DigitalCount

I like that they've put in these tiny nods to prior seasons this season. In this episode, the mention of how Bill Forbes was sneaking around with Steven was almost as hilarious as the implied conversation Damon had with Lucy Bennett last week. Also, I think I understand Enzo's character a bit more this week, so that's helpful. I really like the direction this season's going in, it really feels like old-school TVD now that the ships are not the focus.

The thing is, the 1994 that Bonnie's in is not really 1994, it's a copy of the world as it was back in 1994 with no people in it. It would be nice to see Sheila again though, the fact that Bonnie's middle name is Sheila was a nice touch. Also, props to TVD to giving vampire blood a bit of a limitation that makes sense. I do hope that someone suggests giving Liz an IV drip of vampire blood while operating on the tumor though, because that seems like the solution.

I'm just posting to say I had the same impression; as soon as they killed him he'd make a beeline for Emily and be back before anyone knew it. And of course they have to lock him up, how else can he return in Season 7?

See, this right here is why I said that we need the next "villain" to be a group of youngish vampires from a small town who were friends with vampires from Kol's line and want revenge on the Gilberts. It might give them the wake-up call they need. I would love for them to suddenly realize that people aren't just collateral damage. Remember Bree?

Should be since Jeremy's death in mid-season 4, or at least the episode afterward (I think). I know he had it by 4x21, since it was critical to the plot.

2 things: 1) I think it wasn't the rings themselves but just Esther being evil that made the wearers crazy. 2) Currently only one ring exists. When Alaric was made into an Originator, his ring was melted down to preserve the stake he used, so that it wouldn't be consumed in the wake of the Original's demise.

This season, particularly this past episode, is great for quotes. "See, Stefan? Even the bear knew" was just so perfectly deadpan in the delivery, it almost makes me forget that Alaric's played by Matt Davis.

I hate to be that guy, but was there any particular reason why so many of the people at Blackgate Prison (prisoners and guards alike) seemed to be...what's the term I'm looking for...well-suited to their surroundings? I'm all for people who look like me on TV, but I was taken a bit short by it to say the least. Like, is that a feature of the area? I'm mildly versed in Batman lore (so I'd recognize people like, say, Clayface, not so much this Lovecraft fellow) and I was unaware of anything that might cause Blackgate to have such a hilariously apt name. This was more a "that's really funny" than a "that's racist" response for me, since like I said, the guards fit right in as well.

In the most recent episode, Barry flies through the doors of the school like a rocket, so I'm going to say that your wish has been granted. Funnily enough, on No Ordinary Family there was a speedster who also had to eat a lot more, and they didn't address that there either. :P

As far as the little things go, I really liked Dean's expression when he was watching Mary singing "Carry On, My Wayward Son." That's probably the only thing I can say that hasn't already been said. Fantastic.

Reveal that Jimmy Olsen's name is actually Henry James Olsen, and that his y--oh, wait. That's old hat. I think female Joker is the way to go.

Yeah, I appreciated the continuity of someone telling Stefan to save the other person and Stefan obeying as well. It seems like no matter who Stefan goes to save, that person will always tell him to save their companion first, lol. I also liked the fact that they were mixing things up with the character interactions. Maybe it's because they realized that the old interactions were getting a bit...stale? Stefan/Alaric is another new pair that have had scenes together more this season than prior, I think. Couldn't Jo have just stood outside the line and, I don't know, called Alaric to her with some sort of spell? These witches seem rather weak when they get hit with the contrivance bat. First it was Liv last week not knowing how to save someone's life with a spell (SOOO much more powerful than Bonnie, inorite?), and now this week it's Jo.

A few thoughts on my end: This, absolutely. I was like, "wow, freaking Gotham." I burst out laughing when this happened, but I know it's just another level of complete corruption in this city. The fact that they have a freaking stack of them is the most messed up thing. This isn't a one-time-use golden ticket, it's just business as usual. I guess they use those for the people that no one would dare sign off on arresting. Loved the Mayor peacing out as soon as Falcone mentioned killing. I actually have a different take on Barbara coming back for Jim than what I've seen thus far. She knew he was going to die (and really, he absolutely would have if Ozzie hadn't had Falcone's ear). She probably cares about changing the world in an abstract sense, but she cares more deeply for her beloved. Yes, she was leverage, but maybe that was part of her calculation here (if Jim has to back down, then maybe they can both survive). It would have been super heartless and ignorant for her (who is unaware that Gordon is the lead on an action crime thriller) to just take off and let him die alone, not to mention that the posts here would have been talking about agency rather than brains had she just dutifully followed Jim's instructions. Jim may have been willing to sacrifice himself, but she was not willing to sacrifice him, and his choice to do so would have hurt her too. Nothing needs to be said about the Penguin, his performance and writing speak for themselves. Didn't mind Fish, but then again I mostly enjoy her (and envy Nico/Will Smith). Falcone's a lot smarter than the upstarts seem to realize. LOVED the scene where Jim is introducing Montoya and Allen to Bruce and Alfred. I hope Allen's not dirty, but we've seen more behind the curtain for Montoya and we know she's a good woman (if a bit misguided sometimes). Here's hoping he's just a simple guy who wants to catch the crooks. Essen and Bullock are both relatable, even though they're technically dirty, and I like that. That facial expression Jim had when he realized he'd need to buy a new bed tho. Favorite thus far.

I am so glad that Montoya and Allen got to look like a couple of stupid jerks in this episode. Also, everything to do with Ozzie and his storyline is spot on. I have a feeling that once they get a chance, he's going to be moved up in screen-time/story importance.

I almost spat out my drink here. Yes, Liz, he probably would. Did I say before that it was great to see Zach again? Even though I spent the last however-many minutes going "she's a fricking SALVATORE" over and over, the tie-in was really cool and believable. WRT memories that Matt and Liz might have suddenly regained: I think it's reasonable to believe that either they were told or they could suspect that something different happened, and those memories would be small pieces rather than huge life-changing events like what Tripp went through. Furthermore, they might not even notice the new memory until they think about the specific event. It could be that Matt hasn't considered that Mason once attacked him in the woods, or that Nadia is Katherine's daughter. On the other hand, Sarah was very recently attacked by Elena, and Tripp is fixated on his wife's death, so there you go. One could possibly argue that they did suddenly have new memories, and Liz's newer, stronger relationship with Caroline is the result of remembering the time she spent in vervain detox in S2. No thoughts on Grayson saving Sarah's life? Or did I see that wrong? I actually find Grayson a really interesting character, and I'd like to get a bit more into his head-space. If we're going to have more 90s flashbacks this year, I hope we get to see the Gilbert Parents.

I didn't think Nina was doing the Katherine voice here, it wasn't growly enough except in parts of the one scene in the garage. I think she was just more relaxed than she has been in a while, because this is pre-Damon Elena. In any case, I thought this was a good episode. I'm mostly enjoying where this season is going, although I'm still waiting on my season storyline about a group of vampires/humans who were friends with other vamps from Kol's lineage coming to Mystic Falls to chop the heads off our group. I continue to be amazed that these guys got away with genocide.

I was actually hoping that Dean would try to bargain with Sam using his own blood, which would lead Sam to redouble his efforts for that final push (since he knows the real Dean wouldn't want him as an addict). Sam wouldn't have to accept the deal, but it's odd that Dean wouldn't even offer--at least given that he referenced Mary.

The only thing I don't like about Kai is that he was doing that Katherine thing where he points out things that fans say. I mean, if they were to reveal that he was Katherine in disguise, or that they wanted Kol but NateBuzz was busy so they needed to do rewrites, I would not be particularly surprised (well, maybe a bit at the Katherine idea).

I really appreciated Harvey's genuine concern for Jim here. On the surface he wanted to seem all tough, business, but you could tell that the good man inside really wanted to make sure Jim was doing alright.

After this most recent episode, I'm inclined to agree that these are the things they are both worried about. I think it was a wise choice to have her try to get the truth out of Jim, but of course there was no way he was going to tell her a thing right then, in the station, with councilmen dropping left and right. Although she probably should have known better, considering the fact that both Jim and Renee have told her that there are many dirty cops in Gotham.

He almost did piss off Maroni. I like that he's making mistakes even as he's honing his skills, they avoid making him a super-villain right away (especially since they had him use the tensions surrounding Arkham to successfully steal from the mob).

He wouldn't, necessarily. But as someone said upthread, that was more for Molly the Moll than Falcone. If she's going to seduce and kill an old guy she barely knows, she needs to be comfortable with getting out of her comfort zone. That's why it was important that she wasn't naturally into "girls," because kissing another woman would be foreign to her. I also thought it rang a bit false that the eventual winner of that cat-fight was the one less quick on the uptake. I'd have had her be the one to start removing earrings, high heels etc. and the other one to be more perplexed. She seemed a bit more killer-instinct, a bit more native Gothamite than the other. IMO it would have flowed better that way. I don't know if they wanted her to be so BAMF that they decided that even if she wasn't immediately going for the jugular she'd win in a fight, but I feel like it undercut the character we were being shown. Props to the actress for doing a good amount with just a little screen-time, though.

I'm pretty sure one of those Panabakers was on No Ordinary Family too. If anyone watched that show. I can safely say I loved it. It did feel a bit Raimi-Spidey, but that is fine by me. I love a good speedster scene, and this show will be full of them, hopefully. Or, a bunch of papers whooshing as GG walks into frame. I'm not too picky.

I'll probably post about this in the World thread, but the short answer is that dream manipulation is not compulsion. We've seen vamps do this before, but the effects generally wear off when the person wakes up (or dies, like with Rose). Off the top of my head, we've seen Damon and Katherine do it to Stefan, Damon did it to Rose shortly before a mercy kill (she was dying via wolf bite) and Sage did it to Bex but then she turned on the MFers when she learned they wanted to kill Finn.

LOL at more people talking about MBFwB than the actual special, but that makes sense since 1) MBFwB was aggressively bad and kind of offensive on just about as many levels as possible and 2) given that they were given the opportunity to acknowledge it and yet mentioned Wendigo instead makes the lack of mention a bit startling. But yes, that episode was breathtakingly egregious.