Enzo: Well-Traveled, Charming Accent, Dodgy Morals

[Cattitude]

I really like Enzo and his great snark. He is the yang to Alaric's yen as Damon's best friends.

 

He really has a great flair for the dramatic especially when it comes to killing someone. He really has become one of my favorite characters.

 

Thought he deserved his own thread and as far as I could find he doesn't have a last name.

[ladyrott]

I like Enzo too.  He is a lot like early Damon....evil in his own way, but I just cant help but like him.  I really hope they keep him around.  I wouldn't mind a hookup with Caroline and him (where I think the writers will eventually go). 

[miss-vanilla]

Add me to the list of those who are enjoying this character. His lines and actions are very Damon like.

Edited November 17, 2014 by miss-vanilla

[slayer2]

If Enzo being here and being Damon-lite means Damon finally gets to evolve and by proxy of that leave his Elena whining behind then I'm all for it.

[truthaboutluv]

I have made no secret of my dislike for this character but honestly, even before he pissed me off at the start of this season with that shit with Stefan, I felt like the character sticking around was pointless. The second I realized at the end of last season that Plec and company were going to go by some so called fan/viewer support and make the character a regular, I thought there was no point and it was a stupid decision.

 

This show is already pretty much the definition of a "sausage fest". Seriously, who are the female characters - Elena, Caroline and Bonnie. Well Bonnie has pretty much spent the last two or three seasons dying at the end of each season and spending most of it MIA so she really doesn't even count. On the flipside, there is Damon, Stefan, Jeremy, Matt and Tyler and now we have the return of Alaric and this fool Enzo. 

 

I just cannot see one new and/or interesting thing this character is bringing to the show. Oh an unapologetic asshole vampire who makes snarky comments. Yeah I've seen that one for 5 seasons. Someone who loves and declares Damon his best friend - isn't that the purpose Alaric serves? I don't find the actor hot in the least so I can't even like the character based on shallow reasons, his acting is nothing that amazing (I mean he's okay enough but really nothing compared to say the actors who played Klaus and Elijah even I didn't even love those characters but the actors were awesome) and there is really nothing about the character that I find interesting and/or compelling. 

 

His whole back-story of the woman who helped save his life last season - yeah didn't care. I just feel like this a character taking up unnecessary screen-time because he's a mediocre/lighter version of Damon and goodness knows how excited and tingly Plec and company get over any of these types of characters. Because god forbid they focus more on treating Bonnie like an actual realized character they give a damn about and finally give her a decent storyline that doesn't include sacrificing herself over and over for the idiots. No, let's waste screen-time on the contrived poor man's Damon because clearly what this show needs is another asshole male character.

Edited December 1, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Cattitude]

You know I've never understood Enzo being some kind of Damon replacement b/c well Damon is still on the show. If anything the dynamic Enzo is meant to replace it is Klaus. Sadly I find Enzo much more compelling than Matt or Tyler who have both been on since day one.

 

Secondly Liv and Jo have also been added to the cast. So while there are more male characters than female it isn't like there aren't new female characters too.

 

Third I like MM and find his acting to be as good as the rest of the cast. Besides what's his name the leader of the travelers last season I find that Plec does a good job finding well matched actors, but I will agree that JM and DG are superior to most all the others.

Following MM on twitter I have found him to be very charming and funny. So I see why Plec likes him so much.

 

I always liked Klaus and found him a good mix of bad and a hint of good. Enzo is very similar to him without being such a baby. I like that he is smart and can read people well.

In fact though I love Alaric I've been kind of let down with the writing for his character so far since his return. I've actually enjoyed Enzo more than Ric.

[miss-vanilla]

My reasons for liking Enzo are because for the first time, since Ric died in S3, there was a male character who was close to Damon. Enzo spent everyday for 5 yrs trapped in a cell with Damon Salvatore, arguably more time in concentrated hours than probably anyone else, ever. They must know pretty much everything about each other, and what makes them tick. They suffered together, planned together and fought together. Enzo knows the REAL Damon, and he loves him like a brother, which is why he felt so betrayed when (in his eyes), Damon left him to die. Enzo knows Damon, inside and out, and he has vocalised many a fans opinions "in show"  of Damons attributes, something that is like rocking horse poo. We rarely have another character championing Damon, and dissing Stefan at the same time. That is like a breath of fresh air to Damon fans.

I agree with cattitude, we have been shown his smarts, he is not just a pretty face.

I don't actually think he is like Damon, he isn't driven by his impulses, his actions are much more calculated rather than intuitive (like Damons). They are both clever, lateral thinkers, but Damon's actions are more often than not driven by emotions and his heart, whereas Enzo's are driven by his naturally predatory instincts and his head. The snarky, bad boy  stuff is great, Enzo is enjoying his life outside of captivity, and embracing his lifestyle. His Augustine experience has shaped his world view now. Humans are his enemy, his prey, and he will damn well enjoy his power over this race that kept him in chains and tortured and used him like he was nothing for the best part of 70 yrs. I can't blame him, much like I don't blame Damon.

Edited December 3, 2014 by miss-vanilla

[immortalfrieza]

I'm enjoying this episode, heck this season, so much. But I need to rant here.

I am tired of Enzo. Really!? Really, dude? The ONLY reason Faux-Sarah is dead is because Stefan wouldn't share his entire life with you? Nothing to do with the fact that, Oh I don't know, you decided to become Stefan's stalker and kill every young female crossing his path? Perhaps? Seriously, I get that it's a big part in creating the divide between the humans and the vampires but can they not have a less pathetic reason than Enzo's hurt feelings? He expects those people he's known less than a year to like and accept him more than someone they've know for 4 years? Are you fucking kidding me? Why is he turning into an idiot?

 

I wasn't attached to Sarah and had more of an eye-roll *Enzo! shakes fist* reaction until he said the DUMBEST thing that ever left his mouth on this show. Yeah Enzo, it's totally Stefan's fault that you fucking followed him in the middle of nowhere about matters that don't fucking concern you. He can be fun homicidal guy, but adding the whole "oh woe is me the world doesn't appreciate my greatness" is where it goes from amusing snark to man-child tantrum and I am not eager to revisit Dumb!Damon S5 territory.

I think Enzo is basically intended to be Big Bad Damon now that the actual Damon can't be. Now that the writers have been putting him through this whole redemption arc Damon can't go around being a straight badass bad guy anymore after all the character development they shoved down his throat so Enzo was created to step in and take over that role, but unlike Damon they appear to have no intention of giving Enzo any redeeming qualities whatsoever if the episodes so far are any indication. Enzo also isn't getting shipped with anybody so the fanbase isn't letting him get away with his evil actions like they did with Damon.

[fantique]

I don't know why they need that. It's not like Damon is an angel now, he's just not killing people at the drop of a hat anymore. They feel the need to have their devil may care vamp quota, that's fine. The problem is the whole I am jealous and want to steal your life angle is pathetic. Just let him be a troublemaker that will get shit done. He already had enough backstory explaining why he's the way he is. Do we need stupid romantic motivation and jealousy here?

I don't actually think he is like Damon, he isn't driven by his impulses, his actions are much more calculated rather than intuitive (like Damons). They are both clever, lateral thinkers, but Damon's actions are more often than not driven by emotions and his heart, whereas Enzo's are driven by his naturally predatory instincts and his head. The snarky, bad boy  stuff is great, Enzo is enjoying his life outside of captivity, and embracing his lifestyle. His Augustine experience has shaped his world view now. Humans are his enemy, his prey, and he will damn well enjoy his power over this race that kept him in chains and tortured and used him like he was nothing for the best part of 70 yrs. I can't blame him, much like I don't blame Damon.

This is why I liked him and this episode ruined that because basically what was said is "I want to be Damon's brother, I want to be Caroline's love. That means I must obliterate Stefan". Too dumb for words. Now, I don't hate the character and I'm just going to try and overlook this moment of stupidity on the writers' part. I really hope they get over this Enzo vs Stefan thing. The interesting thing about Damon not leaving Stefan alone was that there was an undertone of needing each other. In Enzo's case it comes across as "I want to steal your life".

Edited December 6, 2014 by fantique

[KatWay]

I liked Enzo when they first introduced him, even if he made zero sense as a character, but now he's just tiresome and needs to go away.

[truthaboutluv]

I liked Enzo when they first introduced him, even if he made zero sense as a character, but now he's just tiresome and needs to go away.

 

See my comment above. I never particularly liked him myself but he served a purpose with the poorly developed Augustine storyline so that was fine. I got annoyed once it was clear he was going to be brought back after Stefan rightfully killed his ass and glad to see my feelings were well founded. As I noted above, I saw no purpose for the character and the shit they're pulling now makes that even clearer. 

 

I do find the decision to create some battle between him and Stefan rather interesting. I was under the impression Plec and company kept him around because they believed he was a "fan favorite" and you would think they would want to maintain that. However I don't see how making him antagonistic and borderline a villain towards Stefan accomplishes that. I mean I'm sure some anti-Stefan viewers may like it because supposedly Enzo is "calling Stefan out on his shit..." though I'm still not sure what that is, but okay then. Oh wait right, he didn't grieve appropriately for Damon, I forgot. 

 

However reading around online, while some may have been a bit more accepting with his shitty actions at the start of the season, the reaction towards last night's actions seem to be he's an asshole and he needs to go away. I guess I can sort of understand the "he's Damon-lite while Damon gets his shit together" viewpoint, but that doesn't work for obvious reasons that I would think Plec and company would realize. Evil as Damon was at the start of the show, the viewers knew coming in that this was going to be the story of these three characters - Damon, Stefan and Elena. On top of that Damon and Stefan were brothers, albeit with a very twisted and unhealthy history. The point is viewers had more of a motivation and investment to still care about Damon and care about his story even while he was at his most evil because they knew the show was essentially the story of these three people.

 

That is not the case with Enzo. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Enzo is just some Johnny fucking come lately tied to some contrived Damon backstory. The show loses NOTHING with him gone so why should anyone still root or support and try to be invested in him when he's being such a fucking tool. On top of that, it is unlikely that anyone, again other than those who hate the character, is going to root for Enzo in a some personal vendetta war against Stefan, a main character on the show and one viewers have been invested in since Season 1, Especially since most importantly, Stefan HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING to Enzo. His "murdering" him last season was a result of him defending himself as Enzo tried to kill him even after Damon told Enzo he was the one who murdered his so called love. 

 

So this whole thing just makes no sense and makes me wonder what Plec and company are going for with this. They can't seriously think anyone will view this in the same way as Damon and Stefan's troubled relationship and history. Enzo is simply too pointless a character with little to no true development on this show for anyone to understand and side with this ridiculous, nonsensical "war" he's started against Stefan. And again, where is this going to go? Damon, whatever his feelings of friendship with Enzo is not going to pick him over his brother and frankly neither will Caroline. So what is the point? Again all this is doing is sucking up unnecessary screentime on a useless character they never should have kept around and now are pulling the most stupid plot out of their ass to justify his hanging around. The only thing that will make this worth it in my opinion, is if this all leads to Stefan going Ripper on that asshole and making sure he stays dead this time. 

 

Enzo also isn't getting shipped with anybody so the fanbase isn't letting him get away with his evil actions like they did with Damon.

 

 

He's being shipped with Caroline and I think it's clear the writers set it up to be that way. Not saying they will put them together but wouldn't surprise me if they do because as I've said, I'm convinced that Plec and company will never give Stefan another relationship on that show so despite all the stuff so far this season, I still don't think they're going to put him and Caroline together. And after that grossness between Klaus and Caroline, hooking her up with a guy someone she cares about loathes, isn't beyond them. 

Edited December 5, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Carrie Ann]

Have Damon and Enzo even shared a scene since Damon's return? If they have, I honestly don't remember it. So the ludicrous Damon/Enzo BFF angle is even less believable. Especially when you compare it to Dalaric, Defan, and Bamon. Damon has plenty of friendships now. No need to keep someone around just to be on Damon's side, like last year.

 

Anyway, if the "steal your life" thing is supposed to be his motivation, then I definitely missed it. To me, it just seems like this weird, muddy version of Damon trying to force Stefan to accept his dark side, while also extending that lifetime of misery thing. But it's lacking a personal reason. There is no reason for ENZO to spend his time this way. Stefan has no current control over his life. He's not withholding something from him. They have no relationship.

 

Enzo killed himself last year, and set it up so that Stefan would appear and feel as though he was to blame. So even if Stefan himself still felt any guilt over that, Enzo knows that he didn't actually do anything wrong. So that doesn't make sense. Stefan let Tripp have Enzo this season, but Enzo had just killed his innocent girlfriend, so again, it's not like Stefan has targeted Enzo in some way. In fact, Stefan came back over the line and saved Enzo, at his own risk, the following episode, right?

 

So I think Enzo is still around because, Plot. I think he has to be the worst vampire, because they're setting up this human v. vampire thing, and one of them has to be truly awful. There is really no other reason for his continued presence.

[miss-vanilla]

Have Damon and Enzo even shared a scene since Damon's return? If they have, I honestly don't remember it. So the ludicrous Damon/Enzo BFF angle is even less believable. Especially when you compare it to Dalaric, Defan, and Bamon. Damon has plenty of friendships now. No need to keep someone around just to be on Damon's side, like last year.

 

IKR, this is a writing fail so far, too many characters in the mix at the moment means something has to give, I guess this is one of those things. You are right that Enzo is surplus to requirements for Damon since he has so many other friendships and priorities, but for Enzo, his friendship with Damon is literally ALL he has, since he now realizes Caroline has feelings for Stefan that are less than platonic.

Anyway, if the "steal your life" thing is supposed to be his motivation, then I definitely missed it. To me, it just seems like this weird, muddy version of Damon trying to force Stefan to accept his dark side, while also extending that lifetime of misery thing. But it's lacking a personal reason. There is no reason for ENZO to spend his time this way. Stefan has no current control over his life. He's not withholding something from him. They have no relationship.

 

I think Enzo just doesn't trust Stefan at all, because of what he has been told about him from Damon, and from what he has seen and experienced over the last few weeks. In a way he is trying to get Stefan to climb down from his high horse and face his actions and dark side, but not because he wants to help Stefan (like Damon did), he doesn't care about Stefan at all,he is just trying to get under his skin and score points, because he does care about Damon, and his spidey senses are telling him that Shady Stefan, is acting shady.

Enzo does have motivation to disrupt Stefan's life though, he has tried to kill him twice (even after he saved he saved him from Tripps minion hunter), and then Stefan saved him and Damon, (he did it because of Damon)

The thing is, if Damon hadn't  come back from the dead, Stefan would most probably still be trying to kill him, but since then, Stefan has been "bygones" with everyone, and it didn't wash with Caroline, and it didn't wash with Enzo.

I don't buy that Stefan was after Enzo because of Ivy, I just don't. He didn't care about her at all. She was a human, a part of his "moving on denial bubble", a coping mechanism that he resorts to frequently it seems. Once his pretend new life was infiltrated by his past (Enzo and Caroline), that illusion was shattered, and then Ivy was nothing more than an inconvenience that he tried to put on Caroline, and Alaric. Stefan vebalized his true motivation to Elena (i think, or maybe Caroline), that  Enzo was a reminder of his brother, someone was he actively trying to forget about.

Stefan handing Enzo over to Tripp, was a dick move that put all our vamps in danger. Enzo could easily have given Stefan's name to Tripp, and Elena and Caroline, but he didn't, he kept quiet, he deserves a little thanks for taking one for the team I feel.

Enzo has been shown to be a good reader of people, he sees through the BS. Just as he was studied for all those years, he also learnt a few things too, and he learnt not to trust what people pretend to be outwardly, but judges actions, and in his opinion, Stefan is not the person/vamp he purports himself to be, as we keep being shown, over and over.

What is wrong about all this storyline is not the concept, but the execution, which is OTT IMO.

 

 

 

[truthaboutluv]

Enzo does have motivation to disrupt Stefan's life though, he has tried to kill him twice

 

 

Because Enzo came at HIM first. Stefan didn't try to kill Enzo last season. He defended himself while Enzo tried to kill him even AFTER finding out from Damon that Damon was the one responsible for killing the girl he cared about. And Enzo pretty much killed himself to make sure he could torture Stefan and Damon to some extent. And this season, again, he came into Stefan's life and attacked first by killing Ivy for no damn good reason.

 

That is some rationalization that somehow Stefan is still the bad guy and to blame for a complete nutjob who he hasn't done anything to coming after him. And I don't care that he wasn't madly in love with Ivy and even really cared about her that much. That doesn't negate the fact that Enzo came into HIS life uninvited, decided to pass judgement on how he was grieving for his brother and then proceed to murder an innocent girl for no reason. He started it period...anything that Stefan did in retaliation was on Enzo.

 

Was Stefan harassing Enzo in any way, interrupting his life in any way, hell was Stefan even acknowledging Enzo's existence? The only time Stefan has ever initiated any drama with Enzo is when he threatened Enzo to get out of Mystic Falls when  Damon was spiraling after the break up with Elena because in true Stefan fashion, he made excuses for Damon's behavior by putting it on Enzo and decided he was enabling Damon's bad behavior. But once that whole thing got settled, Stefan honestly didn't seem to even give Enzo a second thought until the loser tried to kill him for killing some woman he didn't.

 

I get having favorites and disliking characters but my goodness the backflips and twists to rationalize actions once it's against a character one isn't fond of is always fascinating. Stefan gets antagonized and provoked by this moron and yet somehow he is still the bad guy and the wrong party in this. Amazing... This idea that Enzo is some truth seer and teller and knows all or whatever and sees the awful that Stefan supposedly is sounds like a load of fanwanking to me.

Edited December 6, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Cattitude]

Enzo could easily have given Stefan's name to Tripp, and Elena and Caroline, but he didn't, he kept quiet, he deserves a little thanks for taking one for the team I feel.

Enzo has been shown to be a good reader of people, he sees through the BS. Just as he was studied for all those years, he also learnt a few things too, and he learnt not to trust what people pretend to be outwardly, but judges actions, and in his opinion, Stefan is not the person/vamp he purports himself to be, as we keep being shown, over and over.

 

I totally agree with this part especially. If anything Enzo is the vampire version of Tripp. He loathes humans as much as Tripp loathed vampires. I mean they torchered the guy for no good reason for DECADES. He is very suspicious and like Damon he can see how much Stefan is kidding himself. I think his main hatred of Stefan is that he is a vampire who wants to pretend he is a human and that just really really rubs Enzo the wrong way, so he keeps reminding Stefan they are BOTH really just vampires.

 

A better story would have been for Enzo and Tripp to battle it out, but since Stefan is a main character in need of a story, Stefan and Enzo are in some warped triangle surrounding Caroline. And I still say Enzo is a Klaus replacement and it has little to do with Damon.

 

Enzo has done as much FOR the gang as against them and yet they seem to actively want him dead. I for one enjoy his dynamic and what he brings to the show this season.

Edited December 6, 2014 by Cattitude

[formerlyfreedom]

Just a reminder, it's completely okay for posters to have differing opinions than the ones that you may have. Let's keep it respectful and polite, please. Our thanks!

[miss-vanilla]

 

I get having favorites and disliking characters but my goodness the backflips and twists to rationalize actions once it's against a character one isn't fond of is always fascinating. Stefan gets antagonized and provoked by this moron and yet somehow he is still the bad guy and the wrong party in this. Amazing... This idea that Enzo is some truth seer and teller and knows all or whatever and sees the awful that Stefan supposedly is sounds like a load of fanwanking to me.

 

Well I repectfully disagree, I call it another POV.

[Love]

I would really like to know what Enzo's backstory is pre-captivity. How old is he in Vampire years? Who turned him? More importantly, which Original vamp is ultimately responsible for him?

I will confess...I like Enzo. A**hole tendencies aside, I have no problem with him. What that says about me, I don't know. Having never seen the actor before, I really like him.

[lion10]

I would really like to know what Enzo's backstory is pre-captivity. How old is he in Vampire years? Who turned him? More importantly, which Original vamp is ultimately responsible for him?

I will confess...I like Enzo. A**hole tendencies aside, I have no problem with him. What that says about me, I don't know. Having never seen the actor before, I really like him.

According to the vampire diaries wiki, he was turned around the early 1900s. For some reason he doesn't seem as old as either Stefan and Damon and he mentioned he died of tuberculosis which I think was going around in the early 1900s. I like how Enzo embraces vampirism but I really dislike his sadism, though perhaps that's just a part of his vampire nature.

[scarynikki12]

I want to know how he could die of TB if he had vampire blood in his system.  Vampire blood has been shown to heal and bring humans back from the brink of death, so there's no way that Enzo should have continued to have TB much less die from it.  I know they wanted him to cross the magic border and not die, so he couldn't have died from a neck snap but it wouldn't have been hard to give him his own gunshot wound and reference an Italian war or being on the wrong end of a vendetta or something. 

[Carrie Ann]

Really good point. That makes no sense.

[miss-vanilla]

perhaps he was literally on the verge of death from TB and someone gave him vampire blood so that he would come back at the last minute? Thinking about it logically, all vampires are made because they had vamp blood in their systems when they died. Vamp blood cures all, but not if death is inevitable as a human. 

For instance, Stefan had vamp blood in his system when he died, but he seemed to spend a few minutes actually dying, and was conscious enough to to turn his head and look at Damon. Why did the vamp blood not cure him of his gun shot wound?

 

Interesting though, isn't it?

[scarynikki12]

My thought regarding the deaths of the Salvatores, Caro and Elena is that the vampire blood in systems wasn't enough to overcome the way they died.  The brothers were gut shot, Katherine held that pillow until Caro died of suffocation, and Elena was underwater long enough to die of drowning and in all cases the vampire blood in their systems didn't save them but instead turned them.  I think that, had they been given blood after their various afflictions but moments before death, they probably would have been saved (like the multitude of times humans have been saved by vampire blood over the series).  I think that a key is that they were given the blood with a gap of several hours before their deaths and that delay prevented their lives being saved.  Enough time had passed that the blood would still be effective at turning them but not enough to prevent death.  That's why Enzo is so confusing.  If he was given blood a few hours before he died, like the brothers, Caro, and Elena, then his TB would have been cured and if he was given blood moments before succumbing to the disease he would have been saved and not turned.  Either way it just doesn't work given what we've seen.  For deaths like neck snaps the human has vampire blood in their system and then is killed in a way that is instantaneous death.  Humans can survive spinal injuries and broken necks but not in the way the show demonstrates, hence that being an effective and quick way to create vampires. 

 

Plus they missed an opportunity to give us a little bit of human Enzo back story.  I'd have gone with a gun shot death like the brothers (since they keep writing him as Damon lite anyway), and have Enzo make a comment about forgetting how pissed off Capone could get.  Drop a name that tells us everything we need to know about how he did and keep going with the story.  Instead it just made me ask questions and think about plausible ways Enzo could have died from TB with vampire blood in his system rather than the story at large.  I do like speculating on the shows I watch so, in that way, they did me a favor but still.

[Gwen-Stacys]

Enzo has done as much FOR the gang as against them and yet they seem to actively want him dead. I for one enjoy his dynamic and what he brings to the show this season.

I'll admit that sometimes I half watch this show and can miss things but...what exactly has Enzo done for the gang? He's just kind of been there...Last season he was there to further Damon's redemption arc and then commit suicide via Stefan to punish Stefan (?) for not killing his girlfriend 70 years prior? Enzo's reasoning makes no sense.

 

And (oh my lord, please don't make me defend Klaus) Enzo is nothing like Klaus. Not even a little bit. Klaus is a selfish self-preservationist who acts on his whims and emotions. But most of the time, he's very logical/methodical in the things that he does. He would never have killed fake!Sarah to get an answer out of Stefan. He'd know Stefan well enough (as is the Mikaelson way of "knowing their enemies" before striking out against them) to know killing a stranger isn't going to get him to tell you anything. And if he stays mum about something, he's not going to talk. If anything, he's going to come after you (as he's already done to Enzo). And, honestly, I doubt Damon would even care at this point. Are him and Enzo even still friends?

[Cattitude]

Oh I don't think Enzo is anything like Klaus but the dynamic on the show he is meant to replace is the void Klaus left. I mean he basically spelled it out when he told Caroline the whole line that is the title of this thread. He is meant to be a bad guy who also does things that help the gang.

 

As far as helping the gang um he was the one to get the whole bring people back from the dead ball rolling and did most of the proding. Then of course as someone else just mentioned he didn't out any of them to Tripp despite torcher and Stefan being the one to give him up. He also helped get the cure to vampire killing vampire viris Daman and Elena had and delivered it to them. I'm sure there is more but that is just off the top of my head.

[KatWay]

 

Last season he was there to further Damon's redemption arc and then commit suicide via Stefan to punish Stefan (?) for not killing his girlfriend 70 years prior? Enzo's reasoning makes no sense.

Yeah, don't forget he also then immediately and desperately wanted to come back to life. After doing the dramatic suicide to punish Stefan (still sort of iffy on the 'why' here) and Damon (who he then forgave five seconds later) and playing Poltergeist for an episode. Nothing the character does makes any sense. Unless you want to make his main personality trait "Enzo doesn't think things through". Like, how killing yourself to punish your enemy also has unfortunate results for you.

 

 

As far as helping the gang um he was the one to get the whole bring people back from the dead ball rolling and did most of the proding.

Yeah, because he was dead (through his own damn fault). And he wanted to be not dead again.

Edited December 8, 2014 by KatWay

[TheHappinessHotel]

I really liked Enzo.  I really want them to do something better with Enzo.  They keep ruining his though with his stupid storylines.

[rue721]

Oh I don't think Enzo is anything like Klaus but the dynamic on the show he is meant to replace is the void Klaus left. I mean he basically spelled it out when he told Caroline the whole line that is the title of this thread. He is meant to be a bad guy who also does things that help the gang.

 

Yeah, for sure, even the weird "I used to be best friends with one of the Salvatores! Even though there's no evidence of that on his side in the present day!" is a repeat of what they tried to do with Klaus. Nearly everything about Enzo is warmed over.

 

Unfortunately, I feel like the show is repeating all the stuff that was *least successful* about both Bad!Damon and Klaus with Enzo, and even repeating that stuff in an increasingly half-assed way. Both Damon and Klaus at least had pretty straightforward individual goals. And at least with Damon they had his brother and ~true luv~'s doppleganger hanging around, which explained Damon's presence, and with Klaus, they had like a zillion Mikaelsons running around for a while there, which helped take *some* of the "wtf is this character doing on the show!?" feeling off of him. (Not that I didn't complain SO MUCH at the time about the show changing focus from 1864/Mystic Falls to some ancient family, but gotta roll with that sort of thing I guess). In contrast, Enzo is just this totally random guy who is close with zero people on the show at present and has zero goals of his own (some bizarre/contrived vendetta against Stefan doesn't count imo) and has no apparent reason to be there or reasons for really anything that he does. He couldn't have some sort of goal that's about him as a character (and not just about him as an obstacle for the main characters)? He couldn't have a strong connection/relationship (that's actually interesting) with any other character? He couldn't have some kind of history in the town that gets explored via flashbacks or something?

 

Thank goodness the actor is good, I mean, I wouldn't be adverse to them making something of Enzo. But he's like this cipher right now. It's like he's a stand-in for Bad!Damon while the actual Damon is busy being Love-Interest!Damon. It doesn't seem like he's an actual character, he's just keeping Bad!Damon's seat warm.

 

Tbh, I'm most interested by the TB thing. But my favorite thing about Klaus was that he was this terrible-yet-obsessed artist, and my favorite thing about Damon back in the day was that he was maybe a conscientious objector to the Civil War. So no accounting for taste.

[Carrie Ann]

I like Michael Malarkey too, and personality-wise, I don't have a real problem with Enzo. He's just a poorly-drawn character with threadbare motivations, and it makes it really hard to care about him or buy into what he does. It makes for bad drama, bad storytelling. That's why I find him tiresome.