Monsters of Television

Just as I was beginning to like you...

I should begin with an apology for the extreme lateness of this post. I was out of town, unable to watch on my usual schedule. And as all fans of The Vampire Diaries know, the CW takes its own sweet time getting new episodes loaded into their video player. Ah, well.  Today I’ll offer thoughts on “Daddy Issues,” and tomorrow I’ll catch up by describing “Crying Wolf.”

In addition to my trip last week, I have experienced another change in my life—my partner has caught up with The Vampire Diaries at long last. We have spent the last two months watching season 1, and in the last week during my absence, he blew through season 2. This means I now have a buddy when watching this pretty great show. But that also means I can’t pause to take notes as I had been doing.

I bring this up because my reviews have gotten longer and longer as I’ve tried to be more and more thorough. This may change as I focus more on the big picture rather than individual scenes.  If I have any regular readers, though, I’m happy to oblige your preferences, so let me know what you think of these monstrously long recaps.  Too much?  Just right? Better to focus on particular scenes of interest rather than detail every scene?  Happy to hear your thoughts in the comments.

It was virtually impossible for me to dislike this episode as it featured the return of Jonathan Gilbert. Uncle John pretty much rules me—not just because I loved Anders on Alias as Sark but also because his character on TVD is wonderfully ambiguous. Just as Damon continually intrigues with his battle between good and evil, Uncle John may also provide a similar satisfaction. I believe he does love Elena, but when someone commits as fully to duty as does Johnathan Gilbert, that commitment may become a mania. Bad for Gilbert, but great for viewers.

The episode also begins and ends with a naked, bathing Damon. Sure, this may seem like pandering, but I am not going to complain. Even better, Awesome Vampire Caroline got a lot of story this week—she became the centerpoint of this week’s central plot and I appreciate how capably Candice Accola portrayed Awesome Vampire Caroline’s torture, anger, and devastation.

Notwithstanding these highlights, the pacing this week seemed to move almost too quickly.  As I’ll describe more fully below, sometimes the characters need a moment to breathe in order to, you know, change and grow.  I’m becoming a big fan of the Tyler-Awesome Vampire Caroline friendship, but I think the show dropped the ball a bit this week.  These two characters made big decisions this week, but we saw little of their process in making those decisions.  In particular, Tyler seemed pretty clueless during the entire episode, and I don’t understand why.  Well, I do understand, but I wish the show would have showed his fear and confusion more clearly. If Tyler is going to become a better person, then show me how and why that is happening, including a more thorough depiction of the motivation behind the setbacks we see this week.

This episode also put Damon in a bit of holding pattern.  Though he makes a number of ironic comments this week that remind viewers of his bid admission last week that he missed being human, he doesn’t actually do much.  Here’s hoping we see bad boy Damon get a bit more to do in the coming weeks.

We open with Tyler confronting Awesome Vampire Caroline.  Not sure the show played with their dynamic enough leading into this scene—some more struggle on Caroline’s part to want to tell Tyler the truth would have added some tension and nuance in past weeks. That said, this scene has been a long time coming.  Awesome Vampire Caroline focuses on letting Tyler down easy after their kiss last week, when Tyler abruptly asks her, “What happened to my Uncle Mason?” Caroline slows down, turning slowly and tries to cover, but you can see the “oh shit” in her face. Tyler is angry, but controls himself and walks away. Kinda can’t wait to see if these two will throw down—how hot will that be?

After the aforementioned Damon in the shower moment (yes, super sexy), we get the awesomeness of Elena letting Uncle John tell Jenna he is her biological father. Jenna is last to know—not exactly shocking.

Stefan and Damon discuss the seemingly impossible-to-kill Original Elijah. Damon makes fun of Stefan for his seemingly insane plan to bring Uncle John back to Mystic Falls. Stefan tries to say he’s sorry about Rose, but Damon blows it off, saying “I knew her for like five minutes.” When Stefan points out that Damon cared about her nevertheless, Damon retorts: “It means I am evolving into a man capable of greatness. So watch your back, because I may just have to get a hero hairdo of my own, and steal your thunder.” The episode never explicitly references Damon’s admission last week that he kills because it is too hard to want to be human, but throughout the episode, Damon’s wise cracks remind us that he’s made a choice no one else has yet discovered—the Damon of old is back, people!

Jules works on Tyler, assuring him, “its my duty and honor to help you.” When she reminds him that it is in their nature to be enemies with vampires, he rightfully points out how dumb that dialogue sounds. I always appreciate when TVD knows it is circling clicheland. What Jules wants from Tyler is not yet clear, but she sure does want him for something.

Damon chats with Elena about John revealing his paternal rights, “that’s public knowledge now?”   [This joke was particularly funny in my home because my partner is a bit frustrated that so many characters on this show keep things from each other.  It is an interesting question–if everyone would just tell the truth all the time, would there even be a show?]  Elena asks Damon what they are going to do, and Damon offers to kill him. “I’m joking…okay, I’m a little serious. I’m not going to hurt him, I’m a good guy now, remember?”

Stefan tries to talk sense into Tyler, which, of course, is world’s most futile effort. They chat for several scenes, during which time Jules gets upset that she can’t find Tyler. Um, did you check his house, Jules? Bit a stretch here, plot-wise, to justify subsequent events in the episode. But okay, I’ll go with it.  Jules needs an excuse to be mean to the vampires.

Jules has a buddy in town named Brady. He’s your typical tough-talking but seeming stupid blatant killer. No clue why she has brought him to town–a kiss between them does little to make me think she really cares about him. Guess she just wants help.  As Jules tells Brady, “I want the boy more than vengeance.” Barking up the wrong tree with Brady, then, Jules.  Dude wants vengeance.  Does she think a completely uncorked maniac is going to help her convince Tyler to go away with them?  Might wanna rethink your plan, Jules.  Or maybe Tyler is that dumb (and scared)…

Jeremy blows off Uncle John, and I actually felt badly for the guy. Sure, Uncle John is kind of a prick, but every member of his family telling him to go to hell must hurt a little bit. Bonnie also tells Dr. Martin to get lost, which is satisfying. Jenna gets best line of the night when she tells Ric about Uncle John, “I can’t believe it. Elena is my sister’s husband’s brother’s daughter, and her mother is my boyfriend’s deceased wife. You can’t make this stuff up.” Well, yes, you can make this stuff up. It is a TV show, after all. But self-awareness like this gives The Vampire Diaries the leniency it needs to take all of this as seriously as it does.

Damon chats calmly with Uncle John because Elena asks him to be “the better man.” He wants to know what John knows—John isn’t in the mood to chat, but watching these two men sniff around each other is pretty fun.

Jules confronts Caroline. When Awesome Vampire Caroline insists she doesn’t know where is Tyler, Brady shoots her in the head. Genuinely surprising moment. Brady takes Awesome Vampire Caroline back to his trailer (okay, I get why the wolves are pissed—the vampires get to live in a mansion while he’s stuck in a freakin’ trailer) and tortures her. Accola does good work here, though I’m not sure her acting is as moving as was Tyler’s during his initial transformation. Course, it does help that Brady is a certifiable whacko: “I see you got the bullet out. That was….nasty. I’ve got lots of wooden bullets, lot of toys. It’s going to be a long night, sweat pea.” And he shoots her again.

Stefan is getting nowhere fast with Tyler, and then Jules calls to ask Stefan if he wants Awesome Vampire Caroline to live [Please!  Let her live!  Most improved character on this show!]. As proof that they have her, Brady shoots AVC again so Stefan can hear her scream. If this had been Damon, I’m sure he would have said, “I don’t negotiate with terrorists,” but Stefan dutifully brings Tyler to the woods as instructed by Jules. Now, does Stefan tell Tyler he has to make a choice here between Jules and Awesome Vampire Caroline? No. Does he attempt to appeal to the friendship that Caroline believes exists between she and Tyler. Nope. This is particularly frustrating because the show’s writers missed an opportunity to let Tyler portray the struggle that must be going on inside. Instead, he mostly stares around him as the violence unfolds during the rest of the episode. Seems a wasted opportunity.

For some unknown reason, Jenna introduces news reporter Andie Starr to Damon, who blows her off coldly, as Elena notices. “You didn’t have to be rude,” she says to Damon. He replies, “trust me, it is in the best interest of women everywhere.” A phone call from Stefan sets off in a Damon a plan to kill Tyler. Elena puts her hand on his arm, begging him to leave Tyler out of it. He looks at her with cold intensity, saying, “you need to stop doing that…Assuming I’ll play the good guy, cause it is you that’s asking.” She yet again asks him to be the better man…enter Uncle John, whom Damon asks to ground Elena so she can’t follow him. John obliges.

Brady asks Awesome Vampire Caroline how many vampires are in town, even while he continually shoots wooden objects into her body. She’s none too pleased. I’m mostly annoyed that Jules, who seems reasonably smart, would partner with such a psycho. Psycho doesn’t advance story. It just provides a character who deserves to die. If, instead, these werewolves had genuine, understandable objectives, perhaps the audience would experience, oh, I don’t know, actual tension? As it is, I expect Damon to quickly dispatch Brady, and then Jules will be angry about the death of an asshole and the audience won’t care about her at all. Another seeming wasted opportunity.

As I write this, I’m realizing that my concern is that the oft’ admired fast pace of the show may sometimes move too quickly. Plot should always link closely with character development. When too much happens without letting the characters pause, the writers miss the opportunity to deepen the audience’s understanding of and compassion for the characters. This is the stuff that makes a program really enjoyable.

Uncle John tries to prove to Elena that her deal with Elijah is ill-conceived, but she bristles when he calls her his family: “you may be my father, but I am never going to be your daughter.” Ouch.

Stefan, Tyler, and Damon arrive at the trailer to rescue Awesome Vampire Caroline but find themselves surrounded by werewolves. Damon warns Jules, “Since Stefan got here before me, I’m going to let him try it his way, before resorting to my way, which is a bit bloodier.” Brady asks who killed Mason, and Damon gladly accepts responsibility. Brady tries to sic the other wolves on Damon, but as it is not a full moon, the fight is a bit unevenly matched. Damon literally rips a guy’s heart out. He’s so great.

Tyler goes inside the trailer and stares at Awesome Vampire Caroline for a bit. She has to ask three times for him to let her out. Meanwhile Stefan gets stabbed in the back with a stake (dude must have really bad aim to miss the heart at that close range), Damon gets shot, and Caroline gets pushed against the trailer by Jules with a gun to her head. Awesome Vampire Caroline stares pitifully at Tyler, who simply lowers his eyes. Man, Tyler, I was just getting to like you, and now you seem to want to be nothing more than a dick. What a shame.

Enter Dr. Martin (deus ex machina, extraordinaire), doing that mind explosion thing Bonnie loves to do to Damon–he takes down all the werewolves but for Tyler.  He explains, “Elijah made a promise to Elena. I’m here to see it is upheld.”  Dr. Martin tells our heroes to lave and then tells Tyler to inform his friends they better leave town. I’m sure they won’t listen because these werewolves seem deeply stupid. They are such a let down after the terrific character that was Uncle Mason.

Stefan tries to comfort Awesome Vampire Caroline, who refuses to admit defeat. “I’m not girly little Caroline anymore. I can handle myself,” she insists. Stefan smiles at her, kindly.

Uncle John visits Damon to talk a bit of shop: “Personal feelings aside, Damon, I think you and Stefan will do all you can to protect Elena.” “I agree with that statement,” Damon concurs. So John hands over the means to kill an Original—a vial with ash from a particular (and seemingly super special) oak tree. He also says Isabelle is trying to prevent Klaus from entering Mystic Falls. “Where Elena is concerned, you and I are on the same side,” Uncle John says to Damon.  I sure hope so, because I never want Uncle John to leave.

Poor Awesome Vampire Caroline has to lie to Matt to explain why she couldn’t meet up with him—a lie about being with Bonnie that Matt knows is untrue because Bonne is at the grill with Jeremy. Man, kick Caroline while she’s down, writers. And the kicks keep coming. Tyler is at Awesome Vampire Caroline’s door, wanting to know she if she is okay. AWC is steely in her reply. Tyler swears he didn’t know they would go after Caroline. She asks, with her voice cracking, “do you know what they did to me?” Tyler sidesteps that uncomfortable question, saying he doesn’t know whom to trust, but Awesome Vampire Caroline won’t let him off that easy. “You just stood there, you didn’t do anything!” she exclaims. Then she ends their friendship, promising that what happened to her tonight will never happen again. Guess what, Tyler? You f’d up big time.

Uncle John has a tender moment when he offers Elena a gift from her mother—not Isobel, but the woman who raised Elena. “Miranda and Grayson were your parents, Elena. I know I am nothing to you. You have no reason to believe me or trust me. I’ve done so many horrible things, but when you lost your parents, I lost my brother, my family. I lost my way.” It is a good speech. But Elena doesn’t buy it, as she tells Stefan.

Tyler, being super stupid, tells Jules and Brady about the moonstone. Yeah, that’s a good idea—share secrets with the people who just tortured your friend. As they discuss why Uncle Mason was dumb enough to stay in a town filled with vampires, I try to remember how much our vampire heroes know about Mason and Katherine.  Anyone remember?

The episode nears its close with a really touching scene in which Stefan brings Bonnie and Elena to visit Awesome Vampire Caroline. Upon opening the door to her girlfriends, AVC breaks down, finally releasing the anxiety and terror she has felt all night.

Next we see Damon and the reporter, Andie, in his bathtub. Damon calmly explains to her, “I have a problem I need help with. It’s really messing with my mind…I’m in love with a woman I can never have…The point is, I’m in love with her, and its driving me crazy that I’m not in control…I’m bad, Andie. I do things. I kill people.” Before Andie can get too frightened, Damon glamors her. She asks why he kills people. “because I like it. It’s in my nature, it’s who I am. But then I have to stay together to protect her. She wants me to be the better man, which means I can’t be who I am. Do you see the problem I’m having, Andie?” She replies, “Well, maybe this is who you are now. Love does that, Damon. It changes us.” Damon isn’t so much into that answer, so instead he grabs and kisses her, begging her to be his distraction. Dude, sign me up—I want to be his distraction–wonder if he is accepting applications.  Then Damon bites Andie, and as her blood runs into the bathtub, I think about how this is four million times more sexy than anything Damon did with Rose.  Boy, those two actors just had zero chemistry.  But this Andie lady could be a useful character, for a time.

Uncle John stops by to see Katherine, letting her know that Isobel has sent him in her place. Katherine wants out of the tomb, and Uncle John assures her that he’s on it.  Oh, Uncle John, you schemer you.  So glad you are back.