Oh The Vampire Diaries: Our Town

This episode didn't irritate me! The only thing irritating about it was Elena! That's not unusual!

Okay I'm just going to talk about what I was most interested in which was Caroline. And Tyler. Last season I really liked Tyler and Caroline and was interested in where it was going to go this year which was...nowhere? Like they hooked up, had a friends with benefits situation for a bit, Tyler was obviously feeling deep things (evidenced tonight by being the first to say "I love you") and then he was turned into a hybrid and they broke up because...she couldn't support him through it? But then tonight they acted like they broke up because Tyler would never be able to put her first. Which actually makes oodles of sense. But then Tyler had that confrontation with Klaus and felt like he turned Klaus down but I guess there's no such thing as turning Klaus down if you are sired so he bit Caroline :( Which was sad. But then Klaus came along!

Okay here's the thing. I watch this show, called The Vampire Diaries but sometimes I forget there are vampires on it. I have a thing that I like, with vampires, which is the idea of vampires not bound by the restraint of human conscience. It's why I loved that episode earlier in the season that was set in the 20s where they were rich and beautiful and evil and in love. Obviously a story like that can't be sustained because you need conflict, etc. But I like it. And you know, one of my first vampire books ever was Interview with the Vampire where they go to Europe and there are old vampires and it's all very mysterious and romantic. I like these old vampires. So when Klaus comes in to Caroline and talks about what good things she could get out of this vampire life, and Klaus is like...the oldest of old vampires and speaking in his British accent and you can sort of visualize them ruling the world because Caroline is a royalty type (tiara earlier in the ep! :) I just....I sort of loved it. It evoked that old vampire story feel for me. No it doesn't make sense why he was nice to her or cared about her or saved her life, but I didn't need for it to to enjoy that scene. And I don't mind Klaus and I think it's because I find Joseph Morgan so appealing. The character of Klaus on paper is kind of boring, but Joseph does it for me I guess and so I liked that scene. Now, I'm not saying that I'd be interested in watching a long drawn out Klaus and Caroline love affair. I don't think they'd even let Caroline go dark enough to do that. In fact, I can't help but wonder if it won't become a sort of Samson and Delilah situation where she gains his trust and then goes for a stake to the heart.

I also liked that they addressed how depressing it is for her to be stuck as a vampire forever at age 17. The funeral was really cute and yay Bonnie for calling Elena out...only..okay here's the thing. Bonnie calls Elena out for compelling Jeremy and trying to control everyone (which is my biggest problem with Elena--not that she does it per se, but that her choices and decisions are always framed as being the right ones) and then Elena's like...yeah it was bad but I didn't know what else to do and Matt's like it's okay you're awesome anyway. I just didn't really know if anyone actually thought in the long run that it was bad or not. It felt very glossed over even while being brought up if that makes sense. So did it actually have any impact on Elena as a character? Would she choose differently if she had it to do over or would she see that if she does something awful believing it's for the best, others might do the same for her? I just don't know what the overall stance of the show is except it seems to always come back to, "whatever Elena chooses is right" Which leads me to...

I didn't understand that scene on the bridge between Elena and Matt. I got why Caroline needed to grieve the life she'd never have, but I didn't have the feeling before AT ALL that Elena was struggling with having lost her life before. In fact, she always seemed really into the vampire thing if you know what I mean. So...was she really accepting that her life was different and that was okay and that the hard stuff she had to do, i.e. compelling Jeremy for his own good, was okay because that's the kind of person she has to be now? I guess I'm just thick, but I didn't get it.

Liked Dr. Fell and Alaric! Always fun. Enjoyed Damon and Stefan. I think it's interesting that they specifically had Stefan force blood down Elena's throat and even though his motives were different I think it's another step to making Stefan and Damon equal to Elena--so when she chooses it's not for obvious reasons like good vampire or bad vampire but because she loves one more than the other. Honestly though? The correct answer Elena is to run away!

I feel for Tyler because honestly I feel like no one cares about him. It's not something that a lot of attention is brought to in show, but I can't help but notice. I really feel for him. It will be interesting to see how they work that out.

EDITED TO ADD: Okay seriously I needed more time to think about this episode before writing because I think I understand both Caroline and Elena's stories better. Elena mentioned feeling stuck to Matt. Stefan, the one who saved her originally, almost kills her in the exact same place. And so it's this place Elena goes back to to free herself. I'm still less clear on exactly what aspect of herself Elena is saying goodbye to. The part of her that will never be innocent again? The part of her that wishes her life was something different? The self she lost forever when a vampire rescued her?

And with Caroline I see why they used Klaus. Caroline, also was stuck. She mentioned feeling forever stuck at 17, grieving the life she'd never have. The funeral party both foreshadowed Tyler's bite as well as symbolizing Caroline's death to the sort of in-between she was in. She literally needed to be on death's door to experience the life giving blood of Klaus. And she needed to be brought to life in that vampire life, to embrace it, to let go of the sort of normal human girl life she was trying to hold onto. And only Klaus could do that, only Klaus could show her there was more than the things she was saying goodbye to, there was beauty and a reason to live as a vampire. I mean seriously! Damon and Stefan only care about Elena. Klaus has been around. It had to be him.

Your thoughts? I talked to a few friends immediately after watching the ep and we pretty much disagreed on everything so I'm hoping at least one of you feels a tiny bit as I did? It's okay if you don't though, I still want to know what you think!