I have to admit while I LOVED the Damon and Damon/Elena stuff and liked the intense Stefan/Klaus scenes, I was slightly underwhelmed with the episode. For me it didn't have that "in your face" BAM effect on me like last year's finale. Maybe after a re-watch or two I'll feel differently...

Have to add that I had to get off Twitter before I went all NY badass on some people. Either they were calling Elena a slut/whore/cheater or calling it a "pity" kiss. Um hello dumbasses, Damon was in the throes of dying and pretty much in a world of hurt. Did you really expect Elena to jump on him and for them to have a full on-tongue-down-throat make out session? That kiss had REAL feelings behind it. Like you pointed out, Elena's reaction when Katherine appeared and called her out, said it all.

Feel better my friend :) Talk to you tomorrow.

For me it didn't have that "in your face" BAM effect on me like last year's finale.

It wasn't supposed to. The few interviews I read prior to the show said that 2.21 was supposed to be the WHAM!BAM!SLAM in your face, wrap up the storyline episode and 2.22 was the emotional fall out from that episode. And that's exactly what it was. :)

I agree that "The Sun Also Rises" was the culmination of the season, with the sun and moon curse/sacrifice/ritual storyline being wrapped up, but for me, this episode was not so much the emotional fall out from 2x21, but more of a preamble of what is to come in season three.

I guess for me a season finale should leave me breathless with anticipation for what's to come and right now I just don't feel that way and that’s why I felt/feel underwhelmed. Me feeling underwhelmed though does not take away from the fact that I truly enjoyed the episode and LOVED pretty much every aspect of it.

I am a season finale whore and love the "OMG I can't wait to see what happens next" aspect of that last episode of the season and right now I just don't have that feeling. I'm sure as the new season gets closer and closer and we start to hear more rumblings of what the season will be like, that will change.

BTW, I love your icon. Weezer is my fave character from "Steel Magnolias". Best lines EVER!

Blech. I'm so tired of all the slut-shaming I've been seeing. Calling Elena a slut for that kiss is stupid and sexist, and I can't believe I was able to keep myself from going off on everyone who was doing it.

And pity kiss? Really? No. Just, no. Julie Plec just gave an interview about how that scene was all about Damon needing Elena's love and Elena needing to give it and how it was time that we finally got to see some reciprocation.

I'm mind-boggled that she's getting both slut-shaming and people are calling it a pity kiss. Really. But then my sister (and some DE fans) saw it as a pity kiss as well, and I just don't get it. :(

ETA: I even mentioned to my sister about Julie's interview and she said, well, it didn't come across that way. ARRGGHHH!

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Edited at 2011-05-17 01:14 pm (UTC)

I don't know if you've rewatched it, but other than a few niggling things -- which I point out -- it's as strong as I originally thought. Maybe without the expectations it will play better? I did finally manage to write up my long-ass post on the episode (and I stress "long"). Yay! Linkie here!

OK, OK, you got me!

Stefan was pretty awesome in this ep. ;) Hey, Stefan -- I like you so much better when you're interesting. :p

(It was Damon's "I love you" that got me...like it was this burden on his soul that he was finally releasing. Great delivery from Ian there. :)

Yay, you loved Stefan. Hopefully next season and keeping him from Elena romantically overall (not that I don't expect that aspects if it will still be visited, even if it's only to show that they don't work) will keep the love going. :)

Oh, I loved his delivery of that "I love you." But then I loved Ian's delivery through most of the episode. So good.

"I like you now ... just the way you are."

I was slayed by that scene. And this episode. It was all amazing and beautiful and I adored it.

(and we're going to see Anna and Vicki next season! I wonder if it's only going to be Jeremy's dead vampire girlfriends or if... holy shit, maybe we'll get to meet the Gilberts)

I have to... go make an icon of Damon and Elena now.

aww I hope you feel better, headaches are the worse!! =(<3

tbh, I (naturally given my character inclinations lol) really liked this episode and the cliff-hanger caught me WAAAY of guard (much like last years), BUT I didn't feel that the episode, as a whole, packed the same "punch" as last year's finale and I can't place my finger on a particular reason as to why I feel that way =/ I guess I felt like there a greater sense of overarching urgency last year?? IDK =/

Be that as it may, soo many great things happened: ALARIC LIVES ON, Caroline was made of too much awesome for words, the Damon/Elena bits were perfection, Stefan's brotherly love warmed my heart and I am genuinely interested in where his character is going for the first time in a looong time (possibly ever even), Klaus finally intigued me (although I think Elijah will forever trump him in my book lol), and Anna and Vikki are possibly back (though in what shape or form is to be seen, but still!!).

Anyone who thinks that Elena wasn't sincere in that final scene with Damon did not pay attention when Elena was caught by Katherine, because that's exactly how Nina played it: As if Elena was just caught essentially cheating on Stefan. Which, essentially, she was. And she wouldn't have reacted that way if she was just "trying to make him feel better before dying." (Although, I think Damon may have thought she was based on his "thank you.")

ITA, the entire scene was very honest and it's more than clear that she cares for him, deeply--she wouldn't have been as adamant to stay and in tears over the prospect of losing him if she didn't. I mean the fact that she simply responded to his "I love you" with a very honest "I know" says A LOT about how she was trying to keep things real even in the end. I'm going to be even more careful where I tread in this fandom now because I'm assuming the kiss caused quite an unpleasant stir among some and I just don't have the patience for the bashing anymore tbh.

The headache was a precursor the flu, I'm on day five of dealing. But finally feeling better. I should be good as new tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

I do think that last year had more urgency, but I was okay with it not being there this year. Because is much happened that it was nice seeing the characters try to breathe after all the crazy.oi

People not seeing that about Elena and why she did/said what she did just confuses me. I swear people walk into stuff like this with a preconceived notion of what's going to happen and that's all they see when it doesn't quite happen that way. :(

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Even though the finale was underwhelming as others have said, in my opinion, I think it may have been better that way. I thought the cliff hanger would be, OMG Damon's dying DOT DOT DOT...but now I don't have to worry all summer about that or anyone else dying for that matter. Which, YAY, nobody really died!

Was SO worried Alaric was a goner; after every commercial break I was like, OH NO THEY ARE GOING TO KILL HIM...oh wait nevermind :)

And Elijah is still not REALLY dead! Someone just needs to go pull out that dagger..and ALL of his families oak tree ash tree whatever daggers; it would be awesome to get to know all of them next season.

I think I may have been one of the few people that actually liked Vicki..well VampireVicki anyway, so I'm glad her and Anna got to come back, in whatever capacity that will be.

And finally, Damon/Elena!!!! I can't understand the haters though..this is a story about a love TRIANGLE people, do they not know this??? And although I would love if it was just Damon/Elena in the end, I don't have a problem with Stefan being around then either, it's an OT3, that's the way it's supposed to be. Like Katherine said: "it's ok to love them both". Speaking of which, does that mean she lied, and she really did love Damon too? hmmm

See, I didn't it was underwhelming. I mean, I wouldn't use that word. It was quieter, yes, but like you said, I think it was better than last year. It was more about our characters as opposed to what's going to happen?!?!?!?

YAY! ALARIC LIVES!!!

I can't wait to see Eljah come back, and it will be definitely interesting to meet the other Originals. And when, oh, when will we meet the original from whence the doppelgangers came from?

I can't understand the haters though..this is a story about a love TRIANGLE people, do they not know this???

I know, right! The people complaining about Damon/Elena are clearly those stupid people who convinced themselves that the show was just dropping crumbs to the D/E fanbase and would never actually go there ... because they clearly paid no attention to any of the press or, I don't know, what was happening ON THE SHOW ITSELF! :shakes head:

Speaking of which, does that mean she lied, and she really did love Damon too? hmmm

Yup, she did. Julie said that Katherine did love them both, she just loved Stefan more, LOL! Which to me goes back to another reason why I think D/E are endgame. They aren't going to have the triangle with the same dynamic repeat.

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Oh, baby!

I can't stop replaying this part...
"YOU SHOULD HAVE MET ME IN 1864.... YOU WOULD HAVE LIKE ME."

I mean, his face when he says the second part. It's too precious. This line totally made my dreams come true. Way back when, I wrote a fanfic about 1864!Damon & modern-day Elena. It's just TOO MUCH.

xoxo

I adored that whole, unexpected aspect of their scene. SO BEAUTIFUL!!

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Elena was sincere, no doubt about it.

That last line you wrote....AWWWWWWW!!!

Absolutely. Yes, she was. :)

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

I hope you're feeling better!

I was slightly underwhelmed too. When I first watched it was so easy to sit there saying, YES! This is awesome! Omg! Omg! Omg! Let's face it, they made Stefan interesting for the first time in a long time (for goodness sake! We find out that he once took out a migrant village!)- but on the whole, there may have been something slightly off. But after thinking about it- I think it's shock. They JUST lost Jenna. There's no way that they will be completely on their usual sharper game. It was like the calm after a storm- one where you can still hear the residual thunder- if that makes sense.

I loved the Alaric moments. All of them. Especially his snark to Damon that they weren't drunk enough to talk about isobel.

I thought that Ian did one of his best jobs ever. That boy is wonderful- but there was something so completely honest in his portrayal. I completely feel like that season three Damon will be an interesting blend of growly-kill-you-in-the-face Damon and human Damon. I loved the "i love you", the kiss, and the Elena reactions to him and Katherine.

So I think I'm with you. I'm curious to see what happens next.

Eh, not by much. Stupid flu. But I'm getting there. Thanks. :)

I wasn't underwhelmed, and I'm sad -- because I irrationally love this show so much -- that others were. It just felt like such a wonderful breathing episode for the characters and the viewers. And there was so much heart and love on display all-around (okay, except from Klaus, LOL).

It was like the calm after a storm- one where you can still hear the residual thunder- if that makes sense.

Yes, this is a perfect description.

there was something so completely honest in his portrayal. I completely feel like that season three Damon will be an interesting blend of growly-kill-you-in-the-face Damon and human Damon. I loved the "i love you", the kiss, and the Elena reactions to him and Katherine.

This. ALL of this.

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

I know how you feel about the migraine, I had one last night too. lol.

I think I actually liked this season's ender better than last. It was quite simply unexpectedly awesome. Jeremy sees dead people -- or at least his dead girlfriends.

I giggled and got all excited at the same time. Finally a great storyline for Jeremy! WOOT!

Yay! Alaric lived. Caroline "lived." (Naturally, Damon, Elena and Stefan are still around.) So I get to keep all my favorites. :)

How awesome was that?! Also Caroline getting all awesome even more with her Scarlett love!

So, I think I was right in that Stefan will be the focus of next season as Damon was this go-round (and Elena was last season).

I was excited to see my Elijah only to have him killed by his brother, but we all know he's coming back in full force with his family. I feel like Stefan would be part of it. (if not, I would so read that fanfic)

Anyone who thinks that Elena wasn't sincere in that final scene with Damon did not pay attention when Elena was caught by Katherine, because that's exactly how Nina played it: As if Elena was just caught essentially cheating on Stefan. Which, essentially, she was. And she wouldn't have reacted that way if she was just "trying to make him feel better before dying." (Although, I think Damon may have thought she was based on his "thank you.")

Oh I paid attention and thought Elena was sincere, how could she lie at a time like that? I mean come on! Plus the cheating, well as Katherine said "It's okay to love them both, I did." plus Stefan just basically left her there (with an awesome storyline in the works I hope). lol.

Yeah, that final Damon/Elena scene? SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Bring on Damon/Elena next season. Yeah, baby.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I can't wait to see what's coming up with them soon!

Finally: "I like you now ... just the way you are." AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

;D One of my favorite vidders just made this. I'm like whoring it around to everyone.

I giggled and got all excited at the same time. Finally a great storyline for Jeremy! WOOT!

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction to the final moments.

SIgh, I do love that Caroline loves Scarlett. So very fitting and in character. You know, though, Scarlett O'Hara would have been a TERRIBLE vampire. Way worse than Katherine.

I was excited to see my Elijah only to have him killed by his brother, but we all know he's coming back in full force with his family. I feel like Stefan would be part of it.

Yup, I'm with ya there.

It's painful the number of people who saw that as pity. Ugh!

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

I'm with you. I think I liked this finale better than last year's too. Sure, last year packed one hell of a punch. It delivered on the action more than this one did, but. I'd just been waiting all season long for the payoff we got in this episode, and I got even more than I expected I would.

I mean, sure. I figured we'd finally get a real kiss. I had a hunch, anyway. But I didn't know it would be as pure and lovely as the one we got. Everything between our couple was so tender and loving, and we finally got to see a glimpse into the feelings Elena's been repressing.

And Stefan! All my complaints about him this season make sense now. I thought he was too perfect and high-handed and that the show had an absolute blind spot to that, but it turns out that they were just setting him up so he'd fall all the more. Sort of like Damon: they took him to the some of the darkest places they could so that when we got his forgiveness from Elena, it meant all the more.

EVERYTHING IS GOOD AND NOTHING HURTS.

Well, almost nothing. I'm trying to sequester myself from fandom at large because I'm tired of all the vitriol and bashing. I have a few Stefan/Elena fans on my flist who are really amazing and respectful. But I've seen a lot of S/E shippers elsewhere acting really entitled over the whole thing. Like, they're really angry that Damon finally got his kiss. I find it really frustrating because S/E shippers have gotten SO MUCH to squee over.

Just, this show isn't Stefan and Elena's epic love story. It's about a love triangle, which sucks, because love triangles suck, but that's the way it is. The show's marketed and promoted as a love triangle. In every promo shot we get, Elena is always flanked by both her boys. If you can't stand the idea of exploring the Damon/Elena side of things, you really picked the wrong show.

I'm with you. I think I liked this finale better than last year's too. Sure, last year packed one hell of a punch. It delivered on the action more than this one did, but. I'd just been waiting all season long for the payoff we got in this episode, and I got even more than I expected I would.

Yes, that's it. We got SO MUCH payoff for so many different threads and strands, even going back to season one.

I mean, sure. I figured we'd finally get a real kiss. I had a hunch, anyway. But I didn't know it would be as pure and lovely as the one we got. Everything between our couple was so tender and loving, and we finally got to see a glimpse into the feelings Elena's been repressing.

Yup, I always expected their first kiss would be this big, passionate, crazy one, but instead we got this and it was perfect. Just so perfect.

And Stefan! All my complaints about him this season make sense now. I thought he was too perfect and high-handed and that the show had an absolute blind spot to that, but it turns out that they were just setting him up so he'd fall all the more. Sort of like Damon: they took him to the some of the darkest places they could so that when we got his forgiveness from Elena, it meant all the more.

I've been saying all along that there is no way the show was not aware of what was happening with Stefan. It was too deliberate, too obvious, and called on, called out, mentioned too many times. I knew it was heading somewhere, and boy did they go THERE!

EVERYTHING IS GOOD AND NOTHING HURTS.

Well, almost nothing. I'm trying to sequester myself from fandom at large because I'm tired of all the vitriol and bashing. I have a few Stefan/Elena fans on my flist who are really amazing and respectful. But I've seen a lot of S/E shippers elsewhere acting really entitled over the whole thing. Like, they're really angry that Damon finally got his kiss. I find it really frustrating because S/E shippers have gotten SO MUCH to squee over.

On one hand, I get why the S/Ers would be upset because for me, S/E have been on borrowed time this whole season and it's been obvious (albeit frustrating -- and I still think that I would have been much more resigned and less pissed about all the S/Ers did get had the mid-season finale been "The Descent," as, no doubt, intended, because having the big break being so S/E was so alien to what I thought the show was selling. And, of course, had it been the next episode, my fears never would have gone there). Anyhoo, my point is, that it's been obvious S/E are on borrowed time and that Damon/Elena is the real journey, the real epic love story here. So yeah, I get the upset. On the other hand, as far as I'm aware of, none of the S/Ers have acknowledged this and just think that Stefan/Elena are obviously THE love story of the show. So their bitching now really bites because in their eyes, they have the couple, it is their couple that is it, and yet, they've been handed so much as fans of that couple while the D/E fans were really shat on all season long.

ETA: Obviously, I'm not saying that S/E are over, and I expect more fall-out with them, but I do think the bulk of their love story is over now.

Just, this show isn't Stefan and Elena's epic love story. It's about a love triangle, which sucks, because love triangles suck, but that's the way it is. The show's marketed and promoted as a love triangle. In every promo shot we get, Elena is always flanked by both her boys. If you can't stand the idea of exploring the Damon/Elena side of things, you really picked the wrong show.

Yup, and that's exactly what it is. They convinced themselves that Damon and Elena weren't actually going to happen. Choosing to believe Elena's lying to herself as opposed to all of the evidence on screen and in the press and promotion.

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Edited at 2011-05-17 01:42 pm (UTC)

I agree with you, this cliffhanger wasn't a real cliffhanger. i'm more curious as to what happens next than having an 'OMG! not going to survive this!' attitude.

I was a bit underwhelmed with the episode at first, I thought it was great (but come on all the episodes have been great this season save one or two) but I wasn't like 'OMG! best episode ever" like last week. I think I was envisioning the episode differently. I was convinced that we would wonder if Damon would die or not the whole episode and no, writers threw me off, we know pretty early there's a cure and the question isn't whether Damon will die or not but what length will Stefan go to to save him? and the consequences? so I was kind of bothered by the shift of interest from Damon to Stefan/Jeremy over the course of the episode at first. And I was really sad over Stefan's turn to the dark side, disgusted even because I hate Klaus' guts now more than ever and I don't want Stefan to be stuck with him.... eww. Like Damon/Elena, I was expecting something dramatic like Damon seemingly dying and Elena realizing she would lose him... but again, thrown off, because everything was more subtle and well, in character.

I watched the episode again after picking these thoughts apart and I LOVED it, second viewing really helped matters. I caught the foreshadowing I didn't catch first (flashbacks with katherine come to mind) and I really squeed at D/E this time around and I actually appreciated the turn of events for Stefan. Guess our boy will have a story of his own now. I wonder what this will do to Elena though, she'll feel abandoned. I hope D/E's story will keep progressing naturally and not just because Stefan is (temporarily?) out of the picture, a little like last year with 'Miss Mystic Falls' would be good.

And bring back Elijah and the Awesome!Original!Siblings. And have Klaus DIAF soooon. And have Alaric stay around like forever because he's that awesome (he broke my heart, made me sigh happily with his concern over Damon then Jeremy and made me laugh at his impersonation of Bonnie, I really hope he sticks around...).

Yeah, I think most viewers (well, non-irrational ones like those furious that they're actually exploring the other half of the triangle - :rolls eyes:) who were disappointed were so because they were expecting something different. I do think that, like with you, a second viewing really brings it home.

I touched upon why I'm okay with Damon/Elena progressing with Stefan out of the picture, and it goes back to "The Sacrifice" in my long thinky-thoughts post.

And bring back Elijah and the Awesome!Original!Siblings. And have Klaus DIAF soooon. And have Alaric stay around like forever because he's that awesome (he broke my heart, made me sigh happily with his concern over Damon then Jeremy and made me laugh at his impersonation of Bonnie, I really hope he sticks around...).

Well, one thing, they've said is that they know they really dropped the ball with Alaric/Matt Davis and they are going to concentrate on him next season. I'm hoping that he'll get the treatment that Caroline, Bonnie, and Tyler got this season -- where they were really allowed to shine.

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

ICON LOVE! Sque! Scarlett. That is GORGEOUS! (I think I'm going to make a different GWTW icon for my default. The one I have I created way back when I started LJ in 2005 and had no icon-cropping skills to save my life. I literally just center-cropped and resized that image.)

I'm heading to your longer review!

Thank you! Scarlett is one of the best heroines ever. lol at your icon skills, I totally did that too.

Yeah, I really liked having this as the final episode, after all the drama of the sacrifice. Not that there wasn't plenty of different types of drama happening here too, but you know what I mean :)

I agree that they'll probably shift the focus more onto Stefan next season; that's certainly what it felt like.

Boy, was much of my spec based on the extended promo wrong, LOL!

Hee, yeah, I didn't actually write my own spec, but I was totally off with most of my ideas too.

"I like you now ... just the way you are." AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

I know! I think my heart seriously grew three sizes, hearing that. Cannot wait to see what happens next with them. Cannot.wait.

Yeah, I really liked having this as the final episode, after all the drama of the sacrifice. Not that there wasn't plenty of different types of drama happening here too, but you know what I mean :)

Exactly. It was character-driven pay-off on so many counts. And then that awesome ending! WHEE!

I agree that they'll probably shift the focus more onto Stefan next season; that's certainly what it felt like.

Which is fair since he was sidelined as "the boyfriend" through most of this season.

Cannot wait to see what happens next with them. Cannot.wait.

Oh, Lordy Lord, I know what you mean. I CANNOT WAIT. I LOVE TIHS SHOW!

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

BTW, I finally wrote up my long, thinky-thoughts post on the episode. Just as good (if a few niggling points found) upon rewatch). Linkie here!

Ooh, excellent! I've been AWOL for much of the past couple of days but will go check it out now :) Here's a link to my initial thoughts on the episode too!