Disturbia

Schumiac Well said agree with everything you said

avaSpeaks

OMG! I completely agree. I think all the girls did a good job last night. You saw some emotion and character from Elena, you can see that Bonnie is just out of it right now and can see that her grief is going to turn destructive, and Caroline, who has been getting better pretty much every episode, you can thank Candice for protraying Caroline as the supportive friend.

Malese, yeah I can totally see now where she was coming from about how we will really get to see the real Anna. With everything out in the open, there was a completly new openness and lightness to her.

Schumiac

Poor Amber, it is bad enough to a chew toy for a vampire who compels her as he pleases but she actually had to spend the whole pageant listening to the ravings of a mad men as he went on and on about how he is the “good brother” and how he wants to bite into her and kill her and the fine art of biting a human and this and that… Seriously hours and hours of it as the other girls are dancing with hot boys in tuxedos and generally enjoying themselves in a party with food and drinks and all. Poor, poor Amber.

And something about Stefan’s “I’m the good brother” stuck out for me. It is not “I’m a better person than this” or something like that but specifically “I’m the good brother”. Which almost gives it a feelings Damon & Stefan have these “roles” cut out for them, since from ‘childhood’, in part due to daddy’s relationship to them, and seem to be playing out according to it even yet… and then there is the fact that, whenever Stefan is lying, he seems to like playing “Damon is evil” game, where he keeps talking about how untrustworthy Damon is or how he is surely enjoying Stefan’s suffering and not being in control etc. which is not really the case, especially not since Damon’s “I’m angry you caused Katherine to be taken away” anger subsided –but even before that there was a line Damon would not cross, as he proved when he gave Stefan his day-walking ring immediately. I think the fact that his “brother” is still somehow in Stefan’s mind as he is kind of losing it completely, and in a “I’m better than him” context kind of served to underline how ‘connected’ they are and also how severe their sibling rivalry is, too. And, it did kind of underline Stefan’s “younger brother” status for me. Younger brothers DO tend to measure themselves up to “older brother” at all times, I’d say.

I like Paul Wesley’s acting. He was annoying, especially with the rants and all, but then he was meant to be annoying & crazy. Stefan IS a raging maniac much worse than Damon when he is on human blood, and the sad thing is, it is of his own doing. It is not HUMAN BLOOD that is the culprit, it is the fact that in his refusal to “accept” being a vampire, Stefan never bothered to learn how to CONTROL the HUNGER but rather tried to fight it all along –which MAY have to do with what happened when he first drank human blood and the guilt that came with it (as per promo but also what he told Vicky) but also has a lot to do with Stefan’s wish to be human –he can’t really pretend to be human while drinking ‘human’ blood, after all. I believe he has had lots of “back on human blood”/ “back on animal blood” phases and only “lately” has really managed to keep to the animal diet diligently (we know he & Damon has not been seeing each other for the last 15 years, and I think that’s probably how long Stefan has been off the human blood). But this has also turned him into a ticking bomb – he always overreacted when he saw ‘blood’ and the moment he went on it he has gone crazy. A “better” way for him to go would have been to accept his vampirism, learn to control the hunger & his powers and blend in –like Pearl, Anna and even Damon (WHEN he wants to). He COULD be a non-human killing, ‘moral’ vampire on human blood (which he gets from blood banks as Damon suggested), but I think his need to be as human as possible and deny his vampirism kind of means he refuses to have anything to do with it, which is against his nature and tends to have terrible consequences. It is really sad.

LOVING Anna & Jeremy. I'm happy that he sought her out and told her he really liked her and made her know it wasn't all about Vicky. I’m glad he is conflicted about the whole thing and is cold towards Elena but is not in a raging anger. I think he knows she was trying to ‘protect’ him in her own way. I just hope this is not an “act” on his part, and that Uncle J doesn’t get to poison his mind or use him to get to Pearl & Anna. Though, I must say I’m REALLY worried for Pearl & Anna right now. Ohh, Damon, I wish instead of ‘threats’ you did indeed rip that ring out from his finger and killed him. I will be so heartbroken if Pearl and/or Anna die because of evil Uncle J.

ohh, and I can't help but think make-up artist deserves praise in this episode, too, for I think they did something with both Ian`s and Paul`s eyes to make them even more affective. Ian's eyes are beautiful, yes, but they were PIERCING throughout this episode. And I think they somehow looked 'colder' when he was in 'threatening' mode. And Paul's eyes also were brought out in his "Elena confronts him about blood drinking" scene (I usually don't notice his eyes that much), and there was a redness to it and he looked a great mixture of evil, tortured, lost, worn-out & sad.

CarterT

I was going to come in and throw my own thoughts (since I rarely get a chance to do that after recapping) but Schumiac pretty much nailed all the thoughts that I had and then some. My work is done.

~CT

sweet_zelda

I think assuming that is kind of harsh, considering we really don't know what went down when he first had it. For all we know he could have gone all crazy and killed his father, which I would imagine, is a very traumatic event for someone who was as naive and goodhearted as Stefan was at the time. I don't think you could blame him for not wanting to be that person. You make it sound like he was simply too lazy to learn how to control his urges, when what he did was actually quite the opposite. He learned to live without it, he learned to "control" his urges in a different manner.
And, he has survived so far, hasn't he? He may be weaker, but he has survived. Just like a vegetarian, in fact, and you wouldn't go wave meat in front of a vegetarian's face simply because it's human nature to consume meat, would you?
ETA: And vegetarians actually can get sick if they haven't consumed meat products for a while and then suddenly do. Even a small amount can cause problems for them. So, even if it's human nature to consume meat, it doesn't mean that when you haven't had it for a while you will feel awesome once you eat it again.

And like I said, I'm still on the fence about the whole "he never learned to control himself because he only suppressed the urge" because all his conversations with Lexi implied that he had been drinking human blood and that him not doing it anymore is a recent thing. But then, Damon practically admits in the promo that he knew all along what kind of person Stefan would be if he was back on human blood.

timtyra

....just

DE...

Schumiac

I actually mentioned one of the reasons why he probably swore of human blood IS the traumatic experience he probably had when he first got a taste of it right after that sentence - for I believe he did do a mini-massacre in Salvatore mansion that day.

And I wasn't calling him lazy at all. Actually my point was, because Stefan WANTS to be human and hates being a vampire he has chosen to stay out of human blood. Not drinking it makes him "less of a vampire" and takes him closer to being "human like". Other Vampires we have met have "accepted" being a vampire and simply refrain from feeding on humans out of respect for them as other creatures (Lexi) or to blend in and not attract attention etc. But, IMO, he doesn't drink human blood at all as he'd like to disassociate himself from being a vampire as much as possible. It is a completely other deal with him.

From his talk with Damon in last episode where Damon asked him how long it took for him to get human blood out of his system "last time" and given his comments this episode, I got the impression he has been trying this 'animal diet' thing all his life, and at times failing, and then going back on it and it is only recently he has really been able to keep at it.

Lexi has been his friend for like century (or so they said) so I think she has seen him on 'human blood' and when he was more 'fun'. Though even an "on animal diet" Stefan had fun occasionally (though kind of needs to be talked into it, lol), so she may have dragged him to a Bon Jovi concert and all. She did seem to have a positive influence on him that way. But even with her around he was still kind of 'depressed' I'd say, something certainly lights up with him when he is on human blood that we don't see when he is on animal blood, even if he is dancing with Elena and is generally happy. Which has me wishing he'd stop refusing to accept his vampirism and learn to control the hunger and feed on it, but it seems the 'process' would be too messy and too violent and he'd need someone to watch him all the time to make sure he didn't do anything he'd "regret" etc. so it seems kind of hopeless.

Btw, I don't think the human/animal blood thing with vampires can really be seen as parallel to vegetarian humans. The vampires, by their nature, are much mroe animalistic than human beings and have this blood craving maddening hunger as an instinct as part of the "undead" deal. Human's relation to their "food" and the hunger they experience is nothing compared to it, and no human goes "must eat red meat" crazy. This is their one and only real, natural nutrition we are talking about. They don't really have that much of an option regarding 'food' the way humans have, who all have their tastes and even allergies that determine what they can/will eat and what they can't/won't and ample supply of supplements to get the necessary nutritions in some other way. Nor is their relation to their food as 'casual' as humans are, who may on a whim go an a diet to get a better figure for summer, bore of some food and stop eating it, give up on animal products etc. etc, it is much more easier for humans to give up on certain food, as they have pretty much other options to make up for it, and "food" is not such a driving force of nature in their lives. Human blood is "it" for the vampire, they not only need it, it has a special hold over them, compeling them. Animal blood is not a one-on-one supplement for it. It actually makes a vampire weak, and, it seems, less "lively".

Schumiac

Heh. I've gone post crazy., I know.. I really loved the episode...

and thanks everyone who say they agree. what can I say, great minds think alike... :p

sweet_zelda

Then I misunderstood you To me, saying he "didn't bother" always means that he didn't care enough to do it or was too lazy.

That always depends on which aspect you're looking at, I think. Of course, humans don't have the "must eat red meat" cravings. But neither did Stefan until he had Elena's blood, at least not as uncontrollably. Stefan hasn't had human blood, and in essence, it's now been making him sick. Stefan may be weaker than other vampires, but vegetarians are often low on certain minerals because they don't eat meat. And then they show symptoms of malnourishment (for example losing hair, easily breaking nails), just like Stefan does.
In a way, you could just as well compare this to a drug or let's say sugar: When you're regularly on human blood, the cravings aren't so bad, because your body always has a certain supply. You're stronger than someone who doesn't drink it. But when you've been off it for a long period of time, a little can cause you to fall off the wagon (which then goes hand in hand with people that are on a diet and won't stop at one piece of chocolate).

I think this is basically what I agree and yet disagree with. In a way, yes, it's his nature to drink human blood, and I, too, think that it would be better to teach him how to control his urges than to deny them. But I think that his wish to be human, as you call it, has something to do with the person he becomes when he is on it (and, if we take a look at the vampires we've seen so far, we see that they're all a bit more violent, more aggressive than Stefan.) as opposed to the person he wants to be. He values human life too much, not necessarily because he wants to be one, but because he's kept the morals from his former life. I don't think he actively wants to be human, he just agrees with their morals more than with the vampire ones. I, personally, doubt that he's been on and off. He told Lexi that if he started again, he didn't know if he could stop. Had he already experienced that "starting again" he would know that he wouldn't be able to control himself, and he'd also know that it takes more than a few days to get detoxed. I think he's only had it for a period of time (however long) and then he stopped. That's the "last time" Damon was referring to.

xNaley23x

Ok I'm new...on this board anyway, lol. Thought I'd give my ideas on the last ep.

Elena I think this was most definitely one of the most emotional episodes for her so far. She had to deal with Bonnie coming back and not wanting anything to do with her, the Miss Mystic Falls competition which was bringing back memories and emotions of her dead mum, and then the whole Stefan debacle where she finds he not only lied to her about the human blood but goes full out psychotic while doing it! For her, seeing Stefan having tried to feed on Amber like that, it must have been horrifying, knowing that she was with probably the only vampire who chose to stay away from human blood - a topic he was extremely passionate about too - only to then be faced by the other uncontrollable rabid side of him was probably a massive shock to her. And to top it off she had to work with the brother he hates to help control him and get him back. I NEVER would've expected her to inject him like that at the end....just did not see it coming, so I was really surprised and it would take a LOT out of her to do that...

Stefan has gone nuts, to put it simply. I personally expected it since he had been off human blood for so long that it was bound to have an extreme effect when he got back on. He showed a convincing struggle, constantly at battle with himself, and Paul Wesley really did it well. I really did feel sympathy for his character, because we've known all along this was exactly what he DIDN'T want to become, but now its exactly what he is. And that line: "I'm the good brother" really stuck out for me too, and really simply just tied up one of the dynamics of the show - the rivalry between brothers, that not just outsiders, family and friends consider the good brother being Stefan, and Damon being the evil one - but the brothers themselves view it that way too. Which could also explain Damon's resistance to making any effort to be better.

Damon was BRILLIANT in this ep. There was almost a kind of role reversal with Stefan being the one trying to feed off humans and Damon being in control and helping stop him. This ep was a clear turning point for Damon as he showed the most humanity he has to date. Its usually Elena that brings it out in him, as was reinforced when he stepped in to escort her when Stefan went missing, in an almost white knight type gesture. And the whole time he wasn't being overly flirty or trying to get his brother's girl, he was honestly wondering where the hell is brother was. The whole dance with Elena and the final scene where he chose to sit with her while she was upset, as though to provide comfort by his presence, was just full of UST and genuine emotion. The chemistry between the two was undeniable this episode, and I think its the beginning of a somewhat friendship between the two if not more. Also, I liked that in this ep Damon seemed more concerned about his brother than anything else. He knew there was something wrong with Stefan, figured out what it was and confronted him head on. That's a favourable part of Damon's character - he deals with people and situations probably not in the best manner always, but he's straight up about them. He could've easily locked Stefan up in the beginning and made it easier for himself, but instead chose to talk to his brother and then Elena in the hopes of finding some other way. And the way that he simply says Stefan's name when they find him having bitten Amber in the woods, was genuinely laced with concern and just won me over this episode.

Bonnie I'm glad she's back but I hate the circumstances around it. She's not the same happy spunky Bonnie and that's understandable given the circumstances. But she's still the type to stick with her own convictions, and she shows this when she tells Elena she cannot deal with Stefan and Damon anymore. The fact that she won't let Elena choose shows the respect she has of their friendship and thought it's sad, hopefully they'll be able to find their way back to each other at one point. It's clear though that despite not showing it she's very emotional on the inside, which would explain the new power and skill in her witchcraft shown when she got into Stefan's head in the woods.

Jeremy the developing relationship between him and Anna is really cute. But I find his reaction to all the secrets in Elena's diaries to be a little tamed. He's taking all things well considering. And I hope that he can confront Elena at some point about it so that they can be close again.

Schumiac

Yes, therein seems to be our main differences in view. I view Stefan's need to be off human blood differently and I think Stefan has been on and off. the way I see his latest human blood tepisode (just to clarify):

His "craziness" right now is unlike anything he has shown (or so it seems given Damon's words & reactions) and part of the reason for it IS because he has been off human blood for too long, because it seems he has grown an even larger appetite for it, never being satisfied no matter how much he drinks (for it seemed to be he has dranks quite a lot). But at this point what he shows is not an "initial" reaction to digesting human blood. He has been secretly drinking it for some time now, and the 'craziness' is still there because he is unable to control it. For I think Damon is right, he has never really figured out how to control it the way Damon has. I think it is possible when things escalated, Stefan disgusted with what he is and what he is doing, had the habit of switching to animal blood instead. and then he had his "back on human blood" moments which were never this bad for he never denied himself human blood this long. I think it is fairly 'recent' that he has been on a steady animal diet for a long period of time.

But, it is all open to interpretation, as you said, for we lack much info yet on the brothers (as humans) & their 145 years of vampire experience.

And that actually just gave me Spike/Buffy flashback to when Spike set next to a crying Buffy (who has just found out about her mom's illness -I think?) to comfort her with his presence, not knowing what else to do. And she had this weird "what's going on" shocked look on her face but accepted it. Which I think Elena also had on that scene, she seemed a bit suprised to see Damon sit down with her.

sweet_zelda

But I do think we will get that with the next episode

Schumiac

Ohh, "some" of it, yes, but I doubt we'll get the full picture yet, which is the beauty of the show but is also so maddening at times... I want to know everything regarding the brothers, like, NOW...

afeverpitch

This means nothing to me, since Stefan has been doing just fine without learning to control the blood. And Damon has been a coldblooded murderer despite knowing how.

ale-la-pazza1

Good episode
Stefan is breaking my heart
He needs a serious intervention!
Bonnie, can you come back to whatever you were? Thanks.
Caroline won
Damon stepping in is good

Next week looks good too!