ever_neutral | your disgust with life speaks to me on a deeper level.

so i was thinking of not doing this, but then i was like -

nope. can't pass up the shade. can't do it.

so:

note: just a head's up that i'm pretty much disdain!watching this season. so, unless an episode particularly wows me in some way, i'm finished with long "meta"-like analyses of whatever nonsense is on my screen. in it now basically for the few things i can still muster up some caring for, i.e. the narratives that aren't complete pieces of shit. so, letting that be known --

starting with bile first because that's the way i roll:

WHY:

if Klaroline weren't intolerable to me before, they certainly are now. i recognise that the framing explicitly acknowledged how reprehensible and disgusting Klaus' actions were. but. i don't care. i don't. in what world was this setup even necessary? in what world is it a remotely tolerable narrative choice to subject Caroline to yet ANOTHER gratuitous instance of sexual assault that, in the end, does absolutely nothing for her narrative. it turns the stomach.
"i need my sister, not another one of them." Jeremy, i want to stan you ths season, so let's stay away from bizarre OOC lines such as this.
"you respect my choices, like you always do." show: shut. the. fuck. up. you need to shut the fuck up with flagrantly misusing "social justice" and "female empowerment" to make what is a textually abusive relationship supposedly plausible. it is sickening.
the 20-minute long montage of ~memories being regained~. dudes, we all saw it the first time. been there, done that, nobody gives a fuck. i almost passed out from boredom!
Sheila being brutally killed off EVEN AFTER BEING DEAD. that's an impressive new low even for you, show!
Stelena. basically

reader, i quit. i thought after the bleakness of the finale that their narrative might be back on track, but - i got to Paul's unintentionally hilarious delivery of "i love you so much" -- and started full-blown cackling. and by the time we got to "i can be with you forever", i was on the floor. folks, this narrative is a farce. it is a farce. i can't pretend to feel rage, or irritation, or disappointment, or anything at all about it because -- it is a complete joke. and death to both characters' individual narratives. sorry about your ship, bros. i'm out.

(that being said - it struck me during the last rooftop scene that the framing was noticeably ott and tonally off. i don't say this out of ~hope for the narrative because - as established - i am now completely switched off. actually, it's something that struck me even during my cackling. i think it's pretty obvious that the fairytale rosiness of "let's be together 5ever!!11!!" is something that's being set up to crash and burn. at which point, good riddance.)

ACCEPTABLE THINGS:

Rebekah.
Klaus/Rebekah. best scene of the night.
Damon's general disgust with everyone's narratives, which speaks to my (lack of) soul.
Elena's transition, esp. the moment where she finally tastes blood.
SHOCK: Stefan's characterisation. the fact that even while Elena was pissing herself trying to assuage his guilt, he still didn't really buy it. and his going along with the romantic reunion just like that -- even with his guilt issues -- just says to me that he's doing all of one thing: fulfilling his debt to her.
in which i am a terrible person: i have very little problem with the Salvadicks being as terrible as they were to Matt. yes, indefensible. but at this point, it makes nothing but sense to me that the both of them would project their own grief/guilt/anger up the wazoo on to the easiest target. it's ugly and intolerable behaviour, but - not here for nice people being nice, tbh. also, i would feel more judgmental towards Damon and Stefan being like "why are you even still alive" about Matt if i weren't also like "why are you even still alive". dude, what is your purpose on this show.
Klaus being an effective villain again.
Caroline.
Bonnie. undecided about where this is going, but Bonnie herself was fantastical and heartwrenching.
"Elena is not your problem to fix." good.
"i am that selfish". good.
and can we take a moment to appreciate that the first thing Elena did after turning was assault Damon. i teared up, tbh.

hm. so, relatively short post (EVERYONE IS GLAD). in conc.: it wasn't the most terrible of episodes? i think? idk.