Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: A- | 398 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT They Say That Cracking Up Is Hard to Do
By Cindy McLennan | Season 4 | Episode 6 | Aired on 2011.11.15
Elena purses her lips and looks down. "Something's changed between Damon and me. Much more than it ever used to be. It's like everything I ever felt for him before I was a vampire..." Stefan: "It's been magnified. Your feelings for him have been magnified." Elena says she's sorry. She doesn't want to lie to Stefan, though. Stefan says, "Before, when I was the Ripper... I understood why you cared for him. I mean, I practically drove you to it, but now... I can't do this, Elena. Not anymore." Elena nods. Her voice is choked with tears when she says, "I know." They sit in silence as we zoom out and into the title card.
I've got things to do and I'm sure you do too, so let's wrap this up, since I already discussed my reaction to the breakup in the recaplet. I've seen people wondering why Elena's feelings for Stefan haven't also been magnified. This is how I make sense of it: first of all, Elena already had Stefan. He was her lover. That relationship is already more fully realized, so there isn't an unfulfilled yearning aspect to Stefan and Elena's relationship. Secondly, I think some of Elena's feelings for Stefan have been magnified. It's just that those feelings are negative because he's been trying to control her and has been lying to her. Yes, it's been for her own good, but even knowing that doesn't erase all of that resentment. Plus, above and beyond Elena's... oh no, I have to use the C word -- above and beyond her compassion, Elena hasn't been able to explore her vampiric nature without feeling that in doing so, she is disappointing Stefan. I don't want Elena to turn into an unrepentant killer. I do want her to get past this morose feeling that overwhelms her so. I want her to be enjoyable, not just pitiful. Who wants to watch their heroine, week after week, be completely joyless? Not this recapper.
I'll be back a week from Friday with coverage of "My Brother's Keeper." In the meantime, if you celebrate it, I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. And regardless of where you are or what you do, please grade the episode at the top of the page and then come on over to the forum, where we're breaking up with Stefan on the front porch, because darn it, we have pies to make.