Friday, November 15, 2013

The Vampire Diaries 'Death and the Maiden' review: Doppelgängland

The Vampire Diaries is a lot of fun when you can just stop thinking and enjoy it for all of its insanity. At least that's what I've been telling myself during these past two episodes, seeing as I haven't allowed my quibbles to overshadow the entertainment. I've been struggling of what to make up of this season's episodes during reviews because plenty of times there just isn't much to talk about. Where before we could discuss the intricacies of characters and their motivations, now it's just a bunch of people running around doing some crazy stuff. I suppose it's been that for a while, but I'm not so much concerned with what they're thinking as they do it.

How else can you explain Elena defending her best. summer. ever. to a guy who drowned countless times during a three-month period (while she didn't even notice her friend was dead) or how she told her ex-boyfriend that he knows her better than anyone else in front of her current boyfriend? I guess you could say that homegirl loves her some Salvatore attention, but — you know what? Never mind, that's probably true.

I can't even explain what's going through the mind of someone who is dead and walking around as a ghost. How do you compare that to reality? All I know is that I'm glad Bonnie's back so that she and Jeremy can stop having the same conversation about how she wants to stay dead. Or, actually, how she simply kept stating that she's dead. Even when she came back to life in this episode (though she's technically still kind of dead), she was all, "I'm back." Yes, Bonnie, thanks for the narration. By the way, it only took Bonnie to die and come back to get a new hairstyle. Did you see that promo?


The question is whether Jeremy will still be into her now that she's not a ghost. Maybe she can cut out a blanket and "boo!" for her boo in the boudoir.

Simply put: I think tonight was a great showcase for Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley and Janina Gavankar. I have been shameless in my love for Tessa/Qetsiyah, because she's kind of the unhinged villain that I think fits perfectly with The Vampire Diaries right now. So, it's a shame that her storyline ended so early. (Though she could still stick around, just as Silas could, I'm guessing.) Anyway, Dobrev and Wesley were great in tonight's episode. Everyone loves them some Sassy Silas (and Sassy Stefan). And something about there being three doppelgängers in one scene refreshed my mind on how distinct Dobrev plays all her characters. I especially appreciate her delivery of vulnerable Katherine.

Weirdly, Katherine is perhaps the only character who is giving us much to discuss proper. Though I don't think anyone can connect to not seeing their child in several hundred years, the cracks in her tough exterior while pleading to Nadia that she's just no good to be in her life was illuminating. Katherine needs everyones help at the moment, and yet she can't allow herself to really ask for it from the people who know her best (or want to know her) — instead choosing to ask for it in people like Creepy Professor 2.0 and Tessa.

Though I'm sad some of the crazier stuff on The Vampire Diaries seemed to have ended last night, some part of me is also interested in what they'll do with our core characters. Then again, when I asked that question last, they brought back Silas and introduced Tessa and more doppelgängers. But whatever, as long as it's a fun ride, right?

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