Stefan Salvatore: That Hair

[Lisin]

I'm not just saying this because I like Damon better. Stefan drives me crazy! So mopy! Oh so mopy!

[Carrie Ann]

Well, I'll be the resident Stefan girl here then, because I LOVE him. I like Damon too--especially when he's allowed to just be funny and evil--but I don't think Somerhalder has the range Wesley does. So Stefan, Ripper Stefan, and Silas are all more interesting to me than Damon. Like, I find it actually painful to watch Ian try to pull off sadness. I was trying not to laugh when he pulled all those faces over Jeremy's shoulder when he told him about Bonnie. He's a funny, dynamic actor, but I don't think he pulls off the serious stuff very well.

[Lisin]

I agree that Ian Somerhlader isn't the best at pulling off the deep emotions.  I still like him better because he at least seems to be having fun! I will grant you that Stefan is probably the more interesting character, but I get so sick of him just being mopy. I mean I LOVED Silas, and I loved amnesia Stefan, I even like Ripper Stefan more than just regular Stefan.

[Carrie Ann]

I think Paul Wesley agrees with you, which might be part of why they've done so many variations for him. I think plain ol' Stefan gets boring for him to play. Especially when he has nothing to do but worry about Elena. The stuff with Katherine this season has been great. It's been nice to see Stefan interested in people other than Elena, and interacting with them for reasons that have nothing to do with her. Always love him with Caroline (not in a romantic way, though I'm pretty sure we're headed that direction), and I love him and Damon together. I wish there had been more of that this season, but Damon has been in Elena-Only mode and that is boring as hell.

[Lisin]

Yes, I agree that we're probably looking at a Stefan/Caroline pairing which honestly, for me, I'm looking forward to only because of what you've just said. I'm so sick of everyone pining for Elena! Even though I don't particularly want Stefan to "get with" Caroline (I'm secretly hoping that Katherine somehow survives and they run off together but that will never happen) I'd rather him be with someone who isn't so wishy washy. Caroline is a great character and I feel like she's been underused this season.

[MachuPichu]

Add me to the Stefan fan girl club too! In big part due to Paul's significantly wider acting range :) I also find him way more attractive than Ian (I know, I know, I'm in the minority here). Damon's character at least used to be entertaining in season 1 and 2, but ever since he fell victim to Elena's magic vaj even that is gone. Ian's one dimensional representation of his character doesn't help either (and I cannot blame solely the writers for it either).

I like Stefan's internal struggles and the fact that they are multi-faceted, as opposed to the "I'm good when Elena loves me but I'm a murderous dick if she doesn't (and sometimes even when she does)" kind. It makes me more vested in Stefan's character, even though he may be a bit boring when his own persona gets eclipsed by the Elena drama.

[truthaboutluv]

I love Stefan and yeah he may be broody but I appreciate that his broodiness if you will is not all about Elena like Damon who apparently can only be decent through the powers of Elena's magical vagina. Stefan's issues are more about his fighting his personal inner demons. And I disagree with the whole "he's a vampire and not embracing who he is while Damon does, etc." The show has made it clear as day I believe that human blood is equivalent to crack cocaine for Stefan. Yes a vampire's nature is to feed on humans but Stefan when on human blood becomes completely uncontrollable and vicious and just goes about wiping out humans by the hundreds/maybe thousands. Which is certainly not good for a vampire trying to be stealth.

Human blood brings out something extremely ugly him and that's why he avoids it which I certainly don't see why that makes him not willing to accept who he is. Imo, he does. He's an addict in a sense and he works at not letting himself fall off the wagon. And of course he did at the end of S2 to save his brother. Which brings me to another thing I find fascinating about Stefan. I truly believe that for Stefan, Damon comes first. Sure he loves Elena but when it comes down to it, he'll choose his brother. Unfortunately, cannot say the same for Damon who would sell out Stefan in a hot minute if it was a choice between him and Elena. I'm not saying he doesn't love Stefan. I believe he does in his own annoying way, I just think for Damon it's all about Elena. 

Edited April 10, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[ByTor]

Yes, I agree that we're probably looking at a Stefan/Caroline pairing which honestly, for me, I'm looking forward to only because of what you've just said. I'm so sick of everyone pining for Elena!

I'm looking forward to it as well, if only to see that little drip's head explode with jealousy.

[truthaboutluv]

I'm looking forward to it as well, if only to see that little drip's head explode with jealousy.

I look forward to her making it about herself and acting all betrayed even while she left Stefan and hooked up with his own brother. But that's our Elena - zero self-awareness. That said, I'm torn about Stefan/Caroline. I would love it because I have never been an Elena fan, going all the way back to the first season and after this Damon mess, I frankly don't think Elena is good enough for Stefan anymore and want him nowhere near her. And I like Stefan and Caroline. She actually makes him smile and genuinely happy. However, the creators and writers of this show have made it abundantly clear in more ways than one, no matter how many negative comments viewers make about it, that this show rests on that horrible triangle.

It is clear they will never effectively end it and that's why I don't want them to put Stefan and Caroline together because I fear they will do all they can to torpedo it because Stefan has to always remain single and unhappy and pining for Elena because she is just that special, while she continues to bang his brother on every possible available surface. I fear that if they put Stefan and Caroline together they'll either kill her to end it or make Stefan treat her very badly all in service of his so called great love for Elena and I would rather not hate Stefan thank you very much. And when I say treat her badly I don't mean being mean but we'll probably see a lot of unintended insensitive moments, etc. when he inevitably puts Elena's needs before her and yeah just no. So it's hard because I really think that they can be an awesome pairing but I just don't think the writers will allow them to be because everything has to be about Elena and the triangle of suck that will not die. 

[Carrie Ann]

There was an idea brought up in the episode thread that Stefan is just like Damon, only he pretends not to be. I'm paraphrasing, but I see this argument all the time. Specifically, the charge was that Stefan is just as prone to vengeance, and that he held a grudge against Damon for not finding him this summer, just like Damon held a grudge when Stefan didn't find him while he was held by Augustine.

 

First, Stefan didn't hold a grudge against Damon after the summer. I wish he had, frankly. He had amnesia, which was the only time he was allowed to be mean to Damon (and it was GLORIOUS). After he regained his memory, he said, ONCE, that he'd wished it had been Elena and Damon who found him. That was the extent of his grudge. Then he didn't interact with Damon while he had PTSD because Damon couldn't be bothered to give a shit about him. Instead, he suffered through it with Katherine and Caroline. Then he went right back to babysitting and cleaning up after Damon's messes. 

 

Also, I don't think Stefan's judging Damon for having vengeful feelings. He just recognizes the power of those feelings, and wants Damon to keep himself in check. That is the difference between them. When Stefan has his humanity turned on, he resists those urges. If Stefan were an equally vengeful character, he would have acted out against Damon after he killed Lexie. Or after he killed their "uncle" Zach. Or after he tried to force Elena to drink his blood and become a vampire. Or after he tried to kill Jeremy, multiple times.

 

It's like that saying that you shouldn't have to tear someone else down in order to build yourself up. If you can't explain why Damon is a good guy without derailing to talk about why Stefan is just as bad, then Damon probably isn't that good. And that's OK! But if you do want Damon to be good (which I do, someday), then celebrate his good moments and root for good character development for him. But twisting up in knots trying to pretend he's already there, or that it doesn't matter because they're all equally terrible in the same way.... Stefan's a work in progress, but he is making progress. When he does something awful, I call him on it. I just want to throw out a link to that How to Be a Fan of Problematic Things article sometimes.

[Cattitude]

 Then he went right back to babysitting and cleaning up after Damon's messes. 

 

 

This sums it up right here. The reason I don't care much for Stefan. Damon never ASKS Stefan to do this, Stefan takes it upon himself to be Damon's morality police. This shouts loud and clear that Stefan THINKS his way is best. Pointing out that Stefan is not as good as he likes to think he is isn't to try and build Damon up. It is to do just what it appears show that Stefan is also flawed. Certainly not as bad or the same, but each in their own way are NOT good. Damon can never find his own way to a better Damon if Stefan keeps trying to fit him into HIS mold. This same thing didn't work when Damon tried to make Stefan more like him. Damon realized that early on and now when Stefan is off the rails he works WITH Stefan towards a better Stefan.

 

To me Stefan is always judging Damon by HIS ruler and finding him lacking that is the whole premise behind him trying to babysit and clean up after Damon. The point of showing Stefan's flaws is to show his ruler isn't the end all be all.

 

I like Damon for Damon I don't want to make him seem better than he is,  I'd rather he be more like Elijah than Stefan. I want Damon to be more emotionally mature, but I sure don't want him to act like Stefan.....as Stefan seems to want.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Cattitude

[Carrie Ann]

OK, we can just agree to disagree. I think Stefan tries to babysit and clean up after Damon because he doesn't want Damon or anyone else to end up dead. Where Damon doesn't give a shit about other people--only Elena, Stefan, and sometimes Alaric, Enzo, and Sheriff Forbes--so he just lets Stefan go wild when he's a ripper. I'm grateful for the human population that Stefan tries to keep Damon in check! But I think he gave up trying to make Damon be like him a few seasons ago. Now he just wants to minimize damage and put Damon on the best possible path to keep him alive and preferably happy and not killing.

 

But my biggest complaint about Stefan this season is that he was willing to sacrifice Elena and her well-being for the sake of keeping Damon "happy" and therefore not murderous. That is ridiculous, OOC, and a disgusting message to send to the younger members of the TVD audience. But that just goes to the point that the writers seriously don't care about Elena anymore--she's just a catalyst for Damon's journey, and I suspect ultimately his reward.

[MachuPichu]

Carrie Ann, I completely agree with what you said about Stefan cleaning Damon's mess.

Damon and Stefan are nothing alike and Stefan having a "holier than thou" syndrome couldn't be further from the truth. Stefan is perfectly aware of how imperfect he is. And I'm sorry, but since when does calling someone on their bull (which Damon is full of up to his ears) equate to: Stefan wanting to make Damon more like him, Stefan thinking he is better than anyone, etc?? This smells of desperate grasping at straws by Stefan's critics and painfully lacks any logic. How about Damon does stupid shit and Stefan calls him on it? Simple.

Bottom line is that Damon is a butthurt man-child who everyone freaking babies, hoping that the "good" Damon prevails. And whatever crap Stefan ever did always has a plausible explanation, like his Ripper state of mind, which is clearly altered. Damon's state of mind is "I'm selfish and generally don't give a shit unless Elena tells me to give a shit, so I randomly kill innocent people and regularly threaten/kill the brother of the woman I love." Ha! Yes, sure all our vamps have done terrible things but no matter how you spin it, Damon is by far the worst. His whiny ass doesn't deserve all the chances everyone is giving him.

Caroline is the only one who treats him the way he deserves to be treated, with suspicion and dislike. Even though one could make an argument and say "well, she's an evil bitch and a hypocrite for what she did with klaus", while this is true, this is not something we come to expect from her, this is not who she is, she made a mistake and, thusly, feels badly about it. Shit that Damon pulls is what we do expect from Damon, plain and simple, because that's who he is. And spare me "he owns his vampirism" bull. He owns nothing! Not even his decisions or path to supposed "redemption". Damon is weak and pathetic. Was like that as a human and even more so as a vamp.

[Lisin]

Hey guys, lets try to keep this disagreement civil. No need to call other posters out. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but lets try to stay civil please. I don't want to have to start editing/deleting posts. I think this is an interesting discussion but I'm not loving the tone of some posts. Lets also keep the Stefan topic about Stefan and the Damon topic about Damon etc. Thanks.

[Jazzy24]

But my biggest complaint about Stefan this season is that he was willing to sacrifice Elena and her well-being for the sake of keeping Damon "happy" and therefore not murderous. That is ridiculous, OOC, and a disgusting message to send to the younger members of the TVD audience. But that just goes to the point that the writers seriously don't care about Elena anymore--she's just a catalyst for Damon's journey, and I suspect ultimately his reward.

I get your frustration about Stefan being OOC this season by pushing Elena and Damon together but honestly I don't care.

I can't stand Elena and I like Damon even less so if keeping Elena away from Stefan means Stefan will become Delena's number one fan than I'm all for it. I'm tired of the triangle of suck and I'm sick of Stefan being tied down and held hostage to such an uninteresting character such as Elena. I honestly want Stefan just away from Damon and Elena I wish they would bring him a new love interest or something I'm just tired of the triangle it's gross and overplayed and Stefan deserves better.

[truthaboutluv]

Wow, I had to double-check to see if I had written the above and didn't remember. This is so me to the tee. I too cannot stand Damon and Elena and for sure don't want Elena's stank ass anywhere near Stefan again. I have always said I am not a fan of triangles and this one is a perfect example of why. It's usually just nasty and often makes if not all, but most of the characters look bad. Like I'm sorry, no one's saying it clearly on the show because Elena is still supposed to be the Mary Sue heroine everyone loves and is willing to die for but the girl has now slept with two brothers. More than that she jumped on the other brother mere minutes after breaking up with the other and more importantly she is having all her furniture breaking sex with the other brother in the SAME DAMN HOUSE she was sleeping with the other one. It is straight up nasty. No matter how much the show sells it as her just being so madly in love with both at different points.

 

So I completely agree with you that Stefan damn sure deserves better. But no, no matter how much the ratings dip and people complain about the tired, repetitive storylines, Plec and company refuse to truly let that shit go. I have being saying since they made the decision to have Elena be with Damon that it is just bullshit that they can't give Stefan a new love interest. Like it would be so hard to bring someone in for one season and just kill her like they do everyone not part of the Mystic Falls gang when they need Stefan to go back to being all about Elena. But for crying out loud, allow the guy a chance to move the hell on and have a  life, other than basically hanging around getting thrown underwater, locked in a chest or having his brain fried.

 

And this is why I know they'll never make him and Caroline happen or if they do it will be to quickly destroy it because Caroline is too much of a threat - in the sense that she's a regular, well liked character and viewers might actually start to support and root for the pairing. And can't have that because everything has to be about Elena and everyone has to love Elena like her vagina has some magical power that decrees no one is allowed to move on after they've experienced it. Even Matt was holding on for awhile after she moved on to Stefan.

Edited April 27, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Jazzy24]

^ I agree and I don't want Stefan with Caroline I love their friendship so I don't want any romance between them, I just want someone new for Stefan whose fun and interesting and has no ties to Damon and is just there for Stefan.

Or Stefan can always go to New Orleans The Originals is so much better.

[truthaboutluv]

^ I agree and I don't want Stefan with Caroline I love their friendship so I don't want any romance between them, I just want someone new for Stefan whose fun and interesting and has no ties to Damon and is just there for Stefan.

 

 

That's just it though, Plec and company give zero indication that they have ANY interest in bringing in someone new for Stefan. Every new person they've brought in has been male or a psycho a la Tessa. They introduced some new characters this season and who did they choose to stick around and be a regular, Enzo who is like Damon-lite. So my concern is that Stefan is basically going to what, hang around for another how many seasons until they finally write Elena as briefly being over wanting to bang Damon at every turn and she decides to acknowledge Stefan again or Paul decides to leave the show? If those are the options that's depressing as shit.

 

It's not like I don't think for one second Plec and company won't ruin Stefan and Caroline because we all know Elena's vagina has magical powers that no man who has been there can ever fully move on but for crying out loud, they need to give Stefan something beyond just hanging around, playing sympathetic ear to Elena as she whines about her shit-fest relationship with Damon and vice versa and then either being thrown in a box underwater, having his brain fried or having his heart ripped out. Like enough.

 

I want to see Stefan happy again for however briefly it lasts. I want to see him have fun again and smile and freaking get laid on a regular damn basis. If I have to put up with constant scenes of Elena and Damon banging across every furniture piece and gratuitous shots of Ian's bare chest and all his and Elena's so called passionate sex scenes, then dammit I think I am entitled to some gratuitous shots of Paul.

 

I mean I LOVED Silas, and I loved amnesia Stefan, I even like Ripper Stefan more than just regular Stefan.

 

 

I think Paul's talent is under-rated sometimes because he's not playing the "sexy, complex bad boy" (not that I actually see Damon as that since whiny is more the word I think of in regards to him but I digress) but I think his portrayal of all of those characters has done a good job of showcasing some of his range. For me what stands out is like Nina with Elena and Katherine, Paul managed to make all these characters unique sometimes with just subtle facial/physical expressions. I think it was interesting how many people knew immediately in the season finale that Bonnie was talking to Silas on the other side and not Stefan just by a few physical gestures. 

 

I also think his portrayal of normal Stefan is very interesting because I personally have always found that Stefan even in his "nice/normal" guy persona has this subtle undertone of darkness which of course explains the Ripper personality. And it's fascinating to watch when he lets it out every so often - see the Stefan/Enzo fight scene this past season when he threatens Enzo to leave town and stay away from Damon. Honestly if I was living in Mystic Falls, I'd be more afraid of Stefan than Damon and it's why I say I don't think Damon is so complex or layered. 

 

He's kind of an asshole who kills people and doesn't care and that's it. You know what you're pretty much getting with him most of the time. Stefan is like that individual that internalizes a lot and then they can just snap on you. He's far more unpredictable imo. And I find the way Paul plays him really fascinating. 

Edited June 11, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Bitterswete]

I also think his portrayal of normal Stefan is very interesting because I personally have always found that Stefan even in his "nice/normal" guy persona has this subtle undertone of darkness which of course explains the Ripper personality.

Exactly. And there have always been hints that there was more going on beneath the "nice guy" surface with Stefan, even before we knew about the Ripper thing.

 

With Damon, he does something bad and it's no big surprise. But Stefan did some things in season one that kind of made me go "waoh." And the things he did weren't anywhere near as over the top as the stuff Damon did, but those subtle moments still had an impact. 

[Jazzy24]

Exactly. And there have always been hints that there was more going on beneath the "nice guy" surface with Stefan, even before we knew about the Ripper thing.

With Damon, he does something bad and it's no big surprise. But Stefan did some things in season one that kind of made me go "waoh." And the things he did weren't anywhere near as over the top as the stuff Damon did, but those subtle moments still had an impact.

Stefan is one of the most dangerous vampires in this series and he's more dangerous and scarier than Damon because you won't see Stefan coming and he's more likely to do some messed up shit.

But I want more for Stefan so much more.

[wingster55]

This happened and caused me to laugh..who knew Julie Plec could do that?

 

and then it trended on twitter

Edited July 23, 2014 by wingster55

[Carrie Ann]

Bringing this over from the 6x03 episode thread:

 

Did Stefan imply in his speech that he loved Damon because Damon made him own the darkest parts of himself? Since he said that is what Damon did for Elena and they loved him for the same reason? Because honestly, that has always been my biggest problem with Stefan`s character, that I don`t think he ever owned the darkest parts of himself. He named that part "ripper" and "him" and detached from it and I never once saw him putting that mindset to rest. It`s why I thought him and Elena never fit because her personality is such that she enables that mindset. They drove me bonkers with feeding that attitude I disliked in them both.

 

I think it's very true that Stefan really did try to separate the bad/dark parts of himself for the first two and a half seasons. But I think he had a turning point in S3E19, where Elena and Damon roadtrip and make out (which is why I think people tend to forget it, because it was massively overshadowed by what was going on in Delena land).

 

He's in the Salvatore holding cell, trying to get Alaric to turn into the Other Guy (b/c the Other Guy hid the last white oak stake), and Alaric takes off the ring and tells Stefan he has to try to kill him, hoping that the Other Guy will come through because he doesn't want to die. Stefan gets super concerned because of the blood that the Ripper is going to come out and take over, and Alaric tells him too bad--he needs to embrace that side, and stop fighting it, because they need to do this. He does, Stefan stays in control, Alaric turns.

 

At the end, Stefan confronts Klaus about why he hasn't killed him yet, and Klaus says it's because he's been waiting for The Ripper to come back, and Stefan very calmly, almost happily, says, "I've been fighting that part of myself, thinking that if I repressed it, it would go away. But it won't. And now that I've accepted it, it can't control me. And neither can you. So unless you're going to stake me, why don't you get the hell out of my house?"

 

Personally, from that point forward, I saw a change in Stefan. An acceptance of who he is and the awful things he has done, more of a who-cares attitude toward certain things, an understanding of other people that was not present prior to this change. One example--one that I don't like, but fits with this narrative--is his acceptance of Damon and all the horrible things he did last year. The fact that he still pushed Elena to be with Damon, even after he murdered innocent Whitmores and tried to kill Jeremy again, etc etc. To me, it seems like he's reached a place where he understands that everyone is at different points on their journey, and there's only so much you can control in yourself and in others. Maybe his experience with trying to help Elena after she turned brought him further in that understanding as well.

 

So I don't think he denies his darkness anymore. I don't think he has for a long time. Tied into that, a little thing that bugs me is that they finally showed that he drinks from blood bags this year, but people have been debating this for TWO seasons because they never bothered to show him doing it in S4 or S5. But I believe he was doing it from S3 onward. They show him doing it in S3E17, after Damon has suggested he try moderation, and by the end of that episode, he's successfully fought against his bloodlust in order to save Meredith. And there's no reason to believe he would have stopped afterward, since he no longer believed he could just "become" something that was always inside of him, a part of him that he now accepted.

[bettername2come]

Every now and then, Paul Wesley shocks me with how young he can look when Stefan is emotionally vulnerable. Those moments where I'm just like, "yes, this is totally an emotionally complex character who on some level is still stuck at age seventeen." That hug with Damon tonight was one of them. He really did just look like a lost kid who just needed his big brother. 

[CaughtOnTape]

Every now and then, Paul Wesley shocks me with how young he can look when Stefan is emotionally vulnerable. Those moments where I'm just like, "yes, this is totally an emotionally complex character who on some level is still stuck at age seventeen." That hug with Damon tonight was one of them. He really did just look like a lost kid who just needed his big brother. 

 

The squeezing his eyes shut killed me.  You could almost hear his internal dialogue.  

[kmariee]

 

I've been thinking about Stefan and his attitude towards Caroline, and I agree it's coming from a place of self-loathing. But also I've been thinking -- his "true love" (or one of them anyway) ditched him for his brother about two years ago. Since then, despite this show's reputation for romantic Musical Chairs, Stefan has had what; some encounters with Rebekah and a short-lived fling with Ivy, that was never supposed to get serious? And despite everyone assuming she would jump back into Stefan's arms (that was back when everyone thought it was the sire-bond keeping her with Damon), Elena shows no interest in rekindling the relationship. Does she even remember why he broke up with her? Without the whole, "you're in love with my brother and I can't deal with that anymore", why would Elena and Stefan have broken up when they did?

 

Overall, I'm thinking that Stefan is still suffering from a massive blow to his ego, romance-wise, and he didn't exactly love himself from the beginning. He obviously considers Caroline to be the best there is of vampires right now, so I can see why he'd never even presume to think he was worthy of her.

 

From the 6x07 episode thread...

 

I agree with this completely. Stefan has had 4 sexual relationships on the show (that we've at least seen) Katherine, Rebekah, Elena & Ivy. I would argue that only one of them (Elena) was actually a relationship based off of mutual love and the fact that it ended with her falling in love with his brother definitely bruised his ego. As much as he’s moved on and is happy for Damon I’m sure it still stings.

 

I think another thing with Stefan is the only successful “relationship” he’s had in 150+ years is his friendship with Lexi (who he stated he didn’t sleep with.) He’s always kind of seen Caroline as his new Lexi so he probably never wanted to think of them as more than friends because he was afraid it would just end up like all his other failures.

 

What probably terrifies him the most about potentially having feelings for Caroline is it could never be some random fling. Caroline would never be Ivy, Katherine or Rebekah because they have this incredibly strong bond if it didn’t end well he’d have another doomed relationship but more importantly he would have lost his best friend. Of course he ended up doing that anyway with how he acted the past few months.

[PinkRibbons]

Also from the 6/07 thread:
 

 

Is it just me or have Damon and Stefan kind of switched roles a little? Stefan seems much darker and Damon much more the hero.

 

I think there's always been a difference in the brothers in that Damon is all heart while Stefan is far more level-headed and generally pragmatic (when, you know, not hopped up on human blood and ripper-y). In this case, Damon has been led somewhere good by his heart for once. I also think the past couple of seasons have made Stefan more cynical than he was in the first few when he was just trying so hard to be good. I mean, I was watching the comet/rain scene last night and thinking, "Man, this is sweet, but Stefan is still locked in a chest underwater right now, drowning over and over while you're having this moment". Stefan tried really hard to be good and his crazy evil brother got the girl. And I don't think that this is entirely about Elena, but in a sense, the universe has just kept letting Stefan down over and over for a while now. I can kind of see why he's lost some of that angelic edge to his character.

 

When was his last happy storyline?

[ladyrott]

I have always liked Damon better than Stefan.  I cannot believe he actually asked Caroline this week why she had a thing for him.  Seriously, Stefan....why did you have a "thing" for Elena?  I have never been able to put into words what made me fall for a guy and I would be bugged to no end if one asked me that, especially one that is not indicating he returns the feelings. 

[PinkRibbons]

You know something that cracks me up? I started watching this show from season 2, but I first bought the season 1 DVD. And I still remember in the features how the casting of Stefan was so hard that when they chose Paul Wesley, it really looked like they were settling for "good enough". Paul himself even joked about volunteering to personally be thrown out of a window while filming the pilot because he was afraid they were going to replace him.

 

And yet now I have the distinct feeling that the actor TPTB probably had to fight hardest for is Paul. Because despite what early seasons seem to indicate, this show can't survive on Damon and Elena alone as the leads. I don't think it's a coincidence that he's being allowed to direct more and I also suspect he's earning significantly more than when he started. And I love that, because I always love stories about people who no one had confidence in turning out to be awesome. Toby Regbo on Reign is another one -- the CW didn't want him in the part of Francis and then he went and had such chemistry with Adelaide Kaine and became so popular that he derailed the entire triangle they had set out for the show from day one.

[kmariee]

 

And yet now I have the distinct feeling that the actor TPTB probably had to fight hardest for is Paul. Because despite what early seasons seem to indicate, this show can't survive on Damon and Elena alone as the leads. I don't think it's a coincidence that he's being allowed to direct more and I also suspect he's earning significantly more than when he started. And I love that, because I always love stories about people who no one had confidence in turning out to be awesome.

 

I think Paul Wesley is one of the most underrated actors on TV. I know he’s rarely going to get any recognition because it’s the CW (although kudos to Gina Rodriguez for finally breaking the mold) but I think he’s undervalued. IMO season 3 is the best season and so much of that was because of what PW did with Stefan. A lot of people always say he’s boring and I think it’s the total opposite. I think he’s much more subtle in his emotions and sometimes when people think he looks bored he’s really doing so much with his eyes, and his jaw just showing this internal struggle he’s dealing with. I hope once the show ends he gets more opportunities for movies and directing because he definitely has the talent.