#stelena 3x20

[zalrb]

Which kiss between Stefan and Elena would you imagine/prefer/commend at the wedding altar?

And which dance would you prefer if they had married?

For the kiss, hmmm ....

So, I can see it being the 1x05 kiss, where it's very sweet, very chaste

and when they pull away, Stefan just needs to get one more in before they walk down the aisle as huband and wife

Or I could see it as the 2x11 kiss where they're just so overcome, it's not a lusty kiss, but it's a passionate one

and then the guests can wolf whistle and they'll be all

For their dance ...

I think it can be the giddy "I can't believe I'm here with this beautiful boy husband" 1x04 vibe

or it can have that sort of "so this is love" vibe of 3x20

[winnie-the-monster]

[kiss-my-freckle]

Full Episode Commentary

1x17: Let The Right One In

Good is bad and bad is good. This episode shows what would've been possible had Stefan not tried to control a situation and been honest rather than secretive. 1x17 is written in combination with 1x15. My re-watch post for that can be found here. This is another anti-Stefan episode, and again, it's of no coincidence that Caroline makes reference to The Bachelor in 3x20.

The episode opens with a storm in Mystic Falls, and it's written in combination with the end of 1x16. "Your girlfriend Bethanne is dead. And you have no one to blame but yourself." Lucky for Elena, Frederick doesn't have access to her house because he hasn't been invited. If he did, it wouldn't be the storm blasting her window open. He would've entered her home the way he entered the Salvatore boarding house. It's because of her vervain jewelry that Frederick couldn't compel Jenna. They're pulling a four-ship... Stelena, Datherine, Alaric/Isobel, and Frederick/Bethanne.

It's not about patience for Frederick. He's a sadist that wants to kill every last one of the founding families. Through him and Bethanne, they show the hell Damon would've been capable of had they not opened the tomb for him to rescue Katherine. Trust me when I say, as bad as fans think Damon is, he could've been worse according to their choices. Had they not opened the tomb, he'd be more like Frederick.

Damon and Stefan are recovering from the break-in. "I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night." Damon has no problem going after Frederick a different way, he has a problem not going after Frederick at all. Damon knows he won't stop because he knows this is about revenge. Had Stefan listened to Damon, Damon wouldn't have to save Stefan. To put it bluntly, Damon should've went hunting for Stefan while hunting for Frederick because he knew Frederick wasn't done. Stefan just killed his girlfriend, which gave him all the more reason for revenge.

Click for larger view...

Elena wasn't there when Pearl handled Damon. Had she been, she wouldn't be spitting nonsense in this scene. She'd speak to what she's really pissed about... "How long are you going to blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" Damon knows it's not about the deal he made with Pearl or the tomb vampires. "I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities." This is now the second time she's referred to him as a psychopath. Relevant because he and Stefan are the same. Elena is remarkably naive. It would take more than both Salvatores to kill Pearl, so Damon has no choice but do as she demands. Better he get information about Katherine than nothing at all. Elena pushes Damon enough to annoy him. Have the beauty of Elena's comment as it becomes reality...

Stefan: I'm perfectly safe. I have Damon, the self-serving psychopath on my side. Elena: Well, that's comforting.

Jeremy and Anna further discuss her vampirism. This is why Damon feels the need to kill Caroline in season 2…

Jeremy: Wait. Does your mom know you're a… Anna: The fact that you would even think it's possible to keep something like that a secret from your own family is just further proof that you're not ready.

Jeremy has no idea that he's wearing vervain. He assumes the bracelet Elena gave to him was simply a gift. He's trying to gift it to Anna, but she tells him he should wear it. Matt talks to Caroline about the argument he had with his mother. He would've benefitted being patient. Had Elena given up on Damon and Stefan as Matt gave up on his mother, both would be dead along with her. A difference between not being ready and never being ready. It's never good to rush any kind of emotional process. Some people take longer than others.

Damon is winding their grandfather clock. He and Stefan are often written with clocks because time is an underlying theme. They're vampires. Apparently, the sun has to be shining bright for them to burn in it. Storms that darken the sky allow for vampires to roam freely. Had Elena answered Damon's phone calls, he and Alaric would've went to Pearl's house without her. She's only involved because Damon needed an answer, so he went to her house. I love Damon's instinct to save Stefan.

"Never let this bad man in." This is how they follow-through with A Few Good Men. "First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad." This is what Stefan was doing to Damon in 1x5... starving to desiccation. It's also the truth of Damon in season 5. "Despite every nerve in my body wanting to break something or hurt someone…" That's the power of magnified emotions. Damon explains to Elena that he wants to save Stefan, but Frederick compelled the homeowner not to let him in. Elena could go in, but it would be an instant death for her. Every ounce of pain that Stefan suffers is for the sake of feeling what Damon feels. This is the depth of Damon's humanity...

That's why they're in the basement. It's a representation of the tomb. This is what it's like for Damon to have his emotions so magnified that it causes physical symptoms. Harper interrupts, tries to stop it. "You're gonna want to let go of me! Miss Pearl is no longer in charge." I would've loved to see Frederick try. I have no doubt in my mind that Pearl would've killed him had she came home to find him torturing Stefan.

I laugh at Damon and Alaric in their initial confrontation. Damon knows he could hurt Alaric if he wanted because those rings come off. It's how Alaric and Jeremy respond that drives Damon. He said nothing about wanting Alaric dead, and Alaric got cocky with him. "That's a shame. Because the woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife." He hands Alaric a partial lie for the sake of getting into Pearl's house. "And if she's related to Elena, that means she's related to Katherine." While Pearl knows nothing about Isobel, she has access to that information in having access to Katherine. "Katherine and I were best friends long before we came to Mystic Falls, Damon. I know how she thinks, I know her patterns, I know where to find her." He fails to tell Alaric that Pearl would have to get the information from Katherine.

"Look, I wake up every day, and I feel okay. But there's something missing. Like a… like a hole." I'm gonna pull a post on holes one of these days, but this line from Jeremy is the reason finding Vicki's body is necessary. I love Anna's list of reasons they turn people. She turned Ben and Logan to do her dirty work, and admitted this to Damon in 1x13. "I like to use others to do my dirty work." Pearl and Anna meet Tyler and his father, Mayor Lockwood.

This is your three-car collision preparing to work together to save Stefan. What would've been possible had Stefan not tried to control the situation. Damon makes a soundtrack reference, Up Where We Belong. A track that is better suited for a vampire dating a human, not a human dating a vampire. I also consider it better suited for Damon than for Stefan, for Elena's role in his journey.

"I can't protect you, Elena. I don't know how many vampires there are in there. That's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. I have to be able to get in and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from... including Stefan. I know. I get it. I understand."

I know fans would like to believe that Alaric's response in this scene is due to him sensing Damon's love for Elena, but no. Damon has yet to fall in love with her. This is about the vampire that killed Isobel, that killed Alaric's wife and Elena's mother. It's about Damon and what Alaric assumed/believed of him. It's because Elena connects Damon to his humanity that Alaric sees the man rather than the monster. Damon's comment is the difference between the tomb and its representation. The vampires aren't desiccating anymore, so he won't risk Elena going in. If not for Alaric's Gilbert ring, he wouldn't be pulling him in either.

I really wish Caroline hadn't found Vicki's body. At least not this early. lol… Alaric has a trusting face. Frederick lets him in, and he walks through the house as if he's not afraid of being fed on. He immediately notices the bite marks on the homeowner and stakes one of the vampires. Damon kills the homeowner, and is being honest with Ric. Vampires can't override compulsions, and Damon doesn't have time to figure out a loophole.

Damon expected Alaric to get him into the house and leave. He planned to take out all the vampires and rescue Stefan by himself. The lone ranger, as Elena termed him. While I do believe he could've, Stefan wouldn't have survived Frederick. Animal blood weakens Stefan in every aspect… compulsion, hearing, healing, etc. Easier to torture Stefan than Damon. Not only because Damon is on human blood, but because he's an Augustine vampire. Mayor Lockwood informs Pearl that Anna is hanging out with a Gilbert. She fears this because he's a founding family member. Because there's a reason the pocketwatch and the Gilbert ring were passed down to him. He was meant to track and kill vampires, according to his family. When Alaric goes back to the car, he realizes Elena went into the house. "Damn it, Elena!" lol… this is Damon's girlfriend. "Are you insane?" Again, Damon's girlfriend. "That was the moment I realized you were the perfect girl for me because you were just as crazy as I was."

Only Damon could make Elena this crazy. There's a comfort she has with him that allows her to feel safe enough to be this bold. The same comfort she had when he talked her into baiting Noah.

Caroline decides to walk in the rain, hoping to get a signal so she can call for help. She slips down the hill and reaches for a tree branch. It reveals Vicki's body when she pulls. Pearl confronts Anna about Jeremy. "His family is the reason I was stuck in a tomb for over a century." Pearl has the same issue with the founding families that Damon did. That's why he wanted revenge on current families. Hate breeds hate, and it's the same with the Whitmores. Damon set aside his desire for revenge against the founding families because Katherine wasn't in the tomb. It's the same for the Whitmores. He can't trust that they no longer torture vampires, so Elena has to stop him from killing Aaron. He will kill them so long as they exist. Killing Aaron ended the cycle because Aaron was the last of his family. Pleasing Elena and trusting her are two different things. Damon wouldn't spare anyone to please Elena. Everyone he spares, he spares because he trusts her. That's the kind of power Elena has over Damon just by having his trust. "That doesn't mean he'll make the same choices." Why Damon was gonna spare Aaron. Pearl smacks Anna when she admits Jeremy knows she's a vampire and he likes her. She feels that risk just as she felt it with Damon and Katherine in 1864.

Katherine: No one will ever suspect us. Pearl: Not unless a human tells them. Damon: I'd sooner die.

The difference between these two is that Damon was in love with Katherine and turning to be with her. Jeremy wants to turn to be with Vicki, not for Anna… and Caroline just found Vicki's body. But after 2x1, you can see why Delena ends up in parallel with Jeremy and Anna, and just as much understand why Jeremy connects with Damon. He's more like Damon than Stefan, even in the fact that he continues loving Vicki dsspite knowing she's a vampire. Love is one of those things in which Stefan has yet to mature. He still refuses to accept that he fell in love with a vampire, and he certainly still refuses to date one. That's why Elena is the first girl he's been romantically involved with since Katherine. Rebekah is different. Had he his humanity on in the 20s, he wouldn't have given her a second look. If not for his hate for vampires, I guarantee Stefan and Lexi would've been a couple.

Damon and Elena make it into Stefan. Again, the basement under the house is a representation of the tomb under the church. This time, it's Damon who's rushing them out. "Guys, come on. We have to get out of here. Come on, we gotta go." Because the vampires are no longer desiccating, Damon has to distract them in order to give Stefan and Elena enough time to leave. But that's really only part of it. He has every intention of killing Frederick because he knows he won't stop. Damon is the brother they want in times of war because he knows the enemy as he knows himself. It's one of their biggest positives with his character. Had it been Damon rather than Stefan in Chicago with Klaus, Katherine would've trusted him because even she knows the difference between them. It requires something specific to fool Damon.

The real battle starts when Frederick realizes it's too quiet. Another instance where the beauty of silence is the noise of no words. Damon is killing Frederick's friends lol. It's Elena's silence in season 3 that fans fail to understand. When she gets caught for lying and Stefan confronts her about it in 4x2, best to question how far back her lies go lol. Damon drops a body for the sake of getting the vampires to spread out. It gives him a better shot at killing Frederick. Trust me when I say Damon is a badass. Frederick runs after Stefan because he'd rather fight someone he knows he can beat.

Damon is all-rage here, so there's no beating him. They took the wrong brother to torture, put it that way lol. This is the second vampire Alaric killed. He didn't have to save Damon, he chose to save him. "I'm going after Frederick!" Yes, that's how badly Damon wants Frederick. He's not gonna let him live, period. When Stefan and Elena get in the car, Elena realizes that the vampires tore up the wiring. She can't start the car. That's when Frederick smashes through the passenger window and yanks Stefan out of the car. Frederick would rather fight the vampire he knows is already weak because of his torture. The problem isn't the torture as much as it's Stefan's diet. If it were Damon they tortured, he'd still be beating the hell out of Frederick. He's about to kill Stefan when Elena injects him with vervain. If you want to know why Damon is Elena's escort in 1x19, it's all about the dead mothers...

Damon is the only brother, the right brother to dance with Elena in honor of her dead mother. Because unlike Stefan, Damon would've allowed Anna to rescue Pearl. Anna had every intention of getting her mother out of that tomb, that didn't mean she intended to kill Elena. It's because of Elena's blood that Pearl was able to get out of the tomb AND Stefan is able to survive Frederick. Stefan is just as much like Damon, believing he's the one that chooses who becomes a vampire and who doesn't... who lives and who doesn't. He was gonna deny Pearl a life with her daughter. That's why he shouldn't escort Elena.

Poor Alaric finds out how hard it is to truly fight a vampire. Damon walks back in because he can't find Frederick. If he knew Frederick was with Stefan, he'd be saving Stefan because he knows how weak he is on animal blood. He's still very pissed and intent on killing him. "Frederick's gone. I'm gonna kill him." Feel the level of rage Damon has towards Frederick in this episode, how long that rage lasts, and you'll understand why he kills people impulsively...

"You're dead." This is with every emotion... love, loss, fear. Going forward in my re-watch, it's best to refer back to this episode because that's how powerful his emotions are. For Damon, there's no thought to killing Frederick, he simply goes for the kill. He's basically forced to think first because he hasn't been invited in. That lack of an invite is the only thing stopping him from killing. That lack of an invite is part of Elena's role as Damon's Lexi-sponsor. She acts as a seal on a door that stops him from kiling people, that makes him think before he acts. He basically has to go through her, and he refuses to. Had she done this in 2x1, Damon would've pulled a full-stop on killing Jeremy. This kind of behavioral modification requires repetition and time. It's not just about getting him to think first. It's about getting him to stop because he's like the Ripper that way. So when he finds out Stefan killed Enzo in season 5, know why he's able to stop at one punch. I say this because he commits impulsive acts in pretty much every season. Nearly killing Bonnie in 1x9… that was an impulsive act. Killing Mr. Tanner, impulsive. Force-feeding Elena his blood, impulsive. Turning Vicki, impulsive. Tell Elena he's gonna take the cure for vampirism in season 6, impulsive. That's why Elena forces him to reconsider. His love is so powerful that he does without thinking. His impulsivity is just as "excusable" as Stefan's ripper gene. Both are capable of controlling their urges, it's just a matter of having the right teacher. I don't excuse Damon, but we have a great deal in common, so there are certain things about him that I understand. Your bachelors on Pearl's stage...

Matt and his mother are about to have dinner when Caroline rings their doorbell. She and Liz inform them about Vicki. Because Mayor Lockwood is still at the Grill, he informs Tyler and Jeremy. There were meant to be 27 vampires in the tomb. Katherine's absence dropped it down to 26. At their boarding house, Stefan killed Bethanne. At Pearl's house… Alaric killed two, Damon killed three, and Stefan killed Frederick. That brings their count down to 19 tomb vampires.

Damon is still so full of rage because of Frederick that his fear of Pearl is gone. "Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother." Just listen to his tone. "If I had a good side, not a way to get on it." Alaric knows the truth of this statement because thanks to Elena, he's seen Damon's good side. This is where he basically comes to understand that he should've went straight to Damon rather than trusting Stefan with his Isobel issue. All vampires are capable of good and bad. Sometimes their bad outweighs their good. Like Katherine, a character I truly can't stand. She has good moments, but not many.

Feel the difference. Damon pulls away, Stefan pushes away. Stefan's apology is half-assed. "And what I did, I'm sorry that… I'm sorry that you had to see it." I consider this gaslighting. She didn't just see it, she experienced it. As much as he wants to deny it, he physically assaulted her. "And it's my fault. I made you..." Typical for the victim to blame themselves rather than blame who's truly at fault.

Elena will excuse his violence until she no longer can, until that moment he nearly kills her in 3x5. Jeremy interrupts to inform Elena about Vicki, while having no idea that Elena already knew about Vicki. I love Liz in this scene because even though the founding families don't like Kelly, she's there as an understanding parent. Tyler sits with Jeremy, the two in Vicki's love triangle. Caroline tries to comfort Matt, but... some things take the right person, if that makes sense. Even though Matt is all-in with Caroline, he needs Elena to comfort him. They're best friends. From the sandbox, as Caroline said. They should've waited for Vicki. They didn't need her death for Damon's scene with Jeremy in 1x22, they just needed Anna's. I just feel like her death would've been more powerful for Damon and Matt had they waited. This bit with Damon and Alaric pulls a triple. What could've been in 1x15...

It's a parallel Damon has with Kelly. She slept with the manager's boyfriend, he slept with Alaric's wife.

Kelly: I was supposed to be interviewing for the bartender job, but I think the manager blew me off. Damon: Well, that's not very nice.

Kelly: Yeah. Last time I was in town, I slept with her boyfriend. Damon: That's not very nice either. Kelly: It happens. Damon: Yes it does.

"Uhh. Happens."

It also weaves Alaric's comment in 1x21.

This episode is when Alaric realizes he and Damon could've been friends. "Ah, this is a shame. We're kindred spirits, abandoned by the women we love. Unrequited love sucks."

Anna realizes that Jeremy wanted to turn for Vicki. She disappears as Jeremy apologizes. Damon goes home to find Stefan jacked up on human blood. He's not terrified for Stefan yet because he believes this is a binge rather than an addiction. Being a ripper doesn't mean being a blood junkie. There's a difference. Lily had no problem managing her intake of human blood while in the prison world. She'a been managing her blood intake since 1903. Even though she rips when she escapes her prison world, she's able to stop at one person. Stefan has to moderate like Lily, and he can't. Neither Damon or Lexi know this, they just know he's a ripper.

[vd-gifs]

Stelena + 10 songs

[vampdiariesoriginalsmusic]

the vampire diaries + dances

[hellyeahstelena]

(｡♥‿♥｡)

[rescuemeifyoucan]

With everything that's happened, I can't lose the way I feel about you.

[jennifersminds]

i know you don’t like stefan and damon, but it’s obvious that for the show, elena has to chose one brother. and stefan simply is the better choice, so that’s why caroline said stefan is elena’s epic love in 3x20. in 3x18 stefan gave stakes to elena, matt and caroline to kill the originals. in the end elena saved stefan’s life by killing finn with matt. they were all in a good place. in 3x17 stefan saved elena’s life and meredith’s life.

but it’s really not though, even up to season 6 the show was still toying with the idea of having Elena not end up with anyone. And the nature of a love triangle and the parameters of it in the shows storyline, in no way rid either Damon or Stefan of responsibility from the position they put Elena in and the things they did to her.

And i’ve talked before about how Stefan is technically a ‘better man’ than Damon. My soul reason for that being he never r*ped anyone on screen. However he is equally toxic to Elena because he will constantly and does repeatedly place his ideals and his angst over Elena’s comfort, and in season 4 especially, her life. Now, pls do not reply to this about how he ‘respects her choices’ bc that is a completely different thing and while he may give her more room than Damon, he only allows her these choices in controlled environments or when he doesn’t actually know about them.

You’re argument could easily be used by a Delena shipper because it essentially boils down too Elena has to pick someone, X sins will have to be forgiven to do that and therefore do not matter.

Caroline encouraging Stelena never has anything to do with their relationship itself. Be it her trauma from Damon, her crush on Stefan or her and Elena’s complicated dynamic (or the fact that tvd was using her as the stelena audience insert). It does not negate that Caroline- throughout the whole show- shows more care for stefan’s feelings than Elena. I still like Care, and she’s still, for the most part, a good friend. But a bias one.

Basically, think what you want. I can promise sending Stelena anons will not change my mind. Thanks for the ask 

[zalrb]

What are your favourite things/moments from Stelena dates?

I know this is probably gonna be a repetition/compilation of a lot of things you’ve already said but i just feel like seeing some of the gifs from your obviously huge collection

Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by dates because, as I've said in the past

so in 2x02 of course I like the ferris wheel

but I particularly like when he gets her from her room

because:

i think what’s important and what makes it stick in their minds is the fact that it wasn’t just that the day was shitty and in the midst of it or right after it, stefan was like “let’s go on the ferris wheel because we gotta live our lives!” it’s that elena leaves the school feeling defeated, she’s on the verge of tears and stefan is presumably feeling defeated as well and elena can’t be comforted in the moment and the day is just going to end shitty, this was just going to be their lives now then stefan comes back to her and is like, actually no, we don’t have to feel like this all the time, we can still find joy and we can still appreciate life, and even before she knew what he was going to say, she knew that she was going to feel better because her expression is slightly anticipatory, there’s a hint of an intrigued smile

but also that he won her the koala, which is in a deleted scene but the koala is seen on her bed since then

i would consider 3x20 a date and for me, it's all about the dip

and then he dips her 

and it’s legit like he took her breath away

and it’s pure Dobsley chemistry, that gaze, that connection, like they don’t break eye contact

and I remember watching this scene on YouTube after it just aired and being like … … I don’t get Delena guys, I just don’t get it, they would never have such a pull to each other, I just … someone explain it to me because I don’t get it. 

but the giddy phone call before the dance should not be overlooked

for the double date, it's cute that he brought her flowers

but i always loved how they held hands on the table like nothing

and also the way they meld into each other's arms after the caroline/matt drama

whenever we talk about Nina’s quote 

the examples used are usually heightened contexts around SE’s hugs

but in 1x16, it’s literally just the everyday stress of dealing with friends 

and the second Elena is leaned in Stefan’s chest, that calm just comes with the slow blink and the exhale

and that’s just a thing they do in the moment and what Mindy Kaling means when she says you can’t script chemistry.

this smile in 1x04

like that smile at the end because she’s nervous and happy that this beautiful boy is staring at her? It’s very precious.

[andsmile]

Barfies on twitter are using Caroline telling Elena in 3x20 that Stefan is her soulmate as an example of shows using that type of dialogue as a plot device to delay a relationship. They are saying that the same was used for Cheryl and Betty when Cheryl said Betty’s feelings were fantasy and not real, which makes it a plot device to delay Barfie and the feelings are real. I know you watched TVD and wondered if you think it makes sense?

Please don't call them that, use B/rchie or B*rchie or BA instead! Even though we're anti we don't need to use this type of thing.

...but Stefan was her soulmate, though. Caroline wasn't wrong. She says it again in S6 and Stefan says "yes, she was my soulmate", and the soulmate theme is brought out time and time again all over TVD for them. Stelena didn't end up together but were soulmates and that's... Canon? So, that wasn't something said to Caroline to delay Delena, it was an exposure of the relationship built between Stelena. It happened a thousand times. Lexi mentions that there is more than one (soulmate). and when Stefan is about to die his soul meets Elena's one last time, before he goes to Lexi, before Damon also dies and finds him. So, Caroline wasn't using a dialogue as plot device hshshs she was exposing the plot. Same thing with everyone calling Stelena the epic love, they were. Damon and Elena had their own exposure dialogues too. So?

Just like the exposure dialogue using fantasy is a constant theme in BAs romantic canon. "I have a fantasy", she tells Archie in the pilot. They kiss in a musical episode permeated by fantasy. They have a whole fantasy slow dance? Cheryl is exposing the relationship between BA. It's always been a fantasy, it's never been real. Even their first kiss Archie says it was a crazy night, that the Black Hood was burying him alive, almost as it happened in another world/life.

They will explore BA post time jump and if you ask me, it'll prove that the fantasy wasn't better than what was real. And listen, Betty and Archie obviously need to live this relationship in their head, so they can stop feeling it'd be easier and safer, just like what Riverdale was before Jason Blossom was murdered.

Mwah!

[kiss-my-freckle]

The scene where Elena is preparing for the 20s dance in the gym with Caroline in when she makes that comment about Matt Caroline looks at him with a weird look on her face because she wants Stelena back together.

4x7 is no different than 3x20. She's with Damon, but she's forcing Matt to be her date at the Miss Mystic pageant. She's technically with Damon, but she's asking Stefan to the 20s dance. She could've taken Damon, but she's not emotionally ready. That's why I often talk about Damon needing to wait for her. That's basically what he's doing from 3x19 onward. She takes Stefan for the sake of killing two birds with one stone. Not only will she have a date, she can work through the fear she has of him. Stefan didn't just bite her. She got bitten.

Every time Caroline finds out Elena kissed Damon, she pushes her towards Stefan. She did it in 3x14 and again in 3x20. That's why the two end up fighting in season 4. Elena always knew how she felt, but Caroline thinks she has the right to choose who Elena ends up with. Caroline can't handle the fact that Stefan basically passed her over for nothing because Elena ended up falling in love with Damon. Because she's not currently single, but with Tyler... she needs Elena to be with Stefan.

[vd-gifs]

We were in this gym the night Klaus compelled me to turn my feelings off. I thought I hit rock bottom in the Twenties, but after I bit you I never wanted to feel anything again.

[austennerdita2533]

ooh can you do those same top three questions but for suits and tvd :)

Sure can, nonnie! xx

*Just as a general disclaimer for anyone else who happens to read this: my ship preferences are what they are. I’m simply stating my opinion/preference and am in no way encouraging hate or fights. Discussion is always welcome, of course, but happy vibes here only!

*2020 sucks enough as it is without bringing ship drama into it, you know?

TVD

Top 3 seasons:

-1, 2, and 3 without an ounce of hesitation. This was when the show was at its peak in storytelling, characterization, ship development, magic/mythology etc.

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Klaroline. One of my highest echelon ships for reasons I do not need to enumerate; however, I will say what I love about them most is they challenge as well as complement each other in beautifully rich, convoluted ways. Their back and forth is ridiculously entertaining, too!

-Kalijah. They have spice, and angst, and forbidden love, and 500+ years of cat-and-mouse chasing and I will be over here bitter about them for eternity! 

-Forwood. *excuse me while I cry over “until we find a way” for a few hours* These two went through so much to be together! Their progressive arc in s2-s3 is still one of my favorites.

*I’m Swiss neutral when it comes to Stelena and Delena, I vacillate between both ships at different times so they’re not included in my top 3. I’m an anomalous TVD shipper, a true outlier, what can I say?

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Klelijah. Klaus and Elijah have an incredibly dense, fraught brotherly dynamic. Something about their ancient ties and 1,000-year bond is gripping. There’s so much spoken and unspoken subtext between them. So many unresolved “somethings.” Plus, it’s no secret that I adore the Originals and all they add to the TVD-verse.

-Klebekah. Klaus and Rebekah sparkle, they sizzle, any time they’re on-screen together. Just the sheer depth of feeling and betrayal and angst they emanate is so entertaining to watch. Don’t get me started on the whole “I loved you more than anyone and you didn’t even care” scene because I get emotional.

-Defan. Stefan and Damon are another complex sibling relationship on the show. Throw into the mix that they find themselves in love with same woman, not once, but twice, and whew! I love the flashbacks we get of them throughout history as well.

*Gotta give shoutouts to my other favorite, though moderately less well-developed, brotps here: Carenzo, Katholine, Rebekoline, and Baroline. *chef’s kiss*

Top 3 characters:

-Caroline Forbes

-Klaus Mikaelson

-Katherine Pierce

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-THE BABY PLOTS ! ! ! BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!!!! (I’m talking Klaus/Haley and their tribrid baby and Caroline’s surrogacy/pregnancy with the Gemini twins.) I apologize for my overemphasized caps + exclamation points here, but I loathe these storylines with every fiber of my being. I can’t help it. More often than not, I like to pretend they don’t exist lololol.

-How they handled the beginning of Stefan and Caroline’s romantic relationship was...icky. Like, while Liz was dying? Really? Then she turns off her humanity because he “rejects” her. Again, REALLY? I have major issues with the overall portrayal of them as a couple - particularly with the relationship imbalances as well as the insecurities they heightened instead of tamped out in each other - but the inception of it all is what kills me. Especially because I am a huge proponent of friends-to-lovers ships...and the writers really dropped the ball with them, imo. I’m a multishipper at heart so the disappointment I harbor is PALATABLE. 

-The Cure storyline and the Travelers storyline. Didn’t like either of them. They have equal “could’ve been loads better” billing.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-3x14, Dangerous Liaisons. LISTEN. This is my favorite episode of the entire series. There’s a ball, there’s blood-tinged champagne, there’s duplicity and romance and drama. All the Mikaelsons are under the same roof, for crying out loud! It’s gold!

-2x07, Masquerade. This one because of my girl, Katherine Pierce, the biggest, baddest bitch of all. She’s a saucy little minx the entire masquerade only to end up locked in the tomb. I just...love it.

-The Klaroliner in me is screaming 4x23, Graduation because being on a deserted island without having access to Klaus’s iconic “however long it takes” declaration would be insupportable. However, a case could be made for either 3x20, Do Not Go Gentle because I am trash for the decade dances, and that one’s my favorite, OR 3x22, The Departed because that is one hell of a season finale!

Suits

Top 3 seasons:

-Season 2. Mike’s secret out of the bag? Them all working together to fight against the merger? Donna shredding evidence to protect Harvey? Daniel fucking Hardman? *thumbs up*

-Season 5. FIREWORKS. Donna’s working for Louis, Harvey’s in therapy, Mike gets arrested/goes on trial, Zane family drama. Exquisite stuff

-Season 3 or Season 1. Don’t make me choose between them, please. 🙏🏻

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Darvey. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. These two idiots had me from the pilot. I knew the moment Donna said “I also took care of that. we’ve been married for the last 7 years” that I was on the precipice of falling into another long, beautiful, up-to-their-chins-in-pining, slow sloooooow burn ships. Granted, I didn’t think it’d take 8 seasons for them to get together lololol but I don’t regret a damn thing!

-Mike and Rachel. They’re adorable together, they truly love each other. Also, can we talk about how they’re a steady couple for most-ish of the show?  They have drama, sure, but they work through most of it together. As a unit. THAT’S A BIG DEAL. It’s like going through the canon drive thru and actually getting (most) of what you ordered.

-Louis and Sheila. This is a couple who makes me laugh uproariously AND feel all the emotions. I mean, will I ever forget Louis dropping to one knee in the hospital with his ass cheeks hanging out? NO. Will I ever get over Shelia’s pregnant feet being too fat to fit into her Cinderella glass slippers? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Will I blubber like an emo sap whenever they finally reconcile/get their happy ending? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Mike and Harvey. They have a connection from the beginning but I love seeing how much they rub off on one another, how much deeper their bond grows over the course of the show. Their movie references are always a delight, too. *cries: it’s so beautiful*

-Donna and Louis. Their relationship is so important to me. Like?!?!?!? They have so many fantastic one-on-one moments together - some that make your sides ache with laughter, others that prick your eyes with emotion and tears. Even though it kills me when Donna leaves Harvey to work for Louis, I can’t help but love it too because he fanboys all over her. GIVE DONNA ALL THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION SHE DESERVES. 

-Harvey and Louis because they have a formative and/or impactful dynamic. They mostly respect each other but there’s a lot of animosity between them. Makes for such good TV!

Top 3 characters:

-Donna Paulsen aka Fashion Goddess of NYC (can I have all of her outfits? for real) and the Reigning Queen of Sass (who also happens to be the reigning queen of my heart as well). The entire firm would have fallen into collapse without her, FULL STOP.

-Harvey Specter. I have a penchant for stoic, inscrutable, emotionally constipated, on-the-borderline-of-asshole characters and boy did I hit the jackpot with this one! 

-This one was hard, but I’m going to go with Louis Litt because his character evolution is amazing! He’s so unlikable at times, what with his competitive streak and anger/jealousy issues, but then there’s this whole other side to him that’s sensitive and vulnerable and sweet. You can’t help but root for him, you know? (Even when you want to punch him right in the nose lol.)

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-Harvey giving Paula the credit for why he reconciled with his mother, when it was actually because of Donna. They retcon/fix this in the narrative in s9 but it still bugs me in the moment. I can’t let it go. So sue me.

-Pearson Hardman’s “Harvard Only” hiring law. Not only is it ridiculous and discriminatory but no way in hell would you even be able to implement such a thing in today’s world. Nor should you be able to do so. Diversity is important!

-I wasn’t crazy about the Mike prison storyline but, at the same time, he had to serve out penance for the whole fraud business??? So yeah.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-2x07, Sucker Punch. THE MOCK TRIAL, AHHHHHHH. Louis grills Donna about Harvey within an inch of her life. I can hear his inflection during his stream of “do you love Harvey Specter, do you love Harvey Specter” in my head. It is so effing tense in that conference room, I DIE. 

3x06, The Other Time. I am all about this flashback episode, okay? It opens Pandora’s box on all things past!Darvey and also shows us how Mike gets thrown out of school.

-8x16, Harvey. If you think I’d willingly retreat to a deserted island without having access to that Darvey love epiphany/love actualization scene then you are kidding yourself! I still blast “Love is Mystical” on full volume just to daydream about that swooping-through-the-apartment-door smooch sometimes. *fans self*

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

You know you're getting more asks from me since I'm obsessed with the eloquence and insight of your answers ;) A Stelena one: what do you see as their commonalities and their main (and hopefully complementary) differences? What are your five or so favorite Stelena scenes of the series? And other than wishing they had stayed together and were endgame, what's one thing you'd have wanted to see more of or less of from their relationship?!

Well, I’m always up for answering asks, so thank you for sending them in! 

To answer your first question about Stefan and Elena’s similarities, they share a lot which bring them together. They’re both incredibly emotional people; they’re sensitive and feel things deeply. This is why they both struggled to adjust as vampires, because the heightened emotions they felt overwhelmed them. In fact, as vampires they were very similar in regards to their loss of control when feeding, the depression, the ruthlessness when they had no humanity and keeping trophies from their victims. They’re particularly attuned to the emotions of others and this is the foundation for their compassion. Whilst Damon’s instinct was to kill Caroline when she first turned because she was an “inconvinience”, Stefan and Elena never once considered that and devoted themselves to helping her. Similarly, despite Damon’s actions (particularly in the early seasons), neither of them ever gave up on him and were able to sympathise with him even when he did something unforgivable. 

Their sensitivity also leads them to have another commonality: writing in journals. This is all part of the way they express themselves and process their thoughts and emotions in a healthy way. But the journals are about more than this; they’re a manifestation of the loneliness they feel. In season 1, Elena feels incredibly isolated following the deaths of her parents. Likewise, Stefan feels lonely as a vampire who is unable to connect with humans but doesn’t fit in the supernatural world either due to him not feeding on humans. So in addition to them both being emotional people, the emotions they experienced were very similar. This is what brought them together in season 1, because they had a spiritual connection and understanding that stemmed from them both feeling alone and like they don’t belong. 

Stefan and Elena also have the same moral compass and operate on the same wave length. Their priority is always to care for those around them and to act on compassion and forgiveness. They repeatedly show forgiveness and mercy to those that wrong them and their calling to help people was why Stefan wanted to be a doctor and why Elena actually became a doctor. They also share the same philosphy in regards to how they live their lives. Despite there being constant drama in Mystic Falls and danger lurking right around the corner they both believe in the importance of living in the moment and appreciating what they have in the present. 

Intellectually, they were also on the same level which we saw hints of from their exchange of books, the way they expressed themselves in their journals and interest in medicine. They also wanted the same from their life - to be human, to have a family, to be doctors. Their visions for their ideal future perfectly aligned and so in this way they also understood each other. 

As for their differences, their main one is that Elena is much more extroverted than Stefan. She’s more sociable and likes to go out and party, dance and have fun. In comparison, Stefan is much more introverted and although he’s able to socialise without any problems, he’s far from being a social butterfly. Of course, in this respect they compliment each other because Elena is able to bring Stefan out of his shell and enable him to be himself in a safe environment.

I would also say that Stefan is a darker character than Elena. Elena is certainly not a saint and she struggles to adjust to being a vampire but Stefan struggles with his darker impulses a lot more than Elena does. Whilst Elena is able to get control over her urges and impulses by the end of season 4, for Stefan it’s an ongoing struggle. I really put that down to the fact that Stefan is so much older than Elena and has endured hurt and had experiences that are so deeply embedded in him and that impact everything he thinks and feels as well as how he behaves. Even in this way though, they compliment each other because Elena is Stefan’s anchor, the tether to his humanity and what keeps him grounded. Whenever he loses control or is struggling to keep a handle on things, she’s there to act as his voice of reason and to remind him of who he truly is. 

Choosing just 5 favourite scenes is impossibly difficult because I love so many but some of my favourites are: 

3x14

I just love the angst in this scene. How Elena is going to let him leave but then catches the door just before it closes because she can’t watch him leave without saying what needs to be said. I love what she says to him and how she challenges the way in which he’s shut her and everybody out. This is Elena knowing Stefan better than anyone; seeing through the facade and knowing that no matter how indifferent he acts or how hard he pushes her away underneath it all he still cares and he still feels just as deeply as she does. I love how at first Stefan tells her to stop because he can’t handle facing up to these emotions but how he breaks down and admits how much he hates himself for the way in which he hurt her. I love the way physical touch is used; how she uses her hands to encourage him to meet her eyes but he resists because he’s too ashamed to look at her. And I love the final line “If I let myself care all I feel is pain”, because it needs to be said and now Elena can finally understand why he has been behaving the way he has. 

3x20

I love everything about this scene. Not only do they both look gorgeous, but it’s so sweet, tender, romantic, sentimental, reminiscent and pure. It’s two people that have a complex history, that have been through hell and ripped apart, coming back together and falling in love all over again. You can sense how nervous and giddy they are and how taken they are by each other. There’s a clear spark and for tonight they can forget about all of the crap they’ve been through and enjoy being together. They compliment each other, Stefan gives her a token of his love and they have a little bit of banter with the whole “Some guy I dated said it once or twice” and don’t even get me started at the way they look at each other in this scene. Definition of heart eyes.

4x01

This scene encompasses everything I love about Stefan and Elena. Elena is about to die, but she’s so selfless and loves Stefan so much that she wants to give him hope that they could find a way to save her without her having to complete the transition. They can’t even see each other, but the power of their words is what makes this scene. Elena loves Stefan so much that she died making her way back to him and right here she’s telling him that she doesn’t regret that because she loves him so much and it will always be the best choice she’s ever made. You really can’t get more true love than that.

2x11

There are three words of dialogue in this scene “Elena, hey” and “Hi”, yet this scene is so bloody powerful. The sheer relief in Elena’s face and the way she throws herself into Stefan’s arms, how he holds her close and breathes her in, the way they cup each others faces and gaze at each other so adoringly. You can see in that one look that they are each others light, they actually glow. Their kiss is passionate and filled with emotion, the way they collapse onto the bed and the perspective shifts so that we’re looking in through the window at this private moment as Elena constantly pulls Stefan closer and they kiss more fiercely. I honestly love this entire scene and will never get tired of it.

2x05

Once again, this scene is one of those that encompasses everything I love about Stefan and Elena. They’re a team and they’re united. Elena knows better than anyone the struggles Stefan has with his bloodlust and she also knows that he needs his strength now more than ever. And she trusts him and is devoted to him so much that she willingly offers him her blood. Blood sharing, as we all know, is intimate and personal and it binds them together in an extremely profound way. Her simple statement, “It’s you and me, Stefan. Always” is the perfect dialogue for this specific moment because it’s the two of them becoming one. After Stefan has feed from her, the way Elena looks at his vampire face and how she leans in to kiss him, completely accepting and showing him how much she loves him. It gives me all the feels. 

2x18

This is one of the most underrated Stelena scenes and I love it so much. After everything they go through in season 3 this is a completely honest and unfiltered conversation where they finally say all of the things they’ve been wanting and needing to say. I just love that dialogue “I never stopped loving you”, “I know that. I know you didn’t, even though I did everything possible to push you away”. It’s so honest and it’s so simple but effective. And I think it’s so powerful that Stefan is so attuned to Elena and so sure of their love that he doesn’t even doubt that she loves him. He knows that she loves him and he never stopped, but he admits that he also knows he has done so much wrong and that he probably isn’t deserving of that love. I also love that he isn’t afraid to confront her about Damon and acknowledge her feelings for him. He could easily ignore it, but he doesn’t, he faces up to it but he reassures Elena that regardless of how he feels he loves her and he will always love her. It’s such a powerful and understated scene. It reaffirms how much they love each other despite everything they’ve been through and it’s not over the top or in your face, it’s real. 

I could choose so many more, but since that’s 6, I’ll leave it there. 

[rescuemeifyoucan]

And that's my life. Weird, messy, complicated, sad, wonderful, amazing, and above all epic. And I owe it all to Stefan. When I met him, I had lost my parents. I was dead inside, but he brought me back to life. And I'm going to live it as best as I can, for as long as I can.

[bamongifs]