Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search
Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S05.E22: Home

ElectricBoogaloo

Recommended Posts

Cattitude

Cattitude

(edited)

Oh, I see now. So poor Damon was innocent of any wrongdoing. It was all Katherine and Enzo's fault. I guess Damon's murderous nature is all under control, right? Oh wait...how's Aaron Whitmore doing nowadays? 

 

Damon is being made into the "hero" of the story, Stefan is being pushed to the side. Just because the show is willing to ignore all of this, doesn't mean I forget too.

 

I think Damon's wrong doing was killing Aaron and it was addressed with Elena. He felt a lot of guilt and came clean to her himself expecting her to hate him. I think that was when he broke up with her b/c of the position it put her in. It was his latest wake-up call that he can't keep going off the rails like that.

 

I don't think Stefan is being ignored. He has gotten plenty of story and even though not with Elena it isn't the end of him story wise.

Nobody ever stays mad at Damon for all the shit he does. Jeremy, Caroline, Lexi, the Whitmores, Aaron...those things bounce off him like he's made of teflon.

I will say even I have stated that Lexi being okay with Damon killing her is hard to take. I could not believe that she actually wouldn't pass through Bonnie to save a place for Damon.  That was very heavy handed by the writers.

Edited by Cattitude
Link to comment
starfury303

starfury303

 

will say even I have stated that Lexi being okay with Damon killing her is hard to take. I could not believe that she actually wouldn't pass through Bonnie to save a place for Damon.

 

Was that the motivation? I thought she was hanging out on the other side to keep Marcos from zipping back to Mystic Falls to cause more trouble, thus the wrestling with him until he got sucked up. I was curious about why he showed up alone, though. What, he was the only Traveller who wanted to find Bonnie and get reinstated as a Real Live Boy?

I'm actually OK with Lexi fading into the big white light. It had been established she had it as a goal to find peace or pass on or whatever - way back in Graduation she was talking to Alaric about how, eventually, she hoped they'd all move on from the Other Side. Plus, basically she existed to give Stefan good advice about not ripping off heads etc, and Caroline pretty much has the BFF/sober sponsor role now.

Link to comment
MachuPichu

MachuPichu

(edited)

Damon wasn't feeling an ounce of guilt for killing Aaron. The only reason he was so distraught is because he thought Elena would hate him. Silly Damon. Elena doesn't hate people who kill her friends. She doesn't even hate people who kill her brother, and then threaten his life again.

Funny thing is that if Stefan did even 1% of the evil shit that Damon does, we wouldn't hear the end of it from Stefan haters. But since he doesn't, the grasping at straws takes place via accusation that Stefan has a "holier than thou" attitude. Oh, and let's not forget "he needs to own his vampirism" argument. But of course! He needs to drink human blood, even though it has a mind altering effect on him, just like a drug. But at least he owns his vampirism, and that makes it worth it to rip people's heads of. Did I get that right? Instead, Stefan tries to do the right thing and survive by other means because he actually gives a shit about people and doesn't want to hurt them. Nope! Wrong choice! Own your vampirism, they say. But yet at the same time his ripperism is being used against him just as well. Oh, well, you just can't win. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. But even with the alleged "holier than thou" attitude (which I personally think was pulled out of someone's ass in a moment of desperation), I'd take an attitude over brother-killing, friend-killing, friend-raping whiny man child any day.

Edited by MachuPichu
  • Love 3
Link to comment
Lisin

Lisin

Was that the motivation? I thought she was hanging out on the other side to keep Marcos from zipping back to Mystic Falls to cause more trouble, thus the wrestling with him until he got sucked up.

Well she said she could tell it was killing Bonnie to let everyone through and Bonnie said "I can handle it" and offered her hand to Lexi and then Lexi said "What kind of best friend would I be if I went through and took that spot away from Stefan's brother" or something, then Marcos showed up and she fought him. So I think her original intent was to just not go through until Damon did to make sure he got his spot. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Cattitude

Cattitude

Damon wasn't feeling an ounce of guilt for killing Aaron. The only reason he was so distraught is because he thought Elena would hate him. Silly Damon. Elena doesn't hate people who kill her friends. She doesn't even hate people who kill her brother, and then threaten his life again.

Funny thing is that if Stefan did even 1% of the evil shit that Damon does, we wouldn't hear the end of it from Stefan haters. But since he doesn't, the grasping at straws takes place via accusation that Stefan has a "holier than thou" attitude. Oh, and let's not forget "he needs to own his vampirism" argument. But of course! He needs to drink human blood, even though it has a mind altering effect on him, just like a drug. But at least he owns his vampirism, and that makes it worth it to rip people's heads of. Did I get that right? Instead, Stefan tries to do the right thing and survive by other means because he actually gives a shit about people and doesn't want to hurt them. Nope! Wrong choice! Own your vampirism, they say. But yet at the same time his ripperism is being used against him just as well. Oh, well, you just can't win. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. But even with the alleged "holier than thou" attitude (which I personally think was pulled out of someone's ass in a moment of desperation), I'd take an attitude over brother-killing, friend-killing, friend-raping whiny man child any day.

Taking my response to the all seasons thread.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
fantique

fantique

Hmm... I seriously don't know how to feel about this episode.

On paper, the episode reads like a dream. Lots of poignant moments, reunion with loved characters, etc. But on screen there were only a few times where my interest was grabbed. I think that if the only thing holding my attention during a TV show is that I don't know what happens next (in a mystery sort of way where the intrgue is more compelling then the characters). I just am trying to see what went wrong with this episode, which did NOT have the impact and connection with the rest of the narrative an even decent season finale should. Like every other TVD finale, I am curious to see what happens next but my investment is significantly lowered.

The problems I saw were:

  1. The continuity (emotionally) was off the charts messy. I am not an intensive watcher that remembers every detail and I still thought 'hmm...no that seems wrong'. It's like they are talking about a different story.
  2. The heavy handed "tear-jerking" Delena scene (whom I always wanted to end up together BTW). For the sake of the supposedly fan upheld triangle (I bloody absolute-f**king-ly ABHOR triangles) they made it ridiculously difficult for them to be together and now they realise they pushed too far with Damon, they sell it as a need and love so deep it's out of their control. That's only cute when the people in love are forced to be with others, because it shows it's strong enough too endure pressure/temptation IMO.
  3. I really love the cast, they are interesting, funny and had passion for the project without taking the whole thing too seriously. Their boredom with the story this season literrally rolled off in tsunami waves off the screen. I only felt interest at the very beginning of the season and the last few episodes but then writing messed it up. Dramatically, the finale is a rollercoaster so that's probably why they were selling it a little better towards the end. Maybe they were finally interestied in going forward egain.

I have a couple good things.

  1. I am glad Bonnie was used better without feeling too plot device-y. technically all characters are there to advance plot, but they shouldn't feel that way. The only time I held my breath was during the Bonnie/Jeremy goodbye.
  2. The finality of no otherside creates high(er?) stakes when it come to death. And no more other characters popping back here. I feel it might solve more characters development problems than we anticipate.

Actually writing it all out makes me realize how I feel, let down. It felt like a cop out SERIES FINALE when they realise they are getting cancelled.

Link to comment
Carrie Ann

Carrie Ann

Actually, if that had been the series finale, I'd have been pretty satisfied. Not that it was a great episode, just that there were actual stakes, and things ended in a way that would have satisfied me in terms of imagining the future of these characters. But going forward, I don't know. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.

 

Bonnie couldn't have been much more of a plot device this season and especially this episode--I mean, she was basically a literal door between worlds--but KG elevates it. I'm glad she was the hero of the episode (that's how I see it, anyway), and I like to believe that Grams hooked her up in the afterlife. Whether she and Damon are actually in an afterlife, or some limbo until they make it back to this Earth, it's still not as devastating an ending for her if I think of it that way.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Cattitude

Cattitude

 

  • I really love the cast, they are interesting, funny and had passion for the project without taking the whole thing too seriously. Their boredom with the story this season literally rolled off in tsunami waves off the screen. I only felt interest at the very beginning of the season and the last few episodes but then writing messed it up. Dramatically, the finale is a rollercoaster so that's probably why they were selling it a little better towards the end. Maybe they were finally interestied in going forward again.

So much this. I totally felt the same. They are all such a great group of actors together and have been strong for so many seasons, I really felt they were totally bored with the terrible writing they had to act out most of the season. I really did start to get reinvested towards the end minus the traveler nonsense. I have hope for some better writing next season.

 

I thought the finale was decent and in line with the other finales, they always wrap some things up but leave other up in the air for next season.

Link to comment
fantique

fantique

Yeah it could have been a series finale. Albeit a rushed one, but viable and open ended. I am just scared they will muck it all up. I first thought season 5 was going to be awesome and here we are.

And yeah being a plot device (again, not a bad thing. Could assure longevity in a show... Exhibit A) doesn't have to be so obvious or awkward. There are plenty of times when I hear writers saying 'We really wanted X to happen but had trouble how to introduce it. We then realised that we could introduce character Y to make it happen' and it felt fine. Example: Felicity Smoak in Arrow. But yeah with the way the character is writtent, it pretty much rests on KG to make it happen. She was definitely more into it in the finale and I got Bonnie's state of mind.

Link to comment
CaughtOnTape

CaughtOnTape

I don't think any character on this show has even any semblance of a leg to stand on while throwing judgment Damon's way for all the shitty things he's done.  Every character has used every other character for their own selfish reasons either because they were pushed into it or went "off the rails".  So they can all have a seat with pointing fingers as far as he's concerned.  Which is why most of the "stupid audience" can find themselves forgiving him and moving on from it fairly easily.  

 

Damon killed Jeremy?  Well, for a time Jeremy was trying to kill his sister.

Damon was a dick to Caroline?  Well, she slept with a psychotic Original.

Damon killed Stefan's buddy?  Well, Stefan was the reason Damon became a vampire to begin with.

 

They've atoned for their sins and have been forgiven for them, why is it so impossible to accept and forgive Damon for his?  It seems that he, more than any other character (except maybe Stefan) is actually tortured by his misdeeds.  It's been all but forgiven and forgotten that Caroline slept with Klaus.  No one mentions squat about Elena's ripper moment when her humanity was off.  And no one's weary that Jeremy's going to destroy his sister any time soon.  Yet in scene after scene we see Damon continually torment and abuse himself over the things he's done in the past.  

 

People are flawed.  Vampires are flawed.  Sometimes Damon is abusive.  Sometimes Stefan is controlling.  Sometimes Elena is a baby (ok, most of the time).  Sometimes Caroline is judgmental.  Shit happens.  

 

And may I just point out for future reference....Jeremy is not dead.  So from where I sit, continuously bringing it up to Damon that he killed Jeremy is a moot point since ya know, he's not dead.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
truthaboutluv

truthaboutluv

They've atoned for their sins and have been forgiven for them, why is it so impossible to accept and forgive Damon for his?  It seems that he, more than any other character (except maybe Stefan) is actually tortured by his misdeeds.

 

 

Responding in Damon's thread...

Link to comment
phoenix780

phoenix780

When Luke says "Liv, you keep doing the spell and it will kill you!" my thoughts were "you're a witch, why don't you just take over the spell for a while?"

 

I love this show, thought the second half of this season...whatever. But, I couldn't get past that with these twin witches.  I also couldn't get past the fact that they were the representatives for an entire coven who apparently opted to do nothing even though all witch magic was in jeopardy, and they seemed pretty powerful (attacking him in the cafe, tracking the travelers for centuries).

 

So the whole first half of the finale for me was really thinking about this coven, why they weren't really helping and left everything to the twins.  Or why the witches on the Other Side weren't helping- Enzo was able to get all emotional and interact with the real world, all those dead witches couldn't muster up anything (except for whatever Grams may have done)?  VD is usually so good at incorporating or dealing with all of those kinds of points, it was a distraction. 

 

I wish Tyler stayed dead.  The actor has never impressed me the way the others have, and the character...I don't care.  Same with Enzo, who I kind of blame for the season taking a bad turn.  And I felt like the wrapped up Alaric nicely (Elena wasn't surprised/happy enough to see him for my taste) so I didn't see a need to bring him back, either.

 

I also wish there was more explanation about the other side.  I hadn't realized until this episode that there was a way to legitimately find peace and move on as a supernatural being.  I didn't think it was their purgatory, just their endgame.  That part was...interesting.

 

Still, the way they ended on Bonnie/Damon has me interested in where they're going next year.  That could be fun, hopefully.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
immortalfrieza

immortalfrieza

I also wish there was more explanation about the other side.  I hadn't realized until this episode that there was a way to legitimately find peace and move on as a supernatural being.  I didn't think it was their purgatory, just their endgame.

Until this episode, the Other Side WAS the endgame for supernaturals. There was no "finding peace and moving on" over there, they just died and were stuck there for the rest of eternity and no amount of peace could ever get them out. Now the writers suddenly decide that the supernaturals trapped there can in fact leave whenever they feel like it just so they could get rid of a few characters.

Link to comment
Carrie Ann

Carrie Ann

That's not entirely true. When the Other Side was introduced in Season 3, there was some talk about who was there and who wasn't. Jenna is the only one I remember having moved on, but it was also implied that Anna and Pearl moved on once they found each other. It was pretty nonspecific, but I didn't mind that. Alaric and Lexi sort of talked to each other about it in S4 too, each wondering why the other was still there, and they figured that it was because of these idiots in Mystic Falls still needing them.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...