Dream-walking is one of my favorite supernatural powers on The Vampire Diaries: ever since Damon eased Rose’s passing, I’ve thought those moments have been some of the most touching on the show. So I should have loved this episode…
But I didn’t. Bonnie is the Big Bad? After seasons and seasons of being the Great Unsung Good? She’s a good character who has consistently gotten the short end of the stick, and her current situation is just tragic in all sorts of ways. Well, three:
She is, once again, willing to sacrifice herself to save her friends. Bonnie’s attempt to restrain her inner Rayna were epic and perfectly in character, even though Bonnie’s character sometimes works against Bonnie’s happiness. Caroline’s attempt to appeal to Bonnie’s emotions was such a touching moment before it got all bloody and mean-girly.
She is programmed to kill vampires after having finally gotten a decent love story…with a vampire. This one pretty much speaks for itself, since Bonnie/Enzo has been a surprisingly successful pairing ever since Katherine Graham let the sparks fly in the first half of the season.
Her current situation is deeply ironic for Damon. If she dies, he’s happy about getting Elena back and sad about Bonnie’s death. If she lives, he’s happy he’s got his friend back and sad that she’s hunting him.
And—wow!—she doesn’t suck at the whole vampire-hunter gig, does she? The shoot-out in the woods was intense, especially considering how little training Bonnie has at kicking ass without magic. If Matt hadn’t stepped in, I think Damon would have died.
Caroline’s not much luckier these days. She blames Stefan for leaving (although I don’t really see how he could have stayed) and now she’s marked in the same way, with more on the line: two daughters that might get caught in the Bonnie crossfire. That she has to flee, just like Stefan did, is interesting from the perspective of balance, and tragic from the perspective of family.
Bites and Pieces:
• The cold open was a great fake-out.
• Did anyone else think of Buffy when Bonnie slayed some vamps in her cheerleading outfit?
• Caroline lecturing Stefan on respecting her choices was awesome.
• Bonnie describing Damon as the ruination of their lives—and even bringing up Vicky, Matt’s long-dead sister—was rough to watch, even though I’m not sure she’s wrong.
I’m not sure how to rate this one, either. (Seems to be a consistent theme lately.) How many cosplay conventions out of four?
Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)
I wasn't sure what to think of this one. I like Bonnie and Enzo together, oddly, and it felt like the writers were being mean to them by finding yet another way to keep them apart. I loved the obvious Buffy homage, though.
ReplyDeleteThe dream-walking thing is a fave of mine, too. I won't post spoilers, but they just did it beautifully on The Originals.