really think Delena should be SERIES endgame (I have a whole Elena turns vamp, then human, Damon turns human, Stefan is sacrificed wish for the series end), the Stelena scenes were lovely and reminded me why I rooted for them in Season 1!
I 100% agree with every line of this review! I was left....dissatisfied, maybe?...that Alaric actually lived. Don't get me wrong, I love Matt Davis/Ernesto Riley, but the death revived those emotions I felt for TVD during Season 1 and half of 2. It should have been final..they could have found another way...and Esther is starting too seem like a crutch. I LOVED the episode until we find that Alaric really didn't die...it made me feel, well, used or something.
I concur that the scene with Klaus blowing up at his mother was great. I even remarked to my hubs just how talented Joseph Morgan really is. In fact, you do have to hand it to the cast, they are mostly great actors.
Finally, nice Hunger Games reference :-)
Royal Pains
Comments by Allison Berry Barbieri (Page 9)
The Vampire Diaries to "Reboot" Klaus, Call Villain to Arms
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
Also, I have to put this out there for all the fans or critics that are "sick of the triangle". Julie Plec told a fan on her Twitter recently that the show is about a girl caught between to very different brothers. It is the main vein of the show. I'd say to get over your frustration with the triangle because it is the premise of the show and likely not going anywhere.
The Vampire Diaries Round Table: "Do Not Go Gentle"
At some point, Damon. Dude needs to actually get the girl. Did everyone forget what Katherine did to him, and how she chose Stefan? Though, I think that's end game and I am starting to think she chooses herself. Especially if her choosing one means a brother leaving Mystic Falls, as was suggested by Ian Somerhalder in an interview (Stef and Damon apparently have a conversation of that nature next episode). Neither character will permanently leave the show, so she must not chose anyone right now. Or she becomes a vampire to stop Klaus from using her as a blood bag, which is what I would like to see happen :-)
The Vampire Diaries Round Table: "Do Not Go Gentle"
Can't top Steve's, haha! Except it didn't stick. Which is my only gripe about this episode (besides several logic fails that really got to me).
Esther: Powerful and interesting or... just die already!
I agree with both Steve and Dan. She is too randomly powerful and she DOES push the issue that death is not permanent on TVD. I personally think she shouldn't have been introduced and that Klaus killing her should have stuck. There could have been a better way for the show to get Alaric dark and twisty.
The Vampire Diaries Round Table: "Do Not Go Gentle"
Tie between the gathering of everyone outside the tombs, and Damon sitting with Alaric. I like the emotional, heartbreaking stuff the most...
Who looked best at the Decade Dance?
I know everyone is hating on Elena these days (I am starting to lose SOME sympathy for her..I mean, I don't see why everyone sacrifices everything for her at this point..the writers have got to make me believe she's worth it)...BUT, Nina Dobrev looked stunning.
The Vampire Diaries Round Table: "Do Not Go Gentle"
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
Song: “Medicine”
Artist: Daughter
Music moment: Stefan and Elena share a moment in the gym after Alaric locks himself in the tomb
Lyrics:
Pick it up, pick it all up. And start again. You've got a second chance,. you could go home.. Escape it all. It's just irrelevant. It's just medicine. It's just medicine. You could still be what you want to. What you said you were when I met you. You've got a warm heart. You’ve got a beautiful brain. But it's disintegrating from all the medicine, from all the medicine, from all the medicine..
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
Song: “Be Still”
Artist: The Fray
Music moment: Alaric says goodbye to Elena and Jeremy
Lyrics:
Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still and know that I am here, Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still, be still, and know, When darkness comes upon you, And sleep no longer finds your bed, Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, be still, If fear falls upon your bed and sleep no longer comes, Remember all the words I said, Be still be still and know, And if you go through the valley, And the shadow comes down from the hill, If morning never comes to be, Be still be still be still
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
Song: “You Do Something to Me”
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
Music moment: Elena and Stefan dance
Lyrics:
You do something to me. Something that simply mystifies me. Tell me, why should it be, You have the power to hypnotize me. Let me live 'neath your spell. Do do that voodoo that you do so well. For you do something to me
Julie Plec Previews "Really Sad" Episode of The Vampire Diaries
Song: “Medicine”
Artist: Daughter
Music moment: Stefan and Elena share a moment in the gym after Alaric locks himself in the tomb
Lyrics:
Pick it up, pick it all up. And start again. You've got a second chance,. you could go home.. Escape it all. It's just irrelevant. It's just medicine. It's just medicine. You could still be what you want to. What you said you were when I met you. You've got a warm heart. You’ve got a beautiful brain. But it's disintegrating from all the medicine, from all the medicine, from all the medicine..
Julie Plec Previews "Really Sad" Episode of The Vampire Diaries
Song: “Be Still”
Artist: The Fray
Music moment: Alaric says goodbye to Elena and Jeremy
Lyrics:
Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still and know that I am here, Be still and know that I'm with you, Be still, be still, and know, When darkness comes upon you, And sleep no longer finds your bed, Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, be still, If fear falls upon your bed and sleep no longer comes, Remember all the words I said, Be still be still and know, And if you go through the valley, And the shadow comes down from the hill, If morning never comes to be, Be still be still be still
Julie Plec Previews "Really Sad" Episode of The Vampire Diaries
Song: “You Do Something to Me”
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
Music moment: Elena and Stefan dance
Lyrics:
You do something to me. Something that simply mystifies me. Tell me, why should it be, You have the power to hypnotize me. Let me live 'neath your spell. Do do that voodoo that you do so well. For you do something to me
You really are pretty amazing. Sometimes I'd settle for just o...
The Secret Circle Review: Did You See The Forest?
Finally, logic fails: Who helped Cassie plan a funeral in ONE day?! Jane died the night before, no cops in the town are investigating the death of a somewhat burned woman, and her funeral is literally one day later...what?!?! And Cassie, the 16 year old, handled all the preparations herself? Come ON. And, what now, Cassie just gets to live in the house...will John move in? She's supposed to be 16!!!
Also, I am kind of baffled at the Nick storyline but, to speculate on the reviewers questions, I don't think he and Melissa have a chance at love as it seems that Nick is some kind of zombie resurrection...
The Secret Circle Review: Did You See The Forest?
I think I am so complainy about this because I want the show to recapture the "magic" (forgive the pun) from the first 10 episodes or so...
The Secret Circle Review: Did You See The Forest?
I DID like how they kind of brought it all back to what happened 16 years ago, and that the situation then is mirrored by the situation now. Side note, they must have had an interesting circle back then..everyone was married to someone in the circle, which must have been huge..and the were all witches?? At least they remembered to tie things together for once!
I also ship Adam and Cassie...and I think maybe the elixir didn't work or is wearing off?
I think my biggest issue with the show is the somewhat wooden acting. I know I shouldn't keep comparing to TVD, but I can't help it...and least on TVD the stories might aggravate me at times but they are acted well. I think the best actors on this show are the ones that play Charles, Adam and Diana. Everyone else is questionable, even Phoebe Tonkin, but mostly because her Aussie/American hybrid accent is distracting..
I think I am so complainy about this because I want the show to recapture the "magic" (forgive the pun) from the first 10 episodes or so...
The Vampire Diaries Boss on What's Next: No One is Safe...
The Vampire Diaries Boss on What's Next: No One is Safe...
Also, so the Elena chooses herself thing is off the table? Well, then I think she chooses Damon, as choosing Stefan would change nothing unless it made Damon really nasty again....
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
The Vampire Diaries Review: Raging Against Death
I concur that the scene with Klaus blowing up at his mother was great. I even remarked to my hubs just how talented Joseph Morgan really is. In fact, you do have to hand it to the cast, they are mostly great actors.
Finally, nice Hunger Games reference :-)